Where TED-worthy stories
are born.
A 2-day immersive storytelling experience in Oregon's Columbia River Gorge. Led by TED speaking coach Cathey Armillas.
"The best talks do not start on a stage. They start in the wild."
Every TED talk, every keynote, every story that moves a room started somewhere quieter. A walk. A conversation. A moment of reflection that cracked something open. The Storytelling Adventure takes speakers out of the conference room and into the Columbia River Gorge - one of the most dramatic landscapes in North America - to do the work that stages cannot: find the story underneath the story. This is not a retreat. It is a training ground.
Built for speakers with something at stake
TEDx Speakers & Applicants
For TEDx Speakers & Applicants
You have been accepted - or you are applying. You have your idea. Now you need the story that makes the room feel it. This is where that story gets found, shaped, and tested.
TED & Event Producers
For TED & Event Producers
You need your speakers ready - not just rehearsed, but genuinely prepared to be vulnerable, clear, and compelling on stage. Send your cohort here before they hit the stage.
Keynote Speakers
For Keynote Speakers & Corporate Presenters
You give talks regularly. You know they are good. You want them to be unforgettable. The Gorge strips away the formula and helps you find what is actually yours.
Speaking Coaches
For Speaking Coaches & Facilitators
Come experience the methodology firsthand. See how nature-based storytelling training produces breakthroughs that classroom settings cannot.
Led by one of the world's foremost TED speaking coaches
Cathey Armillas
TED Speaking Coach & Co-Founder, Speaker Skills Academy
Cathey Armillas has stood on the TED stage, coached speakers onto TEDx stages worldwide, and spent 25 years helping people turn ideas into talks that change how audiences think. She created the How to Rock a TED Talk program and authored A Kids Book About Public Speaking. Her clients include speakers at TED, Nickelodeon, Nike, JP Morgan, OHSU, and Tillamook. She does not teach from a podium. She walks alongside you through a landscape that has been telling stories for thousands of years - and she helps you hear the one only you can tell.
Meet the Founders →Two days. One gorge. Your story.
Day One
Finding
- Guided storytelling walk through the Columbia River Gorge
- Sensory exercises: listening, observing, being present
- Nature-based reflection prompts
- Evening story circle with the group
Day Two
Shaping
- Morning solo reflection time
- Story architecture workshop - the structure behind every great talk
- Peer storytelling practice with coach feedback
- Closing performance: tell your story to the group
No slides. No microphones. No rehearsal mirrors. Just you, the story, and a coach who has heard thousands.
The Columbia River Gorge, Portland, Oregon
Multnomah Falls. Gorge hiking trails. Old-growth forests. This landscape has been shaping stories since before humans had words for them. Portland, Oregon is also home to one of the most vibrant TEDx communities in the world.
For TEDx organizers and event producers
If you are producing a TEDx event, you know the hardest part is not the logistics - it is the speakers. Getting 10-15 people from "I have an idea" to "I am ready for the stage" is a months-long process that most organizers handle ad hoc. The Storytelling Adventure is a structured, professional speaker preparation experience led by a coach who has been doing this at the TED level for over a decade.
Details
Duration
2 days
Location
Columbia River Gorge, Portland, Oregon
Group Size
8 to 20 participants
Individual Price
$495
Group / Producer
Custom - contact for quote
Includes
All guided experiences, coaching, and materials. Travel and lodging not included.
Next Dates
Coming soon
Contact
Related Events
The Storytelling Adventure is available as an add-on experience to Creative Lab PDX. Attending Creative Lab? Ask about bundling both experiences at a combined rate.