CSU Announces TEDxClevelandStateUniversity Speaker Lineup
Cleveland State University has announced the 12 speakers selected for this fall's TEDxClevelandStateUniversity event, themed "Untangling Wonder."
Representing a range of industries and perspectives, the speakers will explore ideas that invite attendees to embrace the unknown with curiosity, courage and imagination.
“The response to our call for speakers was overwhelming, and selecting only 12 voices was no easy task,” said Colette Hart, senior director of the Centers for Outreach and Engagement in the CSU Monte Ahuja College of Business and one of the lead organizers of the TEDx event. “This group of speakers represents a wide range of perspectives, from researchers and entrepreneurs to artists, educators, students and community leaders.”
The 2026 TEDxClevelandStateUniversity lineup includes:
• Richard Austin, Ph.D.: Saint Ignatius High School, director of Ignatian Community and Belonging
• Stacey Diane Arañez Litam, Ph.D.: Cleveland State University, professor of Counselor Education
• Camilo Ferro: RAWS Americas, president
• Jessica Gallagher-Steuver, Ph.D.: Windsong Cleveland, artistic director
• Mandi Goodsett: Cleveland State University, Performing Arts and Humanities librarian
• Sabine Kretzschmar: Cleveland Museum of Art, director of Art Education Collection
• Christa Laser, J.D.: Cleveland State University, associate professor of Law
• Samantha Martin: Cleveland Water Alliance, director of communications and engagement
• Claudio Milstein, Ph.D.: Cleveland Clinic, speech-language pathology scientist
• Charlie Mosbrook: Charlie Mosbrook Music, singer-songwriter and Folk Alliance International, vice president
• Lidiia Reviakina: Cleveland State University, student
• Sharon Sobol Jordan: United Way Cleveland, president and CEO
The event, organized by CSU and licensed by TED, will be moderated by Eleanor Hayes and takes place Friday, Oct. 23, from 3 to 8 p.m. at Waetjen Auditorium. Doors will open at 2 p.m.
“TEDxClevelandStateUniversity is an opportunity to bring together curious minds and bold thinkers whose ideas challenge us to see the world differently,” said CSU President Dr. Laura Bloomberg. “We’re proud to welcome these exceptional speakers to our campus and provide a platform for ideas that inspire innovation and meaningful dialogue.”
Learn more about the event, including speaker biographies and ticket information.
About TEDx, x = independently organized event
In the spirit of discovering and spreading ideas, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TED Talks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized. (Subject to certain rules and regulations.)
About TED
TED is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to discovering, debating and spreading ideas that spark conversation, deepen understanding and drive meaningful change. Our organization is devoted to curiosity, reason, wonder and the pursuit of knowledge — without an agenda. We welcome people from every discipline and culture who seek a deeper understanding of the world and connection with others, and we invite everyone to engage with ideas and activate them in your community.
TED began in 1984 as a conference where Technology, Entertainment and Design converged, but today it spans a multitude of worldwide communities and initiatives exploring everything from science and business to education, arts and global issues. In addition to the TED Talks curated from our annual conferences and published on TED.com, we produce original podcasts, short video series, animated educational lessons (TED-Ed) and TV programs that are translated into more than 100 languages and distributed via partnerships around the world.
Each year, thousands of independently run TEDx events. Through the Audacious Project, TED has helped catalyze $6.6 billion in funding for projects that support bold solutions to the world's most urgent challenges — working to make the world more beautiful, sustainable and just. In 2020, TED launched Countdown, an initiative to accelerate solutions to the climate crisis and mobilize a movement for a net-zero future, and in 2023 TED launched TED Democracy to spark a new kind of conversation focused on realistic pathways towards a more vibrant and equitable future. View a full list of TED’s many programs and initiatives.