One Club’s Ties to TED

Mary Watson, DTM, a member of the Grand Junction Toastmasters club in Colorado, became hooked on TED Talks after listening to a riveting one in 2012 about America’s justice system. She wanted her own club, and community, to benefit from hearing those types of thought-provoking presentations—which, in the TED ethos, are meant to “discover and spread ideas that spark conversation, deepen understanding, and drive meaningful change.”

Today, TEDx Grand Junction is a big part of the Grand Junction club’s story. Most of the club’s 24 active members volunteer to help organize the event, Watson says.

TEDx programs feature TED-style talks presented in local communities. Watson organized the program in Grand Junction—about 250 miles west of Denver—in 2018. The club’s efforts have resulted in an annual, well-attended event that yields many benefits for people—both members and nonmembers—who produce, attend, or speak at the program.

Grand Junction resident Devan Penniman applied and became a TEDx speaker in 2018. She soon realized she needed help in calming her nerves. “So I joined Toastmasters,” she says. “It helped a ton.” Becoming a Toastmaster also helped Penniman gain confidence at her job “standing in front of 18-year-olds” while teaching at Colorado Mesa University.

In addition to speaking, club members also help with coaching and other needs, leading to skills improvement as well as increased camaraderie.

“Team spirit grows naturally, because members are collaborating, problem-solving, and celebrating successes together,” Watson says.

As members step into leadership roles, they discover hidden talents, she adds, “whether it’s organizing, speaking, promoting, mentoring, or simply encouraging others along the way.”

Emcee Seth Anderson (left) talks with presenter Dimitry Chislov-Starkin in 2025.

TED’s Impact

While TED Talks, 18-minute speeches given by experts in various fields, have become a cultural mainstay, TEDx programs are also widely popular. More than 4,000 such events are held worldwide each year, many of them organized by schools and universities.

When she started the Grand Junction event, Watson, a club member since 1998, reached out to a couple of community members for their tech and audio-visual skills, and enlisted the help of current and former Toastmasters. She attended a weeklong TED Global Conference in California to learn how to evaluate and select a slate of speakers, solicit sponsorships to help cover expenses, and glean other tips for organizing a local TED-inspired program.

For the inaugural event in 2018, a planning committee put out a nationwide call for speakers on multiple social media and cloud-based platforms, as well as local television, radio stations, and newspapers. More than 170 people applied to speak, from which 16 were selected.

Organizers continue to receive between 150–200 applicants each year, and speakers tackle a variety of topics. At the 2025 event, those included AI, social media, world peace, and the public health issue of safe and clean toilet access for everyone.

TEDx Grand Junction presenter Seth Anderson with Mary Watson, DTM, founder of the event and a longtime member of the Grand Junction Toastmasters club.

Coaching Connection

Watson and Rebecca Mullen, a former member of Grand Junction Toastmasters, both serve as coaches for the TEDx speakers. Mullen hosted three 60–90-minute Zoom meetings to coach speakers for the 2025 event. She began the call with a bit of coaching curriculum to help speakers delineate between types of stories for their speeches. Then she reviewed the speakers during a portion of their talk.

“Often the most illuminating parts of the coaching were around pulling out more emotional details,” she says. “People tend to be reluctant to share deep emotions, but that’s what makes a speech powerful.”

While it takes a team to pull off this kind of event, Mullen attributes much of the success to Watson and her efforts to enlist various people to improve the project. “She brings in workshop leaders so that we’re all learning together,” Mullen says. “She invites someone to bring special foods so there’s a festive vibe. And she gives people reasons to talk to each other.

“Mary has an uncanny ability to build community. I think it’s her desire to see people shine in their given talents and expertise. She encourages people.”

Toastmasters from other cities in the area also attend the event, held at The Art Center of Western Colorado, a venue that holds 250 people and sells out TEDx each year.

Members of the Grand Junction club raise awareness about Toastmasters and attract new members by talking to TEDx audience members during breaks in the event. Audience members also interact with vendors, sponsors, speakers, and other attendees.

Meg Grett-Pratt joined the Grand Junction club four years ago to help with her goal of becoming a professional speaker. She speaks about domestic violence to various groups, including police officers and high school students, and in 2024 she spoke on that topic at the Grand Junction event. “TEDx has been my biggest audience so far,” Grett-Pratt says. “It was a great experience.” In 2025, she served on the TEDx organizing committee.

In addition to presenting TEDx, the Grand Junction club engages the wider community with various programs to encourage developing communication skills and to promote awareness of Toastmasters. Club members help organize a Toastmasters Youth Leadership Program, communication and leadership workshops, and storytelling open mic nights.

Of the TEDx event, Watson says it serves many purposes.

“Members benefit by putting their public speaking and leadership skills to use. It’s a practical way to use skills learned in Toastmasters.

“Plus, there’s the satisfaction of offering the community an enjoyable and worthwhile event.”

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