Tickets are on sale for TEDxUniversityofNevada, set for Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019 at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center. Cost is $89 and includes more than 18 TEDx talks and four performances. Student tickets are $25 and can be purchased with a valid student ID at The Nevada Wolf Shop, located in the Joe Crowley Student Union.

Speakers include a wide mix of backgrounds, expertise and genres. Here’s a sneak peek of who audience members can expect to see on stage (for a full list visit tedxuniversityofnevada.org):

Anjelah Johnson, comedian
An actress, comedian and former NFL cheerleader, Johnson is most often found touring around the country performing at her sold-out comedy shows. She became an Internet sensation with her viral video, “Nail Salon,” which led to many standup, television and film opportunities. That same year she joined the cast of “MADtv” as a series regular, which spawned another Internet sensation, “Bon Qui Qui.” This original character, a disgruntled fast food employee with no filter, has been enjoyed, viewed and replicated by over 65 million people worldwide.

Chris Voss, CEO and author
CEO of the Black Swan Group and author of the national bestseller, “Never Split The Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It,” named one of the seven best books on negotiation. A 24-year veteran of the FBI, Voss retired as the lead international kidnapping negotiator. Drawing on his experience in high-stakes negotiations, his company specializes in solving business communication problems using hostage negotiation solutions. 

David Wise, professional skier
A Reno native Wise is a professional skier, adventure seeker, a four-time X Games Champion and a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist in halfpipe skiing. At 28 years young, David is also a father of two. He considers parenting his highest calling and credits his wife, family and faith for his success and ability to live a multi-faceted, balanced lifestyle.

Niolfer Merchant, innovation expert and author
A three-time author, Merchant is a Fellow of the Martin Prosperity Institute at the Rotman School of Management. Merchant has personally launched more than 100 products, netting $18B in sales and has held executive positions at Apple, Autodesk and GoLive Systems.

Ruthie Foster, singer
Described by “Rolling Stone” as “pure magic to watch and hear,” her vocal talent was elevated in worship services at her community church. Drawing influence from legendary acts such as Mavis Staples and Aretha Franklin, Foster developed a unique sound unable to be contained within a single genre. Having been nominated three times for a Grammy, Ruthie has received seven Blues Music Awards, three Austin Music Awards, the Grand Prix du Disque award from the Académie Charles-Cros in France and a Living Blues Critics’ Award for Female Blues Artist of the Year.

Tony Slonim, physician and CEO
President and CEO of Renown Health – the region’s largest, not-for-profit health system serving Nevada, Lake Tahoe and the eastern Sierra – Dr. Slonim is a national expert in patient safety, accountable care, healthcare quality and innovative care delivery models focused on improving health outcomes across the community. He is the first physician in the U.S. to be quadruple board certified in Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Internal Medicine Critical Care and Pediatric Critical Care and has more than 100 publications and 15 textbooks to his name.

Why attend TEDxUniversityofNevada?
With more than 42 million video views worldwide, TEDxUniversityofNevada has quickly become one of the top TEDx events in the country, helping to shape Reno, Nevada as a destination for thought-leaders. In 2018, TED.com named Christine Porath’s talk, “Why being respectful to your coworkers is good for business,” one of its top 25 talks of the year.

“This event has truly become a labor of love with one of the best volunteer armies in town,” Bret Simmons, TEDxUniversityofNevada curator and University College of Business associate professor said. “In partnership with organizations such as Greater Nevada Credit Union, Microsoft, JamPro Music Factory, the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority, and more, our goal is to keep bringing the University out into the community to showcase Reno, Nevada as a place where big ideas are born.”

New this year, event organizers are able to offer the lowest TEDxUniversityofNevada ticket price ever, at just $89 a ticket and $25 for students. Lunch will no longer be included in the price of the ticket, however, there will be a number of concessions on site and next door at the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa. Event organizers are also working on a number of interactive sessions available during the breaks including a Virtual Reality pop-up and Healthy Nevada screenings.

All TEDxUniversityofNevada talks will be posted to the TEDx YouTube site after the event. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit tedxuniversityofnevada.org.

Organizations interested in sponsorship of the event should contact Alice Heiman at alice@aliceheiman.com. Sponsors receive marketing benefits and recognition.