Theme: Solve For (Y)

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).

ISEC
805 Columbus Ave
Boston, Massachusetts, 02120
United States

Beth Kennedy

Leadership Coach, Speaker, and Author

Beth Benatti Kennedy is an accomplished leadership coach, resiliency-training expert, and public speaker. Over her career, Kennedy has worked with a diverse range of clients including The Gillette Company, Nike, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, Pfizer Inc., and others. Her Benatti Resiliency Model® has helped thousands of people develop the resilience to adapt to changing career circumstances, remain productive and engaged, and find greater life and career satisfaction. Kennedy shares her expertise through podcasts, articles, and her two books: "Career ReCharge: Five Strategies to Boost Resilience" and "Beat Burnout".

Beth Noveck

Professor, Author of Solving Public Problems, Director of The Governance Lab and The Burnes Family Center at Northeastern University, and Chief Innovation Officer for the State of New Jersey

Beth Simone Noveck is a professor at Northeastern, where she directs the University’s Burnes Center for Social Change and its partner project, The Governance Lab. Noveck is the author of Solving Public Problems: How to Fix Our Government and Change Our World and has advised individuals such as President Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and UK Prime Minister David Cameron. She also currently serves as the Chief Innovation Officer of the State of New Jersey and carries accolades such as “100 Most Creative People in Business” by Fast Company and “Top Women in Technology” by Huffington Post.

Hazel Sive

Professor of Biology and Dean of Northeastern's College of Science

Dr. Hazel Sive is Dean of the College of Science and Professor of Biology at Northeastern University. Prior, she was a Professor of Biology at MIT, a Member of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, and an Associate Member of the Broad Institute. Today, Sive conducts groundbreaking research focused on neurodevelopmental disorders and the fundamental processes underlying brain and craniofacial development. Sive is also an accomplished leader and innovator where she is a MacVicar Faculty Fellow, MIT’s highest undergraduate teaching accolade and twice a winner of the MIT School of Science Teaching Award.

Karen Li

UMass Amherst Graduate and Medical Student at Georgetown University

Karen Li studied operations management at UMass Amherst and is now in her second year of medical school at Georgetown University. She is passionate about understanding patient care from both personal and systemic perspectives. In her free time, she loves listening to live music, trying new restaurants, biking, and cooking. She hopes to open up a bakery in the far future.

Manya Chylinski

Communications Expert, Writer, Advocate, and Public Speaker

Communications specialist and survivor Manya Chylinski is the founder of Alley424 Communications and the co-founder of Project BFF. She's an entrepreneur who uses her experience as a survivor of the Boston Marathon bombing to help others understand the importance of trauma-sensitive leadership and recognizing the psychological impacts of violence. She serves on the board of NAMI Massachusetts and is a commissioner with the Massachusetts Eastern Regional Commission on Women.

Sara Wylie

Professor, Co-founder, and Award-winning Author

Sara Wylie is an Associate Professor of Sociology/Anthropology and Health Science at Northeastern University’s Social Science Environmental Health Research Institute (SSEHRI). She is a co-founder of the Environmental Data and Governance Initiative (EDGI), a network of academics and non-profits working to develop more just and effective forms of environmental governance through ensuring and improving public access to data. Sara is a cofounder of Public Lab, a non-profit that develops open-source, Do-It-Yourself tools for community-based environmental analysis. Her award-winning book Fractivism: Corporate Bodies and Chemical Bonds describes the need to rethink the extractive research systems that proceed and enable extractive industries.

William Miles

Professor of Political Science, Author, and Five-Time Fulbright Scholar Recipient

A five-time Fulbright award recipient and author of a dozen solely authored books, Professor Miles teaches the undergraduate courses Comparative Politics, Religion and Politics, Music and Politics, and the Politics of Developing Nations; on the graduate level, courses on international development. A former Peace Corps Volunteer, Professor Miles is fluent in French, Hausa and Bislama and conversational in Creole/Kreol and Hebrew. Public radio, including NPR, has broadcast a dozen of his commentaries.

Winnie Li

Northeastern Graduate, Aspiring Physician, and Co-creator of QuaranEATS

Winnie Li graduated from Northeastern University in 2021, studying health sciences and nutrition. As an aspiring physician, she aims to promote holistic wellness, health equity, and social justice. Over the pandemic, she co-founded the food Instagram account Quaraneat alongside her sister to share cooking tips and family recipes. In her free time, Winnie enjoys attending dance performances at Northeastern, making art, and volunteering at the Haley House soup kitchen in Boston. She recently began teaching cooking classes to teens about healthy and affordable cooking. Winnie is currently preparing to join her sister in attending medical school.