TEDxLosGatos: 'What a Wonderful World'

Mathematician Dr. Rudy Rucker, artist W.M. Vinci, rock 'n' roll non-profit founder Dan Orloff and opera singer Susan Gundunas were among those who dazzled a packed audience Wednesday evening at the historic during the TEDxLos Gatos gathering.

Guests laughed and applauded the impressive cast of speakers, which also included principal research scientist at Apple Dr. Kim Silverman who entertained the audience with a fun magic trick.

Under the theme "What a Wonderful World," event curator , a passionate community advocate who serves on many town nonprofits and civic organizations, explained the event's purpose was to create conversations, share ideas and find commonalities.

“I’ve performed some magic that has helped people change the way they live their lives,” Silverman said.

With the help of a married couple, his act consisted of turning two different playing cards into one.

Before departing, he asked the audience to close their eyes.

“For 10 seconds, think about someone who is very special to you,” Silverman said. “And because of that person, it’s a wonderful world.”

Courtney Macavinta, co-founder and president of The Respect Institute, an organization that teaches youth and their influencers' tools to build self-respect, shared her rocky family and personal history and urged the crowd to find passion and a set of disciplinary boundaries for themselves.

“What made all the difference for me was that I made a set of practices,” Macavinta said. “The definition of respect is to look again, and may we all leave here tonight and walk the streets of Los Gatos with a foot pattern of respect.”