Theme: Innovation and Inspiration

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).

TEDx Fairfield University
1073 North Benson Road
Fairfield, Connecticut, 06824
United States

Aidan Kehoe

Founder and CEO, Skout Cybersecurity

Aidan Kehoe is co-founder, CEO, and board member of Skout Cybersecurity. He has been actively involved in all aspects of the firm’s development and expansion since its founding in 2012. At Skout, Kehoe has built a team that delivers the highest level of cybersecurity technology and service, making cybersecurity accessible to all companies. Prior to Skout, Kehoe founded a number of other enterprises, including the risk management company Oxford Global in 2013. Over the past ten years Mr. Kehoe has served as a board member to both public and private equity backed companies throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. He has extensive experience in leading and building teams, he also has spent many years working in an investment capacity for an institutionally sized private family office. Previously, Kehoe was the chairman of the U.S. Leaders Council of Cordaid, and he currently serves on the board of Autism Speaks.

Cindi Bigelow

President and CEO, Bigelow Tea

Cindi Bigelow is the third-generation president and CEO of family-owned Bigelow Tea. The U.S. market leader of specialty teas, Bigelow produces more than 2 billion tea bags annually Bigelow holds a BS degree from Boston College, an MBA from Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management, and honorary doctorates from Fairfield University, Johnson & Wales University, and the University of New Haven. Socially aware and community-minded, she makes frequent speaking appearances in front of students and industry leaders to share insights on business ethics and career development. Bigelow has received numerous awards for her years of community service, and her favorite pastimes include skiing, tennis, yoga, being with her children and friends, and of course, drinking lots and lots of tea.

David Banks

President and CEO, The Eagle Academy Foundation

Banks’ visionary approach to the education of young men of color emphasizes a partnership between schools and communities based on the guiding principles of academic excellence, leadership, and character development. His model has been adopted in schools throughout all five New York City boroughs and Newark, with replication of the model set to expand nationally. Banks’ successful approach has been covered in numerous news outlets including CBS This Morning. In 2014, David Banks was chosen as one of seven Black Male Achievement Social Innovators nationwide by the Leadership and Sustainability Institute for demonstrating tangible results in improving the life outcomes of African American boys and men. David was a member of the Board of Directors for the International Boys’ Schools Coalition. In May 2014, Banks was awarded an honorary doctorate degree from Wheelock College.

Dawne Ware

CEO Ware Consulting

Dawne Ware is a finance and operations executive with more than 20 years of experience forming, building, and leading companies in the property casualty insurance and reinsurance industry. She founded Ware Consulting LLC in 2017 to provide strategic financial and operational consulting services to companies in the insurance industry. In 2007, Dawne co-founded SPARTA Insurance, an insurance company focused on the unbundled program market. As CFO, she was responsible for all financial aspects of the company. After selling the company to Catalina Holdings (Bermuda) Ltd., Ware became CEO and president of SPARTA Insurance Company, as well as president of Catalina U.S. Insurance Services LLC, where she integrated the majority of Catalina’s U.S. companies into a single operating platform. Ware worked from 1994 until 2006 at Discover Re, a venture capital-funded company that served the Alternative Risk Transfer (ART) market, where she ultimately became CFO. Dawne started her career at PwC.

Donna Coletti, MD, MS, FACOG

Palliative care scholar-in-residence in the Kanarek Center for Palliative Care at Fairfield University’s Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing & Health Studies

Dr. Coletti is the palliative care scholar-in-residence in the Kanarek Center for Palliative Care at Fairfield University’s Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing & Health Studies, and a palliative care consultant at Greenwich Hospital in the Yale New Haven Health System. She was the founding medical director for Palliative Care Services at Greenwich Hospital and a previous medical director for the Greenwich Hospital Home Hospice where she was responsible for creating and overseeing the inpatient and outpatient models for palliative and hospice services as well as the palliative educational curriculum for the medical residents and staff. Dr. Coletti holds a master’s degree in nutrition from Rutgers University and a medical degree from Weill-Cornell Medical College. She completed her internship and residency at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, N.Y. and is Board Certified in both obstetrics and gynecology, and hospice and palliative medicine.

Lilliana Delmonico

Bioengineering Major, Fairfield University

Lilliana Delmonico is a senior bioengineering major at Fairfield University with minors in philosophy and mathematics. She grew up in Bridgeport, Conn. and graduated from the Academy of Our Lady of Mercy, Lauralton Hall in Milford. She is actively involved in many college engineering societies such as Engineers Without Borders and the Society of Women Engineers, where she serves as a SWE Future Leader for FY20. In addition, Delmonico co-founded the Biomedical Engineering Society at Fairfield University, providing students with the opportunity to develop their engineering design skills and learn about the opportunities available to them as bioengineers. She is also the captain of the university's sailing team where she competitively races FJs within New England. Delmonico has been involved in a number of diverse research projects regarding efficient solar panel designs and plant root anchorage systems applications. .

Mark Unger

Owner / Director of Unger Global Companies, Author of First Survivor

Mark Unger is a director and owner of Unger Global Companies, and author of First Survivor. He was born and raised in Solingen, Germany, where his parents owned a window cleaning tool manufacturing business. In 1978 the family moved to the U.S., and after attending Babson College he joined the family business. Unger and his wife Mary Ellen have two sons; Harry was born in 1996 and Louis in 1998. Unger wrote his book First Survivor to honor the extended family, friends, and dedicated doctors who gave him and his family the strength to confront – and reject – the diagnosis of “zero chance of survival” when Louis was diagnosed with childhood cancer. All proceeds from First Survivor go to the Carrot Seed Foundation, which was established by Mark and Mary Ellen to help fund pediatric cancer research, clinical trials, pediatric oncology nursing scholarships and other causes that help families overcome the hardship of battling neuroblastoma.

Stephen Badylak DVM, PhD, MD

Regenerative Medicine, Biological Engineering

Dr. Stephen Badylak is a professor in the Department of Surgery and deputy director of the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Badylak has practiced both veterinary and human medicine, and holds more than 65 U.S. patents and 300 patents worldwide. He has authored more than 380 scientific publications and 55 book chapters. He has served as chair of several study sections at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and is currently a member of the College of Scientific Reviewers for NIH. Dr. Badylak has either chaired or been a member of the Scientific Advisory Board to several major medical device companies, and presently serves as chief scientific officer for ECM-Therapeutics in addition to his professorial role at the University. More than ten million patients have been treated with bioscaffolds developed in Dr. Badylak’s laboratory.

T. Sloane Guy, MD, MBA

professor of surgery and director of Minimally Invasive & Robotic Cardiac Surgery at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital

Dr. Guy attended Wake Forest University on an Army ROTC scholarship. He earned both an MBA in healthcare administration from the Wharton School of Business and his MD from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. During active duty in the U.S. Army, Dr. Guy served three tours as a trauma surgeon in Afghanistan and Northern Iraq. From his tours, the Army recognized Dr. Guy with many awards including the Combat Medical Badge, Combat Action Badge, and the Bronze Star. Dr. Guy is a real-life “Hawkeye Pierce” and learned the lessons that wartime surgical experiences give a young surgeon very quickly. Dr. Guy completed his military service in 2010 as a decorated Lieutenant Colonel. He was named a New York “Top Doctor” in 2016, a Philadelphia “Top Doc” 2012-2015, a U.S. News & World Report “Top Doctor” in 2012, ‘13, and ‘14 and, Castle Connolly Top Doctors from 2012 to 2019.