TEDx Calvin College

Andrew Thomas

Student/ Traveller

Andrew is a junior at Calvin College. He has a passion for seeing people live in the fullness of who they are. This has taken Andrew around the globe, getting to work with refugees in the Middle East and on language and culture development in South East Asia. It has also pushed him to pursue opportunities at home, serving as an resident assistant at Calvin and doing IT work for a local nonprofit

Autumn Cain

Student / Entrepreneur

When Autumn Cain isn't studying aerospace engineering at the University of Michigan or fantasizing about astronomy, she can usually be found working on her company, Thrive Relief LLC. Founded in 2018. Autumn hopes to become an aerospace engineer at NASA and eventually become a NASA astronaut and the first woman to set foot on Mars.

Ben Litchenwalner

Author

Ben is the no-nonsense thought leader with unique views on leadership and technology. Sought after most for his innovative vision on modern servant leadership, Lichtenwalner reveals how new trends influence and create opportunities for executives. He’s the author of Paradigm Flip: Leading People, Teams, and Organizations Beyond the Social Media Revolution and runs a Top 30 leadership blog, according to Blog Rank. Through any success though, he gives the glory to God

Douglas Vander Griend

Chair of Chemistry Department, Calvin College.

Douglas A. Vander Griend, chair of chemistry at Calvin College, specializes in teaching first-year students and mentoring student researchers. His research on thermochromic windows, solid state arrangements and nanomolecular building projects has led to 6 patents and over 40 publications with 36 different undergraduate coauthors. Princeton Review named him one of the Best 300 College Professors in 2012 and he was recognized as a Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar in 2014. An avid bridge player and occasional dumpster diver, he is also a 5-time champion of the Calvin College Chemistry Chili Cookoff.

Jonathan Sims

Student/ Researcher

Jonathan Sims in a Senior at Calvin College double majoring in Biology and Chinese with a minor in Asian studies. He was born and raised in Romania and China, where he grew up speaking Mandarin and Sichuanese. His semester abroad experience in Ghana sparked his interested in international development and the role in which genetically modified food science impacts change. His senior capstone project focused on some of the surrounding ethical questions related to GMOs. Jonathan’s capstone thesis was published in the Calvin College Journal of Christian Perspectives in Biology in 2018. His talk is based on parts of his research related to the publication.

Julie Yonker

Associate Professor of Pyschology, PhD

Julie received her Ph.D. in Cognitive/Experimental Psychology at Stockholm University and she is an Associate Professor of Psychology. She teaches courses in Introduction to Psychology, Lifespan Development, Health Psychology, and the Internship course. Her research interests center on positive contributors to college students’ growth in academics, self-understanding, and vocational discernment. Her research has been published in journals such as: Journal of Adolescence, Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, International Journal of Christian Education. Julie received the 2013 Calvin College Professor of the Year and the 2017 Calvin College Advising and Mentoring Award.

Justin Goldston

Professor/Author

As a certified management consultant, professor and author of Critical Success Factors in Enterprise Resource Planning Implementation in U.S. Manufacturing, Dr. Justin Goldston has spent most of his career working with leaders of organizations around the world as they implement enterprise applications. With his work driven by his love for technology and passion for driving positive social change, his discussion will outline how we can use blockchain technologies to create a ‘true’ sharing economy.

Nicholas Leonard

Doctoral Student

Nicholas Leonard is an art and design education doctoral student, researching technology integration, creative development, and art assessment practices at Northern Illinois University, USA. Prior to that, he was an elementary art educator in Michigan. He received his undergraduate degree in art education from Hope College, the USA, and his master's degree in art education from the University of Nebraska at Kearney, USA.

Selvi Bunce

Student/ Activist

Selvi Bunce I am from Savage, Minnesota majoring in International Relations and Mandarin Chinese as a senior at Calvin College. I am passionate about equity and women's empowerment and plan to pursue these causes post-graduation. I am excited for TEDX because I believe sharing our stories is integral to understanding each other and therefore cultivating harmony

Stephanie Jones

Philantropist/Author

Stephanie L. Jones is a philanthropist and author of the award-winning and best-selling book, The Giving Challenge. She is an inspirational speaker and a life coach. Since graduating Taylor University, Stephanie has lived a crazy life from a private investigator to a police officer, to a senior manager at a Fortune 100 company. Stephanie lives in northwest Indiana with her husband Mike but you’ll often find them on weekends in Michigan, fishing, and kayaking.