Imagine your entire company grinding to a halt because a cow was late for work. Welcome to day 5 of making Napoleon Dynamite. In this talk, movie producer and university lecturer, Sean Covel, explores the mental framework of problem solving which not only gets cows to work on time, but also forces creative thinking and ignites innovation. Sean Covel is a Film and Television Producer who grew up in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Covel has produced several movies, including the iconic independent film, Napoleon Dynamite. His films have won multiple awards, generated over one-quarter-billion dollars in revenue internationally.
In 2019 his new children’s book, Porter the Hoarder, was used as the centerpiece of a family engagement initiative in partnership with the United Way.
As part of the program, 2500 area 1st graders received free copies of the book, along with “Parent Homework” to spark reading at home. By 2021 it will include every 1st grader in South Dakota.
Covel holds a degree in Broadcast Management from the University of Nebraska at Kearney, and a Masters of Fine Arts from the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, where he guest lectures each spring.
Covel enjoys lecturing at universities and film festivals internationally, but he hangs his nunchucks in Deadwood, SD. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at
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