Theme: Are we there yet?

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized (subject to certain rules and regulations).

South Coast Air Quality Management District
21865 Copley Drive
Diamond Bar, California, 91765
United States

Andrew Rodriguez

Council Member

Andrew Rodriguez was elected to the Walnut City Council on April 12, 2016. He is a lifelong resident of Walnut where he attended Collegewood Elementary School, Suzanne Middle School, and Walnut High School. After graduating from Walnut High School, Andrew attended Rutgers University in New Jersey where he graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and a Minor in Planning and Public Policy. During his time at Rutgers, Andrew worked on several political campaigns including Newark Mayor Cory Booker’s successful U.S. Senate bid. Andrew found his passion for municipal management at Rutgers and during his time there he gained experience working for a non-profit redevelopment corporation dealing with urban revitalization issues in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He also worked for a public affairs firm in New York City with clients in both the private and public sectors.

Chloe Reyes

Student and Actor

Charming, speaks well, has great presence, and is fully engaged in the story telling at all times”, Chloe Jane Reyes is a young Filipino American at Diamond Bar High. She is well affiliated in the dramatic arts and music. Chloe is currently exercising her role as “Vanessa” in a production of In The Heights by Lin Manuel Miranda, as well as directing and starring in Songs For a New World by Jason Robert Brown. She has been a member of the National Thespian Society for four years. And is standing as a five star Thespian, gaining high recognition with her talents. In 2015, the California Educational Theatre Association accredited Chloe as “Outstanding” as her role of “Sabina” in Thornton Wilder’s The Skin of Our Teeth with a certificate of merit. In 2016, she ranked first place for the solo musical competition in the California State Thespian Festival, and has been, again, recognized with several awards through CETA. That same year, Chloe was acclaimed as a grand finalist in the 2016 Global Pinoy Singing idol. She hopes to enrich her successes with further study in the arts as a Classical vocal performer at Berklee School of Music.

Dustin Bainbridge

Founder of Horizon Test Prep

Dustin Bainbridge began his career as the Regional Sales Director for the Princeton Review. Over the past 15 years he has devoted his career to closing the achievement gap in education. Dustin has a Bachelor of Arts from UC Riverside, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Redlands and a Certificate from Stanford University in the field of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Dustin is currently the president of Toastmasters in Laguna Beach where he regularly works on helping others improve their public speaking skills. Dustin founded Horizon Test Prep in 2013, a test preparation company that focuses on training high school teachers to become master SAT/ACT preparation instructors via Professional Development. 73% of the students Horizon Test Prep services are from low income communities. Horizon Test Prep has been able to increase standardized test scores among students of color, provide additional income for teachers and gather meaningful data among subgroups to provide evidence of the impact their programs are making within the United States.

Emily Wu Truong

Mental Health Advocate

Emily Wu Truong is an award-winning motivational speaker from the San Gabriel Valley. She is widely known as "Lady in Green" for bringing attention to the lime green ribbon representing California's Mental Health Movement "Each Mind Matters." Affiliated with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) & Disability Rights California, Emily works tirelessly to alleviate the stigma on mental health, mental illness and suicide by sharing her own story. Although she was diagnosed with depression and anxiety, she transformed her adversities into wisdom, inspiring others to face their fears and find value in their own life struggles. In recognition of Emily's efforts, Senator Ed Hernandez honored Emily with the 2015 Woman of Achievement Award, and the following year, Congresswoman Grace Napolitano invited her to be a guest speaker before an audience of leaders in school administration and behavioral healthcare. Emily has become a role model for many, delivering her message that with help, there is hope, and that helplessness is not hopelessness.

Kevin Y. Brown

Entrepreneur, Author, and Speaker

Award winning Entrepreneur, International Speaker and Author Kevin Y. Brown brings his audience members high energy, authentic presentations that provide tangible takeaways to engage them in creating the results and life that they desire. Born to a young drug addicted mother, Kevin entered the California Foster Care system at the age of one where he remained until emancipating at the age of 18. Despite his early encounters with adversity, he excelled academically and graduated from college debt-free, and with honors in both Fashion Design and Business Supply Chain Management. Formerly a host for MTV Networks and a marketer in New York City’s high-paced fashion industry, today Kevin is the CEO of cutting edge empowerment company Legacy Thinking Labs and founder of DEBT- FREE College Academy, which was inspired by his book “10 Ways Anyone Can Graduate From College DEBT-FREE.” Kevin has spoken on 3 different continents so far and has created an international following with hundreds of video testimonials from clients and audience members on his YouTube channel. Kevin lives in New York City, is an active member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. and loves to Salsa Dance.

Larissa Lam

Singer and Songwriter

Larissa Lam is a former Chief Financial Officer turned award-winning singer, music composer and TV/radio host. She has released five solo albums and has composed music for The Oprah Winfrey Show among other film and TV projects. Her song "I Feel Alive" won the 2015 Hollywood Music in Media Award for best dance song and was the theme song for a national suicide prevention campaign. For nine years, she hosted a weekly youth talk show, “Top 3,” on JUCE TV and currently, she hosts a new advice show for young adults, UTalk Radio. In addition to her work in music, TV and radio, Lam directed the award-winning documentary, Finding Cleveland, about the early Chinese immigrants in Mississippi. She graduated from Diamond Bar High School and holds a degree in Business Economics from UCLA.

Li Lin

Career Coach

Li Lin is a career coach for immigrant professionals and international students who are looking to find jobs in the US. 17 years ago, she came from Shanghai, China to the US without knowing English. Since then she has been able to start an ESL teaching business, TOEFL tutoring service, and finally her current company, The Successful Immigrant. Li Lin believes that it isn't where you come from that matters, but where you dream to be that matters. She graduated from UC Berkeley in 2012 and currently lives in Irvine, California.

Tim Bauer

Inspirational Speaker

"Tinier Tim" Bauer is half the man he used to be. After a lifelong battle with food addiction, obesity, and yo-yo dieting, he lost nearly 250 pounds. His mantra of losing 1 pound 250 times and story has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, TLC’s Skin Tight and on TEDx Stages. Tim’s writing and speaking has inspired countless others to abandon perfectionism, embrace themselves and overcome obesity. He blogs at TinierTim.com and can be found anywhere people are being social (@TinierTim) including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. His greatest accomplishment is that his daughters can finally wrap their arms completely around him and sit in his lap without his belly getting in the way.