Theme: NEXT

Xperience redefining conservation, empowered women, and joy with our eclectic, connective approach — all centered on you and the women who are dedicated to taking care of their communities and places. Entertain yourself with these powerful talks, enlightening in-person play breaks and discover dynamic connections. All three hours will be packed with Xperiences to ignite your imagination and Xpand your mind, propelling you towards intentional, impactful action.

TEDxVailNEXT brings together professionals, emerging leaders, STEM innovators, artists of all kinds, social justice advocates, business leaders, health and wellness professionals, policymakers, culture shapers, authors, and more — all united in the desire to navigate what’s next and work towards global progress. Make friends that will last a lifetime, connections that will help unlock your full potential, and become part of a community that believes in the power of possibility. TEDxVailNEXT embraces diverse voices and fresh ideas to inspire the next generation of changemakers. Possibility meets action. Reconnect with your local community by inspiring play breaks in the tech check, snack break, and post-event local call-to-action conversations exchanging womb wisdom with your local leaders.

Learn more about how we take personal legacies of leadership forward. Outsmart the climate crisis by deep and active listening to the unique roles these women play in the climate movement. Discuss leadership, legacy and ways to make a lasting impact. Join us in shaping a future with boundless horizons and diverse perspectives working for a brighter, more just world.

ONLINE
Zoom
Vail, Colorado, 81657
United States

Ankita Shah

Executive Director of Bighnaharta Nepal

Ankita empowers women preventing climate impacts miItigating floods/atmospheric rivers. She asks: "How can we engage women of indigenous communities in environment conservation?" Using their indigenous knowledge/wisdom and transforming it to nature-based solutions. Ankita works with rural women in planting broom grasses to stabilize soil from erosion and provides women with income from making brooms and crafts.

Athanasie Mukabizimungu

Founder, Imbereheza Gahunga

Athanasie Mukabizimungu is the founder of Imbereheza Gahunga, a women-led cooperative in the foothills of Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park. Meaning “better future,” Imbereheza Gahunga collaborates with Wild Earth Allies to drive grassroots engagement benefiting people and endangered mountain gorillas. In 2022 they launched a loan fund to improve food security and financial resilience for Imbereheza Gahunga. In Athanasie’s community, women and children endure hours-long walks to collect water in the park. After experiencing this burden, Athanasie began training cooperative members to build household rainwater harvest tanks. Serving more than 5,400 people, this initiative improves health and sanitation, restores time for livelihood activities, increases school attendance, and reduces pressures on wildlife. Athanasie believes, “Women worldwide can protect nature and their families. All that is needed for positive change is one woman with an idea and the will to mobilize her community.”

Casey Rodgers

Philanthropic Advisor

Casey Rogers imagines a world where all can thrive and she has spent her 20+ year career advancing this idea through the philanthropic and social impact sectors. Casey has served as an advisor to nearly a dozen family foundations, particularly on including the next gen within family philanthropy. In partnership with Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi, Casey launched The Ellen Fund, which deployed $11 million to support global conservation efforts for endangered species. Casey served as an early thought partner to Zainab Salbi in the formation of Daughters for Earth, a fund and movement supporting women-led climate action, and Casey now serves as Chief Mobilizing Officer for Daughters for Earth. Casey believes deeply in the power of storytelling and co-produced the "Uncharitable," advocating for reforms in the charitable sector and based on the work of Dan Pallotta; consulted on Discovery's Ellen's Next Act, showcasing Ellen DeGeneres' efforts championing gorilla conservation.

Ceci Zak

Purposeful 3rd 3rd Advisor

A former Global Healthcare Executive, Ceci Zak has spent most of her life focused on mentoring, supporting and coaching women to identify and reach their greatest potential. An inspiring, passionate and engaging problem solver, she has encountered many lifequakes that have helped her uncover and explore her authenticity, as well as redefine what she wants out of life. Gaining wisdom and knowledge on her odyssey has energized her passion and purpose, enhancing how she serves others. This has resulted in her quest to redefine the 3rdTHIRD of life and help individuals transition and create their best years. Ceci has spent most of her career in large Corporate Enterprises, running muli-billion-dollar global businesses in pharmaceuticals and advertising. Gaining wisdom and knowledge on her own odyssey, she's energized her passion of redefinimg the 3rdTHIRD of life creating her best years.

Isabella Cortes Lara

Co-founder and Executive Director of Women for Conservation

Isabella is a sexual abuse survivor & healing Xpresses herself beyond the trauma of her link between SRHS and conservation. She asks, "How can we empower women to save nature through a holistic approach?"

Jacqueline and Kristine Farmer and Obame

Founder

Female gaze "Nature Thru Her Eyes" film festival, Jacqueline serves Jackson WILD Board, female perspective, Film: Living with Lions" Jacqueline is on the Board of the Jackson Wild Film festival. Her talk features Eric Rugabandana who is film producer of Living With Lions in Tanzania.

Janet Nguyen

Senior Vice President, Planet Women 100 Woman Pathway Project

Janet asks, "Can we stop the loss of diverse female leadership in the environmental movement?" She works to reverse the heavy toll of feminine bias with unique female-centered leadership development. Janet focuses on identifying and advancing senior-level female and minority talent into important environmental leadership positions and creating an innovative, compassionate, anti-racist, and more equitable work culture.

Kahea Pacheco

"Kahea Pacheco (Kanaka 'Ōiwi) (Hawaii) Co-Executive Director of Women’s Earth Alliance

Kahea wonders, "How do we design efficient, effective and long-lasting solutions to the climate crisis?" By holistically investing in Indigenous- and women-led groups working for, with, and at the grassroots.

Kayce Anderson

Founder & CEO, For the Good

Kayce is an ecologist and humanitarian who works in the space between girls’ education and conservation. She asks, "How can girls' education improve humanity’s well being and our relationship with the planet?" She believes we need more women in the global south to be equipped and emboldened through education to drive their own lives and share in household decision-making. For the Good works with communities in southern Kenya to build schools and send their daughters to school.

Nyaradzo Hoto

Former Sargeant of the Akashinga in ZImbabwe

900 woman anti-poaching squad were led by Nyaradzo. She asks, "How can we turn threatened ecosystems into social impact machines for global benefit?" Unleashing the power of women in conservation ignites social transformation and scalability. Akashingas have reduced poaching of elephants and rhino by 80%. Winner of the RANGER AWARDS 2021! Also see Akashinga film! https://films.nationalgeographic.com/akashinga

Rebecca Kormos

Author

Rebecca intertwines nature of women in nature. She wonders, "What is one critical social construct that must be dismantled in order for any climate change solution to be effective and sustainable?" She believes patriarchy is bad for men, women, and the planet. She makes a powerful argument that greater inclusion of women in conservation and climate science is key to the future of the planet

Sara Inez

Indigenous Columbian Amazonian Artist & Co-founder and Executive Director of Women for Conservation

As a sexual abuse survivor & healing, Sara Xpresses herself beyond the trauma of her link between SRHS and conservation. She asks, "How can we empower women to save nature through a holistic approach?"

Zainab Salbi

NGO founder of Women for Women International and Daughters for Earth

Zainab asks, "Can we afford more wars in the midst of the climate crisis?" Wars and climate change are often seen as two separate things dealt with by two different mindsets. However, as someone who has worked in both wars and the climate change space, she argues that the two are interconnected. We can’t address climate change without fundamentally revisiting our relationships to conflict and the impact of wars on climate change. Time 100 impact award! Check out her previous TED Talk.