BOLD IDEAS THAT CHANGE HOW WE WE THINK ABOUT HOW TO LIVE, HEAL AND POWER THE WORLD
Thursday, October 8, 2026
@Berkshire Innovation Center
photo: Deval Patrick, prior speaker
2026 TEDxBerkshires Speakers
Matt Onsum
Head of AI/ML at CalicoHow Advances in ML/AI are Enabling an Unprecedented View of Aging and Aging Related Disease, and the Impact this Will have on Drug Discovery
Dr. Matt Onsum is the Head of AI/ML at Calico Life Sciences. Matt leads the development and application of advanced computing capabilities — including computational biology, data science, and machine learning — to accelerate Calico’s ability to make new scientific discoveries and translate them into novel therapeutics.
The Great Inversion
How old rules ran into new facts on the electric grid, flipped scarcity, and clogged up the queue. Why your electric bill rose while the cost of making new electricity fell, and why any durable solution needs a new compact.
Aaron James
Dr. Catherine Sanderson
Professor of Psychology at Amherst CollegeSharing the Bad: Why Everyone Else's Life Seems Better Than Yours
Dr. Catherine Sanderson, the Poler Family Professor of Psychology at Amherst College with degrees from Princeton and Stanford, is a sought-after keynote speaker and author whose talks translate cutting-edge psychological science into practical strategies for thriving at work and in life.
Author of The Positive Shift and Why We Act and creator of the popular Introduction to Psychology course for The Great Courses, Catherine delivers research-based keynotes on happiness, mindset, emotional intelligence, and moral courage — helping leaders, educators, and organizations create lasting change.
Jean Hebert
Program Manager, Health Science Features, ARPA-H
What If Brain Damage Wasn’t Permanent?
The brain’s capacity to flexibly encode information, the ability of newly generated neurons to integrate into existing neural circuits, and an emerging roadmap for engineering new brain tissue together suggest that damaged brain tissue could, in principle, be replaced with new, functional tissue. The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) has launched an ambitious program to turn this possibility into reality, with the goal of restoring brain function and bringing new hope to tens of millions of people living with permanent brain damage.
Leroy Hood
Scientist and InventorDr. Leroy Hood is a pioneering scientist and co-inventor of the automated DNA sequencer — technology that helped make the Human Genome Project possible. A member of the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and National Academy of Medicine (one of the few scientists elected to all three), Dr. Hood has spent his career championing "P4 Medicine" — predictive, preventive, personalized, and participatory healthcare. He co-founded the Institute for Systems Biology and has played a central role in shaping how modern medicine understands the human body at the molecular level.
James Gop
Heirloom FireWhat We Call A Weed
James Gop is a chef, writer, educator, and the founder of Heirloom Fire, an open-fire culinary company based in the Berkshire Hills. His work asks how deeper attention to place and process changes what we value and how we gather. For more than two decades, his work has explored the intersection of food, land, craft, and hospitality through live fire, foraging, preservation, and the use of overlooked ingredients.
Jake Auchincloss
Massachusetts RepresentativeToni Bergins
Move Into A New Story
Toni Bergins, MEd, is the founder of JourneyDance® who has inspired thousands to heal and transform through the power of movement and music. Toni guides people to release stored emotions, break free from limiting patterns, and reconnect with their authentic selves. Her soulful, playful approach combines somatic wisdom, emotional intelligence, and creative expression. Known for her compassionate presence and lighthearted touch, Toni helps people embody their truth and reclaim their inner radiance—one dance at a time. She is the author of EMBODY: Feel, Heal & Transform Your Life Through Movement.
Journey DanceJake Auchincloss represents Massachusetts's 4th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. A former Marine Corps officer who served in Afghanistan and Panama, he later worked in local government in Newton, MA before being elected to Congress. Known for a pragmatic, policy-driven approach, Rep. Auchincloss focuses on issues ranging from economic competitiveness to national security.
Louise Hecker
Clinical Associate Professor at Baylor College of MedicineGroundbreaking research that has demonstrated psilocybin can extend cellular lifespan which could have profound impact on aging.