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).

Massey Performing Arts Center
1922 Belmont Blvd
Nashville, Tennessee, 37212
United States

Alora Young

Alora Young is a junior at Hillsboro High School in Nashville, Tennessee. Alora is the founder of AboveGround, an organization that strives to increase the accessibility of advanced academics to students of color through creative writing. Alora noticed a glaring discrepancy in the number of students of color who attended Hillsboro in relation to the number of students in advanced placement courses, and that this problem began as early as elementary school with an advanced placement course called "Encore." AboveGround introduced children of color at Eakin Elementary School, who did not participate in the Encore course, to creative writing in order to develop a love of art and encourage higher-level thinking and a drive towards advanced academics. Each week the students would participate in a writing prompt, read a book featuring a main character of color, and hear about an "artist spotlight" introducing a successful artist of color. Furthermore, she led a creative writing workshop for high school underclassmen with a similar function. Alora has personally worked with over 20 students in her AboveGround program and released a literary magazine featuring a compilation of their works that reached many more. She has seen children with no passion for writing become amazed by poetry, and has seen these children grow and prosper as students in this program. She strives to expand the program's effects to every elementary school in Metro Nashville Public Schools. Outside of school, Alora serves as Nashville's youth poet laureate, spreading activism through creative writing in Davidson County.

Blake Simpson

Blake Simpson has over 20 years of experience building compelling storytelling for some of the world’s most iconic brands across technology, QSR and retail. From her early days at 30 Rock with NBC News, to her current home at Under Armor, Blake appreciates the power of transparency and responsible storytelling and has always focused on creating consistent and compelling narratives for leaders, employees, consumers, and communities worldwide.

David Plazas

David Plazas is the Opinion and Engagement Director for the USA TODAY Network Tennessee and The Tennessean. He has worked as a journalist for two decades and most of his career has focused on opinion journalism, community conversations, and building solutions to local and state challenges. He leads The Tennessean's Civility Tennessee campaign, which started in 2018 to model, promote, and encourage better civil discourse. In 2020, he started the Tennessee Voices podcast, a show focused on conversations with diverse leaders, thinkers and innovators on what they are doing and how they are managing during the COVID-19 pandemic. He holds a B.A. in political science and Spanish, and a master's in journalism, both from Northwestern University, and earned an M.B.A. at Florida Gulf Coast University. He and his family live in Nashville, Tennessee.

Dr Annabelle

Annabelle Morgan, PhD, also known as Dr. Annabelle is an international scientific consultant. Dr. Annabelle is a cell and developmental biologist PhD from Vanderbilt University where she studied genetic mutations that mimic chemotherapies and their eventual effect on heart disease. After the tragedy of her son, she began to focus on integrating various forms of medicine together while still ensuring protocol, quality, and safety. Dr. Annabelle is a strong advocate for precision based medicine and hopes to educate the new wave of doctors and scientists on thinking more outside of the box.

Dr. Annabelle

Annabelle Morgan, PhD, also known as Dr. Annabelle is an international scientific consultant. Dr. Annabelle is a cell and developmental biologist PhD from Vanderbilt University where she studied genetic mutations that mimic chemotherapies and their eventual effect on heart disease. After the tragedy of her son, she began to focus on integrating various forms of medicine together while still ensuring protocol, quality, and safety. Dr. Annabelle is a strong advocate for precision based medicine and hopes to educate the new wave of doctors and scientists on thinking more outside of the box.

Dr. Lisa Watson-Morgan

With more than 30 years of contributions in the civilian space program, Dr. Lisa Morgan-Watson has proven her leadership expertise and subject matter strengths throughout her career at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville integrating complex, large space systems. A Huntsville, AL native, she was chosen as program manager of the Human Landing System program in July 2019 overseeing the planning and execution of integrated lunar landing systems that will transport the first woman and next man to the Moon in the next five years. With help from U.S. industry, Watson-Morgan’s team will support NASA’s Artemis Program, which will enable long-term visits to the Moon and facilitate the next steps to reaching Mars.

Dr. Russell Fielding

Russell Fielding is an environmental geographer focused on understanding how people make healthy and sustainable use of natural resources in contexts characterized by societal and environmental change. Born and raised on the Gulf Coast of Florida, Fielding conducts research mostly in the coastal and island settings of the Caribbean. He is the author of The Wake of the Whale: Hunter Societies in the Caribbean and North Atlantic, published in 2018 by Harvard University Press, and teaches in the HTC Honors College at Coastal Carolina University.

Drake White

Drake White is known best as a hit songwriter and “voracious live performer” (Rolling Stone), often taking the stage barefoot, climbing rafters of sold-out arenas, and rallying crowds to a frenzy with his signature, contagious energy — living somewhere between an on-fire tent-revival preacher and the godfather of soul, James Brown. Drake has performed all over the world, headlining his own sold-out tours and performing alongside artists like Eric Church, Willie Nelson and Zac Brown Band.

Harry Miree

Nashville’s Harry Miree is redefining what it means to make a living as a drummer. Named a pioneer for the world’s new generation of drummers by Modern Drummer Magazine, Miree has forged a voice in the music universe through his hilarious and insightful videos detailing his rise through the ranks as a professional drummer. During Music City’s long touring seasons, Miree has served as the road drummer for a laundry list of platinum-selling country artists including LOCASH, HARDY, ABC’s “Nashville”, Ryan Follese of the band Hot Chelle Rae, and more. Some people think he is good at drums.

Melanie Gao

On the surface Melanie Gao is put-together and composed. She speaks five languages and spent 15 years working in Germany, France, Japan and China. After running a successful consulting practice in Silicon Valley, today Melanie is a healthcare executive in Nashville, the nation's healthcare capital. Her success as a mentor and coach stems from her warm, vulnerable and calm style. Melanie is a two-time winner of NPR's Moth story-telling competition. As a single mother, she has raised two happy and healthy teenagers.

Noah Robinson

Noah Robinson is an entrepreneur, researcher and clinician building a new type of mental health intervention. He is leading a team to build Help Club, a virtual reality clinical research platform that delivers cognitive behavioral intervention through immersive, internet-connected environments. Prior to starting his PhD at Vanderbilt University in Clinical Psychology, Noah worked as a research fellow at the National Institutes of Health where he was exposed to the power of virtual reality. Noah has received funding from the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health to build and commercialize his virtual reality intervention. Noah has received several honors and awards, including the National Institute on Drug Abuse Young Investigator Award, winning the New Research Poster Award two years in a row from the Technology and Behavior Change Special Interest group at the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, and chairing the behavioral health track for a national Virtual Reality healthcare conference. He’s also shared his research in over 30 research presentations internationally. You can learn more about Noah at www.veryrealhelp.com

Tom Douglas

After enjoying a 13-year career in real estate, Tom Douglas emerged in the country music world as a songwriter at the age of 41, following the success of his first number one, “Little Rock”, recorded by Collin Raye, earning him a nomination for CMA Song of the Year. Douglas has written numerous number one hits, including: “I Run to You” (Lady Antebellum), “Southern Voice” (Tim McGraw), and “The House That Built Me” (Miranda Lambert). Now a Grammy, Oscar, and Golden Globe nominated member of the Nashville Songwriter Hall of Fame, Tom joins us to share how rehearsing your history can help see through the lies you tell yourself and remember who you really are.