When Teri Koski picked up her first power tool, she wasn't just fixing a household problem – she was challenging deeply entrenched gender stereotypes in home repair and maintenance. Through her journey from novice DIYer to skilled handywoman, she reveals how dismantling preconceptions about "women's work" opens doors for both female entrepreneurs and homeowners seeking solutions. With humor and practical insights, Koski demonstrates why it's time to retire the term "handyman" and embrace a new generation of skilled tradeswomen who are transforming the home improvement industry one project at a time. Teri has had many roles in her life, including being a social worker, performance poet, student, handywoman, mental health advocacy volunteer, pet mom, and yard sale enthusiast. She has several pieces of paper that say she is smart, can follow instructions and jump through hoops well. Teri is bad at pop culture trivia, playing themed games and knowing who sings the song currently on the radio. When she begins to tire of the view, she travels. Her recent trips include North Dakota, Washington D.C., Tekoa, and England. When she tires of traveling, she returns to her 1904 farmhouse that is her in “house form”. Her partner is a truck driver from New York who is also a smart and opinionated woman. Much of their conversation involve temperatures of rooms and what to have for dinner. That is, if the cat approves. 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
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