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).

Lehigh Valley Public Media
839 E. 1st St.
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, 18015
United States

Diane Lawson

Diane Lawson is a volunteer and currently holds the position of Executive Director, Lehigh Valley, and board member on the board of Neuro Diverse Living (NDL), a private, non-profit organization based in Doylestown, PA. NDL is a mission driven organization that is developing neuro-inclusive housing opportunities for adults with autism and other intellectual developmental disabilities (I/DD). One of these opportunities includes co-housing, which includes people who are not I/DD but want to be part of this caring community in the Lehigh Valley and other surrounding areas. Diane is a parent of two children, one of whom has autism. The COVID-19 pandemic provided Diane the downtime to focus on the same fear every parent of a child with autism or I/DD has – “what will happen to my child when I’m no longer here.” NDL will provide Diane's son and others the space to live their entire lives independently surrounded by community.

Jamie Dawson

Jamie is the Director of Education at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary - the world’s first refuge for birds of prey - where she oversees all local-to-global education programming, including expanding the sanctuary’s global reach through international education training. Jamie is also the co-founder and Board President of the Barn Nature Center Foundation, an educational animal sanctuary for rescued and re-homed exotic companion animals. Jamie is the former Chief Operating Officer for Youth Services Agency (YSA), and the former Director of the Barn Nature Center, and YSA Nature Center. In her past roles, Jamie, along with her family, has developed animal sanctuaries for rescued companion animals to provide experience-based educational, therapeutic, and recreational opportunities for at-risk youth and communities, as well as adventure and team-building programming in efforts to strengthen connections between youth and the natural world.

Lorraine Dickey

Lorraine A. Dickey, MD MBA FAAP, is an innovator and activist for a better experience of care within the healthcare system, both for patients and staff. She is a healthcare entrepreneur, and a board-certified Neonatologist, as well as a board-certified Pediatric Hospice & Palliative Medicine physician. Dr. Dickey is certified in Pediatric Bio-ethics and earned an MBA in Health Care Management. In 2001 Dr. Dickey was involved in a catastrophic ski accident, including a serious head injury, that forever changed the course of her life. She was told she would never be able to practice as a physician again. After nearly three years of physical recovery and rehabilitation, she returned to medicine as a neonatologist in 2004. She went on to become the Medical Director and Chief of Neonatology at a 45-bed Level IIIC NICU. It was during this time that Dr. Dickey personalized the philosophy of Patient- and Family-Centered Care and integrated its cornerstones in the policy and program development within the Division of Neonatology. This included developing and integrating a novel narrative program to help her staff address their challenges, and recognize their joys, in taking care of patients and their families...and the necessity of taking care of each other. In 2013, she made a mid-career transition and entered a Fellowship in Hospice & Palliative Medicine. Almost immediately she was diagnosed with cancer. After taking a year off for surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation treatments, she returned and finished the fellowship in 2015. These very personal experiences led Dr. Dickey to become passionate about improving the experience of feeling "cared for" during the healthcare encounter.