Odessa to become a TEDx site

Technology, entertainment and design, or TED, is coming to Odessa.

A news conference is scheduled for 2 p.m. Thursday at the Odessa Chamber of Commerce, 700 N. Grant, Suite 200.

Focused on technology, entertainment and design, TED Talks were born from the original TED Conferences of the 1980s.

Out of the TED Talks movement has come the TEDx event, live TED-like talks planned and executed independently by a local community. After months of working through the application process, Odessa has been approved as a site to host TEDx events. The first one is being planned for late February.

The idea to bring TEDx to Odessa came from Ector County ISD’s Chief Innovation Officer Jason Osborne, who has been part of two TEDx talks in Ashburn, Va.

Osborne has recruited several community volunteers to help with different aspects of TEDx operations. They include Madison Tate, co-organizer for marketing and partnerships; Tommy Arenvias, co-organizer for marketing and web design; Ashley Bryant, co-organizer for planning; Gabriela Granado, co-organizer for planning and social media; and Mike Adkins, co-organizer for marketing and event emcee.