Multiple individuals from St. Cloud State University will be part of speaking, performing or producing TEDxStCloud 2023 in October at the Paramount Theatre in St. Cloud.
Among the six speakers chosen to take the stage during the annual event starting at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 12, two are from SCSU. SCSU staff member Dr. Kyle Martin, a team physician for St. Cloud State Athletics and alumnae Anisa Hagi-Mohamed ’18 and Tracy Hodel ’00 will speak during TEDxStCloud.
Dr. Martin is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon at CentraCare M Physicians Orthopedics, sub-specializing in sports medicine along with being the team physician for Huskies Athletics. He is actively engaged in research on the clinical translation of artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve patient outcomes. Dr. Marin enjoys the combination of immediate gratification from performing surgery on an injured individual along with the long-term fulfillment watching them return to sport and life following rehabilitation.
Hagi-Mohamed is a Somali-American educator, artist, author, community leader, business owner and mother who resides in St. Cloud. Hagi-Mohamed earned her Master’s degree in Linguistics from SCSU in 2018 after fleeing the civil war in Somalia and spending a few years in a refugee camp before coming to the United States when she was five years old. She likes to inspire and empower communities as she fosters healing and understanding through the power of language. Hagi-Mohamed has authored two books, advocated for autism awareness and acceptance and developed bilingual affirmation cards. She has earned awards and recognition from BRAVE Foundation, Star Tribune, MPR and Minnesota Women’s Press, among others.
Hodel is the Public Services Director for the City of St. Cloud and has been with the city for over 22 years after being born and raised in St. Cloud. Hodel, who earned her Bachelor’s degree in Biology from SCSU in 2000, strives to provide innovative, high quality, cost-effective public services to St. Cloud residents and customers in her current role. In recent years, the City of St. Cloud has taken a national and global leadership role in its sustainability efforts, and Hodel is leading this initiative and advocates for being big and bold with ideas, being brave enough to implement them and never underestimating the impact of small actions. She believes taking action is a critical key to learning and success.
Along with those two speakers, Terry Vermillion, Professor of Percussion Studies at SCSU, will be taking part in TEDxStCloud as a performer. Vermillion has a lifelong fascination with exploring a balance of compositional formality and improvisation. He is a sought-after percussionist and performs in multiple groups across a wide range of styles. Vermillion’s contributions have led to numerous professional awards for his teaching and his musical performances.
UTVS, SCSU’s award-winning student-run television station, also assists in the production of TEDxStCloud annually.
TEDxStCloud is part of the TEDx program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At TEDxStCloud events, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. SCSU has been a partner in supporting the event each year with speakers and planning board members.
Along with Dr. Martin and Hagi-Mohamed, other speakers set to take part in TEDxStCloud 2023 include Patty Wetterling, Tim Bornholdt, Tracy Hodel and Zach Fritz.
The theme of TEDxStCloud 2023 is Pattern. Tickets are on sale now through the Paramount Box Office.
Speaker Details
Anisa Hagi-Mohamed
Somali-American educator. Artist. Author. Community leader. Business owner. Mother. Anisa’s transformative journey began when she was born two years before the civil war in Somalia. After fleeing and spending a few years in a refugee camp, Anisa’s family immigrated to the United States when she was 5. Anisa went on to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees in linguistics. Her journey continues to inspire and empower communities as she fosters healing and understanding through the power of language. She has authored two books, advocated for Autism awareness and acceptance, and developed bilingual affirmation cards. She has earned awards and recognition from BRAVE Foundation, Star Tribune, MPR, and Minnesota Women’s Press, among others.
Kyle Martin
Kyle is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon at CentraCare M Physicians Orthopedics sub-specializing in sports medicine. He also serves as team physician for the St. Cloud State University Huskies. Kyle is actively engaged in research on the clinical translation of artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve patient outcomes. He loves the combination of immediate gratification from performing surgery on an injured individual along with the long-term fulfillment watching them return to sport and life following rehabilitation. Originally from Winnipeg, Canada, he has visited more than 35 countries. Kyle is a PADI certified Advanced Open Water Diver, and his main interests are cycling, time with family, and pretending he’s still an athlete.
Patty Wetterling
Patty was a stay-at-home mother of four children when her world was rocked by the abduction of her 11-year-old son, Jacob, on October 22, 1989. With a shattered heart, Patty began studying child abduction and sexual exploitation. The more she learned, the more she needed to share. Her advocacy led to passing Federal legislation requiring sex offenders to register addresses with law enforcement. Patty served on the board for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for 22 years and consulted for the US Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Though her hopes have grown and changed, Patty believes there are more good people than bad, and she is committed to fighting for a world where children have the right to grow up safe and follow their dreams. Patty never gave up, and Jacob’s Hope is very much alive in the hearts of all who shared in her journey.
Tim Bornholdt
Tim is the chief technology officer of Bionic Giant. A lifelong nerd, he made his first website in third grade and programmed his first graphing calculator in sixth grade. After college, he co-founded a mobile software consultancy where he architected and developed apps used by millions of people for organizations such as Great Clips, Sanford Health, and Little Free Library. He also helped launch several successful Minnesota-based startups, including TurnSignl, VSI Labs, and Kwikly. Tim’s passion is helping people understand how cutting-edge technology works. His recent area of interest is artificial intelligence. Tim also loves hanging out with his gorgeous wife, his cheeky 7-year-old daughter, and his goofy 4-year-old son.
Tracy Hodel
Providing innovative, high quality, cost-effective public services to the City of St. Cloud’s residents and customers is a key driver for Tracy’s current role as public services director for the City of St. Cloud. She has been with the City of St. Cloud for over 22 years, was born and raised here, and received her bachelor’s degree in biology locally. In recent years, the City of St. Cloud has taken a national and global leadership role in its sustainability efforts due to City staff’s efforts. Tracy is leading this initiative and advocates for being big and bold with ideas, being brave enough to implement them and never underestimating the impact of small actions. Taking action is a critical key to learning and success.
Zach Fritz
Zach’s love for the outdoors started at age four on family trips canoe camping in the Boundary Waters. He continued these annual trips until 2013 when he became involved with a local nonprofit, Les Voyageurs Inc., which seeks to expand the horizons and leadership of young adults through wilderness experiences. These trips, ranging from 30 to 50+ days, travel to remote areas of Canada. Zach has been a program participant and guide and has served as the program director since 2019. He has a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies and a passion for introducing people to the outdoors and to the personal development/leadership components that come from these experiences. In the summer of 2024, Zach will be embarking on a 4,400-kilometer, 4-month canoe expedition from northern Minnesota to the Arctic Ocean with a fellow adventurer.
