TEDxCorvallis

Speakers

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

• Dr. Nordica MacCarty

  A Quest for Eudaimonia

  Dr. Nordica MacCarty is the Richard & Gretchen Evans Professor of Humanitarian Engineering at Oregon State University, as well as Executive Director of the non-profit Aprovecho Research Center. Her teaching & research activities aim to build capacity in global partners by providing the training, technologies, & tools needed to support health, climate, & social justice through household energy projects in the developing and developed world. Primarily focusing on supporting cleaner cooking for the 2.7 billion people globally who currently rely on open fires for cooking and heating, she has worked in over 16 countries, authored over 50 peer-reviewed articles, and has won multiple awards for community engagement and international impact. The work of her & her students has been funded by the US DOE, US EPA, US NSF, and private foundations. She also serves as faculty co-advisor for OSU’s Engineers Without Borders chapter, & Associate Editor for the journal Energy for Sustainable Development.

• Helen Kao

  Medical Director of Clinical Innovations, Lumina Hospice & Palliative Care; Professor of Medicine, UCSF Division of Geriatrics

  Helen Kao is Medical Director of Clinical Innovations at Lumina Hospice and Palliative Care in Corvallis, OR, and Professor of Medicine with the University of California San Francisco. She is board certified in internal medicine, geriatrics, and hospice & palliative medicine. Helen’s clinical work has focused on the care of frail, homebound, and vulnerable older adults for almost 20 years. She has particular interests in dementia, home-based care, and palliative care. Throughout her career, she has developed a variety of innovative clinical programs to serve the needs of vulnerable older adults and adults with complex conditions. Helen moved to Corvallis, Oregon in 2016 and continues to be involved in education, program development, and advocacy for the improved care of older adults. She is recipient of the San Francisco Business Times Health Care Heroes Award (2011), UCSF’s Master Clinician Award (2016), and the American Geriatrics Society’s Clinician of the Year Award (2022).

• Mark Urista

  Why Schools Should Create More Opportunities for Disagreement

  Mark Urista helps students and communities learn how to disagree in ways that build understanding rather than create division. At Linn-Benton Community College, he teaches Speech Communication and leads a Civil Discourse Program that uses structured dialogue and debate to explore complex, often polarizing issues. He has completed fellowships with UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center and the College Debates & Discourse Alliance, contributing to national efforts to strengthen constructive dialogue. He also serves on the steering committee for Braver Angels’ Mid-Willamette Valley Alliance. The son of a conservative father from a working-class family who served in the U.S. Army and a progressive mother from an upper-middle-class family who was a schoolteacher, Mark has navigated disagreement across differences since childhood. He believes that learning to disagree well is one of the most important and overlooked skills we can teach the next generation.

• Tim Rist

  Principal Broker

  Timothy J. Rist is a real estate entrepreneur, community developer, and creative visionary helping people discover where they truly belong — geographically, relationally, and purposefully. An active principal broker, Tim leads a growing team serving clients across asset classes nationwide. His brokerage centers on coaching professionals to build meaningful, sustainable businesses rooted in impact and long-term growth. He also serves as a trusted real estate partner to the City of Corvallis. As co-founder of a community development company, Tim designs environments that integrate housing, nature, and human connection. Beyond business, he is a writer, musician, and speaker exploring transformation and identity. Tim lives in Corvallis, Oregon with his daughter Maisy.

• Vikki Fuhrman

  Somatic educator, Licensed Massage Therapist, and advocate for Inner Authority (IA)

  Vikki Fuhrman is a somatic educator, Licensed Massage Therapist, and advocate for Inner Authority (IA). A proud graduate of Oregon State University in Applied Exercise and Sports Science, Vikki has spent her career bridging the gap between physical biology and executive leadership. Her insights were forged through thousands of clinical hours at The Bodyology Clinic and tested in the high-stakes fires of the educational, medical, and judicial systems. From advocating for her family's unique needs to helping high-performing leaders reverse chronic burnout, Vikki has proven that collective societal change begins with individual internal calibration. On the TEDx stage, she introduces a timely, revolutionary concept: IA as the critical, biological inverse to AI (Artificial Intelligence). Today, she equips purpose-driven leaders and organizations with the somatic tools required to move beyond survival autopilot and step into their highest potential.