Theme: Now You Know

Following up our Spring theme of “You Think You Know“, our fall theme is “Now You Know.” Our TEDxSanAntonio Fall 2016 Main Event balances diversity of thought and grounded vision. The broad range of topics are designed to offer a global perspective with local relevance, all packaged in an entertaining, fast-paced day of TED-style talks.

Witte Museum - Mays Family Center
3801 Broadway St
San Antonio, Texas, 78209
United States

Art Nicholson

San Antonio Attorney

Born in Dallas, Art Nicholson has been interested in naval history since his childhood. His first book was Hostages to Fortune: Winston Churchill and the Loss of the Prince of Wales and Repulse (2005), his second was Very Special Ships: Abdiel Class Fast Minelayers in World War II (2015), and he is working on a third. Art graduated from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and the University of Texas School of Law in Austin. He now lives in San Antonio, where he practices labor law.

Christina Wallace

Co-host, The Limit Does Not Exist

Christina Wallace is the co-host of The Limit Does Not Exist, a FORBES podcast focused on the intersection of STEM and the arts. She is also a Vice President at Bionic, a startup igniting growth revolutions inside the Fortune 500 via the venture capital and entrepreneurship playbook. Prior to joining Bionic, Christina founded BridgeUp: STEM, an educational initiative at the American Museum of Natural History with a mission to captivate, inspire, and propel girls and women into computer science, funded by a generous $7.5M grant from the Helen Gurley Brown Trust. She remains an advisor to BridgeUp: STEM and fierce champion for girls in STEM. She holds undergraduate degrees in mathematics and theater from Emory University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Doug Petersen

CW-4, Ret.

Doug grew up on the East Coast and shortly after he entered a military college, he enlisted in the US Army and went to flight school to learn to fly helicopters. He is a decorated Vietnam veteran, having served more than twenty years as an aviator in the United States Army. Doug continued to serve others by working in the financial services industry for twenty-five years, helping families with their financial security. Today he continues to take deep-seated passion in making a difference in the lives of others through his life-affirming messages, and is fulfilling his life’s purpose by inspiring people into action. He is an award-winning author of six enlightening, thought-provoking books, reaffirming the good in all of us.

Esteban López

Chief Medical Officer and Southwest Texas Market President

Esteban López, MD, MBA serves as the Chief Medical Officer and Southwest Texas Market President for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, where he helps fulfill its mission to improve the health and well-being of its five million members. In addition to serving as the executive sponsor for Texas Government Programs, Dr. López leads the Community Investment Department in its long-term strategy to improve public health. He was one of 61 leaders selected from across the nation – and the only one representing South Texas – to join the prestigious ranks of the Presidential Leadership Scholars Program. Additionally Dr. López is a Director of the Texas Lyceum. Dr. López is dual board certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics with a Masters in Business Administration.

Ethan Aldrich

Founder, Software Developer at UNIT Innovations

Ethan Aldrich has years of experience in software development having worked on many projects ranging from Web Applications, Desktop Programs, Biometrics, E-commerce, Web Design, IOS Applications, and Android Applications. Through his self taught programming experience, Ethan has built many projects from the ground up for a wide range of industries. Ethan is founder of UNIT Innovations and leads planning, integration, development, and implementation of all technology systems, building and maintaining scalable software platforms for the public safety industry.

Heidi Musser

Business Technology Executive

As a senior Executive, I have spent over 30 years leading and advising businesses on designing new operating & engagement models to drive digital transformation and achieve operational excellence and enterprise agility. My passion is 'managing the soft side of technology' through the adoption of fundamentally different ways of working, thinking and being. My experience spans multiple industries, including financial services, healthcare, software and technology consulting and I have successfully delivered results in five business models - public sector, private/owner led, publicly traded, not-for-profit and member association.

Ivy Taylor

Mayor - San Antonio

Ivy R. Taylor was elected Mayor of San Antonio in June 2015, nearly one year after she was appointed to the seat by her City Council colleagues. She is the first African American female Mayor of a city with more than one million people and the second female Mayor of San Antonio. Before becoming Mayor, she served on City Council for five years. She earned degrees from Yale University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Mayor Taylor is a devoted wife and mother.

Jason Straughan

CEO Grok Interactive

Jason is the Co Founder of Grok Interactive and Codeup, two companies focused on software development based in San Antonio. A life-long programmer, he fell in love with computers in elementary school and has been hooked ever since. As CEO of Grok Interactive, he leads a team of web and mobile application developers creating custom software solutions. They have worked on applications with clients including the Wounded Warrior Project, the US Army, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, as well as many startups. Jason also Co Founded Codeup, a career school focused on training web developers to meet the growing demand for programming talent in San Antonio. Codeup is a career accelerator that uses an immersive approach to train software development to students with little to no prior programming experience.

Lindsay Bira

Clinical Health Psychologist

Dr. Lindsay Bira received her Ph.D. in Clinical Health Psychology from University of Miami. She completed residency at the Boston Consortium as a fellow for Harvard Medical School and Boston University School of Medicine, and completed an additional two-year fellowship in trauma psychology. As Assistant Professor of Psychiatry in the School of Medicine at UT Health Science Center San Antonio, she treats combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at STRONG STAR, the world’s largest research consortium for PTSD. In addition to her clinical research work with active duty service members and Veterans, Dr. Bira also has a private practice, where she focuses on treating a range of issues and further serves the wider community as a coach, consultant, writer and speaker. She has been featured by local NBC, FOX, Texas Public Radio, Women's Health Magazine, and more for her work. Dr. Bira values transparency, integrity, and compassion in all that she does and has established h

Lisa Phillips

Army Veteran, Veterinary Technician

Lisa Phillips was born and raised in Connecticut, and relocated to Texas after joining the Army in 2001 as a veterinary technician. While in the Army, Lisa received a Certificate of Achievement, the Army Achievement Medal, and the Good Conduct Medal. Lisa has established three non-profits, to include Gizmo’s Gift and her most recent nonprofit, the Staff Sgt Carl Potter Working Dog Cemetery and Museum, named in honor of her grandfather who was a POW in WWII. It is in the beginning stages, and was established to honor all working animals (horses, pigeons, K9s, dolphins, etc.): past, present, and future.

Reuben Lashley

Minister

Rev. Reuben E Lashley was born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley. The son of a Mexican Immigrant mother and a Caucasian father whose family traces its roots to 1700's in Virginia, he has lived his entire life with one foot in each culture. This duality has afforded him the opportunity to understand traditional systems and relationships from multiple perspectives. Reuben holds a BA in Communication and Political Science and a Masters in Divinity from Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University. He has been involved in ministry with children, youth, and adults for over 15 years. He has served in Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Nondenominational churches over his career in ministry.

Rob Wicall

Former Spurs Coyote

Rob Wicall has built a career as a long standing athletic performer. Most recently known as the mascot for the San Antonio Spurs, Wicall won Best Video Skit of the Year in 2007, 2010, 2014, and 2015. He won Mascot of the Year in 2005 and 2014. Prior to his reign with the Spurs he served as mascot for the Washington Wizards and a water ski performer and announcer at Sea World of Texas. He now runs a business, considers himself a serial entrepreneur, and pours his efforts into charities including helping to create a local board for the Arthritis Foundation. Wicall was diagnosed with Arthritis in 2012. Besides giving back to his community, Rob is looking forward to writing, producing, public speaking and discovering other creative outlets.

Sarah Lyons

Photographer

San Antonio based artist Sarah Brooke Lyons has been a professional photographer since 2007. Sarah's artistic mission is to reveal the beauty of diversity, individuality, and self expression through the artistic medium. Fortunately, she has been able to hone her skill domestically and internationally. Internationally she has shared the voices of communities during her travel to Brazil, Burkina Faso, West Africa, and Haiti. Through documentation of daily life in villages and favales, she shares photojournalistic stories with global audiences to provide awareness and support for these communities.

Stephanie Scheller

CEO

Stephanie Scheller may be young but she is an accomplished speaker, trainer & coach and has worked with close to 600 businesses and thousands of individuals on their sales, marketing and systems in the past five years! She is a two-time best-selling author, an entrepreneur, a coach and a trainer and dedicated to teaching the same skills that allowed her to build a business from scratch and walk away from her job in less than five months to disrupt the way the world does business.

Tony Bowie

L&D Manager

Tony Bowie has over 25 years of experience in facilitation, leadership, management, training, learning technologies, project management and human resources disciplines. He currently leads the organizational learning and development efforts at the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in San Antonio, Texas. Tony is a Certified Professional in Learning and Performance (CPLP) and Certified Project Management Professional (PMP).

Travis Block

President - San Antonio Science

President of San Antonio Science, Inc., a non-profit organization he co-founded to promote awareness, understanding, and enthusiasm for science in San Antonio.

Troy Peters

Music Director of YOSA

Troy Peters has been Music Director of YOSA (Youth Orchestras of San Antonio) since 2009. Sobre Sound named his “OK Computer Live” project, in which a dozen local bands covered Radiohead’s landmark album backed by YOSA at the Tobin Center, as San Antonio’s top moment in music for 2015. He has guest conducted many orchestras, including the Oregon Symphony, San Antonio Symphony, and Vermont Symphony Orchestra. He was previously Music Director of the Vermont Youth Orchestra and Montpelier Chamber Orchestra, and conducted college orchestras at Texas State University and Middlebury College.