TEDx Riverfield Country Day School Youth: Where Adventure Meets Excellence
TEDx Riverfield Country Day School Youth will take place on Sept. 18, 2026 at Riverfield Country Day School from 7:45 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. The independently organized event, licensed by TED, will feature local voices and TED Talks videos under the theme of Where Adventure Meets Excellence.
Launched in 2009, TEDx is program of locally organized events that bring the community together to share a TED-like experience. Some of the best talks from TEDx events have gone on to be featured on TED.com and garnered millions of views from audiences across the globe.
TEDxRiverfield celebrates the extraordinary ideas that emerge when we step beyond what is familiar and embrace the unknown. Every breakthrough, act of leadership and meaningful change begins with someone willing to ask a bold question, take a thoughtful risk or imagine a different future.
Held on 918 Day, TEDxRiverfield also celebrates the creativity, curiosity and innovative spirit of Tulsa. Alongside nationally recognized thought leaders, local voices and students will take the stage to share ideas born right here in the 918 and explore how bold thinking can shape the future of our community and beyond.
This day-long event will bring together thought leaders, educators, innovators and students to challenge conventional thinking and reimagine what is possible. Through stories of curiosity, creativity, discovery and leadership, TEDxRiverfield will inspire new ways of thinking about learning, our communities and the world around us.
Featured speakers include:
Manju Bangalore — Scientist, astronaut-in-training, former NASA engineer and White House science policy advisor. Bangalore is scheduled to travel to space in 2027 as lead researcher for OP-01 (Operation Period-01), the first mission dedicated to studying menstruation in microgravity aboard a Virgin Galactic flight.
Ben duPont — Entrepreneur, venture capitalist and co-author of the bestselling book Non-Obvious Thinking: How to See What Others Miss, which explores how curiosity and creative thinking can help solve complex challenges.
Nate Roy — Team USA bobsled athlete, Weill Cornell medical student and founder of Cortex Flex and CAPSuLe, whose work applies neuroscience to help young people build resilience, improve performance and thrive.
Olivia Jordan - Tulsa native, actress, television host, acting coach and former Miss USA whose career spans film, television, fashion and advocacy. A passionate mentor and community advocate, she is dedicated to helping others step into their fullest potential both on and off the stage.
Dr. Kat Gardner-Vandy – Associate Professor of Aviation and Space at Oklahoma State University, geologist, planetary scientist and private pilot whose work explores the solar system, aviation and aerospace workforce development. A citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, she also partners with Native Nations to bring earth-sky STEM education into K–12 classrooms.
Arthur Osborne – Riverfield kindergartner sharing lessons about bravery from his experiences with hospital visits and surgery. In One Step at a Time, Arthur offers a young person’s perspective on facing challenges with courage.
Together, these and many other voices will make 918 Day a celebration of Tulsa’s spirit of curiosity and possibility, proving that bold ideas can begin anywhere and have the power to inspire change far beyond our community.
Event Links
Tickets: https://go.evvnt.com/3780429-0
Website: https://go.evvnt.com/3780429-2
