Getting to Know the TEDxMileHigh Presenters (Part One)

This Saturday is the second-annual TEDxMileHigh, an event that “showcases innovative Coloradans who each give the ‘talk of their life’ around the power of ideas.” The theme: Risk & Reward. We wanted to gain a little insight into the presenters, so we asked them to answer questions about risk, reward, and success. (Read Part Two here.)

Jeremy Bloom, Olympian; NFL Alum; Founder of Integrate.com

The following are all inherently risky and rewarding, but if you had to choose one word (risk or reward) to describe each of the following, which would it be?

Getting married: Risk
Relocating for a job: Risk
Relocating for a significant other: Risk
Taking a year off from school to work or travel: Reward
Starting a business: Risk
Karaoke: Risk
Public speaking: Reward
Ordering something new at a restaurant where you always get the same thing: Risk
Approaching someone at a bar or party: Risk
Stepping in to stop two people from fighting: Risk

In six words or less, define what success means to you.

Relentlessly pursing goals

Todd Neff, Writer and Editor, CleanEnergy.com; Adjunct Instructor, CU Boulder

The following are all inherently risky and rewarding, but if you had to choose one word (risk or reward) to describe each of the following, which would it be?

Getting married: Reward
Relocating for a job: Reward
Relocating for a significant other: Risk
Taking a year off from school to work or travel: Reward
Starting a business: Risk
Karaoke: Mortal risk
Public speaking: Reward
Ordering something new at a restaurant where you always get the same thing: I never get the same thing, but reward, theoretically
Approaching someone at a bar or party: Reward
Stepping in to stop two people from fighting: Risk

In six words or less, define what success means to you.

A sense of fulfillment and satisfaction

Laura Merage, Artist; Founder of RedLine

The following are all inherently risky and rewarding, but if you had to choose one word (risk or reward) to describe each of the following, which would it be?

Getting married: Reward
Relocating for a job: Reward
Relocating for a significant other: Reward
Taking a year off from school to work or travel: n/a
Starting a business: Reward
Karaoke: Risk
Public speaking: Reward
Ordering something new at a restaurant where you always get the same thing: Reward
Approaching someone at a bar or party: Reward
Stepping in to stop two people from fighting: Reward

In six words or less, define what success means to you.

Health, family, working passionately equals happiness.

Ryan Martens, Founder, Rally Software; Founding Board Member and CEO, Entrepreneurs Foundation of Colorado

The following are all inherently risky and rewarding, but if you had to choose one word (risk or reward) to describe each of the following, which would it be?

Getting married: Reward
Relocating for a job: Reward
Relocating for a significant other: Reward
Taking a year off from school to work or travel: Reward
Starting a business: Reward
Karaoke: Risk
Public speaking: Reward
Ordering something new at a restaurant where you always get the same thing: Reward
Approaching someone at a bar or party: Risk
Stepping in to stop two people from fighting: Reward

In six words or less, define what success means to you.

Building systems that naturally create joy.

Hugo Matheson, Chef and Co-Founder, the Kitchen

The following are all inherently risky and rewarding, but if you had to choose one word (risk or reward) to describe each of the following, which would it be?

Getting married: Reward
Relocating for a job: Risk
Relocating for a significant other: Risk
Taking a year off from school to work or travel: Reward
Starting a business: Reward
Karaoke: Risk
Public speaking: Risk
Ordering something new at a restaurant where you always get the same thing: Reward
Approaching someone at a bar or party: Reward
Stepping in to stop two people from fighting: Risk

In six words or less, define what success means to you.

Feeling satisfied.

Bonus: One of the newest additions to TEDxMileHigh is TEDxYouth@MileHigh, which is designed to inspire people between the ages of 12 and 22 to take action in their communities by connecting them with some top “thinkers and doers.” The free event is being held tomorrow from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House.

—Top image courtesy of Chris Anthony