BIC to Host TEDx Berkshires 2024

02:35PM / Saturday, September 28, 2024Print Story | Email Story

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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Pittsfield Outreach Program Sees Manager

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:29AM / Monday, August 17, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass.— The Health Department's outreach program has a manager and is seeking two outreach workers.

Earlier this month, Director of Public Health Andy Cambi updated the Board of Health on the creation of a new initiative that connects individuals on the streets with needed services.

He reported that Community Health Worker Gabrielle DiMassimo was tapped as the Community Health Program Manager a couple of weeks prior after it was posted internally. DiMassimo has been reaching out to unhoused people in encampments with the Parks Department and co-responders, and other staff this summer.

"She's been with the department for a couple years, holds a bachelor's degree in public health, and has been doing a lot of this work," Cambi said.

"Even in her college years, she was doing encampments and outreach with Worcester Public Health Department, so she really fit the bill for this position."

The position oversees Pittsfield's peer outreach initiative while advancing the long-term vision for the health department to be a more proactive, community-centered public health agency, as well as the health department's evolving responsibility to address prevention, access to services, social determinants of health, and community well-being through coordinated outreach and engagement.

Last year's controversial camping ordinance was sent to the Board of Health, and they determined it is not the best approach for Pittsfield. It was officially scrapped by the City Council earlier this year and replaced with a peer outreach program that provides harm reduction support services, navigation, and relationship-building with vulnerable residents.

The program director and outreach worker positions were approved by the City Council earlier this season. The outreach worker positions were posted internally, received applicants, and will soon go external to expand the candidate pool.

Cambi reported that the encampment group has been conducting outreach with DiMassimo. Workers speak with people at the encampments, tag the equipment, give the people an opportunity to relocate, and connect them with available resources.

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