We love this town. The TEDxBuffalo team asked people to make video pitches to speak at our 2013 event, and the response was more than 60 submissions, and plenty more interest.

We could have easily drafted up two or three events’ worth of talks from these ideas, but our lot is to narrow down to just one day. We’re proud to share with you four of the faces that you’ll see on Oct. 15, 2013 — at the event itself, on our live web stream or at the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library, where we’ll be hosting a really great viewing party for the public.

Look for the next four speakers very soon. In the meantime, may we introduce…

Gloria J. Zemer

The Great American Turn Around: Restoring the Human Spirit and Debunking Thoughtless Capitalism

About: Gloria Zemer is a rogue humanitarian, fearlessly defending substance with style for profit and good as a strategist at BlackDog Strategy & Brand. Championing the cultural impact of business success is just one of the ways that she connects the dots, addresses the big picture and puts her misfit nature to work. She is a good citizen.

Web: Black Dog Strategy
Twitter: @BrandMother

Brian K. Patterson

Everything I Know About Life I Learned at the Dinner Table

About: Brian Patterson is a police chief (B District, Buffalo) and motivational speaker. His life vision, besides creating his own brand of hot sauce and getting his three boys into Harvard, is to deliver life-changing messages that motivate people to live their best life by dreaming big.

Bernice Radle

Preservation 2.0: Neighborhoods, Heart Bombs & Engaging Young People

Bio: Bernice “Buffalove” Radle loves Buffalo, buildings and cities. Her endless enthusiasm, dedication and passion is aimed at historic preservation, neighborhood development and making historic buildings more energy efficient in Buffalo. Bernice is a project manager at Buffalo Energy, co-owns Buffalove Development and is very active in many organizations, including Buffalo’s Young Preservationists, Women Elect and the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association.

Web: BerniceRadle.com

Ben Siegel

Ground Breaking: Creating a Brand-New Buffalo

Bio: Ben is the editor of Block Club magazine, a Buffalo-based print publication now in its seventh year. Block Club tells stories of progress and identity in the Rust Belt and is distributed in Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburgh. Elsewhere, Ben writes arts criticism for The Buffalo News, poetry in his notebooks and random, absurd, inspired thoughts on Facebook. He enjoys theater on stage and in real life.

Web: Block Club Online