It's about empowerment and inspiration, the organizer of TEDxSquamishWomen said.
The inaugural event takes place at the Squamish Adventure Centre on Thursday, Dec. 5. Spawned from the TED series, which started in 1984, TEDWomen focuses on innovative women in their communities.
"TEDWomen and other networking events are so important," Megan Reynolds said, adding they build community and deepen people's level of confidence.
It's San Francisco's first time hosting TEDWomen. Presentations will centre around solutions to poverty, approaches to peacemaking and expressions of art. People from Sao Paulo to Seoul are scheduled to tune into the TEDWomen 2013, with this year's theme on "Invented Here." Squamish is one of 150 mini-TEDx events live streaming the presentations.
The Squamish presentation will also feature three local speakers - Jayne Song, Tracy Van Veen and Christine McLeod. Song is an architect with 15 years of experience, having worked on hospitals, schools and athletic centres around North America. Song will talk about Genius loci - an urban planning and architectural term used to describe the intangible spirit of experience of a place.
As a aquaponic educator with the University of the Nations, Van Veen has spent the past couple of years designing and constructing aquaponic training hubs in the Dominican Republic, Panama, Chile, Mexico and the United States. Van Veen will speak about how sharing knowledge and resources can empower developing countries to enhance their own food supply through co-ops and micro-enterprise.
McLeod will delve into the means by which social technology can create human connections, higher productivity, deeper relationships and a stronger sense of community. McLeod has spent years in the world of leadership, social business and media.
Doors open at 4 p.m., with a brief reception at 6 p.m. and live speakers begin at 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $20 and are available online at www.tedxsquamishwomen.eventbrite.ca or in person at the Howe Sound Women's Centre, 38021 Third Ave.
