We sat down with Ami Campbell, Optima Verdana® resident and TEDxWilmette Co-organizer, to learn more about the upcoming edition of the series, taking place on Saturday, October 4, 2025 from 1-3PM at the Wilmette Community Recreation Center.
For readers new to the event, how do you describe TEDxWilmette?
We’re a community of fearless women who deliberately elevate ideas for the greater good—of our communities and the world. Community is the starting point: volunteers, sponsors, and audiences form “micro-communities” that help good ideas scale beyond any one person.
TEDxWilmette began as TEDxWilmetteWomen. Why the shift—and what stayed the same?
Using “Women” in the name ties a local event to the national TEDWomen weekend and theme. After our first year, we wanted more flexibility—to choose our own theme and timing—so we moved to a general TEDx license. What hasn’t changed is our center of gravity: we remain a women-led, women-focused platform. Men absolutely attend and support us (including on our executive board), but our purpose is to make sure women’s ideas have a powerful stage.
How does TEDx licensing work at the local level?
TED licenses one TEDx per geography and renews annually based on quality and audience feedback. Licenses are free, events are volunteer-run and nonprofit, speakers aren’t paid, and sponsors don’t speak from the stage. The guardrails exist for a reason: to keep the platform about ideas—not promotion.
This year’s theme is “#ActuallyYouCan.” Why this message now?
Many people feel things in the world aren’t going so great—and that can be paralyzing. “#ActuallyYouCan” is a choice to be part of the solution. It speaks to individual agency and collective action: you can do big things and small things that matter, and together we can do even more.
Walk us through your curation process. What makes a talk “TED-ready” for your stage?
We run a dual pipeline. We proactively invite promising voices from our growing network of past speakers and partners, and we keep a public application open. Then we look for three things:
- A strong, transferable idea (not just a personal story) with a clear call to action.
- Communication chops—applicants submit a short video and interview with our team.
- Coachability. We invest months in speaker development, and the talk almost always evolves dramatically. We also shape a balanced program—age, background, sector—because the theme must be broad enough to hold many perspectives.
What’s the through-line for the 2025 lineup?
Curiosity and empowerment. Get curious—then act on what you learn. You’ll hear:
Annie Aggens on adventure as a mindset: how to apply an explorer’s frame to everyday life.
Kayce Ataiyero on the role of local journalism in re-knitting community ties—and why it needs our support.
Gizelle Clemens on “wells” of connection that sustain us, drawing on her own journey and the ethos of community care.
Amber Johnson, Ph.D. on asking better questions to build real relationships in an age of loneliness.
Tara May on neurodiversity at work and the curiosity it takes to collaborate across different brains.
Stacey Woehrle, CPA, CDFA on getting curious about money—especially for women—and why understanding finances changes everything.
You mentioned “convergence” in our conversation. Where do you see it beyond the main event?
In our salon series. We pair speakers for interactive conversations so audiences can dive deeper and watch ideas intersect in real time. It’s one more way we build community around the talks.
What does success look like for TEDxWilmette?
People engaging with each other—and with the ideas—after the stage lights fade. We’ve watched collaborations spark: a local café that sponsors us now hosts our salons; our local news outlet began distributing its new print edition there. None of that is “ours,” but we helped create the conditions where it could happen. That’s the win.
What have other TEDx teams around the country learned from your approach—and what do you prioritize internally?
Two things. First, co-leadership and care for volunteers. Three co-organizers share the load, and we invest in team connection because the work (and joy) is collective. Second, speaker coaching. We bring in performance experts and stay with speakers for months so the final talk is both deeply authentic and professionally honed. We’ve had speakers tell us the experience was “night and day” compared with other events.
How can members of the Wilmette community and beyond get involved this year?
Come to the event, then come back for salons. Follow @tedxwilmette and keep an eye on the website for details. We’re also always looking for thoughtful volunteers to help produce the experience—from stage and speaker support to audience experience and community outreach—so head to our website and sign up here.
And if you’re values-aligned, consider sponsoring. Ticket revenue covers less than half of production costs—sponsors truly make the show possible. We’re especially grateful to Optima Verdana®, our platinum sponsor this year.
Event snapshot
• Date & time: Saturday, October 4, 2025, 1–3 p.m.
• Venue: Wilmette Community Recreation Center
• Theme: #ActuallyYouCan
• Format: Six live talks filmed before a 300-person audience (6th annual)
• Learn more: tedxwilmette.com, @tedxwilmette
