TEDxMtHood

Speakers

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

• Ben Landsverk

  Conductor - Low Bar Chorale

  Ben Landsverk is an American composer, singer, and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known for his work as one half of the duo Wonderly. Their compositions include numerous hit podcast/radio theme songs, including the New York Times’ The Daily, Cheryl Strayed’s Dear Sugar Radio, and APM’s Sold a Story; many indie film scores and soundtracks, and four studio albums. An active session musician and arranger, Landsverk has worked with such musical luminaries as Father John Misty, Pink Martini, Storm Large, Smokey Robinson, Van Dyke Parks, and Rachel Taylor Brown. As a solo artist, Landsverk was featured in Music Connection magazine’s 2025 Hot 100 list of indie music acts. Landsverk is the director of Low Bar Chorale, a music event that turns a roomful of strangers into an epic choir. LBC regularly leads large-scale group singing events of anywhere from hundreds to thousands of singers. He thinks it’s funny when you tell him, “I can’t sing.” He bets you can.

• Cathy Rowe

  Artist in Residence

  Cathy is an artist, illustrator , and muralist whose work transforms everyday spaces into shared creative experiences. Through more than 40 public murals across Oregon and California, she explores how art can serve as a catalyst for connection—inviting communities to see themselves reflected in the places they inhabit. Her large-scale works can be found in cities, universities, and schools including Oregon City, OR; California State University, Sacramento; Rancho Cordova, CA; Wilsonville, OR; and Gladstone, OR. Each project is rooted in collaboration and shaped by the stories of the people who live and learn nearby. For Cathy, the process is as meaningful as the finished piece: art becomes a gathering point, a conversation starter, and a shared act of belonging. As an illustrator, she extends this philosophy into children’s books, coloring books, and paint-by-numbers kits designed to remove the intimidation of the blank page and reawaken creative confidence in kids—and kids at heart.

• Chad Brown

  Conservationist

  An award‑winning photographer, filmmaker, Navy veteran, and conservationist, Chad fuses visual storytelling with advocacy for wild places and underrepresented communities. His work spans documentary film, portraiture, expedition photography, and cultural storytelling. As founder of Soul River Inc. and Love Is King, he champions BIPOC and Indigenous voices while protecting threatened ecosystems. He has led over 30 Arctic Circle expeditions and is the first African American to hold an Arctic National Wildlife Refuge backcountry guide permit. His advocacy took him to Congress with the Alaska Wilderness League and Gwich’in Nation to defend the Arctic from oil drilling. His path includes global documentaries, collaborations across hip‑hop, fashion, and cultural design and contributions to The New York Times Magazine. Across tundra, community spaces, and urban culture hubs, his mission is constant: inspire action, elevate unheard voices, and protect wild spaces shaping our collective future.

• Chrissy Marie

  Vocalist

  Chrissy Marie is a Portland, Oregon–based vocalist known for her soulful tone, emotional depth, and timeless musical style. With roots in Motown and classic soul, she brings a rich, velvety warmth to every performance, blending vintage influence with modern expression. Her voice moves effortlessly between tender intimacy and powerful intensity, creating a captivating presence that feels both personal and unforgettable.

• Gideon Freudmann

  Cellist

  Gideon Freudmann is a cellist and composer best known for his genre-melding forays blending classical, jazz, folk, and blues. He is an accomplished instrumentalist, songwriter and tireless explorer of melodies and sonic possibilities. Above all, he makes music that is fun and accessible. The Boston Globe says, “Taking a modern artist's approach to the four-stringed instrument, Gideon Freudmann has brought the cello to a new realm.” A founding member of the Portland Cello Project, Gideon has led several ensembles including Caravan Gogh and Trio Quartetto. He composes music for TV, film and dance and has toured in Europe, Asia and Australia. He is a contributor to NPR and 'This American Life' and has recorded 25 CDs and published a collection of string instrumental sheet music. He recently released a new CD with his chamber string ensemble, King Tide Trio. Gideon also performs live soundtracks for classic silent films and has a special fondness for Buster Keaton comedies.

• Joseph Bull

  Trailblazing Engineer

  Dr. Joseph Bull is the Dean of the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science at Portland State University. He is the first Native American Dean of Engineering in the country. Dr. Bull's work primarily centers on the cardiovascular and pulmonary systems, related biomedical devices, and edema, addressing fundamental biofluid mechanics problems that may enable new clinical therapies or diagnostics. As a Native American faculty member (an enrolled member of the Delaware Tribe of Indians, a federally recognized tribe of the Lenape), and a first-generation college graduate, Dr. Bull has a substantial history of working to improve racial equity and diversity. In his leadership work as Dean, he challenges the STEM community to rethink its inclusion strategies, advocating for a system that values and integrates the unique perspectives and practices of Native Americans.

• Juan Barraza

  Entrepreneur Empowerer

  Juan Barraza's experience spans all facets of the startup trenches as a founder of a Digital Health startup, lead organizer of Portland Startup Weekend Latino, Co-Founder of Latino Founders, a professional organization empowering the next generation of Latino entrepreneurs, and former Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at VertueLab. His passion for growing entrepreneurs is infectious. Juan believes that entrepreneurship is a great equalizer in society and any individual with an idea or concept and strong work ethic can create a great venture with a direct economic impact on family and community. Juan Barraza is the Executive Director of Latino Founders In this role, Juan is responsible for envisioning, creating, delivering, and continuously improving upon the support programs offered to entrepreneurs.

• Kasem Rodriguez Mohsen

  Capital Systems Architect

  Kasem Rodriguez Mohsen is a capital systems architect working at the intersection of philanthropy, venture capital, and public funding. He helps foundations, investors, and institutions move beyond grants-as-default and toward investment strategies that align capital with real-world outcomes. As the founder of LION Strategies and a partner at Willohsen Capital, Kasem designs and deploys innovative funding models—including mission-related and program-related investments—to unlock capital for entrepreneurs tackling complex social and climate challenges. His work spans ecosystem design, governance, and the cultural shifts required for institutions to take intelligent risk. Previously an exited founder and former data scientist working with elite teams across the U.S. and U.K. defense systems, Kasem brings a rare blend of analytical rigor and human-centered design to finance. His work asks a simple but disruptive question: what if capital actually did the job it was meant to do?

• Laura Hilty

  Growth Steward

  Laura Hilty is an operator-turned-investor who helps companies grow by staying relentlessly focused on the right problems. Over the past two decades, she has worked with founders and leadership teams through moments of rapid change—launching new products, shaping strategy, leading acquisitions, and serving on boards of early-stage companies. Her experience has taught her that organizations rarely fail for lack of vision; they fail when they lose touch with the problems they exist to solve. Laura mentors entrepreneurs, supports global health initiatives, and spends her free time negotiating with her very determined young daughter and hiking and kayaking.

• Lindsey Wahlstrom

  Momatologist

  Lindsey Wahlstrom works at the intersection of medical research, caregiving, and meaning-making. After more than a decade supporting patient engagement across 200+ clinical trials, Lindsey’s understanding of success in healthcare was radically reshaped when her daughter, Rona, was diagnosed with and died from a rare disease in 2023. She is the co-founder and Chief Momatologist of Rona’s FUN LAB, a nonprofit supporting critically ill children and the teams who care for them, alongside her ongoing work in patient engagement and research. Her work challenges how we define outcomes — and what it truly means to help.

• R.P. Joe Smith

  Retired Lawyer

  R.P. Joe Smith served as District Attorney for Umatilla County and is the former chair of the Oregon Democratic Party. He was the Executive Assistant to the Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives and held a short interim position in the Oregon House of Representatives. He once famously ran for the position of Oregon Attorney General without soliciting a single contribution over $99.99. Joe is an active figure in the Oregon community and a powerful advocate for proper paper towel use.

• Sara Wolk

  Voting Rights Champion

  Sara Wolk is the Executive Director of the Equal Vote Coalition, a nonprofit fighting for true equality in the vote itself. Her background spans from the sustainable agriculture and architecture fields to participating on an ecological survey project to protect Ecuador’s Cloud Forests that helped cement an international judicial precedent on the rights of nature. Today, she is a peer-reviewed author on electoral reform, speaker, researcher, content creator, and organizer focused on teaching people about voting methods and the way they shape our society. When she’s not busy upgrading our political system, Sara races small sailboats and loves to play music.