TEDxStCloud

Speakers

Speakers may not be confirmed. Check the event website for the latest lineup.

• Chase Larson

  Financial Digital Assets leader. Chief Lending Officer and EVP at St. Cloud Financial Credit Union.

  Chase Larson is leading the charge into the future of finance as Executive Vice President and Chief Lending Officer at St. Cloud Financial Credit Union. At the helm of the organization’s digital asset strategy, he’s shaping how local institutions adapt to the fast-evolving world of cryptocurrency. Named to the St. Cloud Times “5 Under 40” in 2024, Chase blends innovation with community focus in everything he does.

• Clare Richards

  Entrepreneur, Business Owner, Community Leader

  As CEO and Co-Founder of Impacks, Clare leads a fast-growing startup that bridges gaps in access to school supplies. A community organizer at heart, she’s earned national recognition for her leadership, including the 2023 Junior Chamber International’s “10 Outstanding Young Americans” award, named to the St. Cloud Times’ 5 Under 40 in 2021, and as co-founder of the St. Cloud Rotaract Club in 2015.

• Cory Hepola

  Director & Host of “My Town” television series. Vice President of Communications, Growth & Strategy at The Brookshire Company.

  A three-time Emmy-winning storyteller, Cory Hepola brings small-town America to life through the acclaimed “My Town” documentary series. As Vice President of Communications, Growth, and Strategy at The Brookshire Company, Cory uses narrative to connect people and ideas. Whether on screen or on stage, he is driven by one question: how do we rediscover what matters most in the places we call home?

• Debra Leigh

  Dance Professor, Higher Ed Administrator, Community Leader

  Debra Leigh has spent decades igniting change through the arts, education, and equity. Honored with the 2024 Athena Award and the 2023 Mayor’s Legacy Award in St. Cloud, she’s known for empowering women leaders, advancing anti-racism efforts, and promoting cross-cultural understanding. Her work lives at the intersection of performance and purpose—and she invites others to meet her there.

• George Maurer

  Pianist and composer

  George Maurer is a Minneapolis-based pianist, arranger, and jazz composer whose work has taken him around the world—from concert halls to long-distance bicycle journeys. He has performed with artists like Eric Clapton and Bruno Mars, created arrangements for major orchestras including the Minnesota Orchestra and Boston Pops, and earned multiple honors such as two McKnight Composer Fellowships. In recent years, George has blended music, travel, and storytelling through bike-powered expeditions that inspire new compositions, a podcast (Tales from a Bicycle Seat), and projects exploring community, place, and climate. Whether at the piano or on the road, his work is rooted in curiosity, connection, and the belief that music lives in shared human stories.

• Jeff Engholm

  Musician, composer, music educator

  Jeff Engholm is a versatile musician whose career spans performance, songwriting, production, and teaching. A longtime jazz and rock bassist, he has played for over two decades with the George Maurer Jazz Group while also fronting and performing in acclaimed tribute shows honoring artists like the Eagles, Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac, Paul McCartney, and more. Jeff is also a recording engineer and consultant at Rockhouse Studios in St. Joseph, where he has produced projects across nearly every genre, including his own original releases. Whether on stage or in the studio, he brings deep musical range, craftsmanship, and a collaborative spirit to everything he does.

• Jill Blashack Strahan

  Founder and CEO, Business Leader

  Jill Blashack Strahan transformed 18 easy to prepare food products, packed on a pool table in a shed, into Tastefully Simple, a national brand built on the Jill Blashack Strahan transformed 18 easy to prepare food products, packed on a pool table in a shed, into Tastefully Simple, a national brand built on the power of tasting parties. As Founder and CEO, she grew the company from rural Minnesota roots to over $143 million in sales. Her journey—shaped by bold vision, personal loss, and unshakable grit—inspires others to lead with courage, resilience, and a mindset of abundance. power of tasting parties. As Founder and CEO, she grew the company from rural Minnesota roots to over $143 million in sales. Her journey—shaped by bold vision, personal loss, and unshakable grit—inspires others to lead with courage, resilience, and a mindset of abundance.

• Mary Bruno

  Letterpress printer and artist

  Mary C. Bruno is a letterpress printer, artist, and storyteller who brings history to life through traditional printmaking. Working on century-old presses, she creates hand-printed pieces that connect craft, community, and contemporary expression. In 2020, she was commissioned to create The Scroll of the Rule of St. Benedict, a 30-foot letterpress work featuring the Rule of St. Benedict, and illustrations depicting Benedictine sisters and the Central Minnesota landscape. Mary’s work at Bruno Press champions making art approachable, meaningful, and deeply rooted in shared human stories.

• Michaela Hedican

  Monastic Leader

  Sister Michaela Hedican is a longtime member of Saint Benedict’s Monastery in St. Joseph, Minnesota, with more than 60 years of Benedictine life shaping her work and perspective. She brings a rich background in religious education, monastic studies, teaching, spiritual direction, and leadership, having served as prioress of two monasteries and president of the Monastic Congregation of Saint Benedict. Today, she serves as assistant dean at Saint Scholastica Convent, the sisters’ health care facility in St. Cloud. She often jokes that while she’s been a Benedictine for decades, she may have been born one.

• Stephen Rider

  Small Business Economic Development

  Stephen Rider is a serial entrepreneur, published author, and small-business advocate. He co-founded BuzzCare, a rural healthcare logistics startup delivering prescriptions to underserved communities by drone, drawing on years of launching and running ventures. A passionate champion of rural economic development, Stephen also serves as Small Business Coordinator at the Initiative Foundation, where he consults entrepreneurs, tracks evolving regulations, and frequently meets with communities across a 14-county region. Stephen studied environmental science and business at Western Carolina University. He relocated from Raleigh, NC to the St. Cloud area.