Theme: Connection

Connecting with friends, family, co-workers and our community as a whole is post pandemic is increasingly more important. We welcome the public to enjoy live presentations from area residents, designed to spark deep discussion and live performances centered on what connection means to them.

The event will include inspiring talks, networking opportunities and TEDxSavannah fun that attendees have come to expect at a more accessible ticket price.

Georgia Southern University, Fine Arts Auditorium, Armstrong Campus
11935 Abercorn St.
Savannah, Georgia, 31408
United States

Amy Capello

Certified Life Coach and Owner, Pure Joy Life Coaching

Amy Capello is a Life Balance Strategist and Certified Life Coach, helping people create whole-life balance and reclaim their joy. She faced cancer on her journey and has navigated being a single mom. Though she was coaching before her cancer diagnosis, she now lives life with a renewed sense of intention and urgency. Amy is volunteering with Little Pink Houses of Hope to bring a free retreat for breast cancer patients and their families to Tybee Island, Georgia this fall. She loves international traveling, volunteering with sea turtles and spending time with her family

Assaf Gleizner

Singer, Co-Owner of Isreally Hummus

Born and raised in Israel, GRAMMY-nominated Assaf has been working as a composer, music director, orchestrator/arranger and pianist in New York City and around the world for the past 15 years. His most notable projects include composing and orchestrating the off-Broadway and international tour hits "The Office! the Musical Parody" and "FRIENDS! the Musical Parody" as well as orchestrating and arranging Stephen Schwartz's 70th birthday concert at Broadway's Hudson Theatre.

Brittany Curry

Graphic Recorder and Facilitator, InkyBrittany

Brittany Curry is a native of Savannah, Georgia and the owner of InkyBrittany. As a Graphic Recorder and Facilitator, she documents meetings and events through live note taking using a combination of text and large-scale visual imagery. In 2017, Brittany joined the International Forum of Visual Practitioners and was also named to Georgia Trend’s annual 40 Under 40 list of rising entrepreneurs and innovators statewide. She currently serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors for Chatham-Savannah Citizen Advocacy and is a trained moderator in public deliberation who has worked with the Kettering Foundation and The National Issues Forums.

Candicee Childs

Medical Student and Author

Candicee Childs is an author, blogger, and graduating senior medical student attending the Medical College of Georgia. Originally from Savannah, Ga., she aspires to become a child and adolescent psychiatrist. Candicee also has a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry with a minor in Spanish from Valdosta State University, a Master of Health Administration from Georgia Southern University and two certifications in nutrition and personal training. She enjoys working with youth, mentoring, fitness, reading, attending church, roller skating and spending time with family and friends. In the future, she hopes to inspire and educate others by writing several books and becoming a podcaster.

Erika D. Tate Ph.D.

Founder and CEO, Bluknowledge LLC

Erika D. Tate, Ph.D., is the founder of Bluknowledge LLC, a learning firm that advances equity in schools and communities through collaborative research, insightful evaluation and equity-driven professional learning. For more than 20 years, she has worked toward equitable outcomes in education and health for children, families and adults. Erika launched Loravore® Learning to empower school and community educators to design and deliver equitable, effective learning experiences. She also hosts Remix EQ Live to build community among professionals who center equity in their work, inspiring others to make the world a more just place.

Guillermo A. Arboleda

Rector, St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church

Rev. Guillermo A. Arboleda serves as the Rector of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, Savannah, and as the Missioner for Racial Justice in the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia. In addition to his pastoral duties, his work includes community organizing, political advocacy, training others in antiracist leadership and researching criminal justice policy from a theological perspective. A grandchild of Ecuadorian, Dominican and Puerto Rican immigrants, Guillermo is married to the Rev. Kelly Steele and enjoys watching sports, creating music, teaching CrossFit and doing yoga.

Harrison Scott Key

Author and Savannah College of Art and Design Professor

Harrison Scott Key is the author of three books, including How to Stay Married, The World’s Largest Man (winner of the Thurber Prize for American Humor) and Congratulations, Who Are You Again?, which served as the inspiration for his 2019 TEDxSavannah talk, “The Funny Thing About the American Dream.” Harrison’s work has appeared in The Best American Travel Writing, The New York Times, Oxford American, Outside, Garden & Gun, The Bitter Southerner, Town & Country and Reader’s Digest. He serves as an Executive Dean at the College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia, where he lives with his wife and three children.

Jonalyn Lavarias

Yoga Instructor

Jonalyn Lavarias is a Filipino-American who grew up in Eagle River, Alaska. She has a BBA in Finance from the University of Alaska Anchorage and worked in accounting for 11 years in the oil industry, healthcare and non-profit businesses. She also worked on a commercial fishing vessel and for a hunting guide company for six years. In 2017, she drove her truck south to the Lower 48 on a solo road trip, making her way to the East coast. She is a Certified Yoga Instructor and a survivor of domestic violence with a mission to help people heal. She currently teaches Trauma Sensitive Yoga to the Savannah, Georgia community at local high schools, women’s shelters and hospice facilities.

Kim Campbell

Senior Project Manager, Ethos Preservation

Kim Campbell is a queer woman, public historian and historic preservationist whose interest in public memory dates back to her childhood. Kim currently serves as a Senior Project Manager at Ethos Preservation, a preservation consulting firm in Savannah, Georgia. She earned an M.A. in Public History with a concentration in Historic Preservation from the University of South Carolina and a B.A. in History from Mercer University. In addition to a fascination with the stories writ large in our built environment, Kim is an avid bike commuter and a voracious reader. She lives in Savannah with Doc and Wyatt, two of the cutest dogs you’ll find at the dog park.

Kim Polote

Singer

Kim Michael Polote is a vocalist, recording artist, educator and a former TEDxSavannah presenter. An American Traditions Gold medalist, Kim has shared the stage with Al Green, Harry Connick, Jr., Charlie Daniels and more. At the request of acclaimed singer Otis Redding's family, Kim works with the Otis Music Camp in Macon, Georgia, to provide guidance and instruction in songwriting and stage presence as well as recording studio coaching. Kim is an artist in residence at Thomas Heyward Academy in South Carolina, engaging and teaching Pre-K through 12th grade students. She also assists with performance and vocal technique in the music department at St. Vincent's Academy in Savannah, Georgia.

Marc E. Frischer, Ph.D

Professor, University of Georgia Skidaway Institute of Oceanography

Marc E. Frischer, Ph.D., is a Marine Science Professor at the University of Georgia who works at the UGA-Skidaway Institute of Oceanography in Savannah, Georgia. A marine microbial ecologist, Marc’s research focuses on the role of microbial diversity in marine environments, the development and application of the tools of molecular biology in plankton ecology, and the discovery and ecology of parasite and pathogens in marine organisms. The impact and consequences of climate change on living marine systems are the focus of much of the ongoing research in his research group. He earned a Ph.D. in Marine Sciences from the University of South Florida.

Meredith Stone

Design Associate, Gunn Meyerhoff Shay and Real Estate Advisor, Vantosh Realty Group

Meredith Stone is a Savannah, Georgia native and received her M.Arch from Hampton University. She is a passionate designer with GMSHAY Architects and worked on many notable buildings including managing the construction of the Savannah Cultural Arts Center and The Alida Hotel. She designs housing, hospitality, commercial, civic, educational, mixed-use and urban developments and negotiates residential, commercial and land deals with Vantosh Realty. She was appointed to the Housing Savannah Task Force, serves on Chatham County’s Zoning Board of Appeals and is the Vice President of Public Relations for Hostess City Toastmasters.

Michael Hughes, P.E.

Principal and Project Manager, Thomas & Hutton

Michael Hughes has 25 years of experience as a civil engineer, designing infrastructure for communities from redeveloped affordable neighborhoods to luxury resorts. Originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he earned a Bachelor’s and Master of Science in Civil Engineering from West Virginia University and currently serves as a Principal and Project Manager at Thomas & Hutton in Savannah, Georgia.

Tegan Miller

Singer, Co-Owner of Isreally Hummus

A multi-genre soprano, Tegan has been fortunate enough to sing all over the world — from Carnegie Hall to the Vatican. She has been directing choirs and teaching voice lessons for more than 15 years and is passionate about student-led science-driven, journey-focused singing. Tegan is the founder of MTC Vocal Academy, a boutique voice studio in Savannah, and the new Spectra Choir, a feminist treble choir.

Trelani Michelle

Author, Oral Historian, Teaching Artist and Founder, Krak Teet

Trelani Michelle is an award-winning writer, oral historian and teaching artist. Voted Savannah’s Best Local Writer by Connect Savannah readers in 2021, Trelani published an oral history about Black Savannah between 1920 and 1970 called Krak Teet and co-authored the New York Times bestselling book, Gullah Geechee Home Cooking. A storyteller and story-gatherer with a bachelor’s degree from Savannah State University and an MFA from The Savannah College of Art and Design, Trelani interned with the Library of Congress’s American Folklife Center to further her work of “Zora Neale Hurstoning.”

Tricia Veldman

Founder and Speech-Language Pathologist, Georgia Speech Coaching

Tricia Veldman works as a speech coach in Savannah, Georgia, teaching public speaking, accent modification, speech-language pathology and speaking voice enhancement. Originally from Florida, she spent some time exploring Europe and learning Italian before pursuing her master’s degree at Teachers College, Columbia University in New York City. She moved to Savannah in 2018 and has never looked back. She works remotely with New York Speech Coaching while heading the local branch, Georgia Speech Coaching. Tricia is passionate about helping others live fuller, more meaningful lives that are free from anxiety and limiting beliefs.

Whitney Lam Gilliard

CEO, Gilliard & Company

Growing up in foster care, Whitney Lam Gillard spent years advocating for foster care reform and impacted change through congressional advocacy. She is the founder and CEO of Gilliard and Company, an organization that fights for redefining the outcomes of youth impacted by their experience in foster care, especially in housing. Whitney’s goal in life is to continue her legacy of being a voice for underserved humanitarian needs nationwide.

Zoe Rinker

Executive Director, Savannah Tree Foundation

Zoe Rinker is the Executive Director of the Savannah Tree Foundation. A graduate of Yale University, she is passionate about improving communities. Through jobs at Neighborworks America, Baltimore City and an urban planning start-up, she has tackled complex issues such as access to green space, affordable housing and smart growth. Since joining the Savannah Tree Foundation in 2019, Zoe has increased tree planting efforts, diversified programming and expanded community outreach. Zoe is a member of the Rotary Club of Savannah and the Chatham Commerce Club. The Georgia Tree Council named her a Rising STAR in 2020, and she was included in Savannah Magazine’s 2021 New Guard.