What is TEDxHuntingValley?
A fully licensed, independently organized TEDx event. The first independent community TEDx open to the public in Cleveland in over a decade. And it was built by two high school juniors.
Ideas worth spreading, organized locally
TED is the nonprofit organization behind TED Talks, one of the most recognized platforms for ideas in the world. TED began in 1984 as a conference where Technology, Entertainment and Design converged, and today covers nearly every topic in more than 100 languages.
TEDx is the independently organized version. Any individual can apply for a TED license, organize a local event, and follow the standard TEDx format: live speakers, talks under 12 minutes, no panels, no PowerPoints. Since 2009, more than 44,000 TEDx events have been held in over 160 countries.
After every TEDx event, the talks are published to the TEDx YouTube channel, which has over 44 million subscribers and more than 8 billion total views across 241,000 published talks. That is the platform that every speaker at TEDxHuntingValley is speaking to.
Event at a glance
Date
August 22, 2026
Venue
Gund Auditorium, University School Hunting Valley, Ohio
Format
Live speakers, talks 12 minutes or under No panels, no PowerPoints
Audience
100 attendees (TED licensing cap)
Theme
"The Invisible Engine: The Forces We Forget"
Organizers
Charlie Martin and Jack Nelson University School, Class of 2027
Licensed Organizer
Dr. Tyler Yoder, University School
Contact
tedxhuntingvalley@gmail.com
This is not a school showcase.
First in a decade
The last independent, community-organized TEDx open to the public in Cleveland was June 2015. More than ten years of silence from a city with no shortage of ideas. TEDxHuntingValley ends that gap on August 22, 2026.
No age qualifier
At TEDxHuntingValley, a student speaker is not introduced as a student. They are introduced as a TEDxHuntingValley speaker, identical to every adult on the same stage. No age qualifier. No asterisk. An idea is an idea.
Open to any Cleveland-area student
Any high school student in the greater Cleveland area can apply. There is no GPA requirement, no prior experience needed, and no extracurricular list to submit. Five speakers are selected entirely on the strength and clarity of their idea.
A globally distributed platform
Every talk is filmed and uploaded to the TEDx YouTube channel after the event. The channel has 44 million subscribers and more than 8 billion total views. A local idea, if it is good enough, reaches a global audience for free, forever.
Independently organized
TEDxHuntingValley is organized by Charlie Martin and Jack Nelson, two juniors at University School. It is not a school project or institutional program. They applied for and received the TED license themselves, with the guidance of licensed organizer Dr. Tyler Yoder.
Built by two high school juniors
Charlie Martin
Co-Organizer
University School, Class of 2027
“We kept asking why Cleveland didn't have this anymore. We couldn't find a good answer. So we decided to stop waiting.”
Jack Nelson
Co-Organizer
University School, Class of 2027
“If the idea is good enough, it doesn't matter how old you are. That's what makes this worth doing.”
Dr. Tyler Yoder
Licensed Organizer
History Instructor, University School
“When Charlie and Jack came to me with this, they had already done the hard part. My job has been to make sure they get to the finish line.”
A stage that takes ideas seriously
TEDxHuntingValley is held at Gund Auditorium at University School in Hunting Valley, Ohio. Gund Auditorium is a professional performance venue with full professional sound and lighting.
University School is Ohio's leading independent school for boys, and is providing the auditorium as venue partner. The production quality of the space matches the ambition of the event.
When a speaker takes the stage on August 22, they stand in front of professional equipment, a live audience of 100 people, and a camera that will distribute their talk to 44 million people worldwide.
Venue details
Name
Gund Auditorium
Location
University School 20701 Brantley Rd Hunting Valley, OH 44022
Capacity
500-seat professional performance venue (Event capped at 100 per TED licensing)
Production
Full professional sound and lighting
Student Speaker Contest
Any Cleveland-area high schooler can apply.
No GPA requirement. No prior speaking experience. No extracurricular list to submit. Your application is evaluated entirely on the strength and clarity of your idea.
Deadline: May 11, 2026 at 11:59 PM — Applications to tedxhuntingvalley@gmail.com