Theme: Going Places

Save the date for TEDxWaltham, under license from TED, for the greater Waltham community to explore “Going Places.” With so much information at our fingertips today, we invite you to get curious about exactly where we might be going into the future, fantasy, the past or around the world. Come and hear and share new perspectives that have the power to shift our views and open up new realms of possibility.

Boston BioHub
35 Gatehouse Dr
Waltham, Massachusetts, 02451
United States

Allison Paradise

Sustainability leader

Allison Paradise is the Founder & CEO of My Green Lab, a non-profit dedicated to building a culture of sustainability through science. She holds degrees in neuroscience from Brown and Harvard.

Anuj Kumar

Professor of information systems

Anuj Kumar is Matherly Professor of Information Systems at the Warrington College of Business, University of Florida. He holds a PhD in Information Systems Management from Carnegie Mellon University and a master’s degree in management from Indian Institute of Management India. Professor Kumar’s research focuses on understanding how information technology affects the behavior of organizations, individuals, and the interactions between them. Specifically, his research explores the role of information technology in three areas –omnichannel customer operations, product recommendation networks, and education.

Beth Soltzberg

Dementia/Alzheimer's support

Beth directs the Alzheimer’s/Related Disorders Family Support Program at Jewish Family & Children’s Service in Waltham, Massachusetts. Beth’s Percolator Memory Cafe Network has helped to develop and spread the Alzheimer’s/Memory Café model, which originated in Holland and has been replicated globally. Beth leads the Dementia Friends Massachusetts public awareness program, and is part of the statewide leadership team promoting dementia friendly community initiatives. For more information on memory cafes please visit www.jfcsboston.org/Percolator.

Brendan Cline

Philosopher of environmental ethics

Brendan received his Ph.D. in philosophy from the University at Buffalo, and was a Florence Levy Kay Fellow in Philosophy and Neuroscience at Brandeis University. His research addresses a range of issues at the intersection of science and philosophy. One of his major projects draws on insights from cognitive neuroscience to illuminate philosophical questions about the nature of evaluation and action: How does evaluation translate into action? Why is it that sometimes, we fail to do what we know is right or best? Brendan is also interested in environmental ethics, and some of his recent work addresses ethical questions about the value of species. He teaches courses in ethical theory and applied ethics, helping students think about how philosophical reflection can help inform their responses to the concrete practical challenges they will face in their personal and professional lives. In his free time, he enjoys cycling and backpacking.

Brian Harman

Leadership psychologist, professor, and coach

After four spine surgeries, Brian became very interested in health, meditation, and happiness. That’s when he began his intense study of leadership psychology and improv-style humor, loving the fun nature of group activities. Brian married his first childhood love while studying global leadership at Pepperdine and Oxford, earning an MBA and PhD. Now teaching at UC Berkeley part-time, he spends most hours with his team at BM Hallmark www.bmhallmark.com/collaborative-humor.

Carole Copeland Thomas

Diversity thought leader and cultural collaborator

Captivating audiences around the world since starting her business in 1987, Carole creates community as an internationally-recognized keynote speaker, thought leader, and cultural collaborator. Her understanding of the global marketplace, as well as of current issues affecting working professionals and business leaders alike, has made her a highly sought-after business consultant and speaker for over three decades. From speaking at organizations like The American Society of Association Executives, and The National Restaurant Association to interviewing international business experts, Carole uses her understanding of the dynamics of our shifting marketplace to empower leaders for change. She is the founder of the Multicultural Symposium Series, a multiyear conference and online initiative developed for the advancement of multicultural issues. A blogger and social media enthusiast, Carole uses various technology platforms to share her wisdom and build community.

Henry Yampolsky

Mediator and conflict coach

Trained as a lawyer, Henry Yampolsky is a mediator, facilitator, and conflict coach. He is passionate about leading transformative conversations and about empowering individuals and organizations to respond to conflict with strength, clarity, and ease. Henry has worked with hundreds of complex conflicts around the world and is the co-founder, President, and CEO of the Living Peace Institute. Henry is the co-creator of the mindfulness-based conflict coaching tool, called Dis-Solving Conflict from Within™ and is the author of revolutionary mediation training curriculum which incorporates mindfulness and yoga into conflict resolution training. Henry is also a Master-Level teacher of Sattva Yoga, trained in Rishikesh, India. More information about Henry and his work is available at www.livingpeaceinstitute.com.

Joshua Spodek

Author, professor, and podcaster

Joshua Spodek PhD MBA is the bestselling author of Leadership Step by Step and Initiative, host of the award-winning Leadership and the Environment podcast, and a professor at NYU. Josh has challenged himself to live a sustainable life- he takes 16 months to produce one load of garbage, and hasn’t flown (by choice) since March 2016. He blogs daily at joshuaspodek.com.

Michael F. Collins

Chancellor, University of Massachusetts Medical School

Michael F. Collins, MD is Chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Medical School and Senior Vice President for Health Sciences at the University of Massachusetts, where he oversees the University’s system-wide health and life sciences portfolio. As Chancellor of the Commonwealth’s public medical school, Dr. Collins provides strategic management to a burgeoning UMass Medical School enterprise, which includes 1,200 students in three graduate schools; a workforce of 6,000 employees; complex and diversified business units; and a thriving and internationally renowned biomedical research enterprise that attracts more than $250 million in annual funding. Previously, Dr. Collins was Chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Boston and he served as president and chief executive officer of Caritas Christi Health Care System from 1994 to 2004. He is a graduate of the College of Holy Cross and Tufts University School of Medicine.

Stephanie Lamprea

Soprano vocalist

Stephanie Lamprea is an architect of new sounds and expressions as a performer, curator and improviser, specializing in contemporary classical repertoire. Trained as an operatic coloratura, she uses her voice as a mechanism of avant-garde performance art with an entire spectrum of vocal colors (including operatic style, straight tone, sputters and throat noises), creating “maniacal shifts of vocal production and character... like an icepick through the skull” (Jason Eckardt). She has received awards from the John Cage Orgel Stiftung, the St. Botolph Club Foundation and the Puffin Foundation.