Theme: CONNECT

This past year has been one filled with challenges, but none so critical as the human need to connect. The pandemic kept us isolated, creating a physical disconnect; but, at the same time, highlighting how truly interconnected we are, as it continued to spread globally. Zoom, Facetime, or Facebook became our ways to reconnect. At some point, each of us was touched by the depth of interconnectedness that unites us in our common humanity. Our speakers will share their unique perspectives through the lens of connection.

Virtual Venue
Details on TEDxDeerPark.com
New York, New York, 11722
United States

Adam Rauch

Founder/President of One Line Agency

Adam Rauch is a Long Island native and graduate from Binghamton University. After 8 years handling marketing for companies in the sports and entertainment industry, Adam launched One Line Agency, a full-service corporate hospitality and experiential marketing company and he is the President and Founder of this enterprise. Nowadays, he loves to work, play with his wife and two kids and is a total homebody. Adam enjoys laying low with his close friends and extended family and triesto avoid big crowds. He loves diet fountain Coke, cauliflower crust pizza, and listening to Howard Stern. He enjoys watching MTV Challenge and The Bachelor.

Angel Johnson

Owner, ICONI

Angel Johnson is an Air Force officer and the owner of ICONI, a motivational activewear line for women and men, that donates 10% of profits to nonprofit organizations. Through her business, she empowers others with her philanthropy and her messaging of power, strength, and versatility. Angel's business ICONI was selected by Oprah Winfrey to be featured on Oprah's Favorite Things 2020 in her first year of business and named as one of the Most Charitable Women's Activewear Brands by Women's Health Magazine. Additionally, her business has been featured in Shape Magazine, Buzzfeed, People Magazine, Denver's 303 Magazine, and The Denver Post. Lastly, her business donated to nonprofit organizations throughout the pandemic including Clothes to Kids of Denver, The Food Bank of the Rockies, Girls on the Run of the Rockies, The Minnesota Freedom Fund, and My Sister's House - Charleston.

Bunny Young

Founder, Better Place Consulting

Stuntwoman turned businesswoman is the best way to start a bio. After being diagnosed with a heart condition at an early age and depending on a service dog for a higher quality of life, Bunny focused on using each day to fully deliver our purpose within the world. She founded her company, A Better Place Consulting to empower and educate businesses and organizations about the impact of work-life alignment. She enjoys breaking the codependency found between professionals and their companies. She shares burnout prevention strategies with law enforcement, military and correctional officers. She's a third-generation entrepreneur, an international speaker, retired therapist, surfer, Army wife and cowgirl who speaks four languages.

Katrena Perou

Executive Director of Inspiring Minds NYC

Katrena is the founding Executive Director of Inspiring Minds NYC where she created a culturally responsive community school model that employs residents from the community in leadership. Katrena has worked in youth development for 15 years overseeing programs in over 60 NYC schools and 10 schools in Los Angeles. She has provided community models in over 12 NYC districts. She gave a TEDxTalk at Wake Forest University on innovative strategies for connecting to underserved youth in the South Bronx. Katrena has also hosted city-wide youth festivals at the Apollo, United Palace Theater, Restoration Plaza and Weeksville Heritage Center. Katrena attended Penn State on a full basketball scholarship and completed the Executive Leadership Program at Columbia University.

Kristen Shaughnessy

Anchor/Reporter

Kristen Shaughnessy was an anchor/reporter at NY1 for 26 years. She was named to Irish America Magazine's Top 100 list and was chosen as one of the Top 50 Irish American Power Women and Top Media 30. She was honored as Hofstra University's Alumni of the Month. She and four other colleagues were also featured speakers at the 2020 Women’s March in New York City. Prior to NY1, Shaughnessy worked as an anchor/reporter at WGNY radio in Newburgh, NY and at NewsCenter 6 in Poughkeepsie. She and her husband, Joe Bush, met when they were undergraduates at Hofstra University. They have two daughters. Jamie is a UNC Chapel Hill graduate. Kara is a sophomore at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Maritza Arroyo

Assistant Commissioner, Office of Public, Private, and Strategic Partnerships,NYC

For the past 16 years, Maritza Arroyo has been building comprehensive initiatives to raise equity for NYC individuals and families. In 2019, Ms. Arroyo joined the NYC Department for the Aging (DFTA) as Assistant Commissioner for Direct Services where she oversaw federal & state grants and city tax levy-funded direct service programs, with a staff of about 50 and in partnership with various stakeholders. In December 2020, she transitioned to her new position as Assistant Commissioner, Office of Public, Private, and Strategic Partnerships and was appointed as Executive Director for the Aging in New York Fund (ANYF) in February 2021. In these roles, Ms. Arroyo is responsible for advancing the mission of DFTA through partnership and revenue development. Prior to her appointment, Ms. Arroyo has also served as Vice President of Education at United Way, NYC, CEO of the Promise neighborhood Zone 126 and Executive Director of the national organization, BELL Excel.

Michelle Witman

Michelle is a mother, a partner, an educator, an entrepreneur and a friend. Believing that disability is an asset, Michelle is on a mission to build sustainably inclusive practices & experiences for all. Grounded in that mission Michelle works with clients to disrupt company mindset around disability, resulting in authentically developed, sustainable processes that are inclusive by design. Michelle has over 20 years of experience working with individuals with disabilities in the educational and corporate settings. Michelle’s passion for helping individuals see their weaknesses as a strength has paved the way for her success and theirs. She is the founder of Asset Based Consulting, a solutions-based company committed to creating frictionless interactions for disabled employees, employers, and customers.

Newton Lilavois

Comic book writer and publisher

Haitian-American writer and publisher, Newton Lilavois, was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and grew up in Brooklyn, New York. Newton started reading comic books when he was eleven and fell in love with the medium. Newton loved comics so much that he started drawing his own comics and sold them to classmates. At the same time, his love for computer programming grew and he headed down that career path since it seemed like a more practical profession. But his love of writing and creating was always in the background of his life. Decades later, Newton decided to pick up where he left and create comic books again. In March of 2017, Newton teamed up with artist Gian Carlo Bernal to create the Crescent City Monsters web comic. Newton is the winner of the 2020 Glyph Comic Book Best Writer Award. Newton also works full time as a senior consultant for an IT consulting firm.

Ryan Padala

high school senior, varsity athlete, musician, researcher

Ryan Padala is a member of the class of 2021 at Garden City High School on Long Island, where he is a varsity athlete and musician. Ryan has held multiple leadership positions, including president of his class. Ryan has contributed to his community over the past 7 years through his charity for the homeless, "The Linen Lift", and he has conducted research as an intern in the field of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at Northwell Health/Cohen Children’s Medical Center. Most recently, Ryan has presented his research on adolescents and their development at national medical conferences. Ryan has also developed his strong sense of the best way for adolescents to learn through his work as president of Peer Educators in his school, with his efforts to make presentations as effective as possible. Ryan also tutors children in various academic topics.