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).

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Anna Baltzer

Anna Baltzer is an award-winning lecturer, author, and organizer for freedom, justice, and equality for the Palestinian people. She is Director of Organizing & Advocacy at the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights (USCPR) and has appeared on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Kelly File, and at the Oxford Union, and been quoted in the New York Times, Associated Press, Washington Post, LA Times, Guardian, Al Jazeera, Business Insider, Australian, Huffington Post, Jewish Daily Forward, Ha’aretz, Jerusalem Post, and beyond. Baltzer has lectured at more than 500 universities, churches, parliaments, and policy institutes on five continents with her presentation and film, Life in Occupied Palestine: Eyewitness Stories & Photos and book "Witness in Palestine: A Jewish American Woman in the Occupied Territories." At USCPR, Baltzer specializes in organizing boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) campaigns targeting institutions complicit in Israel's violations of international law, as well as connecting the dots between oppression of communities from the U.S. to Palestine, and beyond. Learn more about Baltzer at www.AnnaInTheMiddleEast.com.

Claudia Jean Virga

Claudia Jean Virga is the owner of Claudia Jean Consulting, creator of the CHAT communication system and is a professional speaker, trainer, and deeply passionate teacher. She lives her life transparently to help herself and others transform and evolve to their full potential and authentic selves. The foundation of Claudia Jean's teachings and work is this: We are just one conversation away from compassion, one intentional choice away from awareness, and one connection away from true community. Her greatest passion is fostering understanding between individuals and groups that result in positive interaction, genuine communication, and ultimately a true sense of community.

Dr. Katie Nall

Dr. Nall earned her Ph.D. in Mathematics Education in 2011 from Florida Institute of Technology while she worked full-time, authored her book, “CR8 UR F8”, and tried to keep it all together. While researching for her dissertation, Dr. Nall looked for a solution to help students who had fear, worry, and anxiety about taking college level math classes. It was this topic that led Dr. Nall to find a way to help not only students, but also others eliminate fear, worry, and anxiety using a new and exciting method. Dr. Nall is a Certified Practitioner in Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT or tapping) to assist others in overcoming fear, anxiety, and stress.

Dr. Kristen Lee

Dr. Kristen Lee, Ed.D., LICSW, known as “Dr. Kris” is a recovering perfectionist, proud Mama, and an internationally recognized, award-winning author, clinician, researcher, educator, speaker, and activist with over twenty years of experience. As Lead Faculty for Behavioral Science at Northeastern University in Boston, her research and teaching interests include individual and organizational well-being, and resilience, particularly for marginalized and underserved populations. She is author of Reset: Make the Most of Your Stress, Winner of the Next Generation Indie Book Awards Motivational Book of 2015, and Mentalligence: A New Psychology of Thinking. She is a regular contributor for the Huffington Post and Psychology Today and her work has been featured on NPR and CPS radio.

Dr. Rahul Razdan

Rahul has over 25 years experience in startups, academia, and Fortune 500 companies. In academia, he has worked in areas such as STEM education, Autonomous Vehicle Technology, and SemiConductor Design. He has successfully led a number of startups (WiPower, PwrLite, Ocoos) and held senior corporate roles at Cadence and DEC (HP now). He has authored numerous technical papers, is named on over 24 issued patents, and has a Ph.D. from Harvard University (M.S./B.S. from Carnegie Mellon University).

Gail Deckant

Gail is a peace advocate 100% dedicated to peace on earth. She believes that peace is an inside job and, with all her heart and without a doubt, that there will be peace on earth. She knows that peace will come when we each have made connection with the peace within us. The yoga greeting says it all – Namaste – “When I am in that place within me of peace, love, and harmony and you are in that place in you of peace, love, and harmony, we are one.”

Jarrod Haning

Jarrod Haning is the author of “Trying Harder Won’t Get You There” and works as a performance coach with his company Mindset Performance where he trains leaders in the thinking patterns of success. If someone keeps running up against the same old obstacles like not having enough time or not having enough money, it’s probably not for lack of trying. If that’s been happening there could be a blind spot in their thinking patterns that has been tripping them up. After all, you can’t avoid what your brain can’t see. When he isn’t on stage speaking or training, you’ll find him performing with the South Carolina Philharmonic or competing with his 7 year old for the coveted “tickle champion of the world” title.

Jayne Ellspermann

Jayne Ellspermann has focused her career in education on helping others exceed their own perceived potential. Her innovative practices and resulting successes earned her both state and national recognition and in 2015 she was named National Principal of the Year by NASSP. She works with schools and school districts throughout the country to create positive learning environments, push past barriers, and empower learners by focusing on leadership development for students, teachers, and administrators.

Jerod Ward

ESPN College Basketball Analyst, former NBA player, leadership and success expert, Jerod Ward knows what it takes to overcome life’s challenges; to have moments where adversity not success, was winning. But Jerod was able to defeat his setbacks by discovering the answer in 3 letters…NBA.

Jessica McCune

Jessica is a R.N.and L.M.H.C. pursuing whole person health. In addition to her M.S. in Counseling Education she has a M.A. in Storytelling. Combining art and medicine strengthens body, mind, and spirit and has opened the gates to storytelling. The seed art of storytelling helps us survive, connects us one to another, and provides insight along the journey for peace. She currently works for a palliative care company and she applies storytelling with those grieving or enduring loss. She is a Texan in Florida.

Jonathan Gravenor

that started him on the road to redemption that saved his soul and saved and his life. This television journalist seemed to have everything, until that everything included cancer. Jonathan writes about his intimate journey with a deadly disease. And he also tells a bigger story about how the disease launched him on a pilgrimage to become a better man. He uses his gifts, as a raconteur to show how some of the answers about how to survive his cancer were revealed in his quest for redemption. He published his first book in 2017 – The Other Side of Ego.

Mark Gai

Mark thinks and writes about influence. As a professional communicator and coach, he works with community and business leaders to help them find strength and clarity in language. His popular leadership podcast, “Speak Brave”, reaches international audiences every week. Mark is a student of life with an insatiable appetite for an accelerated learning.

Rena Romano

Author and Mindset Coach, Rena Romano is a Survivor and Advocate for Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse. She was a successful sales rep for 20 years in the male dominated Construction Industry. During her career, Rena discovered her successes strengthened as she had a perspective shift of her painful past. Her acknowledgement and celebration of her survival allowed her to achieve and maintain a positive mindset. A featured guest on “The Oprah Winfrey Show”, she shared her story to the world.

Tyla Kennedy

Tyla is a 29 year old local business owner and entrepreneur. She is a self made millennial. Born in New York and raised in Ocala, Florida, for the past twenty years. She's in the top 4% of her network marketing company, where she educates others about Nutrition and wellness. She has helped the community lose over 10,000 pounds over the past 4 years on her journey. Tyla's vision for herself is to help save the world from obesity by teaching others about self-worth, health, love and happiness.