Theme: Complexity: It's Not That Easy!

TEDxChulaVista will explore themes that people take for granted. We want the audience to have an appreciation for the complexity presented on stage.

Southwestern College (Mayan Hall)
900 Otay Lakes Road
Chula Vista, California, 91910
United States

Brian Murphy

Educator, Author

Brian Murphy is a father, husband, principal, and the president of the Quin Murphy Foundation. He is the author of Losing Quin, a book about the unexpected and tragic loss of his son, Quin, who passed away at the age of 16 due to a misdiagnosed illness. Not satisfied, he analyzed the medical records where he found that he had been diagnosed wrongly and ignored by doctors. Through careful research, Murphy uncovered countless cases of medical malpractice and the mercenary practices of medical corporations. In Losing Quin, Brian documents his shocking discoveries, not as an act of revenge against the medical establishment, but to create conscience of this problem, honor his son by sharing the power of forgiveness and give a compassionate perspective that redefines how to face situations that bring unexpected tragedies.

Darryl Anunciado

CEO of Action Drone Inc

Darryl M. Anunciado is the CEO of Action Drone Inc., a drone manufacturer in Chula Vista, California. While working in real estate, he went in search of a hobby, settling for building drones. A year later, he got a contract with the Navy, a move that led to the expansion of his company that now serves the energy, military and entertainment sectors. His dedication to aerial remote-control devices and entrepreneurship led him to launch Action Drone Inc. in San Diego and Denmark. Working alongside a team of engineers, technicians, and business developers, Darryl realizes teamwork is the key to success and that a business can be profitable while also thoughtful of the environment, the people, and the economy, both local and global. Anunciado holds an MBA and a BA in Psychology Industrial Organization and has ample experience in banking, property management, and real estate industries.

Dr. Gina Paige

Entrepreneur, founder of AfricanAncestry.com

Dr. Gina Paige is an entrepreneur founder of “Pik-A-Pak” Care Packages, GPG Strategic Marketing Resources, and co-founder of African Ancestry, Inc. A celebrity known to find the roots of celebrities, Paige travels the world to help people understand their DNA roots. Paige has served as speaker for companies such as McDonalds and The Walt Disney Company among others. She has appeared in hundreds of media outlets, including Hot 97-FM, Time Magazine, 60 Minutes, FOX Business News, and Reuters. Her work is featured in PBS’ Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and African American Lives 1 & 2, The Africa Channel, NBC’s Who Do You Think You Are? CNN’s Black in America. She holds an Honorary Ph.D. in Philosophy from Global Oved Dei Seminary University, an MBA from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, and a B.A. in Economics from Stanford University

Dr. Silvia Mah

President of CONNECT San Diego, Entrepreneurship Advocate

Dr. Silvia Mah, president of CONNECT San Diego, a premier innovation company accelerator, is cofounder of Ad Astra Ventures, the first female focused accelerator of its kind in San Diego, and also Executive Director at Hera Labs, the premier female business accelerator in San Diego. As a leading advocate for women entrepreneurship, she invests resources and funding to create the necessary conditions for women to start businesses. Her mission is to help women entrepreneurs be the catalyst for future generations of women to become, educate and develop new “angel” investors. Dr. Mah holds a Ph.D. in Marine Molecular Biology from UC San Diego Scripps Institution of Oceanography, an M.B.A. from UC San Diego Rady School of Management, and a B.S. in Biology with Honors from Pepperdine University.

Dr. Toni Faddis

Educator, Author and Speaker

Toni Faddis, Ed.D. has served as a public-school educator for the past twenty-five years as a teacher, principal, and district leader. She is also a faculty member of the Educational Leadership Department at San Diego State University, teaching courses on ethical leadership, problem-solving, and communication skills to teachers who aspire to become school principals. Toni has a wealth of experience and knowledge as a learning leader. For 13 years she was principal of two schools close to the United States/Mexico border and established strong, collaborative teacher teams that resulted in improved content delivery, greater student achievement, and increased teacher self-efficacy. As a district leader, Toni coaches and supports aspiring, novice, and veteran administrators.

Jillian Parramore

Educator

Jillian Parramore was born on the Autism spectrum and has Cerebral Palsy. Her goal as an educator and disability advocate is to open the possibility that her achievements as a person with disabilities is not abnormal. Parramore has been working in education for 10 years. Her goal is for students to know more about inclusion and access to services. She wants to see a world that allows each person to have equal access to the things they need. Coming from a mod-severe classroom with limited education and other tools needed to succeed, it has become her lifelong goal to make sure other students like her do not fall in the same challenges. Parramore graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies with a focus in Literacy and Special Education. She is working towards earning her Masters degree in order to teach at higher levels.

Joy Clausen Soto

Documentary filmmaker

Joy Clausen Soto is a cancer survivor, documentary filmmaker and public speaker. Diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma at the age of 25 years, she was forced to drop out of film school. Joy survived and decided to film a documentary on her ordeal. The film has been viewed at film festivals and has won several awards. Her story has likewise been featured in many media organizations, including ABC, NBC, and KPBS. Joy founded a program ten years ago at SeaWorld San Diego that brings kids with cancer from both Rady Children’s Hospital and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles to the theme park where they can meet a dolphin. Joy continues to share her story in hopes of helping other people who are faced with similar challenges.

Sami Benhamo

AR/VR Consultant

AR/VR Consultant & social Entrepreneur, Since 2001 Sam was involved in event productions and immersive technology. His vision to use immersive technology, to enhance human social life, and make human connections has become a reality. We help companies adopt the power and promise of immersive technology within brand storytelling for nonprofits, education, and marketing.

Sandra Scheller

Second Generation Holocaust Survivor

Sandra Scheller was a professional mime on numerous children’s television shows. She danced flamenco and taught pantomime and movement at Chula Vista SCPA and Grossmont College. In 1994, she met Vilen Golovko, the creator of The Flying Cranes Aerial Ballet from Moscow, a group that she has managed for 24 years. In 2005, Sandra began working for Cirque Du Soleil and Cirque Du Monde. To spend more time with her mother, Ruth Sax, a Holocaust survivor, she returned to her native Chula Vista and wrote her mother’s story “Try to remember-Never forget.” With her mother, Sandra visited schools to talk about the Holocaust and created panels about it, including San Diego Comic-Con “Art During the Holocaust.” Ruth passed in December 2018, so Sandra created a documentary to continue telling Ruth’s story. Sandra continues visiting schools and organizations and still works for The Flying Cranes.

Steph Johnson

Singer•Artistic Director of Voices of Our City Choir

Steph Johnson is and recording Jazz recording artist and the Executive and Artistic Director of the Voices of Our City Choir. Her warmth and caring spirit, combined with her soulful musical virtuosity, creates a unique and dynamic sound that has proven her to be an incredibly engaging performer, songwriter and community leader.

Sterling Hawkins

Keynote speaker, Business Leader

Sterling Hawkins is a master of innovation, having overcome massive changes and obstacles in his past. These include going from flat broke to selling his first company, turning a broken family business to a successful one, and overcoming fear of public speaking to keynoting at conferences around the world. His story will motivate you to make the most out of any situation. Hawkins is a renowned keynote speaker, business leader, entrepreneur, investor, and futurist. Passionate about retail innovation, he has worked with universities such as Stanford and Cornell to create a vision for future commerce. He evaluates over 1,000 innovative technologies annually to dramatically transform retail and how it fulfills the needs and wants of consumers. Moreover, he has worked with investment groups, startups, brands and Fortune 500 companies, including Zebra Technologies and Starter Bros. Markets.

Tim Gard

Humorous• Stress Reduction Authority

Tim Gard is a motivational speaker and humorist who customizes his message to inspire people through positivity and humor. Gard brings 20 years of public speaking experience and has consistently led individuals, groups, and organizations around the globe to learn through laughing. Gard has worked with teams and individuals from diverse industries and companies using Comic Vision to reduce stress and fatigue within the workforce. He emphasizes the importance of optimism and cooperation for work teams, arguing that these attitudes foster problem-solving skills, teamwork, and productivity. Specifically focusing on humor as a vital skill in work and life, Gard is a speaker who motivates and inspires audiences through his message of embracing positivity and eliminating negativity.

William Hung

Entertainer, Speaker

William Hung is an emerging voice. In 2017, he discovered a new path to inspire others through public speaking by reflecting on his past success from his first album “Inspiration”. Back in 2004, this album was the #1 independent album on Billboards. The album was unique because it contained inspirational messages in-between some of his songs. This made him realize how he can entertain, educate, and empower people at the same time by articulating how to make complex choices in life with tremendous clarity and practical application. William is a highly sought-after speaker at corporations and professional association conferences around the world. For the past 7 years, William has been taking on middle manager roles for Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and Department of Public Health. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and a master’s degree in Business Administration from Marist College.