"I had a moment where I honestly didn't think, for the first time in my life, I could go any further." After losing his sister to cancer, Jared retells his heartfelt story of fighting hardship with hardship. In this riveting talk, Jared shares his experiences with the Navy SEALs and how they evolved his approach to life. Jared Smith is a cofounder of Incite, an Edmontonbased strategic growth marketing firm with clients across Western Canada.

As a proud graduate of the University of Alberta School of Business, Jared forged partnerships on behalf of the University in 1997 while in China—an experience that ignited his entrepreneurial spirit.

His passion to align with likeminded people, organizations and boards—those that are ethical, innovative, and community minded—are the reasons he cofounded the Tour of Alberta, Chairs the Edmonton Mayor’s Business Roundtable, was president of the Entrepreneur’s Organization and is the Honourary CoChair of the Glenrose Courage Gala.

Jared advises senior leaders in highgrowth organizations and speaks to, moderates, or facilitates many business events across Canada each year. These efforts led to him being named “Entrepreneur of the Year” in 2001 by the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce and one of Avenue Edmonton magazine’s notable “Top 40 Under 40” in 2009.

Jared is a 3rd Degree Blackbelt in Karate and recently volunteered to endure a yearlong training simulation that culminated in a weeklong sufferfest with Navy Seals in SanDiego. His greatest adventure, though, is the one he enjoys each day with his wife Jessica and their two children, Madeline and Kai. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx