Hannah Boquet’s annual self-challenge to do something that “scares” her — this year it’s improving public speaking — led her to apply to speak at the 2025 TEDxSioux Falls.
“This looked the scariest, so I dove right in,” she said. “I never thought I’d get picked.”
Boquet, the marketing manager at SDN Communications, is one of eight speakers chosen to present at the 2025 TEDxSioux Falls, which takes place April 17 at 7 p.m. at the Washington Pavilion. She’s speaking on “How Esports Are a Parenting Power-up.”
TED Talks started 30 years ago under the banner of “ideas worth spreading” and continues to feature the world’s leading thinkers and doers who speak on a topic in 18 minutes or less. It has evolved to include other initiatives, such as TEDx, which are individuals or groups hosting local, self-organized TED-style talks. Sioux Falls has hosted several TEDx talks since 2011, when the late Hugh Weber started it. The baton later passed to Thadeus Giedd and Wendy Mamer was added as a co-lead in 2021. In 2025 there were 178 applications, with eight chosen to present.
“The application is straightforward: What is your idea that you believe is worth spreading, and why should you be the one sharing it?” Mamer said. “We like to have fresh ideas every year and look for diversity in topics. It can get complicated because it’s not as easy as just picking the best eight. It’s important that our information is rooted in evidence and fact.”
The selection committee prioritizes South Dakota speakers, predominantly eastern South Dakota. Boquet’s application stood out because it focused on two niche areas, Mamer said: esports and parenting.
“Esports is growing incredibly fast in popularity and her talk also focuses on the parenting aspect and how they can use it to connect with kids,” Mamer said.
Gaming has long been a way for Boquet to bond with her kids, who are pre-teen/teenagers. In her role at SDN, she was part of the team that launched the SoDak Circuit, a free, community wide esports event sponsored by SDN Communications and 17 local independent broadband providers. The inaugural event was held in September 2024 and returns on Oct. 11. Esports became an official school-sanctioned sport in the 2024-25 school year.
“Parents are on two sides of esports — those who don’t understand what esports are at all and those who are just learning,” she said.
There are lots of parents whose kids play a lot of video games, but the parents may not understand why. Esports have been validating for parents whose kids are gamers, Boquet said. There’s still very much the stereotype that people who play video games are in a dark basement eating Doritos and chugging energy drinks — and that’s not what it is at all, she said.
“Even though esports is now a sanctioned high school activity, there’s still comments that it’s not a real sport and shouldn’t be one,” Boquet said. “This hurts my heart because for many of the kids this is their only activity. Esports gives kids the opportunity to connect with people and their school when they’re maybe not traditional sports kids.”
Boquet used gaming to “speak” the language of her teens and better understand them. In talking about esports, she learned other parents have been inspired to use gaming to make connections with their own kids. Because of the connection between broadband and gaming, SDN Communications and its member companies have been on the forefront of esports in South Dakota.
“We’re (SDN Communications) very supportive of esports in South Dakota through providing connectivity along with our member companies, many of which are financially sponsoring the esports teams within their community schools,” Boquet said.
While Boquet’s TEDx talk won’t touch much on her work with esports through her job, she’s felt support from her co-workers. Many colleagues and leaders within her company will be in attendance cheering her on. One friend asked if they could make a cardboard sign to hold up. Even her brother who lives in New Zealand is flying back to attend, along with many other family members. She said she’d love to feel some “love from the audience” while tackling that scary goal of improving her public speaking.
Mamer, who was a presenter in 2020, said getting on the stage is “terrifying.” However, she said TED’s unique platform and speakers’ willingness to be vulnerable and open is what makes the talks so successful.
“Everyone has a TED talk in them. Think about the ways in which you live your life and the communities you’re a part of and what feels unique to you and might be misunderstood,” Mamer said. “Why is it unique? Why is it important? Keep asking difficult questions and use those thoughts and be vulnerable. (TED) really challenges perspectives we have on a lot of things.”
This year’s group of presenters and topics are vast, Mamer said — in no other setting other than TEDxSioux Falls would it make sense to group these topics together. The audience will see a variety of topics and hear incredible stories that humanize the work people think they understand already, she said.
“I think that I would’ve liked to be in the audience, too,” Boquet said. “I’m excited and honored to share the stage with this group.
Tickets are available at TEDxSiouxFalls.
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