Theme: The Overlap

Join us at TEDxJacksonville’s 2024 conference, The Overlap, on November 16 at UNF’s Lazzara Performance Hall. Featuring national and local thought leaders in fields like AI, healthcare, behavioral economics, and placemaking, this event promises a day of transformative talks, stirring performances, and meaningful connections.

Don’t miss the chance to hear from a diverse range of thinkers, changemakers, and trailblazers like Future Caucus‘s Layla Zaidane, Afrofuturist Robert Jackson, activist Desmond Meade, and Colonel Eries Mentzer, the first Black woman to command Maxwell Air Force Base. With interactive experiences, networking opportunities, and a session inspired by the TED Democracy Initiative, it’s a must-attend event for those seeking fresh perspectives and breakthrough solutions. Get your ticket today and be part of a conversation that goes beyond limitations, beyond labels, to imagine a more dynamic future — because the next big thing starts with us.

University of North Florida - Lazzara Performance Hall
1 UNF Dr.
Lazzara Performance Hall
Jacksonville, Florida, 32224
United States

Aishwarya Reganti

AI Researcher

As an AI researcher and tech lead at Amazon, Aishwarya Reganti is a highly recognized industry expert at the forefront of AI and social media. Her work, which includes over 30 research papers published in collaboration with top universities such as Stanford and the University of Michigan, focuses on social media aggression, fake news detection, fact verification, and meme interpretation. Aishwarya's thought leadership is evident in her frequent invitations to speak at industry and academic conferences. She also shares her expertise as a guest lecturer on AI topics at institutions like MIT and Oxford.

Colonel Eries Mentzer

Status Quo Challenger

Eries Mentzer is an Air Force Veteran with over 25 years of military service. A wife, mother, and Status Quo Challenger, she has persisted as often the first, only, or one of the few Black or female leaders in her formations. She is among an elite collective of military officers trusted to lead an American military base, securing the Freedom to Serve for more than 42,000 active duty, guard, reserve, civilian, and military families at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama, while leading a three-county, 12-city region with more than $2.1 billion in economic impact. Her passion for securing more Freedom To Serve led her to find and implement more inclusive policies and practices to excite today’s generations to join or stay in the military. An executive leader and strategic advisor, Eries works to identify barriers to service and ensure pride for the past doesn’t impact preparedness for the future.

Daniel Stone, PhD

Behavioral Economist

Dan Stone is Associate Professor and chair of the Economics department at Bowdoin College and author of Undue Hate (MIT Press, 2023). He is also an advisor to anti-polarization organizations, such as Starts With Us, Braver Angels, and More Like Us. Stone has taught microeconomics and behavioral economics at Bowdoin and Oregon State since 2008, and his research is on polarization, biases in beliefs, media, sports, and socially responsible capitalism. He has also served with Americorps, worked for the consulting company Novantas, and coached youth baseball, basketball, and soccer. Originally from Charlottesville, VA, Stone lives in Brunswick, Maine, with his spouse and two children.

Desmond Meade

Activist

Desmond Meade is a formerly homeless returning citizen who overcame many obstacles to eventually become the President of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition (FRRC), Chair of Floridians for a Fair Democracy, a graduate of Florida International University College of Law, a Ford Global Fellow, and a 2021 MacArthur “Genius” Fellow. Desmond Meade Executive Director As President and Executive Director of FRRC, which is recognized for its work on voting and criminal justice reform issues, Desmond led the FRRC to a historic victory in 2018 with the successful passage of Amendment 4, a grassroots citizen’s initiative which restored voting rights to over 1.4 million Floridians with past felony convictions. Amendment 4 represented the single largest expansion of voting rights in the United States in half a century and brought an end to 150 years of a Jim Crow-era law in Florida.

Dr. Luyi Kathy Zhang

Deathbed Alchemist

Dr. Luyi Kathy Zhang is a hospice and palliative care physician. She has comforted thousands of dying patients and held space for their deepest secrets, biggest regrets, and final wishes. She’s made it her mission to share these life-changing insights so people can benefit from deathbed wisdom. Dr. Zhang also uses her coaching expertise to share practical, neuroscience-based steps to empower people to transform their lives without the pain and suffering of facing one’s mortality. She hopes that death will no longer be feared, but rather embraced as the catalyst for an extraordinary life.

Dr. Matthew Thompson

Physician Innovator & Virtualist

Dr. Matthew Thompson is an emergency physician, telehealth innovator, and the co-founder/CEO of Telescope Health, a national virtual healthcare, analytics, and technology company that removes barriers to care. He and Telescope Health have been recipients of multiple awards, including Tech Leader of the Year, AWS Health Equity Innovation Grant, and JBJ Community Impact Award. Thompson currently partners with many Jacksonville non-profit organizations to improve access to care in at-risk populations. He is an optimist and problem solver who helped the City of Jacksonville provide testing and virtual care for 45,000 members of the NE Florida community during the pandemic.

Dr. Moain Abu Dabrh

Medical Humanist

Dr. Moain Abu Dabrh is a researcher, physician-coach, and educator known for his work in Well-being and Health Services research. Originally from Tripoli, Libya, he completed his medical degree there and specialized in Internal Medicine and Geriatrics. He pursued further education in the United States, including research fellowships at New York University and a Master's in Clinical and Translational Research from Tufts University School of Medicine. Currently working at Mayo Clinic Florida, Dr. Abu Dabrh's research is dedicated to improving the lives and well-being of all persons, especially those living with chronic or complex conditions.

Kady Yellow

Social Architect & Tactical Urbanist

Kady Yellow is the Senior Director of Placemaking and Events for Downtown Vision, bringing a decade of experience in creative placemaking and community-building expertise from her work in New Orleans, California, Alaska, New York, and Western Europe. She holds a master's degree in Arts Administration from the University of New Orleans and dual bachelor's degrees in Graphic Design and Mathematical Sciences from Binghamton University. Yellow is known for her work in civic entrepreneurship and the creative economy, and specializes in "making public space(s) more public" by leading projects throughout the United States, Ireland, Portugal, and Spain. She has received special training from Federal Resources for Creative Community Development, City Repair Project, National Endowment for the Arts, and Project for Public Spaces, and has authored a book on urban art.

Layla Zaidane

Optimistic Democracy Realist

Layla Zaidane is the President and CEO of Future Caucus, the largest nonpartisan organization of young lawmakers in the U.S. The organization equips over 1,800 Millennial and Gen Z elected leaders to scale a healthy culture of democracy. Layla is a nationally recognized youth engagement expert and has been featured in Forbes, Teen Vogue, The New York Times, and more. She previously served as the Managing Director for Generation Progress, where she led key youth advocacy campaigns. Layla holds a BSFS in international politics from Georgetown University and is an Aspen Civil Society Fellow in the Aspen Global Leadership Network.

Nicole Snell

Global Adventurer & Personal Safety Expert

Nicole Snell, an award-winning international speaker, trainer, and self-defense expert, specializes in gender-based violence prevention and empowerment. As the CEO of Girls Fight Back & Empowered Journeys and the Founder of Outdoor Defense, Nicole's work has been recognized globally. Her extensive work with universities, Fortune 500 companies, and every branch of the US Military at hundreds of installations internationally is a testament to her expertise and experience. Since 2001, Nicole and her company have trained millions of people worldwide. Nicole's groundbreaking work in outdoor safety has been featured in various media publications and over 40 podcasts. She is not just a well-traveled solo adventurer, but also a committed advocate for ending violence everywhere.

Robert Jackson

Afrofuturist

Robert Jackson, an Afrofuturist and entrepreneur, is not just working to create more equitable systems for black and women-owned businesses. He is doing so with a unique approach, building data activations and systems that sustain community impact businesses nationwide. Since the launch of Cypher in 2021, Jackson has helped his clients acquire $1.2 million in grant revenue for black- and women-owned businesses. His belief in emergent strategies that intersect progress with recovery and healing is a testament to his innovative thinking.