TEDxUIUC is holding its annual TED talk at the Krannert Art Center on April 23. Several speakers, including Robert High and Donna Cox, are expected to headline.

Tanmay Adya, a TEDxUIUC director, said in an email that these speakers were chosen based on this year’s theme, Creative Chaos.

“Whether they are entrepreneurs, artists, politicians, or leaders in other senses of their lives, we felt their experiences would shed light on how we can embrace the chaos in our lives to find a creative spirit,” Adya said. 

Adya expressed the desire of TEDxUIUC board members to expand on the breadth of experiences, industries and backgrounds of this year’s speakers by bringing in more prominent guest speakers.  

High, Chief Technology Officer at IBM, worked on Watson, IBM’s “visionary artificial intelligence system.” Robert’s TEDxUIUC talk will focus on what it takes to become a leader in a multibillion-dollar company, according to TEDxUIUC’s Facebook page.

Cox, University professor, has been described as a pioneer in scientific visualization and computer art. She will tell her life story and its influence on her becoming an innovator in the field of entertainment.

Having worked on the films “A Beautiful Planet” and “Hubble,” Cox has been honored at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry as one of the “40 Modern-Day Leonardo da Vinci’s.”

Justine Musk, author of “BloodAngel” and “Lord of the Bones,” will also headline the event. Musk plans to speak about what it takes to make it in the technology industry using her experience as the former wife of Billionaire Elon Musk.

TEDxUIUC hopes to engage with top thinkers and remarkable doers to spread worthwhile ideas across the campus community, Adya said.  

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