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).

138 N Main Street
Dayton, Ohio, 45402
United States

Annie Bellavia

Annie is a married mother of 3 who relocated to the Dayton area in 2019. Born and raised in Southwest Georgia, she spent most of her early years in and out of foster care before being adopted. Annie’s experience in the foster system made her highly aware of the internal conflicts and identity issues that come from being raised in a “color blind” world. Today, she serves as a resource for foster/adopted children and families who experience these conflicts while actively advocating for others to openly discuss race and how it shapes our interactions within society.

Bryan Suddith

Bryan Suddith is a storyteller and foodie raised in Southwest Ohio. He once drove 180 miles round trip for lunch. After college in Kentucky, he lived in Baton Rouge and on the Space Coast of Florida, before returning to the Miami Valley with his wife Melissa to raise their two sons. Bryan is the producer of Story Slam Dayton, a food writer for Dayton937, and a Master Certified Competition BBQ Judge with the Kansas City BBQ Society. Bryan enjoys great BBQ (of course), good bourbon, and long nights on patios with friends telling stories and sharing food.

Corey Mitchell

Corey Mitchell is a Tony Award winner and the inaugural recipient for Excellence in Theatre Education. He founded the Theatre Gap Initiative on the principle that Equity means more than the distribution of wealth. It is access to systems that people of color have been historically excluded from. He received The Cato Lifetime Achievement in Teaching Award and has 25 years’ experience in the classroom, including 20 years as Theatre Arts Educator. Corey is a director, actor, keynote speaker, consultant, and workshop presenter in Charlotte and throughout the country. Corey’s past and present students are performing, writing, and composing for community, university, and regional theatre, as well as theme parks, independent and studio films, the West End, national tours, and Broadway musical-theatre productions.

Dayton Dance Initiative

Dayton Dance Initiative (DDI) is an independent collective of professional dancers from the Dayton area with a mission to provide professional dancers a platform to collaborate and create with artists outside their own company or genre while deepening the community’s interaction with the art of dance. DDI is completely dancer-led, giving artists skills from choreography to organizational operations. DDI was founded by former Dayton Ballet dancer Jocelyn Green who had a vision of collaboration. DDI has employed more than 25 local artists and premiered more than 30 original dance works for both the stage and digital space. Dancers: Alexis Diggs & Stevie Lamblin Choreographer: KC Lyphout

Deena John

In a career span of nearly 12 years, Deena has served in a range of industries including local government, higher education, and nonprofit sectors. Her expertise includes working with GIS tools, spatial storytelling, video production, marketing communications, and media relations. Deena currently serves as the Senior Communications Manager at Fahlgren Mortine – the largest integrated communications firm in Ohio. She was most recently recognized as one of Dayton’s 2021 Forty under 40 award recipients and is a current member of the 2023 Leadership Dayton class.

Jackson Tate

Jackson Tate is a 20 year-old singer- songwriter from the Dayton area. He writes, produces, and releases all of his own music from his bedroom. Jackson combines a wide array of influences, both musical and visual, to create music that defies genre and captures the attention and emotion of the audience. His music can be found on streaming services like Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music, Soundcloud, and anywhere else you enjoy music.

Jeffrey Wall

Jeffrey Wall, 17, is a senior at Chaminade Julienne High School and began his martial arts training at the age of six. Jeffrey was inducted into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame in 2015. Inspired by his grandparents, he developed a nonprofit organization in 2019 to host free martial arts classes in nursing homes. Lovingly called his Ninja Nanas and Papas, Jeff’s seniors gained popularity and national attention on social media. Jeffrey continues to teach martial arts to seniors both in person and virtually and hopes to continue his martial arts classes next year as he transitions to college with the goal of creating Golden Age Karate branches across the nation.

John Dinsmore

Dr. John Dinsmore is a professor of Marketing at Wright State University. His academic research primarily focuses on two areas: financial decision-making and mobile applications. John has provided market research consulting services to many organizations including the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the US Department of Defense, and National Geographic. He has been featured in publications such as Forbes and CIO for his market commentary. John has also authored business cases focusing on strategy and analytics that are taught at universities around the world. He lives in Centerville, Ohio with his wife (Elissa), two sons (Johnny & Owen), and a gigantic rottweiler (Fozzie).

Jonathan Platt

Jonathan Platt is originally from Louisville, Kentucky and now enjoys life in Yellow Springs, Ohio with his wife Heidi, 13-year-old daughter Stella, dog Winnie, and cat London. Jonathan has been the Executive Director of Story Chain for seven years working mainly in jails in Greene and Montgomery counties. Story Chain helps parents to comfort and nurture their children by reading them bedtime stories, using their own voices to love, reassure, and encourage them from miles away. Story Chain also works with other populations such as the developmentally disabled, senior citizens, mental health clients, and youth services. He served four years in the military, four years at Antioch College, and has a Master's in Rhetoric from Wright State University.

Jyllian Bradshaw

Jyllian's industry background began as a high school teacher in Orlando. After a failed audition for American Idol, she did the next best thing and attended law school at the University of Dayton School of Law. After passing the bar exam, she focused her practice on labor, employment, and education. Employers of all kinds often look to Jyllian for guidance related to their workforce. Jyllian has a healthy obsession with her husband, two children, and Taco Bell. She would be happy to offer her opinion on just about anything (even if you don't ask) and prefers to communicate in movie quotes. When asked how she was feeling about the TEDxDayton event, she replied, "Will there be snacks?"

K. Carter

Earlier this year, the Dayton native released his fifth studio album, "The Prototype." Carter also organized the second For Dayton By Dayton at RiverScape MetroPark in August, the family-friendly music festival that featured a diverse array of local talent. Carter isn’t a mainstream star but his growing accomplishments are very impressive. He works full time as a software engineer, is a co-owner of Black Box Improv Theater and devotes his off-work hours to music and comedy. Follow K. Carter on Instagram @sonofhiphop

K. Carter Michelle Lee

Earlier this year, the Dayton native released his fifth studio album, "The Prototype." Carter also organized the second For Dayton By Dayton at RiverScape MetroPark in August, the family-friendly music festival that featured a diverse array of local talent. Carter isn’t a mainstream star but his growing accomplishments are very impressive. He works full time as a software engineer, is a co-owner of Black Box Improv Theater and devotes his off-work hours to music and comedy. Follow K. Carter on Instagram @sonofhiphop Michelle Lee is a graduate of the American Sign Language program at Sinclair Community College and worked as a theatrically-trained ASL interpreter for Walt Disney World. She completed rigorous Disney training including drills to control muscle movements, refining minute details of signs, and perfecting facial expressions. As part of her tenure, she interpreted for a number of musical plays, Disney on Ice, and concerts across the eastern U.S. Her interpreting experience includes performances featuring Eminem, Blake Shelton, New Kids on the Block with Boyz II Men, and Paula Abdul. In 2019, she became faculty at Fairborn High School where she helped pilot the ASL program, now in its 4th year.

Layla Akilan

Layla Akilan is a Human Factors Engineer, with a background in Psychology and UX design. She studies the intersection of humans and technology in the workplace and then helps design software solutions to support the work they need to accomplish. She is passionate about designing systems that support humans and the cognitive processes we engage in to do work, such as planning and decision-making. In her everyday job as a Cognitive Systems Engineer, she explores how design practitioners can create meaningful interfaces that reflect the way that users think, making work less complex.

Madelyn Leembruggen

Madelyn Leembruggen is a Ph.D. candidate in theoretical physics at Harvard University. Her research interests are broad; she wants to understand how microscopic (dis)order gives rise to macroscopic structure. Madelyn is dedicated to making physics an equitable, inclusive, and accessible space for people from all backgrounds, and with this goal she creates science content for all ages. When she isn't doing physics she's brewing coffee, thrift shopping, or cooking Indo-Dutch food for her family.

Margaret Beecroft

Margaret Beecroft is a native Daytonian with a passion for sustainability in architecture. During her Master of Architecture thesis, she developed a strategy for mitigating global food chain problems and waste, and their contribution to climate change through extensive research into vertical farming. She then applied her research by designing and proposing a facility that would create a local food hub/waste-to-energy facility on a brownfield site needing remediation. She wishes to share her strategy with others to enable cities and communities to create resiliency to the future effect of climate change on our food.

Michelle Lee

Michelle Lee is a graduate of the American Sign Language program at Sinclair Community College and worked as a theatrically-trained ASL interpreter for Walt Disney World. She completed rigorous Disney training including drills to control muscle movements, refining minute details of signs, and perfecting facial expressions. As part of her tenure, she interpreted for a number of musical plays, Disney on Ice, and concerts across the eastern U.S. Her interpreting experience includes performances featuring Eminem, Blake Shelton, New Kids on the Block with Boyz II Men, and Paula Abdul. In 2019, she became faculty at Fairborn High School where she helped pilot the ASL program, now in its 4th year.

NaAsiaha Simon

NaAsiaha “Ny” Simon is the Chief Executive Officer of NaAsiaha Simon & Associates Public Relations and Planning Firm, and she is excited to take charge and make a positive imprint through all things public relations and planning. NaAsiaha, a two-time brain tumor survivor, has become a mental health advocate and champion for mental health awareness. It was her own personal battles with physical and mental health that sparked the idea of a new endeavor- the Gem City Selfie Museum! Gem City Selfie Museum is to be a space with interactive illustrations and installations promoting color and phototherapy for social and mental wellness, and offering FREE therapy to the community!

Richelle Frabotta

Richelle Frabotta is a Certified Sexuality Educator and Supervisor from the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT). For the last 30 years, she’s taught candidly from a sex-positive perspective to increase comfort level and knowledge on historically, traditionally and potentially uncomfortable, awkward and challenging subjects. She uses varied teaching methods, interdisciplinary sexuality education frameworks and humor to encourage students to relate and integrate concepts into their unique way of connecting sexually with themselves and others. Richelle believes in prevention and encourages healthy choices for sexual health, well-being and pleasure.

Scott Swanson

Scott Swanson is a retired USAF officer, pilot, and acquisition professional with over 20 years in the Special Operations, Rescue, and Special Reconnaissance communities. Scott flew rescue and special operations helicopters and was credited with 9 saves over his career. He was awarded the Knight award and the Eaker award for outstanding airmanship from the U.S Air Force. He was also a pioneer in unmanned systems including the Predator Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAS). Scott and his crew have the distinction of firing the first missile in combat from a UAS during the opening night of the air war in Afghanistan. Today he serves as a program manager supporting a variety of programs for Parallax Advanced Research.

Stacey Lawson

An Innovative and transformational change leader with an extensive career in creating a vision, developing strategy, and translating goals into results are trademarks of Stacey Lawson’s career. She is a seasoned Human Resources executive credited with having spearheaded the first comprehensive strategic diversity initiative for Premier Health, which continues to be recognized as a leading best practice and a national standard of excellence. With a passion for elevating others’ potential, Stacey has established a brand that is visionary and forward-thinking while cultivating continuous growth. She challenges the norms, drives for excellence, and inspires others to lead with heart.

TEDxDayton Alumni Poets

TEDxDayton’s stage has hosted many talented artists throughout the years. For the 10th anniversary event, several of these artists collaborated to create a unique piece highlighting their diverse styles and voices. Poets: Sierra Leone, Furaha Henry-Jones, Ed Mabry, Jay Martinez, A. Slate, Trinity Thomas, Dr. Herbert Woodward Martin

Terry Oroszi

Dr. Terry Oroszi is the Director of the Graduate and the Chemical Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) Defense Programs at Wright State University. Her subject matter expertise is Homeland Security, with several collaborations in CBRN, terrorism, and crisis decision-making. The founder and chair of The Dayton Think Tank, a gathering of regional crisis leaders, Dr. Oroszi has shared her research on American terrorists with NSA, at Quantico, and members of Congress in DC. In her free time, she authors a fiction book series, currently in production for TV, and recently acted in a movie short for the international film festival circuit and received a nomination for best-supporting actress.

The Jeremy Winston Chorale

The Jeremy Winston Chorale International is a nonprofit music organization committed to upholding the performance & sharing of excellent vocal music. Based in the musical traditions of the Black Church, the group specializes in the authentic performance of the African American Spiritual, Gospel, & Classical music. Chorale members are musicians from all over the U.S. While many members hold positions in various fields and professions, they come together as musical ambassadors to the world. After being crowned champions at the 2012 World Choir Games in Cincinnati, this ensemble has had an indelible mark on the music community. Follow Jeremy Winston Chorale on Facebook and IG @JWChorale.