Theme: Fearless

Six vibrant women take the stage this fall in Scranton. Are you ready to hear their stories? Women are fearless. We are leaders – mothers, creators, activists, advisors, planners, therapists, and so much more. TEDxScrantonWomen takes place on Sunday, November 29, 2020 at 10AM at The Ritz Theater and Performing Arts Center. This event will hold to Pennsylvania guidelines for 20% maximum capacity for indoor seating. We are limited to 100 tickets in this space that holds over 1000 seats so audience members can socially distance their party from others. We will hold to statewide CDC guidelines. Masks are required for this event.

The Ritz Theater & Performing Arts Center
222 Wyoming Ave
Scranton, Pennsylvania, 18504
United States

Caroline Jones

Financial Advisor

Caroline Jones is a financial advisor, musician, and Miss Commonwealth. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from King’s College in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a double major in Management and Marketing and a minor in Leadership Studies. She is currently working full time as a Financial Advisor while taking graduate classes towards a Master of Science in Personal Financial Planning. In 2013, Caroline founded the Read to Succeed Project, a movement to promote childhood literacy and education. She is the author of three published children’s books, We Saved the Bees and Butterflies! (co-authored with Senator John Yudichak and former Congressman Lou Barletta), The Line Leader (co-authored with Dr. Matthew Sowcik), and One More Book, Please!, and she has read her books to hundreds of classrooms.

Elisabeth Costanzo Stewart

Enrollment Management Professional

A native of Northeast Pennsylvania, Elisabeth Costanzo Stewart moved to the Southern Tier of New York in 2015. After graduating from Scranton Preparatory School, she earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science from the University of Scranton and a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Creative Writing from Wilkes University. Elisabeth has spent the past decade working in Higher Education within the Admissions and Enrollment Management department at both private and public colleges and universities. She is passionate about encouraging women and men to change the trajectory of their lives via an accessible and affordable collegiate education. In 2017, she became the youngest Director of Admissions in the history of SUNY Broome Community College. In September of 2019, Elisabeth and her husband, Ben, welcomed their first child, a son named Andrew.

Joella Smith

Mental Health Case Manager

Joella Smith is a social worker and human rights activist from Allentown, Pennsylvania. Within the roles of a therapist, case manager, care aide, and admissions coordinator, Joella impacts a variety of different people, from veterans to those with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and more. Her outgoing personality and empathetic nature contribute to her dual role as a group therapist in the mental health field, a passion she loves. She has worked with several local Scranton agencies, such as the Advocacy Alliance, and continues to utilize Scranton as a new beginning for some of her discharging clients. She is also an advocate for LGBTQ+ and African American rights. Much of her volunteer work consists of youth mentorship and assisting community programs serving Allentown’s vulnerable populations. In addition to her life’s work, Joella owns Sarah’s Lighthouse, a site for transitional housing for the Philadelphia homeless.

Joy Zavada

Life Enthusiast

Joy Zavada often talks about her journey of becoming Joy. In 2016, the girl then-known as Lauren found herself in the midst of pressing circumstances – dropping out of college, fleeing an abusive relationship, and leaving a prestigious internship with The National Society of Leadership and Success. Her friends beckoned her on a southern adventure to San Antonio, Texas, where she witnessed thousands of white butterflies overhead. It was this day she felt the storm had passed and just like those butterflies, she had transformed into Joy. From that September day four years ago, she became the name she wears so well, claiming, “I wasn’t always Joy; I chose it, and then, became it."

Mary Kuna

Economic Developer

Mary Kuna is the Executive Director at Cumberland County Housing and Redevelopment Authorities. Originally from the Pittston area, Mary spent nearly a decade working in the field of economic development in the Greater Harrisburg and Philadelphia areas before returning to Northeast Pennsylvania. She received her Bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of Scranton and continued her studies at Harvard University during the summer of 2009 to focus on Urban and Regional Planning. Mary was one of the youngest professionals in the nation to receive her Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) status with the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) and founded her own consulting firm, Kuna Consulting, to further her efforts in cultivating community-based economic development.

Savannah Drummond

Social Activist

With a passion for civil rights and equality, Savannah Drummond is the founder and lead organizer of Creating Change FTP (For the People), an organization that believes an equitable future should be accessible by the everyday person, not controlled by the elite. The organization has several chapters throughout Northeast Pennsylvania and works towards restorative justice, anti-racism, and collective responsibility through community engagement, educational workshops, and political activism to systematically dismantle the rampant racism in our police, housing, government, prisons, and schools. Through this, Savannah has led and organized various protests, rallies, and discussions in NEPA such as the LGBTQ+ rally for all Black lives.