Theme: Now or Never

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).

Regency West
3339 W 43rd St
Los Angeles, California, 90008
United States

Kawika Smith

Student

Kawika is a South Central youth activist. He has been civically engaged since he was 8, beginning with his mothers union, SEIU local 2015. He has since went onto become his Neighborhood Council’s youth representative, and is now in his 2nd term. In his leadership role as the BSU president at his high school, he has led the fight to undo a discriminatory hair policy that was impacting the Black student body negatively. His overarching life goal is to bring forth equity and justice within his community. He was recently awarded the Beat the Odds scholarship from The Children's Defense Fund and was selected as one of 50 youth to attend Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Summer Youth Institute on Gun Violence Prevention. Kawika is actively involved as a youth leader in Community Coalition and in June 2019, and was a panelist at the Writers Guild discussing his experience with overcoming homelessness and what needs to be done.

Maceo Paisley

Creative

After serving in the U.S. Army and climbing the ladder of corporate America, Maceo "Paisley" Keeling III made his way into the world of arts, entertainment, and entrepreneurship. For the past decade Maceo has danced professionally, performed on national stages as a spoken word and performance artist and is the Executive Director of the non-profit platform- Citizens of Culture. His first book Tao Of Maceo: Identity, Relationships,Work: A Journal On Living, is available from Correspondence Print where books are sold.

Marc Maye

Co-Founder

Marc Maye grew up in Compton, Ca. and like his business partner, he has seen many of his peers fall victim to gang involvement and the street life. Marc attended public schools within the Compton Unified School District from K-12th grade. He graduated from Compton Dominguez in 2001 and enrolled at CSUDH in the fall. Marc later graduated from CSUDH in the spring of 2006 earning his Bachelors in Kinesiology. He later returned to school and attended Mount St. Mary’s College where he received his Masters Degree in Education and California Teaching Credentials in May of 2012. Marc now works at St. Lawrence of Brindisi School in Watts, CA where he serves as the Assistant Principal, Athletic Director and Master Physical Education Teacher. He also Coaches all the teams at the school as well. Marc has a strong passion for what he does and that’s why he and Terry chose to start 4wrdProgress.

Portia Jackson-Preston

Assistant Professor

Portia is passionate about promoting a holistic and inclusive approach to self-care that takes into consideration how cultural and social factors as well as experiences of discrimination based on identity markers (e.g. race, class, gender identity, sexual orientation) may trigger one's need for self-care and shape one's willingness--or reluctance---to engage in self-care practices. Preston has been an Assistant Professor of Public Health at Cal State Los Angeles for the past three years, and will transition to Cal State Fullerton, this Fall. Her research focuses on addressing health disparities and promoting health equity through inclusive approaches to self-care at the individual and organizational level. She earned her Doctorate of Public Health from UCLA, a Masters of Public Health in Health Behavior and Health Education from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and her Bachelors degree in Cultural and Social Anthropology from Stanford University.

Tianning Chen

Industrial Engineer

Tianning is a UX designer here in LA. She is trying to use design to make life easier. In her Tedx presentation, she is going to talk about how we can explore a new way to think about social problems in south LA using design thinking. Design thinking is a human-centered methodology that asks people to explore the problem in an empathic and iterative way. My teammates and I believe this TEDx event is a great chance to bring more attention to these problems and design thinking provides a way to let people rethink how everyone can contribute to solving problems.