In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized (subject to certain rules and regulations).

Reitz Union
655 Reitz Union Dr
Second Floor- Grand Ballroom
Gainesville, Florida, 32603
United States

Chris Cyrille

BS in Information Technology and owner of Canopy Road Styling

Chris Cyrille holds a BS in Information Technology from The Florida State University. He currently works as a Strategy Analyst researching and analyzing industry trends to determine how to optimize business units. He has always seen the world as a myriad of different colors, shapes, & patterns. During his time in undergrad, he decided to dig into a family pastime: style and fashion. Today, he’s built a business of this past time, Canopy Road Styling, where he shares with others how he sees the world through fashion. Chris styles fashion shows throughout the Tampa region and was nominated as one of the Tampa Club’s 40 Under 40 members.

Christine Errico

Certified confidence and transformation coach for cleft-affected individuals and an advocate for cleft lip and palate awareness

Christine Errico is a certified confidence and transformation coach for cleft-affected individuals and an advocate for cleft lip and palate awareness and education. Born with a bilateral cleft lip and palate, Christine overcame numerous obstacles, surgeries, and bullying to get to where she is today. Drawing on her own experiences, she helps cleft-affected clients build self-confidence and acceptance. Christine has a Ph.D. in business administration with a specialization in accounting and is an accounting professor. She also owns multiple businesses and volunteers with Smile Train to help strengthen the cleft community in the United States. She recently traveled to Nairobi, Kenya to meet with cleft affected children and learn more about the work Smile Train does.

Daniela Blanco

Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering and CEO of Sunthetics

Daniela Blanco obtained her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from NYU and is the co-founder and CEO of Sunthetics. At Sunthetics, she develops ground-breaking machine-learning platforms that accelerate the development and implementation of sustainable chemical processes. Daniela has been named Forbes 30 Under 30 in Energy North America, Top Innovator Under 35 in Latin America by MIT Technology Review, Top Female Founder by Inc Magazine, Top Graduate Inventor by Lemelson-MIT, Global Student Entrepreneur Champion, and Brightest AI-CI Mind by the MIT Center for Collective Intelligence. Due to her vision of building a more sustainable chemical industry, she has been invited to speak at the 2019 International Entrepreneurial Summit for the Sustainable Development Goals at the United Nations.

E. Stanley Richardson

Poet Laureate of Alachua County and Founder and Director of ARTSPEAKSgnv

E. Stanley Richardson is a Florida-native poet, actor, playwright, social and political commentator, and lecturer. He is the inaugural Poet Laureate of Alachua County, Florida (2020–2022) and authored the award-winning book of poetry “Hip Hop Is Dead–Long Live Hip Hop: The Birth, Death And Resurrection Of Hip Hop Activism” (2017). He is an accomplished actor, having performed such roles as Troy in “Fences” by August Wilson, Big Daddy in “Cat On A Hot Tin Roof” by Tennessee Williams, and Frederick Douglas in “In Splendid Error” by William B. Branch. He is the Founder and Director of ARTSPEAKSgnv, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting youth literacy, creativity, and awareness through art activism. His work with young creatives continues as the Director of the Alachua County & North Central Florida Youth Poet Laureate Program.

Fernando Paz

Vice President of Software Engineering and serves on the National Board of Directors for the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers

Fernando Paz is Associate Vice President of Software Engineering, at Cox Automotive leading global teams responsible for innovative SaaS software and advanced analytics offering automotive dealers market insights and business intelligence. Previously, Mr. Paz held senior engineering positions at Dell and Motorola and has worked abroad in Penang, Malaysia, to establish a Software R&D Center of Excellence. Furthermore, Mr. Paz serves on the National Board of Directors for the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE). More importantly, Mr. Paz enjoys spending time with his wife, Carmen, and their three children, and occasionally can be heard DJing parties at his church. Mr. Paz holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and a Master of Engineering from the University of Florida.

Jennifer Dasher

Professional Costume Designer and owner of J.Dasher Creative

Jennifer Dasher is a professional Costume Designer and educator. She received her MFA from The University of Arizona and BFA from Texas Christian University. Jennifer is the owner of J.Dasher Creative, a creative studio that has produced designs for Cirque du Soleil, Paula Abdul, Glimmerglass Opera, and other Broadway and Off-Broadway works. She is a leader in the fusion of technology, costume, and storytelling; having successfully designed and integrated LED systems into costumes for a number of performances. Her work has been featured at annual United States Theatre Institute Conferences: as a winner of Tech Expo, Invited Exhibitor, and Panelist. As an educator, Jennifer's interest lies in empowering a diverse group of students with the tools to design their future post-graduation and change the face of the industry.

Piyush Jain

Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences/Chemistry, Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at UF, and co-founder of Genable Biosciences LLC.

Dr. Piyush Jain received his undergraduate degree in Pharmacy from Dr. H.S. Gour University in India. He then moved to the US and received an interdisciplinary Ph.D. degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences/Chemistry from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where he developed light-responsive tools to control drug delivery and biological processes. Dr. Jain completed his postdoctoral training at MIT, where he created the first light-responsive CRISPR/Cas system that was based on modifying the guide RNA. Currently, Dr. Jain is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at UF. His work has resulted in over 22 pending/issued patents including a successfully licensed technology. Dr. Jain has co-authored over 18 publications/manuscripts, been highlighted by over 10,000 websites, and co-founded a startup, Genable Biosciences LLC..