How it started.

It was 15 years ago this week that Nancy Kramer and I got the official license to hold TEDxColumbus, part of the global program TEDx . Lara Stein , the founder of TEDx, actually interviewed us herself, a practice she had to give up quickly when the community of license holders exploded. We were the 35th event in the world and we started out modest with 8 speakers and 300 people at the Wexner Center for the Arts later that year in October.

I remember my son was 3; he is graduating from high school next week. My daughter was 5; she just finished her sophomore year of college. Since that time in 2009, we all grew up together on TEDx . My husband wondered if I had remarried a guy named TED some of those years, but he supported and showed up every time like a champ.

After that event I wondered, why aren't I doing more of THAT. Meaning helping people craft their story and find their voice. The next year I gave up my PR and Marketing practice to do just that and Articulation was born. It was the most significant turn in my career to focus on building a unique practice of training and coaching speakers and communicators -and its the longest I've done anything.

I'll forever be grateful to the folks that showed up that first year to help us validate that it was an idea...worth spreading. Our small committee included Nancy and myself, Dave Ungar , Mike Curtin and Doug Kridler, who brought the The Columbus Foundation as enthusiastic sponsor for many years after. Speakers included John Glenn (in memoriam), Arthur Epstein (in memoriam), R. Reade Harpham , Norah Zuniga Shaw , Chrystie Hill , John Mueller, Ann Pendleton-Julian and our opening poet, Matt S. ( Acacia Duncan was not there - but how the world works in wonderful ways for her to come work with us 8 years ago). And attendees included but not limited to : Sherri Geldin, our most gracious host at the Wex, Jennifer Lange, a curator at the Wex who was the first person I called, Angela Dahlberg and Amy Sharp who showed up and live blogged the event, Paul Milligan my cousin and his business partner Andrew Brush who helped take photos and manage the slide presentations (among other technical feats), and attendees Michael Bills , Ben Blanquera , Christian Adams, MBA, APR , David Culbertson , Bryan Huber , Will Burrus , Ted Hattemer , Kimberlee Kiehl, Ph.D. (who was our gracious host for 5 years at COSI in years 3-8), Brant Jones , Sarah Kellenberger Harpham , Ann Ralston , Bruce Soll and...so many more I can't remember! Enjoy the photos below for a little flashback of how Columbus did then and still does embrace startups, creativity, idea sharing and community.

With some time and luck, I'll do more recaps- but for now we'll leave this first year here with some deep gratitude for being a one-of-a-kind spark.

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