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).

The World Cafe Live at the Queen
500 N. Market Street
Wilmington, Delaware, 19801
United States

Alisa Morkides

Founder and owner of Brew Ha Ha!

Alisa is the founder and owner of Brew Ha Ha!, an independent chain of boutique coffeehouses headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware. Before founding BHH in 1993, Morkides worked as a chemist and in financial management for several large corporations. After years of moving from one boring job to another, dreading Mondays and loving Fridays, she chucked her boring career and opened her first Brew Ha Ha! café in Greenville, Delaware in 1993. Today, BHH has grown to 10 coffeehouses and earned many quality awards, including being voted Best Coffee in Delaware for 22 years in a row by the readers of Delaware Today. In 2015, Morkides opened a second business, Brandywine Coffee Roasters, also headquartered in Delaware.

Anne Barry Jolles

Life coach, speaker and author

Anne Barry Jolles is a renowned life coach, speaker and international award-winning author. She thrives on working with courageous people wishing to transform the way they live and work and are willing to do what it takes to get there. Blending life experiences and research, Jolles created a resiliency model called the Grace Trail® and has shared it with thousands as it evolved for over a decade. The trail has many forms, including an actual trail in Plymouth, MA, virtual trails, workshops, webinars and retreats. Her bestselling book “Grace Trail: Find Your Footing and Move Toward the Life You Were Meant to Live” was recommended by Jack Canfield, “Chicken Soup for the Soul” co-creator and is available at major booksellers.

Avis Jones DeWeever

Career reinvention strategist, diversity consultant and women’s empowerment expert

Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever is the author of "How Exceptional Black Women Lead" and Founder of the Exceptional Leadership Institute for Women, a global personal and professional development firm that helps established and aspiring entrepreneurs and executives experience accelerated success while building a holistic life they love. Dr. Avis’ has had the distinct honor of serving as a speaker and trainer on women’s empowerment issues on behalf of U.S. Embassies across the globe. Find Dr. Avis regularly as a Guest Host and Contributor to TV One’s NewsOne Now, PBS’ To The Contrary, Sirius XM’s The Agenda and the Huffington Post.

Clancy Cash Harrison

Author, food insecurity expert and catalyst for social change

A catalyst for social change, Clancy challenges assumptions about hunger in the US. Her mission to demolish stigma around food assistance programs places her on the cutting edge of research, implementation, and advocacy. Clancy is a Registered Dietitian and speaker for Congressional Briefings, TV segments, and seminars. Her ability to fuse real life experiences and empathy with statistics allows audiences to experience shifts in perception of food insecurity. Clancy is an award-winning author of Feeding Baby, founder of the Children Feeding Children Project, and past president of the Al Beech Food Pantry. She received distinction as a Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics.

Danielle Martin Moffett

Founder/CEO of Arising Ministries and Hope and a Future Project (HaaFP)

Danielle is an award winning speaker and author. Her organization empowers single young moms to graduate college, raise successful families and become leaders and community changers. She speaks to thousands of teens yearly, empowering them to build a platform of success in every area of their lives through A Door of Hope. Before becoming a non-profit and ministry leader, Danielle worked as an engineer for Hewlett-Packard and Agilent Technologies. She graduated from University of Delaware with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and earned her masters of Theological Studies degree from Palmer Theological Seminary. Danielle and her husband, Frank, live in Delaware with their four children.

Diane Capaldi

Paleo BOSS Lady (PBL)

Diane has a Master of Arts in Psychology with a focus on community & considers herself something of a miracle since self-healing from secondary progressive multiple sclerosis. Through conscious living, PBL has overcome the odds and kicks MS to the curb everyday through self-empowerment using tools in her famous ‘Bag of Tricks’. PBL is 100% Italian, from Philadelphia and born under the sign of Taurus, earning her the title of BOSS. The PBL lens focuses on the conversation happening between the ears in a direct approach that has earned an international following. PBL sits on the Board of Directors of The Wahls Foundation® & the brand of PBL is 50K strong & growing.

Donna Marie Duffy

Founder and CEO, 3E Marketing Solutions

Donna Duffy, a John Maxwell 2016 Leadership award recipient and author of Embracing Autumn, is a dynamic educator, entrepreneur and visionary, who is passionate about expanding the success of small business owners and entrepreneurs. For almost 18 years, she was a community leader and educator in the Middle East, starting Bridging the Gap, a school for Arab-American students. Back in the U.S., Donna recognized small business owners felt isolated and ill-equipped. She created a weekly roundtable to address business issues, marketing strategies and joint venture opportunities. In 2009, 3E Marketing Solutions, a boutique marketing agency was established. Weaving together her expertise, vision, and humor with transparency, she easily engages and aligns with her audience and clients.

Dr. Arianne Missimer

Clinic Director at Kinetic Physical Therapy, founder of the Movement Paradigm and Master Instructor of the Evidence Based Fitness Academy

Dr. Missimer is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, Registered Dietitian, and Human Movement Specialist. She holds numerous movement–based certifications and was awarded “2015 NSCA Sports Medicine Rehabilitation Specialist of the Year” and “2011 Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year.” She presents nationally and internationally on movement science. She raised over $50,000 for cancer research in honor of her brother. In 2015, she was diagnosed with stage 3 liposcarcoma and underwent aggressive treatment. Accepting this challenge, she started training for America Ninja Warrior and was selected out of 80,000 applicants to compete in Season 8.

Dr. Bahira Sharif Trask

Author, speaker, professor and chair of human development and family studies at UD

Dr. Trask has researched, written and spoken on globalization, work-life-gender issues and family change. Specifically she focuses on the factors influencing families and the programs and policies can assist and strengthen families. Dr. Trask has a B.A. in Political Science and International Relations from Yale University and a PhD in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Pennsylvania. She has authored and edited five books, including most recently Women, Work, and Globalization: Challenges and Opportunities (Routledge, 2014). She regularly participates in expert group meetings at the United Nations on issues around gender equality and empowerment and work-life reconciliation.

Dr. Robyn Odegaard

CEO of Champion Performance Development and author

Dr. Robyn Odegaard, affectionately known as “Doc Robyn” is a Success Liaison and TEDx speaker coach. She holds a doctorate in business psychology. Doc Robyn’s philosophy combines the champion mindset she developed as a competitive beach volleyball player and her expertise in Emotional Intelligence with the drive and determination that allowed her to start college at the age of 32 and obtain her undergrad, master and doctorate degrees in just 6.5 years. She uses her passion for inspiring, teaching, coaching and storytelling to show her clients and mentees how to get out of their own way, take ownership of their success and achieve the elite status they are meant to.

Dr. Sharon Live

Founder and president of The Livingston Group for Marketing, Inc.

Dr. Live is founder and president of The Livingston Group for Marketing, Inc., a brand marketing research company that implements techniques to strengthen the relationship between Fortune 100 products and consumers. Sharon wrote “Get Lost Girlfriend: How I Found Myself When My Best Friend Dumped Me”. In spite of her professional success, Sharon found herself in a toxic friendship. Turning to business principles in branding and working on her own personal brand, she learned new ways to care for herself emotionally. Sharon has determined that toxic friendships are identifiable, that you CAN heal and protect yourself from poisonous people in the future.

Dr. Stephanie Barnes Taylor

CEO of The Fruition Group, LLC

Dr. Taylor is the CEO of The Fruition Group, LLC, a company that specializes in leadership development and strategic planning solutions. Stephanie embraces the choice to create opportunities! A former corporate attorney and executive, Stephanie works with women to help them find their inner leader through her transformational coaching program, Fabulous University, where women learn to lead with brilliance! She is a published author and professional coach. She received her law degree from Harvard Law School and her doctorate in Organizational Leadership from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology.

Jessica Gibson

Director of the Women’s Business Center

Under Jessica’s vision, the organization implements structured business support services, trainings, mentoring and leadership seminars to women who are fueled by entrepreneurship. She is a change-agent who tirelessly advocates for socioeconomic equality within underserved communities. A native of Bronx, NY, Jessica relocated to Delaware in 2001. She is a relationship-builder who successfully bridges communities and non-profit/corporate sectors Jessica has worked closely with school development projects, government, organizations and community advocates to ensure equitable educational options are available to Delaware residents. She believes that servanthood is the root of true leadership.

Jill Sherer Murray

Communications practice leader at Trion, A Marsh & McLennan Agency, LLC

Jill is an award-winning journalist and communications leader who can trace every success in her career (and love life) to letting go. In her current role, she leads a team of creatives in developing education and marketing campaigns for the national consulting firm Trion Group, a Marsh & McLennan Agency, LLC. A writer, marketer, blogger, and speaker, Jill spent a year studying improvisation comedy at the famous Second City Training Center. She also let go of just about everything to put her weight in Shape Magazine 12 times as part of an assignment to document her year-long weight loss for six million readers. Her talk helps others realize what letting go really means: winning.

Kim Castellano

Founder of Fashion First Aid

Kim Leone Olenicoff Castellano is a former lawyer turned inventor whose life has extraordinarily high highs and low lows. From starting a business that went from average to famine to feast; from having a fairytale romance to becoming a widowed bride; from having static residence to buying a sailboat and sailing around the world, she has experienced more in the past 15 years than most people experience in a lifetime. Kim is a fashion malfunction expert and the Founder of Fashion First Aid, a company with 50+ clever products to provide solutions for life’s embarrassing and annoying dilemmas. Kim currently lives life to the fullest between Sun Valley, Idaho and Laguna Beach, California with her husband, baby son and Aussie.

Krupa Jhaveri, MPS, TIEATC

Founder of Sankalpa: Art Journeys

Krupa was born in the US and is of Gujarati ethnic origin. Her organization promotes original self-expression, transformation, awareness and connection across all barriers through art. With formal graduate training at the School of Visual Arts in NYC, Krupa worked with children and women with HIV/AIDS, in child protection, cross cultural exchanges, in the combined practice of Art & Yoga and as a Trauma-Informed Expressive Art Therapy consultant. She is an Ambassador to India for Art Therapy Without Borders with recent presentations on the therapeutic value of ritual, sacred and indigenous art forms throughout the US, China, Hong Kong, Singapore and India.

Latisha Bracy

Campaign Manager, Lisa Blunt Rochester for Congress

Latisha Bracy is a government and community relations professional with almost two decades of experience in the public and private sector. While working for U.S. Senator Chris Coons, she worked with the team responsible for federal grants, economic development and nonprofit, business and community outreach. Latisha has served through her role on the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League Board of Directors, as a member of United Way of Delaware's Women Leadership Council and as a member of the President's Leadership Council for Delaware College of Art and Design. She is a 2014 graduate of Leadership Delaware and a member of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women.

Lu Ann Cahn

Author and eight-time Emmy award winning journalist

Lu Ann Cahn is the author of the inspirational memoir "I Dare Me", an entertaining look back on a year that changed everything for her. The book grew out of a blog which chronicled this veteran journalist, mother and two time cancer survivor’s adventures trying something new every single day to get her life “unstuck". She went on this year long adventure while working her full time “day job” as an 8-time Emmy award-winning journalist with NBC10 News in Philadelphia. In December 2014, Cahn left her 40 year career in broadcast news to dare audiences across the country and students at Temple University as the Director of Career Services for the School of Media and Communication.

Mary Morrissey

Transformational speaker, author, executive coach and corporate consultant

Mary has over 40 years experience empowering individuals in the areas of abundance, authenticity, and success. As a sought after expert on the “invisible side” of success, Mary has spoken three times at the United Nations, and worked with His Holiness The Dalai Lama and Nelson Mandela. Mary has a Master's Degree in Counseling Psychology, an honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters and is the author of two best-selling books, No Less Than Greatness and Building Your Field of Dreams, which also became a PBS special. Among all of her achievements and degrees in higher learning, Mary’s favorites are the two black belts she has earned; one in Success and the other in Failure.

Mary Lavelle Cairns

Owner of Mary Cairns Interiors

Raised in Wilmington, DE, and a graduate of Brandywine High School and University of Delaware, Mary Cairns has lived in Kennett Square for 34 years where she has been owner of Mary Cairns Interiors since 1995. Mary’s two children are married and have made her a happy grandmother. Deeply engaged in service since she was young, Mary discovered her true passion in 2010 when she went to live and work at a girls school in rural India for 6 months. Since then, she has built a school health clinic and a medical center for the villagers. She will return to India for the 8th time in November with a team of medical volunteers.

Pritika Mehta

Mathematician, data scientist, social experiementer and serial entrepreneur

Pritika Mehta has done her bachelors in Computer Science from India and then followed up with Masters in Artificial Intelligence from State University of New York, Buffalo. She is also a serial entrepreneur - Her first startup was in personalized gifting powered by data analytics. She is the co-founder of an edutainment venture which is combining the power of competitions and video content to change the paradigm of learning. Pritika has worked with three startups and multinational companies like Bank of America, Tripadvisor etc. She is a mentor at 'Girls Who Code' , a 'City Awake Delegate of Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce' and licensee for TEDxChandigarh.

Sharon Livingston

Dr. Sharon Livingston is founder and president of The Livingston Group for Marketing, Inc., a brand marketing research company that implements projective techniques to discover and strengthen the relationship between Fortune 100 products and their consumers. Sharon also wrote “Get Lost Girlfriend: How I Found Myself When My Best Friend Dumped Me”. In spite of her professional success, Sharon found herself in a toxic friendship — a friendship she treasured turned out to be deeply harmful. Turning to business principles in branding and working on her own personal brand, she learned new ways to care for herself emotionally. Sharon has determined that toxic friendships are identifiable, that you CAN heal and protect yourself from poisonous people in the future.

Soraya Morgan Gutman

President of Brand Launcher

Soraya founded, grew and sold her business advisory firm, Morgan Business Solutions. As President of Brand Launcher she focuses on helping entrepreneurs and C-level Executives thrive by increasing sales and employee productivity. Soraya won the 2016 New Castle Chamber of Commerce Speakers Award and is a top ranked speaker for The NJ Association for Women Business Owners, The U.S. Military, Leadership Delaware and the Delaware Youth Leadership Network. Having lived and worked during political, economic and social turmoil in England, Germany, Egypt and Turkey, Soraya has a deep understanding of the challenges business owners face during all economic climates.

Susan Bradley, CFP®, CeFT®

Founder of the Sudden Money® Institute (SMI)

SMI is a think tank that created the Certified Financial Transitionist™ designation. For 16 years, Susan has been training financial advisors, attorneys and mental health professionals in the unique processes and tools for managing the human dynamics of financial change. She has served on the FPA’s National Board of Directors, currently sits on the National Football League’s Players Association’s Financial Education Advisory Board, and serves as the Dean of Transitions for the Council of Deans of the Purposeful Planning Institute. She is seen and heard frequently in the national media, including NBC’s Nightly News, CNN, NPR, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. She is the author of Sudden Money: Managing a Financial Windfall (Wiley 2000).

Susan Sandler

Founder of Partners for Leadership

Susan's passion is helping woman live and lead from a deeper place so they can make a deeper impact in the world. As an expert in personal transformation and organizational change, Susan has been helping people in business and non-profits achieve their true potential for over 25 years. Prior to forming her coaching/consulting company, Partners for Leadership, Susan managed training and organizational change for companies like Merrill Lynch, Vanguard, NovaCare and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. As a VP for an international consulting firm, she helped companies transform their training departments. Susan had a 15-year singing career on TV, radio and in nightclubs. She brings her sensibilities as a jazz performer to her work.

TAHIRA Akua TAHIRA

Professional storyteller and musician

"Listen like the words are life sustaining. Speak like the words are your last.” This philosophy guides TAHIRA in her work as a full-time professional storyteller and musician. TAHIRA is a Delaware Division of the Arts Established Professional Fellow in Folk Art: Oral Literature. She had the prestigious honor of representing the National Association of Black Storytellers, Inc. at the international acclaimed festival, PANAFEST, in Ghana, West Africa., TAHIRA performed in four cities in Ghana and participated in a scholar panel discussing the legacy of African storytelling at the University of Ghana. Capitalizing all the letters in her name reminds her daily of the huge responsibility she has to honor her ancestors and empower the community.