Ransom graduate speaks at TEDx Coconut Grove

South Florida leaders got together in Coconut Grove on Friday, February 5, in an effort to spark creativity in the community. Thirteen talented speakers, including Miami Theater Center’s founder and artistic director Stephanie Ansin, took the stage at TEDxCoconutGrove to share their world-changing ideas and spark discussion on the topic of “Dreams.”

TEDxCoconutGrove, a local, self-organized event that serves as a platform for the community to share ideas worth spreading, took place at Ransom Everglades School’s Lewis Family Auditorium, located at 3575 Main Highway, from 2 to 7:30 pm.

A native of Miami, and graduate of Ransom Everglades, Stephanie Ansin, shown here, returned to her school’s stage after 14 years to present her knowledge on the topic of “imagination.” 

Ansin spent more than a decade studying, acting, and directing in New England and New York before becoming a mother and moving back to South Florida. Upon her return in 2004, she co-founded The PlayGround Theatre with a focus on creating shows for young audiences. In 2012, the company was rebranded Miami Theater Center to reflect its inclusion of adult programming. Ansin holds a BA in Theatre Arts from Brown University and an MFA in Theatre Directing from Columbia University.

Ansin shared the stage with 12 exceptional speakers who covered a variety of topics including: Eduardo Balarezo (Change); Dre Baldwin (Confidence); Corey Bergman (Harmony); Batia Cohen (Spirit); Derek Deville (Passion); Nikki Jagid (Perspective); Maia Mora (Perspective); Tanya Tepper (Resilience); Matt Wilson (Memory); Combat Hippies (Performance); Eric Lewis (Performance); and Tiempo Libre (Performance).

During the event, the steering committee of TEDxCoconutGrove presented the “Hope Prize” to a deserving individual in the audience. The prize is a monetary investment in the award recipient’s creative idea or wish to change the world.