Theme: My Story

TEDxArlingtonHS is ready to open the minds of the youth and community of Arlington, TN! Packed with speakers sharing the ideas they have learned from their lives, or their "Stories", it is sure to produce some great discussion!

Arlington High School Mark E. Collins Theater
5475 Airline Rd
ARLINGTON, Tennessee, 38002
United States

Brandon Gibson

Judge Brandon Gibson is one of the twelve members of the Tennessee Court of Appeals. She graduated from Mississippi State University with a Bachelor of Science and a Masters in Agribusiness Management. She graduated from Southern Methodist University School of Law.

Frankie Dakin

Frankie leads multiple education and economic development initiatives at New Memphis- an organization focused on forging a more prosperous and vital new Memphis by attracting, developing, and retaining talent. He grew up in Millington, Tennessee where he has served as an elected Alderman since first elected during his sophomore year at Rhodes College. He graduated from Rhodes College in 2014 with a degree in Political Economy and Public Policy, where he was recognized for his undergraduate research in Political Economy and recipient of the 2013 Harry S. Truman Scholarship winner, a highly competitive and prestigious federal fellowship granted for demonstrated leadership potential and a commitment to public service. Frankie is passionate about the intersection of education, civic engagement, and economic development and has experience in developing and managing programs in those areas. While serving as an intern coordinator for BRIDGES, Frankie helped develop the curriculum for a youth-led, civic internship program known as Bridgebuilder’s Change. He has also worked as a field organizer for The Can Kicks Back and Research Associate Agenda for Generational Equity, both Bi-partisan, Washington DC based millennial-led, advocacy organizations. Frankie currently serves as Board Chair of LITE (Let’s Innovate through Education) a non-profit that empowers Black and Latinx, Memphis area high school students from low income backgrounds to launch business ideas through entrepreneurial curriculum, seed investment, and mentor matching. He also serves on the Greater Memphis Chamber Young Professional Executive Committee (SoundCheck), Millington Industrial Development Board, Millington Public Library Board, and the National Civil Rights Museum Emerging Leader Advisory Council. Frankie believes that talent attraction and retention is key to building thriving communities and economies; and is grateful to be working in that field.

Grace Burgess

Miss Tennessee 2016 speaks to the perceptions and obstacles that young teens face.

Jason Clark

Jason Clark is the Executive Director of The Tennessee Mass Choir. He’s an award winning, GRAMMY nominated music producer and musician that’s known to be one of the more diverse music producers, arrangers, music directors and keyboardists in the music industry. Jason began his professional music career in 1990 at the age of 16. In 1999, he made his music production debut producing The University of Mississippi Gospel Choir’s debut release, “Send Up the Praise.” Not only did that production win numerous awards, the choir was signed to one of the largest indie record labels in the United States, Malaco Records and was nominated for a GRAMMY award. Working in the music industry for over 25 years now, he holds credits as producer, co-producer, arranger, music director, choir director and/or musician with national recording artists such as Kirk Whalum, St. Paul and the Broken Bones, Ana Popovic, Vanessa Amorosi, Martina McBride, Foreigner along with countless others. Jason has also produced music for stage plays, soundtracks and commercials for major corporations such as McDonalds and Hilton Corporation making him one of the more sought after music producers and arrangers in the mid-south.

LaVincent Hardy

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Lawrence Matthews

Born in Memphis, TN in 1991, Lawrence Matthews III came from a family who encouraged him to be an artist from a young age. Being raised in a racially tense environment his experiences and interests manifested themselves in his visual art. Matthews graduated from Germantown High School in 2009. After experimenting with different styles and influences, Matthews came into his own creating visual art combining Post Modernist, Pop Art, and contemporary influences to tell the story of the African Descendant living in America. His work ranges from oil paintings, to collage, photography, and ready-made sculpture, to music and film. Musically Matthews’s style incorporates hip-hop, alternative rock and electronic music resulting in emotionally vulnerable storytelling and eclectic production. A recent recipient of a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Memphis, he has shown work in multiple group exhibitions around the mid-south. He was awarded “Best of Show” in the University’s 31 st Annual Juried Student Exhibition in 2014. He also was awarded the Deans Creative Achievement Award and Department of Art Creative Achievement Award in 2015. In 2016 he was awarded the Arts Accelerator Grant from Arts Memphis. Matthews has had many solo exhibitions spanning painting, photography, and installation including performances and exhibitions with the Brooks and Civil Rights Museum.

Leslie Smith

I was born in Detroit during the civil uprisings of 1967 in the heat of the summer. Neither of my parents had high school diplomas but both of them worked hard, and we grew up in a middle-class home on the east side of Detroit. My mother was an accountant and my father, a machinist. We learned the value of hard-work, and the importance of education. My biological mother died when I was 10, and my father immediately remarried. We moved to a small city just outside of Detroit, and merged two families into one. As planned, I was the first of our family to attend and finish college. How long it took to do that is an interesting part of my journey. I was married, and had a child. My first husband died. I've remarried, now have three children and a beautiful life in Memphis. Professionally, I've done a lot, mostly making deals. From banking, to commercial real estate, to economic development, my goal is to help folks imagine and close a deal that works for all sides. In Memphis, I do that with entrepreneurs. Together, we're trying to grow a just, inclusive and thriving community.

Terence Patterson

Since 2015, Terence Patterson has served as President and CEO of the Downtown Memphis Commission, the official partnership between local government and the private business community charged with advancing Memphis and Shelby County by making Downtown Memphis a better place to live, work, play and invest. The organization and its affiliate entities exist to capitalize on Downtown's role as the economic, cultural, and governmental heart of the city and county. He holds a degree in government from Harvard University, where he made the dean's list and he was two-time All-Ivy League football player and graduated as the school’s All-Time Reception Leader. He also holds an MBA and law degree, both from Northwestern University in Chicago. Patterson has worked as Senior Financial Analyst for The Walt Disney Company, as an Attorney for the prestigious firm Kirkland & Ellis in Chicago, and as Deputy Chief of Staff & Interim Executive Officer of New Schools for the Chicago Public School system. In 2011, Patterson relocated to his hometown of Memphis to serve as Education Program Director for the Hyde Family Foundation. In the role, he co-created and managed the startup of multi-million dollar initiatives and investment for local K-12 Education Transformation in schools, talent pipelines and advocacy. Patterson, a committed and engaged civic leader, is Board Member for The Memphis Education Fund, The First Tee of Memphis, Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau, Memphis Medical District Collaborative, and Memphis Riverfront Development Corporation. He also serves as Trustee for The New Memphis Institute. He is a proud Life Member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated.