Theme: TEDxOcala

We are delighted to host our 9th Annual TEDxOcala with the theme of Acceleration. Great speakers sharing ideas, audience engagement, dedicated team, great lunch and snacks. Sparking engaging conversations. See you there!

College of Central Florida
3001 SW College Rd, Ocala, FL
Ocala, Florida, 34474
United States

Adel B. Korkor, M.D.

Physician

Years ago, his journey in medicine began, for he has wanted to become a physician since the age of ten. It was his desire to heal everybody. His father, having suffered from diabetes from a rather young age, often joked with him by saying that he would one day be a ‘human body repairman’. In his thirty-seven years as a physician – first in academic medicine and then in clinical medicine – he has had the profound honor and privilege of touching countless lives. Now, however, he is embarking upon his second journey – addressing issues surrounding mental health. During the years of carefully tending to the nuances of the human body, he became intensely aware of the body and brain connection. Nothing less than his own personal experience with panic disorder and his challenge to improve his own mental well-being could have had a more significant influence on his next journey to help others with their own mental health. His mission is to help us understand the motion impacts emotion.

Ahmed Abubakar

Business Strategist

Ahmed is a public speaking enthusiast. Originally from Toronto and currently residing in New York with his wife Nawal, Ahmed is a former trained actor turned salesman and amateur public speaker. Some of his favorite public speakers include Malcolm X, Simon Sinek, Brene Brown, Denzel Washington, and a few more. Ahmed has a passion for topics such as spirituality, personal development, logic and rhetoric, and business. One of his big goals to accomplish in his early thirties was to present a TED Talk that combines the various topics he's passionate about. And it is something he will get to do soon. One day he hopes public speaking will play a big role in his line of work where he will get to share messages of empowerment and self-betterment to others. When he's taking it easy from his day job or pursuing his interests, you can find him spending time with his loved ones, and checking out new restaurants Nawal talks him into trying and exploring the many parts NYC has to offer.

Alberto Rullan

Veternarian

Dr. Alberto Rullan is a trailblazing figure in the equine industry, renowned as the founder of Performance Equine Veterinary Services. With a dual focus on equine healthcare and equine business development, his practice has become a driving force in treating performance-related issues in horses. Dr. Rullan's unwavering commitment is to deliver precise diagnoses and implement the best available treatments and rehabilitation, ensuring that horses can achieve their full potential. A distinguished alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Rullan earned his Veterinary Medical Doctor degree in 2006. His academic journey began at Pennsylvania State, where he secured a Bachelor of Science degree in 2002. He is recognized as an accredited member of the International Society of Equine Locomotor Pathology (ISELP). This esteemed accreditation signifies his expertise and dedication to advancing the understanding and treatment of locomotor issues in horses.

Cher Kretz

Educational Counselor

Cher Kretz is a school counselor, speaker, and life coach from Southern California, where she specializes in the transformative solution-focused approach. Her passion lies in unraveling the Science of Hope and showing how our levels of hope profoundly shape our lives. With an unwavering commitment to helping individuals conquer hopelessness, Cher empowers them to become the best versions of themselves. In 2020, Cher started The Focused Mindset Podcast. Through this platform, she shares captivating stories of transformation while imparting the invaluable wisdom of navigating life using the Solution Focused Approach. In 2022 she published 30 Days to Higher Hopes, the world's first interactive writing book specially crafted to guide individuals through solution-focused journaling. This groundbreaking work enables people from all walks of life to practice and harness the principles she passionately advocates.

Dr. DeLon Canterbury

Pharmacist

With a specialty in Geriatric care, unlike your traditional pharmacist, Dr. DeLon developed a three-month strategy to address overmedicated patients using a holistic and evidence-based approach in accordance with their prescriber so that there are no gaps in the communication of care. Founder of the Deprescribing Accelerator, DeLon envisions all pharmacists and senior care providers as Deprescribing Advocates and coaches professionals on how to integrate, leverage, and monetize Deprescribing into clinical practice! The Deprescribing Accelerator trains passionate nurses, pharmacists, and prescribers on how they can serve our overmedicated seniors by increasing your practice with referrals and a value-based, sustainable care model within your business.

Dr. Janan Sarwar

Pharmacist, Publisher

Janan is a dynamic publishing professional, pharmacist, mother, and entrepreneur. She is the CEO and founder of the company Global Bookshelves International, an independent publishing house focused on creating a more empathetic world. Inspired by her eldest daughter’s storytelling podcast for children, Salaam Storytime, Janan recognized the transformative power of stories in nurturing empathy from an early age. Through a diverse catalog of books, Janan and her team aim to break down barriers, celebrate cultural richness, and foster mutual understanding. Janan's profound inspiration, however, lies in her three incredible daughters, aged 4, 6, and 8, who infuse her daily life with boundless creativity and wonder. Drawing from her unique journey as a second-generation Bengali-American Muslim publisher, pharmacist, and parent, Janan will share insights and anecdotes that challenge traditional notions, urging us all to embrace diverse perspectives as a transformative force in our lives.

Dr. Serene Shereef

Trauma Surgeon

Serene Shereef is a trauma acute care surgeon, mom, and transformational life coach. After struggling with severe burnout, she found the tools to shift from being overwhelmed to deep connection and purpose by reconnecting to herself and creating clarity on her authentic self-identity. Her unique framework is a powerful integrated system that combines the energy of mindfulness, self-love, and self-compassion with the scientific principles of habit-building, time-design, life-by-design tools, and your unique systems of productivity. Ways to connect. IG: https://www.instagram.com/dr.serene YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbfWuH6MUzmqZuxGRK1Y0Gw LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/serene-shereef

Elisha Lopez

Realtor/Broker

Elisha Lopez, a highly accomplished Florida Real Estate Broker and Instructor, distinguished entrepreneur, devoted wife, and nurturing mother of three. With her Realty World franchise in Ocala, FL, she has built an exceptional reputation, locally and globally, recently earning the distinguished title of the best real estate business in Central Florida on WKMG CBS Orlando's esteemed show "The Best of Central Florida," hosted by Justin Clark and Makaila Nichols. Elisha, alongside her husband and the rest of her real estate team, has consistently demonstrated unparalleled expertise and outstanding leadership.

Gail Golden

Leadership Consultant

Gail Golden provides strategic advice and coaching to reveal what’s really going on, so business leaders can make rapid, accurate decisions to create breakthrough change. Drawing on her unique cross-background perspective, Gail helps senior business leaders, teams, and companies hit peak performance. As a licensed psychologist and an MBA-holding entrepreneur, Gail understands both the emotions and the economics successful business leaders must master. Her unique approach combines sports-influenced tactics of performance coaching with psychology-trained skills of empathy to bring the best out of businesses, leaders, and employees. Gail specializes in helping leaders handle rapid change, build high-performing teams, avoid burnout, plan for succession, and drive success.

Hatem N. Akil

Professor of English

Hatem N. Akil studies how humans see things – especially within cross-cultural settings. In his book, The Visual Divide, Dr. Akil uses critical theory to explain how almost everyone engages in some sort of visual bias: we don’t see – we either imagine or remember. Dr. Akil is a Professor of English at Valencia College in Orlando. As an interdisciplinary scholar and researcher, he teaches film production, cinema studies, digital humanities, literature, and visual culture. He taught at UCF, Middlebury College, AIU, Southern New Hampshire University, Seminole State College, and others. Dr. Akil earned his PhD in Texts and Technology from UCF in 2011. He also studied theater at UCLA and the Academy for Dramatic Arts in Damascus, Syria. He is the editor of the recent volume, Global Modernity: Coloniality to Pandemic. His other peer-reviewed publications include “Cinematic Terrorism”, “The Martyr’s Vision”, “The Missing Body”, and more.

Neeta Jain

Performance Coach

Neeta Jain is an Engineer turned Performance Coach and founder of Her Shakti LLC, a wellness empowerment platform dedicated to Immigrant women. Neeta completed her Master’s in Computer Science from the University of Delaware and worked as a technologist for 14 years until she found her passion in supporting ambitious women to shatter glass ceilings without breaking down their bodies and minds. She is a board-certified Health Coach (NBHWC) and a graduate of the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. Neeta has also worked with hundreds of women in numerous notable companies including Google, Amazon, and Facebook.

R.J. Jenkins

Director of Education

R.J. Jenkins is an educator, higher education administrator, and institutional consultant specializing in organizational capacity development and cultural transition. As Director of Education for the Columbia University Center for Veteran Transition and Integration, R.J. develops resources and programs that help thousands of veterans and active-duty service members each year achieve success in the college classroom and the civilian workforce. R.J. also works closely with private and public institutions nationwide to build more inclusive professional cultures and foster better communication and greater resilience among individuals and teams.

Tania Sayegh Bartolini

Attorney, Business Consultant

Tania Bartolini is an attorney, speaker, business coach consultant, and CEO of Business and Beyond, LLC: Your Guide to Greatness. She inspires and empowers entrepreneurs to create businesses that serve them and their clients, provide freedom and balance, and afford sustainability and security. She is an Arab-American and her vast travels and living abroad have given her insight into numerous cultures, which has translated into a deep appreciation for diversity and authenticity. She has been a litigator since 2004 and has conducted thousands of trials successfully. The majority of her practice is in the areas of business, contracts, and real estate. She is a firm believer in communication, cooperation, and collaboration.