“I believe that making connections between people, places, and ideas can foster the growth of resilient and prosperous communities. I believe in hard work rooted in values. And I think creative confidence and new perspectives are what we need today to make tomorrow awesome,” says Adam Burk, director of TEDxDirigo and founder and CEO of the Treehouse Institute. Burk gathers inspiring, forward-thinking individuals and starts conversations about growth and change in Maine and beyond. In 2012, Burk worked with high school students and educators to launch TEDxDirigoYouth, which empowers young leaders to follow their passion and speak up on important topics. By 2013 he had added another venture, the Treehouse Institute, an experimental nonprofit that produces TEDxDirigo and has a fellowship program for young innovators. Now Burk is looking forward to the future with a new workshop that uses collaboration and design thinking to find solutions to problems that affect society.