Theme: Manifest Destiny

TEDxAndrews is the first event of this kind in the Waccamaw region on South Carolina. And it is important to this community because, too often, small, rural communities are not included in global conversations. However, the Town of Andrews has set out to prove that, not only do small towns deserve to be included in global conversations, but we have beautiful, complex, innovative, exciting, and vital stories to share.

For those of you who have never heard of Andrews, South Carolina, it is a small, rural Town located in the Waccamaw region of South Carolina along the Black River. Andrews was founded in 1909 as a railroad and logging community and from 1952 until the 1990s, Andrews was home to the Oneida Knitting Mill which was once the world's largest t-shirt manufacturer.

During the U.S. economic recession in the 1990s, many of the industries that had supported Andrews' families for generations relocated and the Town of Andrews continued to decline. And for many years, many people waited for jobs to return and felt powerless. But recently, that has started to change.

In the past 4 years, Andrews has experienced a positive shift. And that shift has resulted in an upgrade in its infrastructure and a resurgence in jobs, education, and the arts. Many attribute this to a shift in mentality by those responsible - "the change-makers" - who have propagated the mindset, "No one is coming to save us so we must save ourselves!" In recognition of "the changes-makers" and the impact they are having in Andrews and small, rural communities like it all around the world, the theme for the very first TEDxAndrews event is "Manifest Destiny."

Andrews Dream Center
310 N Morgan Avenue
Andrews, South Carolina, 29510
United States

David Mitroff

David is the founder of Piedmont Consulting, a California-based consulting and marketing firm that provides services to new and established companies, individual entrepreneurs and other diverse organizations. David has been featured as an industry expert on NBC Bay Area and David's success in creating social impact has resulted in him being nominated as a "Changemaker" for the City of Oakland, CA.

Dr. Toni Haley

Dr. Toni is a nationally recognized, triple board certified physician and best-selling author, speaker, and certified executive coach for high performing women. She is also the founder and CEO of Williams Wellness Group. Dr. Haley is sought after by clients for her 25 years experience in finance, healthcare and wellness. Her proven strategies have helped hundreds of women break through personal and professional barriers, such as Perfectionism, Martyr Complex, and Imposter Syndrome. Dr. Haley is a proud alumna of Morgan State University, Ross University School of Medicine and Southern Illinois University. She is also a passionate community volunteer for several organizations, including Girls On The Run International. Dr. Haley has committed her life’s work to empowering others to achieve greater prosperity and wellness.

Garrett Gunderson

Garrett is the Founder and CEO of an Inc. 500 firm; a multiple WSJ and NY Times bestselling author of 7 books, including the mega hit Killing Sacred Cows; and he was previously selected as the SBA Young Entrepreneur of the year. Garrett has been featured on some of the most sought after stages in the world, including prestigious educational institutions like MIT. He has also shared the stage with the likes of the Dalai Lama, F.W. DeClerk, and Richard Branson. Garrett is also a regular at Genius Network and Mastermind Talks, and has been featured on over one thousand radio interviews. Garrett is also a regular on ABC’s Good Money and the Fox News Network. Additionally, he has appeared on CNBC's Squawk on the Street. Garrett is also a philanthropist who donates a percentage of his gross annual income to the Utah Governor’s Honors Academy and the Rural Young Entrepreneurs Search, which he competed for and won as a teenager.

Krista Rizzo

Krista is a Certified Professional Life Coach, Author, Speaker and Host of the weekly show #WhyAmIYelling? LIVE! on Facebook. Krista has been featured in Forbes, TODAY Parents, Thrive Global, Huffington Post and more. She has appeared on multiple podcasts and radio shows, including iHeart Radio, for her expertise on the subject of relationships. Krista’s first book #WhyAmIYelling Because...Relationships! is being used as a foundational tool in both personal and professional settings to help people create, maintain and thrive in all of their relationships. Krista’s passion for helping others goes beyond her clients as she is an active volunteer in her community and has created an inspirational program for teenagers focusing on life experience that she presents in high schools. She is a member of the Forbes Coaches Council, a TODAY Parenting Team Contributor, the Female Founder Collective and The International Coaching Federation.

Matthew Ferry

Matthew is a master life coach, spiritual teacher, and best-selling author. Matthew is a member of the Forbes Coaches Council and, for more than 26 years, he has provided entrepreneurs, senior level executives, and CEOs with leading-edge, innovative coaching services that helped them achieve high-level successes. Among his many projects, Matthew manages a blog and hosts the podcast "Daily Enlightenment with Matthew Ferry." He is also the author of an Amazon self-help and spirituality best-seller in the US, Canada, Australia and Japan.

Melqaam Shaw

Melqaam is a Gates Millenium Scholar who earned his bachelor's degree from Howard University in Washington, DC. After graduating from Howard University, he went on to earn his Master’s degree in Adult Education from the University of Phoneix. Melqaam is currently enrolled in the Education Leadership Doctoral program at the University of Phoenix. Melqaam survived a near-fatal incident. Ever since, he has found a renewed purpose in life. His motto is, “The promise before you is greater than the pain behind you."

Miles Mussenden

iles is a British-born, music producer and American film and television actor. He was trained at American Academy of Dramatic Arts and after high school, co-founded Two Friends Records and GrassRoots Entertainment, under which he managed performers such as Shabba Ranks. Since his early start in the music industry, Miles had gone on to establish a successful acting career. His professional acting credits include being a series regular on Marvel's Cloak & Dagger and guest appearances in Ballers, Stranger Things, Army Wives, Luke Cage, Queen Sugar, and more. You can also catch him on The Good Lord Bird, starring Ethan Hawke, on Showtime in 2020. Miles also works with Front & Center, an organization that works with the juvenile court system to provide intervention programs for at-risk youth.

Rachel Graham

Rachel is the co-founder and President of Healing Springs Ranch, an innovative 28-bed co-ed residential treatment facility for addiction, trauma and mental health. Healing Springs Ranch offers comprehensive services that contribute to all aspects of psychological and physiological recovery. Prior to founding Healing Springs Ranch, Rachel worked for many years in the executive development and management of various healthcare facilities, including addiction treatment, managed care and other healthcare organizations. Her professional experience and her experiences with family member who struggled with addiction, both, reinforced Rachel’s personal desire to educate society in order to remove the stigma surrounding addiction and compulsive behaviors.

Robert Ulrich

Bob is originally from Elimsport, PA, but he currently lives in our Town of Andrews, SC. He has worked in various industries, including the transportation industry, the textile industry, and even the dairy farming industry. However, it has been his volunteer work and experience in public service that has most impacted his life and career Bob's volunteer work in his community culminated with him serving as firefighter and EMT; becoming president of his union; serving as a station fire chief; becoming a fire academy instructor; and even serving as a college instructor at Bucks County Community College and The Penn State University.

Sulondia Hammond

Sulonda "Sue-Ham" Hammond's work has been featured on Bravo TV's Thicker Than Water, the Steve Harvey Show; The Steve Harvey Show; BET; Atlanta LIVE; IHeartRadio; the Marvin Winans Radio Show; and other national, regional, and local outlets. In addition, Sue-Ham has the distinction of being the first playwright to have two scripts accepted into the Readers Theatre for the 2016 Atlanta Black Theatre Festival. In 2017, she was named the next great talent by Hollywood director and writer, David E. Talbert and she won Best Casting Director for a production at the Urban Playwrights United (UPU) Fest. Her production, The Gift, was produced at the Meta Theatre in Los Angeles and is a finalist for the 2018 screenplay competition at the Twister Alley Film Festival in Oklahoma.