Who is Garth Bender?
Garth Bender (he/him) was raised in Stow alongside his three older sisters and attended Holy Family, where his mother taught. His father served as the Director of the Cuyahoga Falls Library. After a year of post-high school travel, Garth attended Kent State University, earning a B.S. in Physical Anthropology.
Following college and a brief career as a field archaeologist and ceramics analyst, he found a more permanent path in advertising—first in Columbus, OH, and later in Chicago, IL. There, he had the opportunity to work with some of the world’s top brands and formed lasting friendships with incredibly creative colleagues.
Most importantly, it’s where he met his wife, Sara, and began building their family. In 2018, they returned to Akron to raise their growing family close to the rest of their loved ones.
Garth is also the founder of Pie as Resistance, a grassroots project rooted in the simple, powerful act of turning strangers into neighbors—one pie at a time. Every Saturday, Garth delivers a pie to someone he’s never met, introducing himself and exchanging stories to build community and connection.
Inspired by family traditions and a deep belief in neighborliness, Pie as Resistance is both a personal practice and a quiet challenge to the idea that we’re more divided than united.
*Garth’s TEDxAkron Talk will be shared here and online once ready for the public…
TEDxAkron Q&A with Garth:
Q: What do you love most about working/living in Akron?
Akronites, 100%. I think that the people of Akron are both pragmatic and dreamers. They look to the past, but aren’t stuck in the past, and hope for the future, but they also know that they must work for it. They’re not spoiled, but they’re also not starved. In Akron, you can be anything you want to be.
Q: What do you think you’re most known for, and what might surprise people the most about you?
I honestly don’t think that I’m most known for anything, or the answer may be that it depends on who you ask. My work colleagues I’m sure see me one way, where my acquaintances in any number of interest circles would each give a different answer, depending on the circle. Regardless, I think that the one thing that would surprise everyone is that I draw most of my energy from times when I’m able to explore on my own. Whether it’s out fly fishing, working on the garden or going for a hike, quiet times of self-reflection often feel most in my comfort zone.
Q: Where are places in your life (especially in Akron) where you feel like you're always "shaking the rules" a little bit?
Growing into being a parent. We’re raising our children to be happy and to be good people. No matter who they grow to be, we want them to lead a fulfilling life, whatever that ends up meaning to them. We don’t have expectations about careers or universities or social norms, just that they are given the freedom and space to be themselves.
Q: What's your favorite quote or mantra and why?
“The river was cut by the world’s great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs.” ― Norman Maclean, A River Runs Through It
What draws me to this quote is the idea of reaching back to previous generations for guidance and the sense that we are never alone. We are the product of everyone that came before us and our children will be the product of who we are.
Q: What is the one thing you’re looking forward to the most as a future TEDx speaker?
Being part of the story of Akron. As a boomerang who spent most of their adult life away from Ohio, I feel like I’m reconnecting with a city that is home, but also that I am discovering someplace that’s completely new. We love growing into Akron, connecting with new neighbors, supporting really amazing friends and carrying on the DIY ethos that is central to being an Akronite.