Theme: TEDxGreensboro2016: Radical. Powerful. Doable.

We think of something "radical" as dramatic and disruptive. But often radical is just looking at something a little differently. A radical idea can be powerful -- but to be useful it also has to be doable. At TEDxGreensboro2016 our speakers will look through a different lens -- maybe asking "what if?" or "can we?" and discussing what a doable answer leads to.

Join us at TEDxGreensboro on Friday May 13 for our fourth annual event as we present
* Nine Speakers
* Exciting TED Talks
* Entertainment
* Evening-before reception; lunch; and refreshments
* Opportunities to mix and mingle with fellow participants and the speakers

Triad Stage
232 S. Elm Street
Greensboro, North Carolina, 27401
United States

The Poetry Project

Spoken word poets

The Poetry Project explores the power of spoken word and how it can be used to encourage our youth to read and write. Literacy is a main objective of the program and this art form touches the realm of education as well as artistic expression and creative development. Local students appearing at TEDxGreensboro are Jha’ Mai Milindez, Katherine Malet, Douglas McCollum, and Rosa Maria Varona.

Thomas Maupin, Daniel Rothwell and Overall Creek

Buc and flatfoot folk dancers

Maurine, Rothwell and Overall Creek are national “buckdancing” champions. Buckdancing, a form of solo percussive dancing is uniquely American but has influences from traditional European, African, and Native American dances. Although often confused with clogging and tapdancing, buckdancing predates both styles. Thomas Maupin is six-time national champion in Old-Time Buckdancing. His grandson, Daniel Rothwell, is an award winning banjo player. They have performed widely including the Grand Ole Opry, Merlefest, and the National Folk Festival.

Time for Two

Entertainers/strings

Time For 2 emerged when sisters: Kearston, age 11, and Kendall, age 9, performed “Twinkle Little Star” before an audience of family and friends at the ages of 5 and 3. Since then, they have expanded their repertoire and perform as featured artists for public, private, philanthropic, academic and political events. They have individually won several awards and, as a duo, they have performed in South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, Texas, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Hawaii and Lyon, France. In their spare time, both girls enjoy reading, drawing, traveling, and learning French and piano.

Angel Guerrero

Owner, AS Web Pros

Born and raised in NYC and while facing the hard life, he completed his education at Manhattan College and now resides in Greensboro NC. He owns a full service internet marketing, web design and e-commerce firm. His goal is to demonstrate and encourage the positive results of male involvement in family life through involving fathers in significant home and school/community activities as well as mentoring for young men who do not have a positive male role model living in the home.

Brandon Holder

Owner, Water the World Foundation

He graduated from college in May 2016 and plans to pursue an MBA degree leading to a career in international aid and relief. A mission trip to Haiti inspired him to become a rising entrepreneur who has recently launched, "Water the World: Live Locally. Give Globally." His organization will provide mobile, solar-powered water pumps for agriculture irrigation and clean drinking water in villages in developing nations.

David Wyrick

Director of the Institute to Promote Athlete Health & Wellness, Associate Professor of Public Health Education and Faculty Athletics Representative at the UNCGreensboro

He developed "myPlaybook," an online health and wellness resource for high school and college student-athletes. He is a national leader in conducting and translating research into evidence-based programming and practices aimed at promoting the health and well-being of youth and collegiate athletes. His particular interest is in helping individual athletes self-report issues relating to injuries such as concussion in an atmosphere that might overly encourage avoidance.

Deborah Moy

Law Student, Elon University School of Law

In 2008, an intruder entered her home, brutally beat her and set the house on fire. She was burned over 75% of her body and lost both her legs. A friend visiting her did not survive. After more than 100 surgical procedures and years of physical therapy, she found purpose in her life and entered law school where she received her law degree in the spring of 2016. She serves as a fearless inspiration for others.

John Williams

Tiny House Movement Director

Originally from Iowa, he moved to Kernersville NC in 1995. His passion for living a simpler life and creating sustainable structures began as a child building tree houses and living in an abandoned underground fresh war reservoir as a curious teenager. In 1979 he built award-winning Passive Solar Earth Sheltered Housing, now commonly know as Green Roofs. He is a leader in the “Tiny House” movement and works to both demonstrate the benefits of smaller living and to change zoning and other barriers to infill and new construction of small homes.

Michelle Gethers-Clark

CEO, United Way of Greensboro

She currently is President and CEO of the United Way of Greater Greensboro, is a twenty-one year veteran of the American Express Company where she was Senior Vice President and General Manager of Card Operations in Greensboro NC. Her personal journey from growing up in poverty and succeeding fuels her efforts to develop social impact systems to help families become self-sufficient.

Moises Serrano

Immigrant Activist/Student

College student and migrant rights advocate who arrived in the U. S with his farm-worker parents at the age of eighteen months. He is an undocumented activist and aspiring family man who has been working since 2010 with El Cambio by sharing his story to dispel common immigration myths. Moises is currently enrolled at Sarah Lawrence College and is working with the Forbidden documentary project as a GetEQUAL organizer in an effort to bridge the immigrant and LGBT communities.

Portia Mount

Senior Vice President for global marketing and chief of staff at the Center for Creative Leadership

Senior Vice President for global marketing and chief of staff at the Center for Creative Leadership where she is responsible for leading CCL's branding, social media, marketing, and communications strategy worldwide. She is a highly rated executive coach and has a popular blog, Boss Mom, a lifestyle and career advice blog for working mothers. Her current research centers in self-perception of highly successful managers.

Vas Taras

Professor, Bryan School of Business and Economics, UNC Greensboro

Director of X-Culture, a researcher, educator, international business consultant and a business futurist. His goal to improve the educational experience of his international business students has led to research in using crowdsourcing techniques to help corporate clients find solutions to their business problems.

Whitney Thore

Dancer, Reality TV personality

Greensboro native and dancer, whose viral video, "A Fat Girl Dancing," sparked a national conversation about body image. She has launched the No Body Shame Campaign -- a national effort to help men and women of every variety live and love their lives without shame. She now has her own reality show, My Big Fat Fabulous Life, (broadcast by the TLC network) that demonstrates her success in her own personal journey toward a positive self-image.