Theme: Disruption: Create or Adapt

TEDxMelville’s Disruption: Create or Adapt event aims to explore the impact of disruption on society from the business owner to the consumer to the individual on areas and industries ranging from technology to art, food, environment and more. It’s about the speed of disruption and its emotional and psychological impact. It’s about the answers to important questions such as, “Is disruption a friend or foe?” Most importantly, TEDxMelville is about exploring disruption from the unique perspective of those who create it and those who adapt to it.

RXR Realty Conference Center
58 South Service Road
Melville, New York, 11746
United States

Bill Paolillo

Bill Paolillo is the President and Owner of The Alternative Board, Suffolk County, New York. Over the years, Bill has been involved in all aspects of running a business, from the tough early days of a startup right through to the sale of a successful business; helping companies go from losses to profit and dramatically grow sales and market share along the way. Bill believes the coolest thing you can do is share something with someone, have it make a positive impact on their business and that person’s life, and they pass it on.

Bill Strathmann

Bill Strathmann is a reformed management consultant turned social entrepreneur. As the CEO of Network for Good, the leading digital donation and online fundraising platform, he has led the distribution of more than $1 Billion to more than 100,000 charities. Bill transformed Network for Good from a nonprofit into a profitable social enterprise and then relaunched as a B-Corp with a $10M Private Equity investment. Bill’s passion is connecting money, business, and technology to unleash generosity and fuel solutions to society’s big problems.

Greg Ryan

Seasoned technology marketing and business development executive with over 20 years experience in marketing communications, product marketing, negotiating strategic alliances, creating partner/developer programs, and commercializing technology.

James Kies

James Kies, Founder of StageTally, is a battle hardened Agility Consultant that has a gift for helping companies improve quality, morale and profits. When James is not adding value to development teams or writing software himself he serves as a transformational leadership coach helping businesses with their scrum adoptions. James serves on the Presidents Advisory Counsel to the John C. Maxwell Team, is studying under Les Brown and is an avid Inventor, Edutainer and Father of 5 amazing children.

Jen Oleniczak

Jen Oleniczak is the founder of The Engaging Educator, a NYC-based organization that specializes in speech, improv, and movement workshops and professional developments. With The Engaging Educator, she’s held workshops for institutions throughout NYC and the US such as the Brooklyn Museum, MoMA, the Guggenheim Museum, New York Botanical Gardens, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, NYU, Indiana Historical Society, MFA Houston, Tenement Museum, The Franklin Institute, Bloomberg, UNICEF, Saks 5th Avenue and has also worked with individuals from countless others. Jen can also be found performing improv at the off-Broadway National Comedy Theatre.

Justin Lafazan

At 18, Justin is an experienced entrepreneur, consultant, speaker, and forthcoming author. He is the Founder and CEO of S4S College Advisory, a higher ed. consulting group, and Millennial Marketing Strategy, a full-service digital marketing agency. Justin deferred his admission to the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania to pursue his projects, and continue his mission of challenging the status quo through entrepreneurship.

Matt Israel

MATTHEW ISRAEL is an art historian, writer and educator based in New York City. Currently he is Curator at Large at Artsy, where he also serves as Director Emeritus & Advisor, The Art Genome Project. Matthew has written for various international art magazines as well as catalogues published by major galleries and museums. He has taught art history at New York University. Matthew's book, Kill for Peace, on American artists and the Vietnam War, was published in Fall 2013 by the University of Texas Press.

Nigel Brady

Experienced Java/.NET engineer with a passion for mobile (iOS/Android) and games development. A strong communicator and analytical problem-solver with a focused on scalable, well-designed solutions.

Tim Gomes

As an environmentalist and philanthropist , Tim Gomes has grown his business from a three-car garage into one of the largest independently owned Lamp and Conduit fitting manufacturers in the country. Among his many philanthropic interests, Tim is also a board member of The Brady Center to Reduce Gun Violence and a National Council member of The Environmental Defense Fund.