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).

John Werner
One Kendall Square, Suite B2102
Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139
United States

Amy Lyie

Amy Lyle is a humorist who grew up in Marietta, Ohio, which is in the heart of Appalachia and known for a population that is partial to moonshine and prone to acts of violence. She has penned two Amazon Humor & Entertainment best-sellers, The Book Of Failures and We’re All A Mess, It’s OK, and is the writer and co-host of the popular talk show, “In The Burbs.” Amy and her husband, Peter, are raising four children and three giant dogs together in the suburbs, just north of Atlanta. Website: https://www.amylyle.me/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/amylyle Book links: The Book Of Failures http://ow.ly/cTXW30mL8gZ We’re All A Mess, It’s OK http://ow.ly/8hZJ50xaUb1

Amy Lyle

Amy Lyle is a humorist who grew up in Marietta, Ohio, which is in the heart of Appalachia and known for a population that is partial to moonshine and prone to acts of violence. She has penned two Amazon Humor & Entertainment best-sellers, The Book Of Failures and We’re All A Mess, It’s OK, and is the writer and co-host of the popular talk show, “In The Burbs.” Amy and her husband, Peter, are raising four children and three giant dogs together in the suburbs, just north of Atlanta. Website: https://www.amylyle.me/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/amylyle Book links: The Book Of Failures http://ow.ly/cTXW30mL8gZ We’re All A Mess, It’s OK http://ow.ly/8hZJ50xaUb1

Ann Hobson

Upon her retirement from a 40 year career with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, legendary principal harpist Ann Hobson Pilot retired in 2009 with a tribute concert featuring a Harp Concerto written especially for her by world famous composer John Williams. She performed the concerto at Symphony Hall in Boston as well as Carnegie Hall in NYC and with many orchestras around the country. Ms. Pilot has also been the soloist with international orchestras in Argentina, New Zealand, South Africa and Canada. She has several CD’s available including one called “Escualo” featuring the music of Piazzolla with violinist Lucia Lin and JP Jofre on bandoneon. Her most recent CD is titled “A Dream” and is a compilation of beautiful and meditative music for harp which includes “Chiquilin de Bachin”. Audio Engineer: Gary Baldassari & Alexander Berne Editor: Shawn Convey Photographer: Alexander Berne BSO photo: Michael Lutch

Ashley Stanley

Ashley Stanley is a born and bred Bostonian. Since founding Lovin’ Spoonfuls in 2010, more than 17 million pounds of fresh, healthy food has been rescued and brought into the social service stream. She has created unparalleled awareness for food rescue, with dedication to addressing hunger relief, climate change and health equity. In 2011, the Boston Business Journal named her an ‘Emerging Leader.’ In 2012, Lovin’ Spoonfuls was a two-time winner of the Mass Challenge competition. In 2013, Ashley was selected as one of the BBJ’s ’40 under 40’ and served as a fellow at The Nantucket Project. In 2014, Ashley was recognized by The Boston Globe as a ‘Game Changer’ and in Boston Magazine's ‘Power of Ideas.’ She is an Oxfam International Sisters of the Planet Ambassador, a member of TEDWomen, and a TEDx community speaker. She’s been featured on NPR and written for The Huffington Post. Learn more about Ashley.

Cynthia Barnett

Dr. Cynthia Barnett is a nationally recognized author, speaker, and coach. Her “refirement message” has been featured in US News and World Report, local newspapers, and TV shows. She received the woman of Innovation and Leadership Award from the Connecticut Technology Council. She was featured in the CBS Martin Luther King Fulfilling the Dreams Series for her work in the community. She was also featured in The Wall Street Journal and in TIME magazine in its lead article about women in mid-life who have reinvented themselves. She is the recipient of the inaugural AARP Purpose Prize, which recognizes people over the age of fifty who have “used their wisdom and experience to revitalize their lives and make the world a better place.” She is a leading authority on how to “refire and reinvent, making dreams come true.” Cynthia is currently living a refired life, paying it forward through her nonprofit program for girls, Amazing Girls Science, to help them ignite a spark for STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math). She resides in Connecticut. For more information visit www.refiredontretire.com

Cynthia Young

Dr. Cynthia J. Young is the founder of CJ Young Consulting, LLC, a knowledge management consulting firm and a curriculum developer and instructor with Leidos, a defense contracting company. After 23 years of service, she retired from the Navy and became a defense contractor. Between practicing knowledge management in the military and as a contractor, Dr. Young continues to press that having a knowledge management mindset supports overall organization health. In this talk, she shares why a knowledge management mindset starts as a child and should be embraced in the organization.

Dave Stevens

David E. Stevens – Disaster engineer, storyteller David E. Stevens’ career required handling and sometimes creating disasters, he now works to prevent them.

David Lewis

David Lewis is an Assistant District Attorney in the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office in Boston, Massachusetts. He was hired by District Attorney Rachael Rollins in December, 2019 to be the first Chief of her newly-created Integrity Review Bureau. In the two years he has been Chief of the unit, the IRB has provided relief to ten people who were wrongfully convicted or convicted unjustly and who had been incarcerated for a combined total of 321 years. Not having to pay for these men to be incarcerated has already conservatively saved the Commonwealth in excess of $1,000,000. Prior to joining the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, David was an appellate attorney for over twenty years whose practice focused on civil and criminal appeals in state and federal court. During his career, he litigated over 150 appeals with published opinions in 26 cases. He has chaired and presented at multiple appellate CLE seminars and is the author of several surveys and articles on appellate advocacy.

David Neuman

David T. Neuman, MD is owner and clinical director of NY Sportscare, located in New York City, NY. He attended Cornell University and completed medical school at the State University of New York, Health Science Center at Brooklyn. David successfully completed a four-year orthopedic surgery residency and one-year Fellowship at Temple University, where he received specialty training in sports medicine and arthroscopic surgery. Dr. Neuman specialized in general arthroscopic surgery with a sports medicine philosophy. His practice philosophy includes utilizing physical therapy and home exercises to help an injured joint recover to a functional state. His primary goal as an orthopedic surgeon is to help people diminish pain and increase the function of a damaged joint. Dr. Neuman believes that health and fitness are an important part of everyday life. Dr. Neuman is Board Certified by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery and is an active member of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. He is an instructor and member of the Arthroscopy Association of North America. He is also a member of the American Medical Association, the Medical Society of the State of New York, and several other medical societies. He is an internationally published author and international speaker. Recently, Dr. Neuman founded and created a joint-health healthcare start-up called Pop-Doc.com. It is an online musculoskeletal health community, serving to educate people about joints, and offer web-based appropriate exercises and joint-health activities for those with joint pain, joint injury, or after joint surgery. In addition, the site is for those motivated people who want to practice preventive orthopedics or stay active in their preferred sport. As a final point, he is the Executive Director of the non-profit, Joint Education Outreach. The organization utilizes local professionals to give age-appropriate joint-health presentations and symposia to school-age children. To this end, Joint Education Outreach serves to raise joint health awareness: educate and empower children to have a better understanding of their bodies so they can be an asset to society and suffer with less joint pain.

David Stevens

David E. Stevens – Disaster engineer, storyteller David E. Stevens’ career required handling and sometimes creating disasters ... he now works to prevent them. MORE RESOURCES Book Impact: Fuzed Trilogy David E Stevens Cambridge Free Press (2020 Edition) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Q1BGS8K <https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Q1BGS8K/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8& btkr=1> Nonprofit Fuzed Foundation http://fuzed.org/ B612 Foundation https://b612foundation.org/ Why you should listen David E. Stevens test piloted new F-18 fighters, trained to drop nuclear weapons and served as the Strike Operations Officer for the Persian Gulf. That should make you consider your own mortality, not to mention the mortality of the human race, but that didn’t happen until he lost one of his best friends in a crash. Discovering that almost 60% of all tactical jet fatalities were pilots literally flying into the ground, he developed a new type of altitude warning system designed to scare pilots into acting, which received a government patent. After the Navy, he realized pilots aren’t the only ones who ignore things that will kill them. Humanity faces inevitable but preventable extinction-level events … but how do you create an “altitude warning system” for the human race? After postgraduate work in astrophysics, statistics and human factors, he enlisted a board of advisors that includes renowned astrophysicists, meteorologists, computer scientists, astronauts, CIA and special forces. An Eric Hoffer Award winner and USA Today bestselling author, Stevens proposes expanding the powerful TED model into reality-based fiction to educate, warn and … prevent our extinction.

David E. Stevenes

David E. Stevens – Disaster engineer, storyteller David’s career required handling and sometimes creating disasters, he now works to prevent them. David E. Stevens test piloted new F-18 fighters, trained to drop nuclear weapons and served as the Strike Operations Officer for the Persian Gulf. That should make you consider your own mortality, not to mention the mortality of the human race, but that didn’t happen until he lost one of his best friends in a crash. Discovering that almost 60% of all tactical jet fatalities were pilots literally flying into the ground, he developed a new type of altitude warning system designed to scare pilots into acting. It worked and received a government patent. After the Navy, he realized pilots aren’t the only ones who ignore things that will kill them. Humanity faces inevitable but preventable extinction-level events … but how do you create an “altitude warning system” for the human race? After postgraduate work in astrophysics, statistics and human factors, he enlisted a board of advisors that includes renowned astrophysicists, meteorologists, computer scientists, astronauts, CIA and special forces. An Eric Hoffer Award winner and USA Today bestselling author, Stevens proposes expanding the powerful TED model into reality-based fiction to educate, warn and … prevent our extinction. Connection Links: http://fuzed.org/, https://twitter.com/DavidEStevens1 Cambridge Free Press (2020 Edition) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Q1BGS8K B612 Foundation https://b612foundation.org/ Fuzed Foundation http://fuzed.org/

Emily Paulson

Emily is a writer, speaker, Certified Naked Mind Coach, She Recovers Designated Coach, and the founder of Sober Mom Squad. Sober since January 2, 2017, she has appeared on media outlets including The Doctors, Parade, The Washington Post, Today Parents, and USA Today, discussing how to end the shame and stigma of mental health and substance abuse. Emily is the author of Highlight Real: Finding Honesty & Recovery Beyond the Filtered Life, and a contributor in Addiction Diaries: Stories of Darkness, Hope, And All That Falls In Between. She resides in Seattle with her husband and their five children.

Evan Henshaw-Plath

Evan Henshaw-Plath is a technologist who explores the intersection of product, engineering, and the political systems in which they exist. His passion is in the space of new emerging start-ups and making the world a better place through civic technology projects. Evan has led product and engineering teams on companies ranging from his own self funded start-ups through every stage of venture capital and at large fortune 500 companies. From 2004-06 he was the first employee, lead developer and architect in building Odeo’s Ruby on Rails web application platform, a breakthrough in lowering the barriers of entry to programming. Odeo is best known as the company which created Twitter; as such, Evan is well-placed to tell the story of how – through learning from failures, pivoting to open innovation and experimentation – Twitter came to be. In 2007 Evan became the lead web developer and hacker at Yahoo Brickhouse where he was the architect of FireEagle – the first Ruby on Rails application to be launched at Yahoo! He funded Cubox in 2008, the premier Latin American agile Ruby on Rails consultancy that Neo Innovation – a creative agency that builds digital products for businesses – acquired in 2012. Evan joined Neo that year and became Chief Technology Officer (CTO), a position which he held until 2014. In the NGO space, Evan helped found and grow the Indymedia network, an independent and alternative group of media activists and organisations that offers grassroots, non-corporate, non-commercial coverage of important social and political issues. He co-founded his latest venture, Crafted Code, in 2014.

Frank van Mierlo

Frank van Mierlo, CEO 1366 Technologies Inc Armed with engineering degrees from MIT and Stanford, Frank van Mierlo has been working for the last 12 years to enable the energy transition away from fossil fuel. A large team of world-class professionals are helping him in his quest.

Harvey Deutschendorf

Harvey Deutschendorf is an emotional intelligence expert, speaker and internationally published author of The Other Kind of Smart, Simple Ways to Boost Your Emotional Intelligence for Greater Personal Effectiveness and Success. www.theotherkindofsmart.com He is a regular contributor to FAST COMPANY and writes a monthly column for HR PROFESSIONALS MAGAZINE. . Harvey is a certified trainer for CANFIELD SUCCESS PRINCIPLES. In 2015 he was recognized as one of the TOP THOUGHT LEADERS IN TRUST by TRUST ACROSS AMERICA. Harvey’s passion for emotional intelligence not only comes from studying the topic; he has personally used the skills he has learned to overcome difficult obstacles in his life.

Hwayoon Lee

A native of Seoul, Hwayoon Lee was born in 1996. Exceptionally among major Korean classical musicians, her first instruction came, at age three, in the traditional Korean Pansori genre, not in Western music. Lee took up the violin at six, but discovered the viola at nine and switched to that instrument. Lee's path to success was prepared by several important competition victories, beginning with a first prize in the International Johannes Brahms Competition in Pörtschach, Austria, in 2010. Several later victories included one at Moscow's International Yuri Bashmet Competition in 2013. Those victories led to festival appearances at Tenerife in the Canary Islands and at Chamber Music Connects the World, and to concerto performances with a growing list of ensembles including the Moscow Soloists, the Symphony Orchestra of New Russia, the Munich Symphony Orchestra, and the Baltic Philharmonic Orchestra. She took lessons with Sang Jin Kim at Seoul's Yonsei University, Kronberg Academy in Germany, studying with Nobuko Imai and continuing her study at the UdK (Universität der Künste Berlin) with Ulrich Knörzer. Beginning in 2011 Lee received support from the Anne-Sophie Mutter Foundation, and over the 2010s her involvement with the German violinist deepened. She toured with Mutter's Virtuosi beginning in 2012, and the following year she joined with Mutter on the viola part in Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante for violin, viola, and orchestra in E flat major, K. 364, with the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra under conductor Manfred Honeck. Lee's recording debut came in 2017 on Mutter's Deutsche Grammophon recording of Schubert's "Trout" Quintet, also featuring pianist Daniil Trifonov. Hwayoon Lee plays a viola built by Gasparo da Saló in 1590, which is generously lent to her by the Samsung Foundation of Culture of Korea and the Stradivari Society®. *BIO July, 2020 by James Manheim

James Conlon

James Conlon, one of today's most distinguished international conductors, introduces the listener to this troubling but fascinating story, shows how its effects are still with us today, and describes his personal journey that started with a chance discovery on the radio, through his efforts to bring a voluminous heritage of music to the public's consciousness. Produced and edited: Sophie Tabet Director of Photography: Luisa Conlon For more than 25 years, part of James Conlon's artistic mission has included a deep devotion to the re-discovery, understanding, and performance of music by composers suppressed by the Nazi regime. He established The OREL Foundation (orelfoundation.org), an invaluable resource for music lovers, students, musicians, and scholars engaging with this subject, and now associated with the Ziering-Conlon Initiative for Recovered Voices at the Colburn School in Los Angeles. His vast discography and notable performances of neglected operas at LA Opera, where he has been Music Director since 2006, have garnered widespread praise. For his efforts, he has received such honors as the Roger E. Joseph Prize at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, the Vienna-based Zemlinsky Foundation Prize, and the Crystal Globe Award from the Anti-Defamation League. Mr. Conlon has conducted virtually every major American and European symphony orchestra and in many of the world’s most important opera houses. He is one of classical music’s most recognized interpreters. In addition to serving as Music Director of the Los Angeles Opera (since 2006) he was recently appointed Artistic Advisor of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. He has been Principal Conductor of the RAI National Symphony Orchestra in Torino (2016–2020), Principal Conductor of the Paris Opera (1995–2004), General Music Director of the City of Cologne (1989–2002), Music Director of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra (1983-1991), Music Director of the Ravinia Festival, summer home of the Chicago Symphony (2005–2015), as well as the Cincinnati May Festival – for 37 years (1979–2016). As a guest conductor at the Metropolitan Opera, he has led some 270 performances since his 1976 debut. His frequent appearances, as a speaker on a variety of cultural and educational topics at universities, museums and other educational institutions throughout the country, are widely praised. Mr. Conlon’s extensive discography and videography can be found on the Bridge, Capriccio, Decca, EMI, Erato, and Sony Classical labels. His recordings of LA Opera productions have received four Grammys. Mr. Conlon holds four honorary doctorates and has received numerous other awards. He is a Commendatore Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana. In 2002, he received France’s highest honor, the Legion d’Honneur, personally inducted by then-President of the French Republic, Jacques Chirac. Learn more about James Conlon at jamesconlon.com. #NeverAgain #EntarteteMusik #DegenerateMusic #RecoveredVoices #LAopera #conductor #OrelFoundation #ColburnSchool #Nazis #propaganda #degenerate #music #composer #silenced #oppressed #Jewish #Korngold #Zemlinsky #Schulhoff

Janet Fouts

Janet Fouts is CEO of Tatu Digital and Nearly Mindful, a human potential facilitator, coach, speaker, and advocate for family caregivers. Her passion for mindfulness-based emotional intelligence training grew from her own experience as a caregiver and entrepreneur. She's authored 7 books including "When Life Hits the Fan- A Mindful Guide to Caring for Yourself While Caring for Others.

Jessica Landon

Landon is a Writer, Certified HeartMath Resilience Recovery Coach, Speaker and new Mom. As a comedic actress, Jessica has appeared on Comedy Central’s MADtv, Robot Chicken, Jamie Foxx Sketch Comedy Show, Nickelodeon’s Drake & Josh, and NBC’s Medical Investigations. A few years into her acting career she spiraled into a nonfunctioning alcoholic. Turning her life around in Jan 2014, she made it her mission to help others struggling with addiction. Her harrowing journey has since been published in news outlets across the globe: The Daily Mail, Fox News, Yahoo, The Sun, The Mirror, LAD Bible, Popculture, Blast, and Newsweek.

Joji Hattori

Joji Hattori (*1969) was born in Japan but grew up in Vienna (Austria). After winning the Yehudi Menuhin Violin Competition in 1989 he embarked on an international career as a violin soloist. After a decade of touring the world with his violin, Joji decided that he would want to become a conductor and managed to win one of the major prizes at the 2002 Lorin Maazel Conducting Competition in New York. In 2004 he was appointed Associate Conductor of the Vienna Chamber Orchestra and is now its Principal Guest Conductor. He is also the Music Director of the Summer Operetta Festival in Kittsee (Austria) and President of the Menuhin Violin Competition. As Guest Conductor, Joji has conducted many renowned orchestras including the Philharmonia Orchestra London, Düsseldorfer Symphoniker, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra and at the opera houses of Vienna and Tokyo. In 2007-8 he worked as Principal Resident Conductor of the Opera House in Erfurt (Germany) and from 2015 to 2019 he served as Principal Guest Conductor and Co-Artistic Director of the Balearic Symphony Orchestra in Spain. In addition to studying music in Austria, Germany, Holland and Russia, he spent two years at Oxford University (St Antony College) studying anthropology, researching the question of the national identity of the individual. In 2015 Joji added another project to his life by opening a Japanese restaurant in Vienna, which earned a Michelin star in 2018. He is married to a German doctor and has a son with her. Joji’s interests include haute cuisine, architecture, interior design, history and anthropology. #tags: #potty #gender #parity #musician #intermission #toilet #restrooms #idealist #architecture #design #regulation #conductor #Viennese #Japanese #violinist #genderequality #theater #concerthall #performancevenue

Julee Hafner

Julee Hafner, Ph.D. became curious about how everyone can successfully change and update their skills. She has been researching this idea of unlearning, brain updating, and continues to find it fascinating. With so much uncertainty in our world, fear of change is on the rise. Being able to competently navigate through the perilous journey of personal change, can be difficult. Obsolete beliefs and perceptions prove to be a great detractor to everyone that desires to survive in uncertain times. Dr. Julee is passionate about developing our ability to remove non-productive skills that keep us stuck in the same place. When individuals conquer change and update action and beliefs, progress is made and goals are achieved. Dr. Julee presents at conferences and workshops, sharing her messages of how to use the hidden superpower of unlearning to update ourselves. When we learn how to be adaptable, and responsive to current chaos, we expand beyond our limits, and create ease in change. She is the author of numerous conference and academic publications including Unlearning in Organizational Employees, What Nonprofits Need to Unlearn: Chapter 2 in The Refractive Thinker: Vol. XV: Nonprofits: Strategies for Effective Management, and 2 books on communication skills: The 7 Tactics to Communication Completions and The Workbook.

Keita Joy

Dr. Joy is the safe space for high achievers to maximize their greatest potential and unlock success now! Her main focus involves helping professionals, athletes, and creatives level up and get what they want in life, love, and business. She is the CEO of Success Uncensored Coaching as well as a transformational speaker, wife and mother, who channels her infectious energy and drive for life into inspiring others to be intentional about their personal and professional success! Her coaching programs create lasting change with a 100% success rate! She is known for her dynamic ENERGY with highly engaging diversity and inclusion, leadership, and team building workshops which all produce increased actionable change. She uses her diverse counseling skill-set and leadership skills as a speaker and panelist for several conferences, as well as an expert Success Coach on news segments for FOX News 35, WESH 2 News, and OWN. She shares success strategies through transparent and powerful talks and tools, giving you Success Uncensored. From the NFLPA to the Miami Police Department, her words and strategy create change! Dr. Joy is passionate about minorities and mental health awareness, as well as committed to closing the achievement gap for African American males and an advocate for the voiceless. Dr. Joy trains higher education faculty and companies on cultural competency and emotional intelligence. Dr. Joy is well known in the coaching and speaking realm with partnerships on the Oprah Winfrey Network. She works closely with thought leaders such as Iyanla Vanzant to equip world leaders, business owners, and hard-working men and women with the tools to overcome fear and walk in purpose. Dr. Joy is a three-time author with her hit releases “Fabulous & Faithful,” “100 Ways to Stay Married,” and with her latest release, Success Uncensored; A High Achiever’s Guide to Define Success on Your Own Terms.

Manis Friedman

World-renowned author, counselor, lecturer and philosopher, Rabbi Manis Friedman combines ancient Torah wisdom with modern wit to captivate audiences around the world. He hosts his own critically acclaimed cable television series, Torah Forum with Manis Friedman, syndicated throughout North America and is known as “Youtube’s Most Popular Rabbi”. Rabbi Friedman’s first book, Doesn’t Anyone Blush Anymore? published by Harper San Francisco in 1990, was widely praised by the media. Following the publication of the book, he was featured internationally in over 200 print articles, and interviewed on more than 50 television and radio talk shows. He has appeared on CNN, A&E Reviews, PBS, and BBC Worldwide, and has been the subject of articles in the New York Times, Rolling Stone, Seventeen, Guideposts, Insight, Publisher’s Weekly and others. Blush is currently in its fourth printing distributed exclusively through The Bookmen, Inc. His latest book, The Joy of Intimacy is empowering thousands of couples to replace their loneliness and unfulfilled expectations with a deeply soulful and satisfying relationship. In his private practice Rabbi Friedman has helped thousands of couples and individuals achieve fulfilling, balanced relationships, through in-person meetings or remote video consultations. Rabbi Friedman is a noted Biblical scholar, recognized for his sagacious grasp of Jewish mysticism. In 1971, he founded Bais Chana Institute of Jewish Studies in Minnesota, the world’s first yeshiva exclusively for women, where he continues to serve as dean. From 1984-1990 he served as simultaneous translator for the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s televised talks. Born in Prague, Czechoslovakia in 1946, Rabbi Friedman immigrated with his family to the United States in 1950. He received his rabbinic ordination from the Rabbinical College of Canada in 1969 and is a professionally ranked member of the National Speakers Association. His speaking tours take him to every part of this country as well as Israel, England, The Netherlands, South Africa, Australia, Brazil, Venezuela, Peru, Canada, and Hong Kong. With the launch of itsgoodtoknow.org, Rabbi Friedman is now using the latest technology to spread morality to a wider audience throughout the world through his books, videos and personal meetings. He has made it his mission to reach every one of the billion people on youtube in order to help them improve their relationships and deepen their connection with G-d.

Mfon Akpan

Mfon Akpan is a professor at the Savannah College of Art and Design, where he currently teaches business courses full-time. He has a passion for emerging technologies and is an expert in virtual reality technology. He continues to research new technologies and educational methods to offer students and clients a current, effective and relative teaching experience.

Molly Tschang

In February, 2019 Molly created a 90-second video in which the most junior member of a team needed to speak up in a room full of management. She posted it on LinkedIn, thinking maybe ten people would watch. When 38,000 did, she realized that her hunch was real – professionals wanted ways to speak their minds and come across positively and productively. Inspired to emulate the pay-it-forward generosity of her friend and mentor, Marshall Goldsmith (#1 executive coach in the world and top business thinker), Molly’s Say It Skillfully® initiative was born as a passion project. Adding a new video weekly, the series had half a million views in 20 weeks, and then VoiceAmerica—a pioneer and leader of original live and on-demand talk radio programming worldwide—approached Molly for her own radio show. Having come up the ranks with the benefit of “listening in” to how her bosses handled tough conversations, Molly was keen to provide this opportunity to her listeners, now in 98 countries around the globe. More at https://sayitskillfully.com. In her “day job” Molly helps senior management to Win As One…which companies often never even try to do. She guides them to commit to each other’s success and build powerful chemistry to lead together. Molly is Founder and CEO of Abella Consulting, a New York-based leadership development and business advisory consultancy and a member of Marshall Goldsmith’s 100 Coaches initiative. She has held executive leadership positions at Cisco Systems and U.S. Filter, where she led the integration of over 80 acquisitions globally and gained deep expertise in helping executives navigate rapid change and uncertainty in high growth environments. She serves on the boards of several privately-held companies and the Cornell Engineering College Council and is a CornellTech guest lecturer on teams and leadership. An advocate of social enterprise, Molly also served as the Executive Director for NetHope and provides pro bono strategic advisory services to Community Solutions (homelessness) and Three Dot Dash® (youth mentoring). More at https://www.abella.consulting.

Naomi McDougall Jones

Naomi McDougall Jones is a storyteller and changemaker. She has written, acted in, and produced two award-winning feature films. The first, Imagine I’m Beautiful (2014), collected 12 awards on the film festival circuit before receiving a theatrical and digital distribution deal and is now available on AmazonPrime. Her second feature, Bite Me (2019), was released via a paradigm-shifting 3 month, 51 screening, 40 city Joyful Vampire Tour of America that took the country by storm, and is now available on iTunes, GooglePlay, and Amazon. She is currently at work on her third feature film, Hammond Castle, for which she received the honor of being the first artist in residence at the final home of Ernest Hemingway in Sun Valley, Idaho. Naomi is an advocate and thought leader for bringing gender parity to cinema. Her writing on this has appeared in The Atlantic, Ms. Magazine, and Salon.com and she gave a virally sensational TEDTalk, What it’s Like to Be a Woman in Hollywood, which has now been viewed over 1 million times and can be seen on TED.com. Naomi’s first book, The Wrong Kind of Women: Inside Our Revolution to Dismantle the Gods of Hollywood, published by Beacon Press, has received an electric response with Booklist and Kirkus Reviews naming it "bold," "convincing," "well-written," "urgent," and "necessary," and The Christian Science Monitor calling it, “...an outpouring of passion that will change the ways in which movies are seen.” It is now available in hardcover, e-book, and audiobook wherever books are sold. More at www.naomimcdougalljones.com.

Odysseus Argy

Dr. Argy is a surgeon and President of Odyssey Health Communications, Inc. His career has merged clinical practice with an expertise in health communication and enhancing interpersonal communication, connection and collaboration through education, coaching, writing and public speaking.

Otkrist Gupta

Otkrist Gupta is currently Vice President of Data Science at Lendbuzz, focussing on deep learning with applications in finance and computer vision. He completed his Ph.D. at MIT Media Lab from camera culture group. His research is focused on inventing new algorithms for deep learning for health screening and diagnosis, hidden geometry detection, exploiting techniques from optimization, linear algebra and compressive sensing. He also works on designing algorithms for futuristic 3D projective displays. Before joining MIT Media Lab Otkrist worked in Google Now team where he built voice actions such as take a picture and what's on my Chromecast and worked on voice response quality from Google Now. He also worked at LinkedIn where he developed services such as Smart ToDo, Ultra fast auto-complete, Notifications and CheckIn platform. He completed his bachelors from Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD) in Computer Science with emphasis on algorithms and linear algebra. After graduating from IITD, he worked for one year in field of High Frequency Trading at Tower Research Capital.

Pennie Saum

Pennie Saum is an author, speaker, advocate, law changer, and voice seeker who has dedicated her life to help victims use their voice to move through trauma and grief. She has a passion for helping child sexual abuse victims become thrivers. Pennie is the founder of the Brave and Unbroken Project committed to helping victims in healing, education, advocacy and resilience. Pennie fights for adult survivors and children of sexual abuse from military soldiers and was instrumental in the passing of the Child Abuse Accountability Enhancement Act, eliminating the protection of military retirees pension, when child sexual abuse has been prosecuted and a judgement has been awarded. The CAAEA was signed into law 12/2017.

Phil Rossoni

Phil Rossoni is a commercial pilot and paper airplane enthusiast. He holds a BA in physics from Oberlin College and an MA in physics from Northeastern University. Phil has 150 hours in gliders and 50 hours in paragliders. Phil is an avid sailor and windsurfer, teaching both at Community Boating in Boston, MA. Phil was introduced to walkalong gliding (the subject of this video) while volunteering at the Museum of Science, Boston. Phil is the author of Build and Pilot Your Own Walkalog Gliders, McGraw-Hill publisher, a book which came out in 2012.

Pravir Malik

Pravir is currently developing a unified theory and mathematics of organization with applications in a range of complex adaptive systems (CAS). He has written 16 books related to this, and in the last few years has been focused on developing a Cosmology of Light to elaborate the mathematics of Light. Pravir is the Head of Organizational Sciences at Zappos.com, and in this capacity is leading the creation and incubation of organizational development technologies, in support of establishing a resilient organization that will withstand the test of time. He has been an advisor to the CEO, COO, and CHRO at Zappos, and is the Founder of Zappos Organizational Sciences Consulting. He also serves as an advisor to several global organizations. In the past, he has served as a Founding Member of A.T. Kearney India, a top-tier global consulting company, and served as the Managing Director Advisory Services for BSR, a leading global CSR consulting company. Prior to his current position, he led Pricing Operations at Zappos.com. He has a Ph.D. in Technology Management with a focus on Mathematics of Innovation in Complex Adaptive Systems from the University of Pretoria, an MBA from J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management with a focus on Marketing and Organizational Behavior, an MS in Computer Science from the University of Florida with a focus on AI, and a BSE in Computer Engineering from Case Western Reserve University. Pravir is a global citizen who has lived, worked, and been educated in many parts of the world."

S Rose

singer

Sarah Springer

Sarah Springer is an Emmy-nominated producer, documentary filmmaker and creative working in unscripted and scripted development for production companies and labs. She started her career at CNN where she reported and wrote stories about race and identity for Soledad O’Brien’s In America series, then later worked as a producer for ABC's Good Morning America, CBS News/60 Minutes and VICE Media. She began working in immersive storytelling at RYOT Media where she oversaw creative direction and production for immersive, branded and linear series. Sarah was voted one of the top 28 most powerful Black people in media by Blavity and is Co-Creator of STILL HERE, an immersive experience created in partnership with Al Jazeera Contrast that focuses on black women and their triumph over generational trauma, mass incarceration, gentrification and abuse. She is an advocate for intersectional parity, inclusion and accurate representation in media and teaches about such topics at the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. She hopes to continue to spread awareness and promote equity in media as co-founder of Advocates for Inclusion in Media, an organization that works to create safe environments and a sense of community for underrepresented people in the industry.

Secily Wilson

S is for S Speaker. S is for Surthiver®. S is for Secily....a Two - Time Stroke Survivor, Bestselling Author, Award Winning Broadcaster, Motivational Speaker and Philanthropist. She’s had it all, lost it all and bounced back stronger! There’s little veteran broadcast journalist, Secily Wilson hasn’t survived. Two strokes didn’t stop her. Divorce didn’t derail her. She lost her job, and found her passion. She is a woman who overcomes through sheer willpower and continues to thrive! Secily leads powerfully using her voice to inspire and influence the world! Secily is the founder of WOW Legacy Group, a growing Central Florida non profit with a mission to Empower, Educate, Inspire and Transform the lives of women facing life adversity. Her philanthropic work is done through the organization's Fall into Fabulous empowerment program. She's also a media communications professional and Mrs. Florida International 1999. Secily is an active member of the Lake Buena Vista Rotary Club, the National Association of Black Journalists, and American Heart Association Circle of Red. Secily volunteers with a variety of organizations throughout the region, including advocating for domestic violence and stroke awareness.

Shea Rose

Since graduating from Berklee College of Music in 2011, emerging artist Shea Rose has been celebrated for her contributions to music, fashion and philanthropy. Hand-picked by legendary musician and actress Queen Latifah for a CoverGirl music campaign and BET Awards appearance, Rose was coined “America’s next generation of female talent” and has been described by former Boston Globe music critic Steve Morse as “that rare artist who can bridge diverse styles such as soul, funk, rock, rap and jazz -- and bring her unique stamp to each.” Rose’s first release, the “Rock ‘n’ Rose” EP (2010), was an introduction to her genre-blending style, followed a year later by the "Little Warrior” Mixtape (2011). Both releases showcase her range and versatility with songs that highlight her influences, from Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, and Bob Marley to Jeff Buckley, Lauryn Hill, Amel Larrieux, and Eva Cassidy. Jed Gottlieb of the Boston Herald describes her repertoire as “sweet folk ballads, thunderous hard rock, and deep funk. She also raps with a wicked flow that belies her newcomer status.” “Little Warrior” is not only the title of her album, but a moniker that Shea Rose embodies physically and artistically. Rose expresses the “Little Warrior” on stage through her music and fashion sense, and in her daily life with her music for social change initiatives and outreach. A "Little Warrior" is a woman who is empowered, independent, resilient, and kind. She stands up for others and boldly goes after her vision. She’s a survivor! Proud of who she is and what she represents, her stride is confident and graceful. Everyone has a different battle to fight, from musicians to politicians to mothers and everywhere in between. Rose believes we all have the power to face our battles with faith, strength and courage, embracing our inner warrior. Rose was named the 2012 Pop/R&B Artist of the Year and the 2011R&B/Soul/Urban/Contemporary Artist of the Year at the Boston Music Awards, and was also labeled the “artist most likely to make an impact on the national stage” by the Boston Globe. In addition to her independent releases, Rose is a featured songwriter and performer on two Grammy award-winning jazz albums, “The Mosaic Project” (2011) and “Money Jungle: Provocative in Blue” (2012), both produced by legendary drummer Terri Lyne Carrington and featuring an all-star cast of musicians including Esperanza Spalding, Patrice Rushen, and the incomparable Herbie Hancock. Rose received a SESAC National Performance Activity Award for her collaboration on “The Mosaic Project” and was honored by the Songwriters Hall of Fame with a scholarship award for “excellence in songwriting.” Rose has shared the stage with Gladys Knight, Macy Gray, Alice Smith, Nneka and Talib Kweli, and she has performed internationally in Bucharest, Romania, Athens, Greece, Naples, Italy, St. Michaels, Barbados, Santiago/Havana, Cuba and Kingston, Jamaica. In addition to her music accolades, Rose was named one of the “Most Stylish Bostonians,” gracing the cover of Boston Globe magazine’s annual style issue, and has also appeared on the covers of Improper Bostonian, Exhale and Performer magazines. She’s been featured in brand campaigns for CoverGirl, Tory Burch, Puma, Plndr and Converse, and she made her international television debut hosting the “Boston Contemporary” episode of CNN’s travel and lifestyle show, “CNNGo.” Off stage, Rose is dedicated to working with local and national communities through her music for social change initiative, “My Angel Wears A Fro.” She’s an “Artist for the Amazon,” representing the Amazon Aid Foundation, and recently co-wrote their call-to-action song, “Anthem for the Amazon,” to raise awareness about the environmental issues in the rainforest. She’s an artist representative for Music2Life, a non-profit foundation started by Noel Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul and Mary, and she is a partner with the Safer is S.E.X.Y. campaign, spreading HIV awareness amongst teenage girls in underserved communities. Rose recently turned down an opportunity with a major record label, choosing to take an independent path to define herself as an artist and share her music and message of empowerment and “fearless, strong women” organically. This is a topic close to her heart, expressed in her 2014 TEDxTalk entitled, “Somebody Stole My Voice Again." With the support of an independent management team, Rose is preparing to release her new, Kickstarter-funded EP, “D.T.M.A.” (Dance This Mess Around).. “D.T.M.A.” will be a redefining moment for Rose, showing who she really is and just how much she can do as an artist in control of herself. With renewed strength in her message and bonds with community partners that are stronger than ever, Shea Rose is poised to break into the national music scene with force in 2016.

Willy Shih

Willy Shih is the Robert and Jane Cizik Professor of Management Practice in Business Administration. He is part of the Technology and Operations Management Unit, and he teaches in the MBA and Executive Education Programs. His expertise is in manufacturing and product development, and he has written or co-authored numerous cases and teaching materials in industries ranging from semiconductors, information technology, consumer electronics, aerospace, transportation equipment, manufacturing processes and tools, and intellectual property. His paper, “Restoring American Competitiveness,” co-authored with Gary Pisano, won the 2009 McKinsey Award. His book, “Producing Prosperity – Why America Needs a Manufacturing Renaissance,” co-authored with Gary Pisano, has called attention to the link between manufacturing and innovation. He is also the author of “Back Bay Battery,” a best-selling innovation simulation. Prior to coming to HBS in 2007, Willy spent 28 years in industry at IBM, Digital Equipment, Silicon Graphics, Eastman Kodak, and Thomson SA. He worked in product development and manufacturing in a wide range of areas including computer systems, scientific instruments, semiconductors, digital cameras, optical discs and software systems. Reporting to him have been major manufacturing operations in the United States, China, Ireland, Japan, and Mexico, as well as global sales and marketing operations. He has led the building of billion dollar revenue businesses. Willy is on the Board of Directors of FLEX Inc., a large provider of design, manufacturing and supply chain services. He is also on the Board of Directors of VEO Robotics, a firm that brings advanced computer vision, 3D sensing, and AI to industrial robots, enabling them to work collaboratively. He has two S.B. degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley. He is a Life Member of the IEEE.