Theme: Origins and Evolution

All ideas have a starting point but what happens when we allow ourselves to be satisfied with the notion that ideas have an endpoint as well? Can ideas evolve and reimagine their original purpose? Our 3rd annual TEDxFarmingdale event will showcase ideas that have evolved from their previous iterations and aspire to innovate while honoring their origin foundations.

Charlotte's Speakeasy
294 Main Street
Farmingdale, New York, 11735
United States

Aleem Arif

Fashion Designer

Aleem Arif graduated at the top of his class with a Masters in International Business from Boston University. He worked in finance for 3 years in Boston before moving to Canada and setting up Bano eeMee, a sustainable and ethically made luxury leather brand. Aleem won the Best Emerging Fashion Designer from North America in 2015 and presented his designs at Galleries Lafayette, Paris. Building on his fashion manufacturing experience, Aleem currently works with various high-end brands as a fashion manufacturing consultant and helps connect North American markets to high quality suppliers and manufacturers in South Asia.

Carol Silva

Journalist

Carol Silva is a veteran Emmy Award-winning news anchor, most known for her 33 years at the anchor desk of News 12 Long Island. Carol also reported from the road including Ground Zero, Albany, Washington DC, New Orleans, and Texas. She covered the New York State Legislature, Congressional hearings, and Presidential elections, bringing home the impact of state and national events. Carol’s three Emmys are among her 50-plus journalism awards. In 2019 she was inducted into the prestigious Silver Circle of the New York Chapter of the National Academy of Television, Arts & Sciences, and the Long Island Journalism Hall of Fame. A graduate of New York Institute of Technology, she was their 2018 commencement speaker and awarded NYIT’s Honorary Doctorate.

John Lee Cronin

Chief Happiness Officer

John Cronin is an entrepreneur who happens to have Down syndrome. John is the co-founder and Chief Happiness Officer of John’s Crazy Socks which has a mission to spread happiness and show what people with differing abilities can achieve. As a business leader, John has created a business where more than half the employees have a differing ability. John’s Crazy Socks has shipped over 360,000 orders to more than 85 different countries and earned over 27,000 5-star online reviews. John was the first person with Down syndrome to be named an EY Entrepreneur of the Year. John is a fierce advocate for people of differing abilities and has testified twice before the U.S. Congress and spoken at the United Nations. Speaking engagements that John performs with his father and co-founder Mark have taken them across Canada, the U.S. and Mexico and they are part of the U.S. State Department’s Speakers Bureau.

Kristen Donnelly, PhD

Empathy Educator

Kristen Donnelly (MSW, M.Div, PhD) is a keynote speaker, international empathy educator, and researcher with two decades of experience in helping people understand the beauty in difference, and the power in inclusivity. She is one of The Good Doctors of Abbey Research, COO of their parent company, and an unapologetic nerd for stories of change. Kristen lives outside of Philadelphia with her husband, where they are surrounded by piles of books and several video game consoles.

Lisa Mateo

Journalist

A NY Emmy Award nominated reporter, anchor & TV host with 20 years broadcast experience. Lisa began her career in TV as a production assistant for the PIX11 Morning News, where she grew to fill roles as a writer, producer, reporter and anchor. Throughout her 18 years at WPIX she also wrote, produced and hosted a number of ½ hour specials, including "Island in Crisis," where she traveled to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. Lisa moved on from local news to the national stage as a reporter for CBS News Newspath and anchor for CBS News Radio. When she’s not reporting on the day’s top stories or dining with local celebrities on the television series Celebrity Taste Makers, Lisa enjoys feeding her passion for health and wellness as a certified personal trainer and nutrition coach, as well as energizing Fortune 500 companies, universities and smaller organizations as a motivational speaker. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Lisa lives in New Jersey with her husband and two children.

Marie-Elizabeth Mali

Relationship Alchemist

As a Relationship Alchemist and Speaker, Marie-Elizabeth Mali shows women and couples how to cultivate deeper love and connection in their relationships. Drawing on her Master’s in Traditional Chinese Medicine and over 20 years of working with clients, she teaches women how to show up as authentic leaders in their relationships and work instead of twisting themselves to fit in. Marie-Elizabeth’s work has been featured in Thrive Global, SWAAY, and Forbes. Marie-Elizabeth is also an Official Member of the Forbes Business Council, a published author with an MFA in Poetry from Sarah Lawrence College, and an underwater photographer who has a thing for sharks.

Mark X. Cronin

Entrepreneur

Mark X. Cronin is the co-founder, along with his son John, of John’s Crazy Socks, a social enterprise with a mission to spread happiness. His leadership has demonstrated that pursuing social goals – demonstrating what people with differing abilities can achieve and giving back – makes for good business. Mark advocates for the rights of differently abled people. His advocacy work has seen Mark testify before Congress twice, speak at the UN and make numerous trips to Capitol Hill. Mark is a sought-after speaker having spoken at events across the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Mark is part of the U.S. State Department’s Speakers’ Bureau. He has been named an EY Entrepreneur of the Year and is a member of the CEO Commission on Disability Employment and a Board member for the Long Island Chapter of the Entrepreneurs Organization.

Sonia Chopra, DDS

Endodontist

Sonia Chopra, DDS, is a board-certified endodontist and owner of Ballantyne Endodontics in Charlotte, North Carolina. Sonia became passionate about endodontics after a dental patient experience, where her pain was misdiagnosed, and the wrong tooth was extracted. It wasn’t until she was referred to a caring, thorough endodontist that she was correctly diagnosed, and a root canal saved her from excruciating pain. Now she’s on a mission to save teeth whenever possible.