Interview with Sabeen Perwaiz Syed
Arash Kamiar interviews the Executive Director and Co-organizer of TEDxJacksonville.
Before we talk about TEDxJacksonville, let’s talk about you. You were born in Pakistan and grew up in Queens, NY. Why are you in Jacksonville?
My husband, Asghar. He convinced me to move down here from New York when we got engaged.
Tell me what it means to have a Master’s Degree in International Development? Is this an unexpected degree program for University of Birmingham in Alabama or is the University more international then I would expect.
Haha. What do you think? Birmingham, United Kingdom
33 countries? Whatevs. How have you been able to travel this extensively?
I was lucky enough to have a great corporate job right after college. That funded my trips for a few years but the bulk of my traveling took place during graduate school. It is so cheap to explore the world from Europe! My goal is to visit 100 by the time I am 100.
Your career has centered on non-profit work. You’ve spent a good chunk of your life working with organizations like Vital Voices, Pace Center for Girls and Aide et Action. Currently, you are working with JaxUSA? Why non-profits and what are you doing now with JAXUSA?
My career has somehow always revolved around education. I really believe that education can solve a lot of the world’s problem. Currently, I am working on a collaborate project, housed at the Jacksonville Chamber, called Earn Up. Earn Up’s goal is to increase Northeast Florida’s college attainment rate from 36% to 60% by 2025. Did you know that only 36% of NE Florida’s working age population has a college degree?
Where in the world is Sabeen Perwaiz?
Oh, and what was this hiatus you took from Jacksonville? Were you in Thailand? Tell me what you were doing there?
I moved to Cambodia on Thanksgiving day in 2013. I have always wanted to work and live abroad and when the opportunity presented itself, I couldn’t help it. I lived there for six months and volunteered with Aide et Action as an early childhood education specialist. My work revolved around increasing the number of preschools in the country. This meant meeting with local community leaders, parents, and young adults and convincing them that an early childhood education is an extremely important component of a child’s life, especially in a country where you are lucky if the student completes 5th grade.
The selfless TEDxJacksonville team.
TEDxJacksonville. Give me the rundown and what’s your role?
I am the co-organizer and executive producer of TEDxJacksonville. It compromises of 25 selfless individuals who volunteer their time to put on amazing events that continuously provide ideas worth spreading.
The work your team has done in four years is pretty awesome. You’ve amplified people from Jacksonville and messages to Jacksonville that have been so good for us to experience and hear. You’ve brought to the forefront Jacksonville’s hidden thought leaders. Do you think that is an accurate statement? Are Jacksonville’s thought leaders hidden?
I wouldn’t necessarily say they are hidden. I think they need a bigger platform and we can provide that. They are well known in their circles but not to the community at large. We not only introduce them to a network of change agents but also bring their idea to the global community by placing their talk on the TEDx Youtube channel.
Last year's theme "Unknowing". This year's theme, "In to the Machine"
Each year there is a new theme. What were the last themes and what’s this year’s theme?
Last year’s theme was (un)knowing and this year’s is In to the Machine.
Do you think you’ll ever have a year when the theme is something like “upholstery”. I don’t mean “Upholstery – Beyond the Existential First Layer? “ or “Upholstery – The First Layer of Everything”.I think your group would do an amazing job breaking down “car maintenance” or “baking bread”. Just say you’ll do it.
The “first layer of everything” or “the first layer” is a good theme. I’d like to nominate it for next year.
I like it. Maybe getting down to the basics?
Sabeen with TedxJacksonville's 2014 emcees: Hope McMath, the Executive Director of the Cummer Museum and NPR's Al Letson, the creator of State of the Re:Union.
Have you already picked out who is speaking?
No we haven’t. Our speaker applications just opened up and we would encourage everyone who is interested to fill out an application.
Will you let me speak?
The rules wont let me. TED is really strict and wants to make sure there are no partners on the stage.
How does someone other than me get to speak?
Anyone considering should apply to speak at tedxjacksonville.com. They have until June 30th to do so. The speaker selection committee will announce the lineup by mid- July.
How does someone attend TedxJacksonville?
Attendees will also need to fill out an application on our website.
One of the criticism I’ve heard (or thought privately) was how TEDxJacksonville can be unintentionally elitist. One, you have to apply to attend. Two, The cost to attend is a “little” more than the price of a movie ticket. What are your thoughts on this and do you think there is a way to expand the work you are doing so that it can be accessible to more people?
$100 is not cheap but you have to remember we don’t get paid and every donation received and every ticket sold goes towards the cost of the event. We want to be able to provide one live event a year. We are also looking intro streaming this event so more to come on that. We do offer lots of affordable events throughout the year, the cost of these ranges from free to $25. I would encourage everyone to check out our yearly calendar.
Asking people to apply wasn’t an easy decision. We don’t want people to come just because their friend is coming or because it’s a cool thing to do. We want to them to come because they are willing to do something with the ideas and listen with an open mind. It’s always a tough balance. But we do appreciate the feedback because it allows us to make changes along the way.
Anything Else?
Thank you for being a wonderful partner!
TEDxJacksonville's next salon is on April 18, 2015 at Jacksonville University
My husband, Asghar. He convinced me to move down here from New York when we got engaged.
Tell me what it means to have a Master’s Degree in International Development? Is this an unexpected degree program for University of Birmingham in Alabama or is the University more international then I would expect.
Haha. What do you think? Birmingham, United Kingdom
33 countries? Whatevs. How have you been able to travel this extensively?
I was lucky enough to have a great corporate job right after college. That funded my trips for a few years but the bulk of my traveling took place during graduate school. It is so cheap to explore the world from Europe! My goal is to visit 100 by the time I am 100.
Your career has centered on non-profit work. You’ve spent a good chunk of your life working with organizations like Vital Voices, Pace Center for Girls and Aide et Action. Currently, you are working with JaxUSA? Why non-profits and what are you doing now with JAXUSA?
My career has somehow always revolved around education. I really believe that education can solve a lot of the world’s problem. Currently, I am working on a collaborate project, housed at the Jacksonville Chamber, called Earn Up. Earn Up’s goal is to increase Northeast Florida’s college attainment rate from 36% to 60% by 2025. Did you know that only 36% of NE Florida’s working age population has a college degree?
Where in the world is Sabeen Perwaiz?
Oh, and what was this hiatus you took from Jacksonville? Were you in Thailand? Tell me what you were doing there?
I moved to Cambodia on Thanksgiving day in 2013. I have always wanted to work and live abroad and when the opportunity presented itself, I couldn’t help it. I lived there for six months and volunteered with Aide et Action as an early childhood education specialist. My work revolved around increasing the number of preschools in the country. This meant meeting with local community leaders, parents, and young adults and convincing them that an early childhood education is an extremely important component of a child’s life, especially in a country where you are lucky if the student completes 5th grade.
The selfless TEDxJacksonville team.
TEDxJacksonville. Give me the rundown and what’s your role?
I am the co-organizer and executive producer of TEDxJacksonville. It compromises of 25 selfless individuals who volunteer their time to put on amazing events that continuously provide ideas worth spreading.
The work your team has done in four years is pretty awesome. You’ve amplified people from Jacksonville and messages to Jacksonville that have been so good for us to experience and hear. You’ve brought to the forefront Jacksonville’s hidden thought leaders. Do you think that is an accurate statement? Are Jacksonville’s thought leaders hidden?
I wouldn’t necessarily say they are hidden. I think they need a bigger platform and we can provide that. They are well known in their circles but not to the community at large. We not only introduce them to a network of change agents but also bring their idea to the global community by placing their talk on the TEDx Youtube channel.
Last year's theme "Unknowing". This year's theme, "In to the Machine"
Each year there is a new theme. What were the last themes and what’s this year’s theme?
Last year’s theme was (un)knowing and this year’s is In to the Machine.
Do you think you’ll ever have a year when the theme is something like “upholstery”. I don’t mean “Upholstery – Beyond the Existential First Layer? “ or “Upholstery – The First Layer of Everything”.I think your group would do an amazing job breaking down “car maintenance” or “baking bread”. Just say you’ll do it.
The “first layer of everything” or “the first layer” is a good theme. I’d like to nominate it for next year.
I like it. Maybe getting down to the basics?
Sabeen with TedxJacksonville's 2014 emcees: Hope McMath, the Executive Director of the Cummer Museum and NPR's Al Letson, the creator of State of the Re:Union.
Have you already picked out who is speaking?
No we haven’t. Our speaker applications just opened up and we would encourage everyone who is interested to fill out an application.
Will you let me speak?
The rules wont let me. TED is really strict and wants to make sure there are no partners on the stage.
How does someone other than me get to speak?
Anyone considering should apply to speak at tedxjacksonville.com. They have until June 30th to do so. The speaker selection committee will announce the lineup by mid- July.
How does someone attend TedxJacksonville?
Attendees will also need to fill out an application on our website.
One of the criticism I’ve heard (or thought privately) was how TEDxJacksonville can be unintentionally elitist. One, you have to apply to attend. Two, The cost to attend is a “little” more than the price of a movie ticket. What are your thoughts on this and do you think there is a way to expand the work you are doing so that it can be accessible to more people?
$100 is not cheap but you have to remember we don’t get paid and every donation received and every ticket sold goes towards the cost of the event. We want to be able to provide one live event a year. We are also looking intro streaming this event so more to come on that. We do offer lots of affordable events throughout the year, the cost of these ranges from free to $25. I would encourage everyone to check out our yearly calendar.
Asking people to apply wasn’t an easy decision. We don’t want people to come just because their friend is coming or because it’s a cool thing to do. We want to them to come because they are willing to do something with the ideas and listen with an open mind. It’s always a tough balance. But we do appreciate the feedback because it allows us to make changes along the way.
Anything Else?
Thank you for being a wonderful partner!
TEDxJacksonville's next salon is on April 18, 2015 at Jacksonville University