Tag archives: Mark Sylvester

Why TEDxSantaBarbara is More Important Than Ever
By Mark Sylvester   |   April 1, 2025

Santa Barbara has always been a city of ideas. From environmental activism to technological innovation, we’ve led conversations that shape the future. However, when public discourse is often divided, and big ideas get lost in the noise, we need spaces where thoughtful dialogue and new perspectives can thrive. That’s where TEDxSantaBarbara comes in. Over the […]

Talkin’ Tunes and Times Through TEDxSB
By Steven Libowitz   |   December 31, 2020

TEDxSantaBarbara founder and executive producer Mark Sylvester realized early on as COVID-19 crept into our consciousness that he’d probably have to cancel his annual convention that each fall brings together as many as 10 speakers with local spins on the TED trio of topics (technology, entertainment, and design). That’s when the disappointment set in.  “It […]

The Power Of Ted
By Mitchell Kriegman   |   June 4, 2020

This is a story about moving from Chaos to Order. We need that right? It’s also about the Adventures of Mark and TED. Who is TED? The question is rather what? TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design and at this point it’s an American media institution, a publicly sourced think tank, that holds conferences all […]

The Mystery of Martha
By Steven Libowitz   |   November 14, 2019

On the surface, What Martha Did might seem a strange choice for Launch Pad, UCSB’s innovative model of new play development that serves as a high-tech lab for playwrights-in-residence, UCSB theater students, faculty, and guest artists. The darkly funny drama about regret, facing the truth, and finding forgiveness features largely middle-aged characters, a bit of […]