Tre Borden - TEDxSacramento Changemaker Fellow

Join us for our next conference, TEDxSacramento 2016, on February 12, 2016. Register today before space runs out. 

By: Chris Brune

Who is Tre?

The Sacramento region’s creative class has been fast at work, opening doors to new ways of thinking about community and public space. By now you may have heard about, or participated (played) at, the community focused art installation known as PORTAL. This month-long activation lived on R Street in front of the iconic Crystal Ice Building in Midtown Sacramento from late August to mid-September. One of the project’s creators, Tre Borden, was named a TEDxSacramento Changemaker at the "This Changes Everything" event on June 12, 2015.

Take a peek at Tre’s talk from This Changes Everything

[Excerpt from the This Changes Everything program]

PORTAL - from concept to activation

In Tre’s talk he laid out his vision for the PORTAL experience that just culminated it’s 6-week run. Tre and PORTAL co-creator Kim Garza created a temporary venue to showcase the many expressions of what makers/creators have in store for the Sacramento community.

With this vision in mind, Tre and Kim enlisted the talents of local ‘makers’ Matt Porr, Trent Dean, and Nile Mittow to see PORTAL through fabrication and installation. The team built the structure at Hackerlab — home to many local makers, programmers, entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses.

[Tre Borden, Project Manager of PORTAL, and Kimberly Garza, Designer of PORTAL, standing in the structure.]

(photo courtesy of City Scout Magazine)

[The PORTAL activation on R Street]

(photo courtesy of PORTAL Sacramento)

The programming for PORTAL showcased some of the region’s best creative offerings. It served as a meeting place for several community gatherings through its two month run: Instagram meet ups, sunrise yoga, a local fashion showcase, movie night, disco brunch, and a food truck meet up are just a few of the events that occurred at the R Street installation. The common thread through all these events was the idea of community building. The project asked participants to catalog their experiences under the #PortalSac hashtag so that they could weave their experiences into the larger tapestry of the PORTAL experience.

[photos from participants on Instagram]

The PORTAL activation was transplanted to West Sacramento for the final three days of its month-long run. What better place to leave a sense of community than the region’s largest art and music festival, TBD Fest.

The festival, envisioned by another TEDxSacramento Changemaker, Clay Nutting, started as a one-day hotel party (then “LAUNCH”) eight years ago. Since then it has evolved into a multi-day festival that embraces creativity through music, art, design, food and ideas. The festival and PORTAL share much of the same creative DNA and ethos — both elevate the creative class and citizens of the city, both look ahead to the potential of Sacramento’s future.

[The PORTAL activation at TBD, September 2015]

(photo courtesy of TBD Fest)

A fitting finale to the first chapter an inspired idea. For more information on Tre’s upcoming projects visit his portfolio site.

The PORTAL Team:

Tre Borden, co-producer and program manager

Kim Garza, co-producer and head designer

Matt Porr and Trent Dean, fabrication and construction

Nile Mittow, electrical programming

Become A Changemaker Fellow

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X Changed Everything for Me. Let It Change Everything for You: Announcing the Biggest TEDxSacramento Conference EVER!

By Lauren Herman

Once upon a time, I was a Sacramentan who did not want to be a Sacramentan. I was lost in what Sacramento wasn’t rather than what Sacramento is. What changed this for me? X changed everything - TEDxSacramento changed everything for me.

A year ago, I became the blogger for TEDxSacramento in a reluctant effort to embrace the city where I was born and raised. I recently graduated from college and returned to Sacramento after living abroad. High off my experiences of other cities, I asked myself what I wanted out of the city I call home. Thus, I ask you, what do you want from our city, our community of Sacramento?  

I am excited to share with you the opportunity to let X change everything for you, too! Join fellow Sacramentans for the biggest TEDxSacramento conference “THIS Changes EVERYTHING” on Friday, June 12, 2015 at the Community Center Theater.

If you have not experienced TEDxSacramento for yourself, please consider the endless possibilities of what X can bring to your life. Let TEDxSacramento change something, if it has not yet, for you.

People from all walks of life have a connection to TEDxSacramento whether they have attended an event, know someone who has attended an event, participated in an event, volunteered at an event, read about the organization in local media, or followed the organization on social media. Join the movement of people embracing community gathering, dialogue and exchange in the name of ideas worth spreading in Sacramento.

During this time of transition for Sacramento, it is important to remember who and what Sacramento is. Sacramento is simply you and me. We make TEDxSacramento: the opportunity to learn and share ideas in our Capital Region. The people connected to TEDxSacramento, the volunteers, attendees, performers, and participants, and their ideas changed everything for me, and it has for thousands of people. That is why X changed everything for me.

Join your fellow Sacramentans for the big one - the biggest conference in TEDxSacramento’s history in the heart of downtown Sacramento! Let X change something for you. REGISTER NOW!

This City is Made for You and Me: How Millennials are Taking a Stake in Sacramento’s Future

By Lauren Herman

We all have a type. My type includes tall buildings, close neighbors, espresso, museums, libraries, and open public spaces at my fingertips; yes, the city. Regardless of the demographic or geographic difference, the one constant in my life has been the city.

I studied disciplines that shaped my professional life in Berkeley, the first home I built for myself was in Nairobi, my first travels aboard were to Managua, and my first exposure to urban life was Saturday afternoons at the downtown Sacramento library. I incorporated these cities into my sense of self through the trust and intimacy I gained with the movements and the people each city offered me.

Urban life is becoming increasingly attractive to other millennials – a generation born between 1980 – 2000, totaling one fourth of Americans, who are (re)claiming an urban lifestyle as their “American Dream.” This generation is paving the way for the American urban century. Sometimes deemed the generation that has “failed to launch,” even millennials living at home say they envision the city as their ideal home. [i]

With millennials supposedly storming the urban landscape, what influence do they have on the city, if any? Where do they want to take our cities?

Looking to Millennials – Reimagining Our City for You and Me

As a catalyst for discussion around the upcoming TEDxSacramentoSalon, “This Changes Everything: City” conference on March 7, 2015, three millennials, all Sacramentans, will be profiled in a new blog series about their role in one of the following fields in Sacramento: community activism, education, and art.

The individuals featured in this blog series are engaged in these different fields, but all strive to make their vision of our capital city a reality. Their acts, their commitment to their passions, make them extraordinary contributors to our city. Though often criticized for being overly optimistic dreamers, millennials exemplify the power of young engagement just like the Baby Boomer hippies of the 1960s dreaming of a new world in a decade of societal and political disillusionment. It’s time for millennials to turn our world upside down.

Urban theorist, Marshall Berman, was correct when he wrote about modernity by eloquently borrowing the language of Karl Marx stating “...‘all that is solid’ in modern life...‘melts into air’.” All that we know today, what we know as modern, is continually reimagined, redefined, and reinvented by the upcoming generations that precede those of the past. [ii]

This blog series will explore the civic engagement of a generation that is proving the city we know today will be gone tomorrow as time transforms how we see, engage, build, and live in urban spaces, as it always has and always will be. It is our right as a society and residences to collectively exercise participation in these processes of urbanization, to enforce the freedom to make and remake our cities and ourselves.

Just as you have taken the time to explore the streets, the structures, and the smells of your capital city, now is the time to get to know Sacramento through the stories of your fellow Sacramentans. Only then will trust and intimacy of the city be discovered through your resolve to find what is essential and meaningful to you and your neighbors – our Sacramento will be built for you and me.

References for Blog Post:

[i] Gallagher, Leigh. The End of the Suburbs: Where the American Dream is Moving. New York, New York: Portfolio/Penguin, 2013.

[ii] Berman, Marshall. All That is Solid Melts Into Air: The Experience of Modernity. New York, New York: Viking Penguin, 1988.

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Emily Castor on Ride-Sharing, the Sharing Economy and How It Can Change the Capital Region

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By Lauren Herman

Emily Castor, Director of Community Relations, Lyft

On September 26, 2014, at TEDxSacramento’s “This Changes Everything: Seeds of Change” event, Emily Castor spoke about the fascinating evolution of peer-to-peer exchange networks and the sharing economy. Emily is an original Lyft team member who has helped develop the ride-sharing service into what it is today. She currently serves as Lyft’s Director of Community Relations. 

Let’s now take a ride through Emily’s recent talk.

Need a Lyft?: The Ride-Sharing Service

If you have not heard or used the service, Lyft is a ride-sharing service that has popped up in Sacramento. Whether or not you use Lyft, you may be familiar with its iconic symbol, the pink mustache which can be seen on the front of cars driving throughout your neighborhood.

Individuals with the Lyft app can request a “lyft” from a lyft driver who uses his or her own private vehicle to earn a little extra cash while helping out a fellow neighbor through a shared ride. In order to ensure trust between users, both the driver and rider are given the opportunity to rate one another after the service is complete.

Lyft is an example of collaborative consumption supported by trust and accountability made possible through technology and social media. Only top rated drivers and riders are allowed to be a part of this network.  

Ride-Sharing as Part of the Sharing Economy: Not Only Good for the Economy, but for Society and the Soul

It is no surprise that as one of the original Lyft team members and current Director of Community Relations, Emily not only discusses the changes that Lyft has brought to her own life, but points out the many benefits to society as well.

Emily makes the case that ride-sharing services are not only an alternative transportation model for policy makers and urban planners to consider, especially as the urban population continues to grow worldwide. Such examples of collaborative consumption are transformative agents for our economy and culture that move us closer toward what is called the sharing economy.

Audience at TEDxSacramento's "This Changes Everything: Seeds of Change"

The sharing economy is a movement that aims to increase opportunities to share human and physical resources through collaboration and exchange. Activities within the sharing economy include swapping, exchanging, collective consumption and purchasing, recycling, crowdsourcing, co-operatives, renting, shared ownership and pay-as-you-use economy.

Emily goes on to explain that networks and marketplaces developed through the sharing economy, such as Lyft, make entrepreneurism easier than ever before benefiting the American worker and consumer.

She advocates that these opportunities expand employment beyond the conventional cubical and nine to five hour workweek to meet the needs and skillset of individuals. Popular start-ups following the principles of the sharing economy include Kiva, Airbnb, Etsy and Skillshare.          

According to Emily, the social impacts of the sharing economy are just as important as the potential it can create for our economy in Sacramento. Collaborative consumption marketplaces fuel opportunities to connect community members through in person interactions, but also through networks sustained by trust between strangers both next door and on the other side if the world.

Trust between strangers is a hard concept for many. But, communalism and cooperation promoted through the sharing economy are not untraditional, even for America that prides itself on individualism. Ever checked out a book from the library? Do you have a Netflix account?  A large segment of society shares personal information about themselves online using Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

 

The Case for the Sharing Economy: Another Perspective from the TED Stage

Echoing Emily’s enthusiasm for the societal impact of the sharing economy is fellow TED speaker and researcher Rachel Botsma. Four years ago on the TED stage, Rachel in her TEDTalk, "The Case for Collaborative Consumption," argued that the expansion of the sharing economy is not only inevitable, but an exciting and positive change that satisfies our primal instincts in which cooperation and sharing are necessary for survival.

Rachel states that, “we're taking a leap to create a more sustainable system built to serve our innate needs for community and individual identity. I believe it will be referred to as a revolution, so to speak -- when society, faced with great challenges, made a seismic shift from individual getting and spending towards a rediscovery of collective good.”

In other words, she believes the sharing or collective economy move “us from a culture of "me" to a culture of ‘we’ ” that will benefit humanity in the long run.

After all, if on average a car costs $8,000 a year to maintain, but is only used on average one hour a day, it makes sense economically, but also socially to embrace peer-to-peer exchange networks made possible by the sharing economy that allows us to share resources while saving and making money.

From the TEDxSacramento stage to the State Capital: How is Ride-Sharing Impacting the Capital Region 

Emily brings to the TEDxSacramento stage new ways of thinking that are necessary to cope and plan for our changing Capital Region through the exploration of the sharing economy, particularly Lyft.

California has been a leader in technology and start-ups, so perhaps the golden state will lead the way in the development of ride-sharing and the expansion of what is deemed public transportation.

Mayor Kevin Johnson of Sacramento recently wrote a San Francisco Chronicle article praising the innovation that ride-sharing companies, such as Uber and Lyft, bring to cities, such as Sacramento. Simply put, he believes that “ride-sharing works: it works for the drivers and it works for the customers.” But, not everyone is convinced of the speed and direction in which ride-sharing is developing. 

Emily Castor speaking about the sharing economy at TEDxSacramento's "This Changes Everything: Seeds of Change" event on September 26, 2014.

Recent legislation in Sacramento would require ride-sharing companies in California to carry the same insurance as taxi companies. Many criticize that the evolution of ride-sharing is outpacing regulation. Mayor Johnson has responded by stating such efforts would “discourage innovation and force out-of-date thinking on Next Economy companies such as Uber and Lyft.”

Currently, eight out of ten Americans live in an urban environment. Urbanism will continue to be a trend worldwide. According to a United Nations Population fund report, by 2030, six out of 10 people will live in a city. Knowing the inevitable, can every individual own a private vehicle? In the urban century, there are simply not enough resources. Thus, this discussion of alternative transportation models is necessary.  

The Sharing Economy: Your Turn to Give It a Review

Time will only tell the direction and speed of its development, and how governments will respond to the new services and opportunities of the sharing economy.

Fortunately, you have the opportunity to form your own opinion. Consider joining or using the many opportunities of the sharing economy in our Capital Region and beyond.

• Want to learn how to make sushi, but do not have the time to take a full semester course? Join Shareskill, and find someone in your region to share this skill with you.
• Going on vacation soon? Try Airbnb rather than a hotel.
• Avoiding another trip to Ikea because you do not want to assemble another piece of furniture? Hire someone within TaskRabbit with the experience to do it for you. 

Take Emily’s advance; “tap into economic engine that is the human spirit through sharing.” It’s never been easier! These collaborative consumption marketplaces may not only save you money, but also transform our cultures and economies moving us into the global village of the 21st Century.

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"Change" is Coming!

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is a strategic partner of the TEDx program, and together we teamed up for a very special project called TEDxChange -- an initiative devoted to ideas worth spreading in the areas of global health and development. The TEDxChange team works with TEDx organizers around the world to help facilitate meaningful discussions on topics such as vaccines, polio, malaria, HIV/AIDS, maternal and newborn child health, and agricultural development. The TEDxChange initiative also includes a global signature event convened by Melinda Gates and broadcast across the TEDx community. REGISTER NOW.  

Join us for the simulcast event at The Urban Hive, 1931 H Street, Sacramento, CA 95811, from 8:00am-10:30am.  We will have light breakfast treats and coffee provided. Space is limited. Register Now.

TEDxChange 2012 – April 5, 2012, live from Berlin

Convened by Melinda French Gates. Hosted by Chris Anderson.

The current economic climate has drawn our focus to immediate needs closest to home. But now, more than ever, it's critical to keep site of the fact that we are part of interdependent, global community. And too many within that community cannot meet their most basic needs: food, clean water, life-saving medical treatment and vaccines.

We can't proceed with business as usual.

On April 5, 2012, we'll take a step back and look at the big picture: Why should we, as a society, continue to invest in global health and development? How can we work across borders and political boundaries to make positive change? And what returns can we expect on our investments?

Speakers

Melinda Gates: Melinda Gates serves as co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. She helps set the overall direction of the foundation, shaping strategies, reviewing results, and advocating for the foundation’s issues. Melinda will discuss family planning and how the power to plan changes the lives of women and their families and improves whole societies.

Jeff Chapin: Jeff Chapin is a mechanical engineer and product designer for IDEO. He specializes in designing sanitation solutions for the developing world and has conducted projects in both Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Jeff will challenge traditional perceptions of ‘design’ by emphasizing the importance of sustainable, market-based systems for developing societies.

Sven Giegold: Sven Giegold is a Member of the European Parliament and one of the founding members of Attac Germany. Sven has dedicated much of his career towards green industry issues. He will talk about the power of collective action and how the actions of individuals, communities, and progressive business can lead to critical changes at a national and international level.

JUST: A local Berliner, JUST is one of the most eminent photographers of graffiti and has been recording the street art movement for more than 10 years. In his talk, JUST will draw a fascinating parallel between the rise of the Internet and the street art movement.

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