Claressa Shields stepped into the boxing ring at the London Olympics August 9th and fired off a series of sharp combinations that dumbfounded Russian Nadezda Torlopova and won her the first gold medal ever awarded for women's middleweight boxing. At just 17, and with an incredible tale of personal resilience, she has risen to the top of the women’s boxing world in two short years, and is now an international star and an inspiration to millions of people.

PopTech is thrilled to announce that Shields joins a new round of speakers just added to this year’s convening in Camden, Maine. Other newly announced presenters include a world-class adaptive snowboarder who is a double-amputee and an expert in in climate mitigation and adaptation who teaches “experiential” environmental law courses.

Meet the latest presenters to join the PopTech Camden speaker lineup:

Vicki Arroyo is the executive director of the Georgetown Climate Center of Georgetown University Law Center. She specializes in climate mitigation and adaptation at the state and federal level, and teaches “experiential” environmental law courses.

Claressa Shields won the first gold medal ever for women’s middleweight boxing in the Olympics in London this past summer, marking her meteoric rise to the very top of international boxing in just two years. “Many Boxers are very fast or very strong,” the New Yorker wrote about Shields last May. “Shields is both.” Shields grew up in Flint, Michigan amid boarded-up houses and abandoned car factories. Her father spent nearly a decade in prison, and Shields lived with her grandmother and then an aunt. She trained in the basement of Berston Field House, which didn’t even have a speed bag. Her reservoir of resilience, determination, smarts, and talent is hard to fathom.

Amy Purdy is a world-class adaptive snowboarder who has won three back-to-back Paralympic World Cup gold medals and is currently training for the Paralympic Games. She is an “adaptive” snowboarder because at age 19 doctors amputated both her legs below the knee following complications from bacterial meningitis.

Interested in joining us? There's still time! Secure your ticket here. 

From the Icelandic food store chain, Bonus, to the midnight sun, everyday Iceland inspires writer Andri Magnason. His poetry and children's books reflect his deep connection to his homeland as does the way he's schooled himself—and the public—on preserving Iceland’s beauty and natural resources.

In case you missed it, check out who will be taking the stage at PopTech Camden here.

Icelandic five-piece band amiina got their start as the string section for the legendary Sigur Ros and took the PopTech stage with a glockenspiel, a musical saw, a couple of violins, drums, and a laptop. The result? Seventeen minutes of complex, sweetly innocent music that we think will brighten your day.

amiina will be at PopTech Camden 2012! Secure your ticket here. 

What are the economic and emotional benefits of consuming and producing less? How can the power of words be used to preserve a country’s beauty and natural resources? What does the combination of a glockenspiel, saw, violins, drums and a laptop sound like? This week we’re excited to debut videos from a musical group and two presenters who took the stage in PopTech Iceland last month: an Icelandic five-piece band, a consumer psychologist, and an activist poet.

First up, a talk from Simonetta Carbonaro, a consumer psychologist who encourages us to think differently about consumption. She reminds us that a consumer-hungry outlook for cheaper and faster is outdated, and that we now know that consuming and producing less, in fact, creates more jobs, more free time, and more happiness. 

Enjoyed this talk and craving more? Join us at PopTech Camden this fall. Register today.

The PopTech Iceland conference is nearly upon us - a mere 21 days and counting! The PopTech staff has been compiling a hefty list of can’t-miss activities in and around Reykjavik. Whether it’s checking out a great museum or visiting one of Iceland’s natural wonders, we‘re looking forward to experiencing everything Iceland has to offer and immersing ourselves in its culture. What follows is an eclectic list of things that the PopTech staff is most excited about in the land of fire and ice.

Interested in joining us from June 27-29, 2012? There’s still time to register for PopTech Iceland. But we recommend you book your tickets soon, as June is a popular time to visit.

• Stop by the oldest and largest bookseller in Iceland, Eymundsson. I’m a sucker for a good bookstore and Iceland is a nation that both consumes and publishes the most books per capita[1]. (Andy Dayton, Web Designer)

• Admire Iceland’s beauty at Laugardalur (Hot Spring Valley), which boasts the largest year-round outdoor thermal pool in Reykjavik. Admission includes entry to a beautiful botanical garden. (Leetha Filderman, President)

• Visit the Reykjavik Maritime Museum. Having grown up a sailor with an appreciation for traditional boat building, looking into the history of Iceland’s fishing industry and coastal culture is right up my alley. (Emily Qualey, Online Producer)

• Taste Brennivin, considered to be Iceland’s signature liquor. It’s an intense drink, similar to brandy, which you can drink straight and cold. (Melissa LaCasse, Senior Producer, Convenings)

• Browse boutiques like Mundi and Kiosk to see what Icelandic designers are up to and score second-hand treasures at the Kolaportið Flea Market over the weekend. (Emily Spivack, Editor-in-Chief) Read more...