TEDx Fayetteville Returns, Picking Up Where 2020 Left Off

After a five-year break caused by the pandemic and other challenges, TEDx Fayetteville made its much anticipated return. The world renowned TEDx program, which now hosts more than 3,000 events every year around the world, marked its Arkansas comeback with a renewed sense of energy and purpose.

Held at the Fayetteville Public Library from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the event brought together an engaging mix of speakers who shared fresh ideas on technology, culture, and personal growth. With its combination of global inspiration and local perspective, TEDx Fayetteville once again lived up to its reputation, sparking meaningful conversations and reconnecting the community through ideas worth spreading.

A Local Platform for Global Ideas

Each TEDx event blends live speakers with recorded TED Talks and is organized independently under a free license granted by TED. While the TED organization does not directly oversee these gatherings, event organizers follow its established structure and guidelines for selecting speakers, providing coaching, and managing production.

“These ideas can really take root and spark inspiration everywhere,” said Sammy Kinnison, organizer of TEDx Fayetteville. She described the event as a space for learning, connection, and exploration. “People are talking about everything from building habitats on Mars to navigating healthcare systems to finding a new direction in life. There is something for everyone.”

Kinnison also noted that many speakers featured this year were originally scheduled to present in 2020 before the pandemic forced the event’s cancellation. “Most of them have been waiting five years for this moment,” she said.

Stories of Growth and Connection

Among the featured speakers was Amanda Thiebaud Horn, a senior communications executive, advisor, and modern mystic with more than twenty years of experience guiding organizations through change. Horn introduced her original concept, the GRACE Toolkit, a five part framework for personal transformation: give up the shoulds, reveal what is true, ask for help, choose one step, and embody the gift.

“I have developed a toolkit called the GRACE Toolkit,” Horn explained. “My goal is to help others realize that life is something we experience together. We listen and understand each other. We are not meant to do it alone, and particularly when we are having hard times, it can feel very isolated. TEDx Fayetteville is about connecting with other human beings.”

From Earth to Mars: Innovation Beyond Limits

Another standout speaker was Trey Lane, Design Technology Manager at HOK, a global architecture firm. A NASA award winning innovator, Lane shared his vision for the future of sustainable design and space exploration.

“We designed a 3D printable Mars habitat that uses Martian resources to build a habitat for astronauts to live and work on the surface of Mars,” Lane said. His presentation explored how technology and creativity intersect to solve extreme design challenges, lessons that extend far beyond the field of architecture.

“I am just really thankful and excited to share this with the community,” he added. “I hope that people find value in it and can connect it to what they are doing and to the challenges they are solving in their own lives.”

The event featured more than ten speakers, each presenting new ideas and perspectives that inspired attendees to think critically and creatively about the world around them.

A Decade of TEDx in Northwest Arkansas

TEDx events have been a part of Northwest Arkansas since at least 2013, when TEDx Fayetteville hosted 13 talks and performances. Another 13 followed in 2014, both of which can still be viewed on YouTube.

As the original organizing team passed the torch to a new group, evolving TED rules led to smaller local events. One such event, TEDxDicksonStreet, took place on October 6, 2017, at the UARK Bowl on Dickson Street.

TEDx Fayetteville returned on November 17, 2018, at Fayetteville High School, followed by a TEDx FayettevilleWomen event in December 2019, which live streamed the TEDWomen 2019 conference.

In early 2020, preparations were underway for another full scale TEDx Fayetteville, with speakers selected and rehearsals scheduled. However, the onset of the COVID 19 pandemic brought those plans to an abrupt halt. After several postponed attempts, 2025 finally marked the event’s long anticipated revival.

Looking Ahead: New Ideas and New Stages

Building on the success of this year’s comeback, TEDx Fayetteville is already looking ahead to next year. Submissions for new ideas are now open on its website.

Meanwhile, Northwest Arkansas will host another TEDx event this fall. TEDx Bentonville, scheduled for November 7, 2025, will explore the theme “Vitalis,” focusing on what makes life vibrant and fulfilling. The event will bring together innovators, artists, scientists, and community builders to examine creative expression, meaningful connection, physical wellbeing, and purposeful work.

“Beyond mere survival, we seek the spark that makes existence vibrant,” organizers said. “From the air we breathe to the communities we build, from the art we create to the technologies we design, Vitalis invites us to discover what it means to be fully alive in today’s world. The future belongs to those who understand that true vitality flows when we flourish together.”

Good luck to TEDx Bentonville, and congratulations to TEDx Fayetteville on a notable return.