Marcus Whitney is a technology entrepreneur who cut his teeth in Nashville, Tennessee. He learned his craft as an early employee at Emma and has gone on to be a co-founder of Barcamp Nashville, Jumpstart Foundry, Moontoast, and SouthernAlpha. Marcus went from being a college dropout waiter knowing no one in Nashville to a cornerstone of Nashville's tech and startup community, by lying...to himself. About TEDx, x = independently organized event In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)