Theme: Ripple

We’ve all been impacted by or created a ripple personally and/or professionally. Hear how our diverse lineup of speakers incorporate the notion of a ripple into their talks.

Common House
1517 Mitchell Avenue
Chattanooga, Tennessee, 37408
United States

Andrew Meador

Scientist and Educator

Andrew is a scientist and educator who enjoys scuba diving, producing music, and advancing conservation efforts—in addition to flying through the air and solving physics problems while skateboarding. He worked in nanotechnology, CRISPR research, and quality assurance chemistry before transitioning to classroom education. As an educator, he has spent over a decade teaching in public, private, and charter middle and highschools creating STEM education curriculum. He now is focused directly on biomimicry education and outreach on a local, national, and global scale.

Chloe Morrison

Communications Professional, Founder, and Activist

Chloé Morrison is a veteran communications professional, who spent 14 years as a journalist, reporting on all things Chattanooga. She's a proud bi-sexual woman who experienced "straight privilege" most of her life. She's the co-founder of a local business, called Soft Animal, which brings marginalized humans — specifically members of the LGBTQ community — to the center through events and classes. She loves to play guitar, sing, dance and crochet — all for the simple joy of the activities. The graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and former adjunct professor at her alma-mater, wears her heart on her sleeve as she aims to learn and share about queer culture.

Pete Thornton

Software Enablement Professional and Founder

Pete helps people and organizations including students, athletes, employees, new hires, and software companies to clarify their outcomes and create a “Dream Machine” in order to attain the results they desire. Over the course of his software career, he has held 7 roles in 4 hypergrowth organizations. His job descriptions have included business development, inside sales, enterprise sales, VP sales, podcast host, and multiple enablement leadership roles. I was incredibly proud to be awarded President’s Club for quota attainment in 2018. Working with thousands of individuals across a multitude of domains has led him to integrate elegant biological systems with highly personalized human desires that he encounters. The overlap in experience is what he finds interesting and has led to his current thesis of the “Dream Machine”.

Scheaba Chacko

Licensed Professional Counselor

Sheaba is a courageous leader who knows how to lead others with her own vulnerability. Always known to march to the beat of her own drum, Sheaba ejected herself from the typical South Indian career pathways of Engineering and Medicine to become a Licensed Professional Counselor. Despite the disapproval and stigma associated with mental health, especially in communities of color, she pressed on to open her private practice, Fearless Permission!

Tiffany Pauldon-Banks and Kenyatta Ashford

Entrepreneurs

Tiffany Pauldon-Banks is the founder of Lil Mama’s Chicago Style Hoagy. With nearly a decade of entrepreneurship experience, Tiffany is passionate about providing opportunities for other aspiring entrepreneurs through education, support and inspiration. When Tiffany isn’t organizing events or coming up with her next great entrepreneurial venture, she enjoys traveling, spending time with family and friends, shopping and staying updated on the latest trends. Chef Kenyatta Ashford grew up in the Algiers neighborhood of New Orleans and is now chef and owner of Neutral Ground in Chattanooga, TN. Chef Kenyatta infuses the memories and tastes of his childhood in his culinary creations via his "afro-creole” identity. He remains grateful to the James Beard Foundation for the Jean Louis-Palladin Professional Work/Study Grant award that supported his studies in Oxford, MS at the Southern Food Ways Alliance. Chef's culinary vision and skills also made him a Food Network “Chopped” champion.