Artist Alejandro Durán confronts ocean ecosystem destruction through his powerful environmental art. He meticulously collects and reuses plastic waste, from water bottles to prosthetic legs,

Artist Alejandro Durán confronts ocean ecosystem destruction through his powerful environmental art. He meticulously collects and reuses plastic waste, from water bottles to prosthetic legs, found washed ashore on Mexico's Caribbean coast.

These diverse materials are transformed into vivid artworks. Durán's creations aim to both mesmerize and shock viewers, effectively spotlighting the pervasive issue of global plastic pollution.

Pallavi Mohan is an eminent fashion designer and founder of the globally renowned brand, Not So Serious. An Art graduate with a Bachelor’s in Textile Design from University of Arts London,

Pallavi Mohan is an eminent fashion designer and founder of the globally renowned brand, Not So Serious. An Art graduate with a Bachelor’s in Textile Design from University of Arts London, Mohan's journey began in a small Indian town. Her label masterfully merges western sensibilities with Indian ethos, emphasizing feminine individuality through a witty mix of colors and media.

Mohan's illustrious career includes collaborations with top brands like Roberto Cavalli and Jean Paul Gaultier, and being a Vogue Fashion Fund finalist. Her brand, recognized by India Today as a pioneer in couture, champions simplicity as the ultimate sophistication. This talk was presented at a TEDx event. Learn more at ted.com/tedx.

Hunter and Thomas present "In a Landscape," a unique outdoor classical music series. Acclaimed pianist Hunter performs on a 9-foot Steinway in stunning Oregon natural and historical sites. Music

Hunter and Thomas present "In a Landscape," a unique outdoor classical music series. Acclaimed pianist Hunter performs on a 9-foot Steinway in stunning Oregon natural and historical sites. Music is transmitted via wireless headphones, allowing guests to freely explore the landscape while enjoying the performance.

Hunter, an internationally acclaimed pianist, and Thomas, founder of Pink Martini, bring this blend of refined music and the wild to communities. This talk was part of a TEDx event, independently organized to share ideas worth spreading. Learn more at ted.com/tedx. Special thanks to the TEDxPortland team; find event history at TEDxPortland.com.

Aleyda's quest for belonging began in high school. She found her home in writing and art, and now creates a space to welcome other creators, transformers, and dreamers.

Graduating from

Aleyda's quest for belonging began in high school. She found her home in writing and art, and now creates a space to welcome other creators, transformers, and dreamers.

Graduating from Western in June 2017, she collaborated with communities to combat systems of oppression affecting people of color. Aleyda continues to write and dream.

This talk was presented at an independently organized TEDx event. Learn more at ted.com/tedx.

Ryan Camero, from Stockton, CA, began volunteering with Restore the Delta in 2010 to understand community resilience amidst social challenges and water issues. His interest in art and storytelling

Ryan Camero, from Stockton, CA, began volunteering with Restore the Delta in 2010 to understand community resilience amidst social challenges and water issues. His interest in art and storytelling led him to the Beehive Collective. Collaborating with Restore the Delta and Food and Water Watch, Camero conceptualized "Sucked Dry" in 2014, a presentation with Beehive Collective graphics that linked California's water privatization to struggles against large-scale infrastructure projects in Mesoamerica.

Last fall, Camero toured 18 California cities, presenting "Sucked Dry" and facilitating discussions on the fragile Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Now employed by Restore the Delta, he continues to act as a "cross-pollinator," fostering collaborations across organizations to address interconnected social, environmental, and economic inequities.

Joes Segal is a Professor of Cultural History at Utrecht University. His research focuses on modern art,

Joes Segal is a Professor of Cultural History at Utrecht University. His research focuses on modern art, cultural history, and the intersection of art and politics, particularly in Europe, the US, the Soviet Union, and China since 1945. He also investigates cultural boundaries and identity.

Segal authored *East German Material Culture and the Power of Memory* (2011) and *Divided Dreamworlds? The Cultural Cold War in East and West* (2012). He served as a guest curator at the Wende Museum and a guest professor at UCLA, supported by a Senior Research Grant.

Matika Wilbur, a leading Pacific Northwest photographer, has exhibited extensively in regional, national, and international venues such as the Seattle Art Museum and the Nantes Museum of Fine Arts

Matika Wilbur, a leading Pacific Northwest photographer, has exhibited extensively in regional, national, and international venues such as the Seattle Art Museum and the Nantes Museum of Fine Arts in France. After studying photography at the Rocky Mountain School of Photography and Brooks Institute, she became a certified teacher at Tulalip Heritage High School, inspiring youth in her indigenous community.

A Native American woman of the Swinomish and Tulalip Tribes, Matika is a unique artist and social documentarian in Indian Country. Her work explores contemporary Native identity and experience with insight and passion, communicated through the impeccable artistry of her silver gelatin photographs. Visit her website: Matika Wilbur.

Matika Wilbur, a leading Pacific Northwest photographer and a member of the Swinomish and Tulalip Tribes, is renowned for her work re-imagining & humanizing Native peoples. Her extensive

Matika Wilbur, a leading Pacific Northwest photographer and a member of the Swinomish and Tulalip Tribes, is renowned for her work re-imagining & humanizing Native peoples. Her extensive exhibitions include venues like the Seattle Art Museum and the Royal British Columbia Museum of Fine Arts. She is also a certified teacher at Tulalip Heritage High School, inspiring youth in her indigenous community.

Wilbur's multi-year national photography project, Project 562, is dedicated to photographing over 562 federally recognized tribes across the United States. Through impeccable silver gelatin artistry, she explores contemporary Native identity and experience, offering insight and passion as a unique artist and social documentarian in Indian Country.

Amelia Southern-Uribe, 21, grew up in environmentally vulnerable Southern communities, recognizing early on that environmental justice is linked to the liberation of marginalized groups. In 2019,

Amelia Southern-Uribe, 21, grew up in environmentally vulnerable Southern communities, recognizing early on that environmental justice is linked to the liberation of marginalized groups. In 2019, they founded Arkansas’s first Zero Hour chapter in Fayetteville, which became a model for climate activism across the state.

Addressing Arkansas’s educational disparities, which exacerbate injustice, Southern-Uribe co-founded Roots magazine in 2022. Roots amplifies BIPOC Southern voices and environmental knowledge, providing free art supplies to artists. In its pilot year, over $7,800 was raised to distribute the magazine statewide.

Janine Benyus, the "Godmother of Biomimicry," will present "Becoming a Welcome Species: Biomimicry and the Art of Generous Design" on April 10, 2025. She and her colleagues at Biomimicry 3.8

Janine Benyus, the "Godmother of Biomimicry," will present "Becoming a Welcome Species: Biomimicry and the Art of Generous Design" on April 10, 2025. She and her colleagues at Biomimicry 3.8 demonstrate how to design human settlements—cities, villages, homes, and businesses—to create the same ecological gifts as wildlands.

Her presentation envisions cities functioning like forests, storing water, cleaning air, cycling nutrients, and nurturing biodiversity. Through "Project Positive" initiatives, Benyus reveals this regenerative vision is achievable if we quiet our cleverness and ask: "What would Nature do here?"

Learn more about Janine Benyus' work at biomimicry.net.