19 hours Ago By Delaney Otto
CAVALIER, N.D. — An event focused on drawing attention to Cavalier and the surrounding region is coming back for a second year, scheduled for May 1.
Jeremy Ratliff, host of the podcast "Rendezvous Region Today” and the spearhead behind TEDxCavalier, said the 2024 event was a blast.“We had great feedback about the event and even during breaks of the event itself,” he said. “It was all sorts of fun showing off our amazing city here to visitors from out of town.
”TEDxCavalier is a part of TEDx, an independent program that is part of TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design), an annual conference featuring TED Talks and discussions about science, business, education, arts, global issues and more. TEDx is designed to create a similar format for local communities. Ratliff said he began TEDxCavalier to showcase the lives and perspectives of the region's residents, a similar reason for why he began his podcast.
TEDxCavalier 2025 will be held from 10 a.m. to approximately 3 p.
m. on Thursday, May 10. There will be six speakers alongside a special performance by Amanda El-Dweek, author of the webcomic “Amanda the Great.
” Free lunch will be provided by local food truck Bourbon Barrel BBQ and snacks will be available from Grandpa John’s Sweet Treats. Sparky’s Craft Coffee Roasting will provide coffee, as it did last year.The theme of the event is based on a quote from one of last year’s talks by James Springer – “What got us here won’t get us there,” Ratliff said.
The 2024 event was held inside the Cavalier Cinema. This year, it will be held at the Pembina County Historical Museum, across the road from Icelandic State Park. It’s one of Ratliff’s favorite spots in the area, he said.
“It is a really cool venue,” he said. “I’m really pumped. They’ve been so great to work with on this.
There is so much local history packed into that main building.”Some of the topics the audience can expect from TEDxCavalier 2025 include caregiving, reframing regret, mental health, business and other things that look to the future of the community. There will be something for everyone, Ratliff said.
The list of speakers: Bill Svoboda, co-founder of CloseSimple, which assists in the real estate closing process. Svoboda has also written business books and children’s books. Florija “Lule” Naas, director of the Nelson County Job Development Authority.
Koren E. Willetts, board-certified in spiritual care and counseling as well as integrative therapies and healing practices wellness coaching. Christine Trippi, a hotelier with more than 35 years in the hospitality industry.
She is the author of “Yes Is the Answer” and is the founder of The Wise Pineapple. Paul Hurckman, executive director of Venture, which focuses on relief work, community development and addressing human trafficking, refugee crises and extreme poverty. Anna Thomas, a board-certified palliative care physician, caregiving advocate and leadership and resilience coach.
She is the founder of LifeCare LeadHership and the author of “Dementia Care Confidence.”Ratliff started TEDxCavalier to feature local voices and show what Cavalier has to offer, as well as to provide a unique experience to the area. The first year was a learning experience, and now he and his group know what to do for the second year, he said.
The Pembina County Historical Museum will provide more space and has given him more ideas, as well as the opportunity to fine-tune the event.“There are almost more ideas than there are implementations right now just because there are so many cool opportunities,” he said. ]]>.
