BIC to Host TEDx Berkshires 2024

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Innovation Center (BIC) are hosting TEDx Berkshires 2024.  
 
TEDx Berkshires is a local, independently organized event.This year's event will be held on Thursday, OCt. 10, 2024, from 1:30 – 5:00 pm, with a reception to follow. 
 
Tickets are now available for this in-person event.
 
"Innovation usually starts with an idea, sparked in response to a need for change or a desire to improve," shares TEDx Berkshires Executive Producer Stephen Boyd, the CEO of Boyd Biomedical and Chair of the Berkshire Innovation Center.  "The TEDx Berkshires stage offers the perfect showcase to share the success of diverse ideas and the vision of the Berkshire Innovation Center. Collective wisdom always wins, and we are thrilled to promote this year's event as a growing community focused on life-long learning and exploring technology together."
 
2024 Speakers:
  • Tammy Valicenti, Licensed Psychotherapist, will present on transforming trauma with EMDR.
  • Dr. Robert Gentleman, Professor, Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard University, will present on the use of transformer models in teaching.
  • Justin McKennon, Principal Scientist, Electro Magnetic Applications, will present breaking into the world of innovation and technology in his talk Establishing Your Roots.
  • Dr. Elisabeth Reynolds, Professor of the Practice, MIT, will present her call-to-action in support of small and medium-sized manufacturers.
  • Brad Corrigan, Musician, Founder and CEO,  Love Light + Melody, will present about reimagining poverty through the lens of belonging to each other.
  • Sarah Eustis, Founder and CEO, Main Street Hospitality, will present on generational hospitality stewardship and reinvention.
  • Michelle Jungmin Bang, Award winning Eco-entrepreneur, and Author, Sun & Ssukgat, will present on discovering the gift of time through Asia's centuries-old self-care wisdom.
  • Dr. Jeff Wetzler, Author, Co-Founder of Transcend Education, will present on how to learn something from anyone (…and why to try).
  • Melissa Lavinson, Executive Director, MA Executive Office of Energy Transformation will present on the challenges and opportunities involved in the complex efforts related to meeting the Commonwealth's decarbonization goals.
This is the second year that the Berkshire Innovation Center will be the host of TEDx Berkshires.  The inaugural TEDx Berkshires was held in Lenox in 2010 and was produced by Ethan Berg, Jamie Berg, and Dr. Mark Liponis. 
 
"TEDx Berkshires has always been a fun and stimulating form of "intellectual recreation" said Ethan Berg.  "I am particularly excited the talks will be hosted in the state-of-the-art BIC facility where so much of the Berkshire community comes to turn ideas into action."
 
Tickets for TEDx Berkshires are $100 for seating in the main stage area, or $75 for seating in the auditorium, and will include a reception following the TEDx talks. 

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Berkshire Mall Owners Press for Road District Dissolution

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Berkshire Mall owner JMJ RE Holdings says without a dissolution of the Baker Hill Road District, the potential sale and redevelopment with the mall would fall through.
 
The Select Board last week authorized two of its members to work on a compromise between the JMJ and the road district. The two entities have been at loggerheads over assessments to the district — and the district's purpose.
 
Tim Grogan, development consultant for JMJ RE Holdings, recently responded to iBerkshires' coverage of the meeting, during which the board discussed mediation but took no comments from the public or the mall owners. 
 
Grogan said JMJ has been under purchase contract with real estate developer Cypress Equities since May and has an intention to close in the fall.
 
"We are contractually obligated to deliver the property with the BHRD dissolved. If that does not happen, the mall will not get redeveloped. If the BHRD is not dissolved, the transaction with Cypress cannot close," said Grogan over email. "That is not a position JMJ adopted as leverage. It is the express term of a fully executed purchase and sale agreement. Should the town proceed in a manner that departs from the existing settlement framework, JMJ will evaluate all available claims to protect its contractual rights."
 
The town had initially agreed to seek the dissolution of the district through the Legislature based on JMJ paying $1.1 million to resolve all tax disputes. But that article was pulled from the annual town meeting when town officials said the mall's owners failed to make payment by the deadline. 
 
The road district was established 40 years ago to maintain the Connector Road between Routes 7 and 8 and assess the mall for fire and police protection. The mall closed in 2019 and its various owners since then have sought to redevelop the property. 
 
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