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).

Vero Beach
Vero Beach
Vero Beach, Florida, 32960
United States

Annie Meehan

Pineapple Person

Annie Meehan is a National Speakers Association (NSA) member and past president of the NSA’s Minnesota chapter. She has earned the highest distinction as a CSP- Certified Speaking professional. Annie Meehan is the author of five motivational books, including her award-winning “Be The Exception.” Her latest book, “Pineapple Principle,” offers hospitality a sweet journey to empowerment. Today her passion is to share H3 Cultures with companies to create a Healthy, Hopeful, and Happy workplace that retains an engaged workforce! Meehan has three adult children, and she lives in Fort Myers Beach, FL with her husband and two dogs. She loves volunteering in the community, traveling with family, and walking (or being walked) with Peanut and Leo.

Barbara Hammond

She has a B.A. in Economics from Williams College and a Masters in Public and Private Management from Yale University. Barbara was a former consultant with Bain and Company in Boston and The Director of Strategic Planning for Shawmut Corporation in Boston. She now resides in Vero Beach, Florida, and is the mother of two boys who has struggled with some learning challenges. Prior to starting The Learning Alliance, Barbara was Chairman of the Board of the Mental Health Association in Vero Beach where she spent 10 years helping the organization develop its strategic planning and fundraising activities. Barbara is the CEO and co-founder of The Learning Alliance, a nonprofit focused on transforming children’s lives through literacy in Indian River County Florida. Their work on community transformation, summer and afterschool programs for struggling readers, and teacher training has been recognized nationally by the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading and PBS.

Eve Kyomya Vendryes

Born in Uganda, East Africa in 1973, toward the end of what some have written and spoken about as IdiAmin’s “reign of terror,” Eve Kyomya Vendryes can still recall what it was like living in a country suffering the impact of war. When she was about eight years old, Eve’s father was accepted into graduate school in neighboring Kenya, where the family lived for three years. At 11 the family moved again, this time to Dallas, Texas, where her father continued his education. After six years, they returned to Kenya, where Eve completed secondary school in that nation’s capital, Nairobi. Eve is the eldest of six: two sisters and two brothers (along with her parents) live and work in Uganda; another sister lives in Atlanta, Georgia. Eve now resides in Vero Beach, Florida with her husband, Andre Vendryes, a family physician. Together, they are raising four children – a daughter finishing high school, two daughters in the ninth grade, and a son in fifth grade. Eve and Andre also have two adult sons, who are themselves married, with children of their own. Living cross-culturally has characterized Eve’s life, as well as her work. Her professional background includes having worked in southern Sudan, helping to deliver humanitarian assistance; serving refugee families while employed with the International Rescue Committee; working in resource development at Southern Methodist University, Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity, and, currently, Indian River Habitat for Humanity. Eve holds a bachelor’s degree in business and accounting from John Brown University, Siloam Springs, Arkansas; and a Master of Arts degree in Sustainable Leadership, Development, and Management from the School for International Training Graduate Institute in Brattleboro, Vermont. As is common among Africans, Eve speaks several languages. While Eve’s life has borne much fruit in the United States, the essence of who is she will be always be rooted in Uganda, Africa.

Jason Conklin

Jason Conklin is a Pennsylvania native who previously worked for Adobe, served ten years in the US Coast Guard taking him to more than 17 countries, and lived in five different states over the course of his tenure landing him finally in Colorado where he went on to work for Raytheon. After meeting his wife Kate in Colorado Springs, they both moved to the Space Coast of Florida in 2015 and Jason established his business in Vero Beach later that year. Jason’s career has always followed two distinct paths. On the one hand, he has been involved in a range of fields of research spanning biochemistry, climatology, and aerospace while on the other, looking to apply that research in a commercial and humanitarian context. Jason completed his first degree in Biosphere Sustainability which examined the link between the complexity and full range of modern sciences and the growing need for applying them successfully within communities. As a polymath, combined with a successive string of breakthrough projects, they have served to galvanize his interest in diplomacy at all levels from local communities to international collaboration. To continue his efforts, Jason is a member of Rotary International working on a global grant to bring solar-powered well pumps to communities in Sub-Saharan Africa. In addition to this, he is working to deliver environmental solutions to several other targeted countries of need in South and Central America. Jason is also endeavoring to create new low energy solutions that provide basic appliances and computing to populations, not in reach of a stable power grid.

Jeff Pickering

When he is not surfing, Jeffrey R. Pickering is President and CEO of the Indian River Community Foundation in Vero Beach, Florida. Mr. Pickering has more than 25 years of experience in philanthropy, nonprofit leadership, and fundraising, including five years as President and CEO of Kern Community Foundation in Bakersfield, California, and four years as Vice President at the Community Foundation of Central Florida. Prior to entering the community foundation field, Mr. Pickering served for 10 years in leadership roles at two nonprofit respite centers in Chicago, Illinois, and Orlando, Florida that provided residential medical recovery for ill and injured homeless adults discharged from area hospitals. Mr. Pickering holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and Spanish from the University of South Florida, a master’s degree in leadership studies from the School of Leadership and Education Sciences at the University of San Diego, a certificate in business administration from the Roy E. Crummer Graduate School of Business at Rollins College and attended Stanford University’s Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (“d.school”). Mr. Pickering is an alumnus of the Vincentian Service Corps, where he served for one year after graduation from college as a lay missioner working among homeless men and women in New York City. In 2016, Mr. Pickering was honored to be selected for the CFLeads Executive Leadership Institute for Community Foundation CEOs, and he currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Indian River Estate Planning Council and is Chairman of the Community Foundations of Florida. Mr. Pickering is married to Stephanie Brooks Pickering of Palm Springs, California. The Pickerings have three children, Colin, Olivia, and Grant.

Kristina Pernfors

Kristina Pernfors, a native of Sweden, was born with the style and design gene embedded in her DNA. She is the CEO & Owner of Aesthetics & Style which specializes in delivering the total image experience, from how you look, to how you live. Her company services are focused on the areas of interior design, and image consulting. Kristina has been featured on numerous podcasts and multiple times on the nationally syndicated TV show “The List” where she shares image and interior style tips. When she is not busy creating image experiences for her clients, Kristina spends her time instructing Body Pump, running, and cooking. She’s also a board member for the Sally Wilkey Foundation and volunteers with organizations like The March of Dimes and Healthy Start Coalition through participation in Dancing With Vero’s Stars. And most importantly, enjoying life with her husband Mikael, son Figge, daughter Bella, and Frenchie pooch Georgia.

Lisa Giessert

Lisa Giessert has lived the majority of her 62 years in Vero Beach, Florida, moving her family from Buffalo, New York in 1981 at 23 years old. She has been married to her husband Michael for 43 years, has two adult children, Rachel Halbfinger (41) and Richard Giessert (39), and three grandchildren, Jonathan Giessert (12), Friedrich (6), and Lillian (4) Halbfinger. Lisa has an MBA from Nova Southeastern University, and prior to her retirement in 2016, worked as an Executive at Piper Aircraft, Inc., as the Head of Sales Administration, Customer Support, and Dealer Development. She managed all of the aftermarket parts and customer support through the worldwide aircraft dealer organization, as well as administration of all aircraft sales and dealer contracts. Lisa traveled the world extensively in her 23 years at Piper Aircraft, Inc., from Singapore to numerous places in Europe, and almost every state in the US. She is an Ovarian Cancer survivor and is currently undergoing maintenance treatments to keep her cancer at bay. After her original diagnosis in 2014 and her reoccurrence in 2016, she has changed her lifestyle, focusing more on herself, her family, and friends, traveling the world for fun and enjoyment instead of work, crossing many items off her “bucket list”, and removing negativity from her life. Her favorite quote is by Dr. Dean Ornish, “It’s not about fear of dying but the joy of living.”

Miriam Ismail

Miriam Ismail is a Professional Development & Self Improvement Coach whose mission is to help people become the BEST versions of themselves. She’s an Entrepreneur, a Published Author, a Speaker, an Instructor and has created and developed many courses. Having resided in many different parts of the world; England, West Africa, Middle East & United States, and through her extensive traveling and exposure to various cultures, languages, and mindsets, Miriam developed a deeper and better understanding of people and has a very diversified approach to helping individuals reach their maximum potential. Academically, she has a BS in Computer Science, a Master’s in Finance, and studied 3 years of the Ph.D. Program in Finance. She was a Finance College Professor and worked in Fortune 500 investment firms in the Finance Industry. After many years in the Finance Industry, Miriam realized that her passion is not just the financial well-being of her clients but rather the well-being of their mind, body, and soul and that’s when she ventured into the world of Energy Healing and Coaching. She got Certified in “Leadership Strategies Coaching” from Harvard and became a Certified Practitioner in Meditation, Reiki Energy Healer/Master, Hypnotherapy, Self-Hypnosis, EFT/TFT Tapping, Naturopathy, Crystal Healing, Time Management & Emotional Intelligence. The combination of her background, experience, and knowledge enabled her to create profound workshops and courses. She is the Founder & CEO of Precious Time L.L.C and has created and developed her Signature Series, ” Time Flies. Learn to be the BEST Pilot You Can” which consists of courses, workshops, tutorials and YouTube Videos and is geared towards enhancing time management skills. Other workshops topics that Miriam has created and developed are: Meditation Made Easy, Meditation & Healthy Living, Energy Healing & its Effect on Time Management Skills, Self-Hypnosis & Reprogramming Your Mindset.

Patrice Bowes

Medical Massage Therapist

The first clue to my future profession came from a young age. Studying Native American Culture and learning about their connection to mind, body, and spirit. Through adventures come injuries. I sought chiropractic care for running injuries. This was my first taste of what “other doctors” could do. After working for various doctors in “traditional medicine” as an M.A., phlebotomist, EKG tech, and office manager for several years I really realized there was more to medicine than just pills – that was an eye-opener! People were getting sicker from the “fix” than from the original symptoms. Very few were making that connection of mind and body. Even less were looking at the “root” of the issue.

Richard Gallegos

Ultra Runner

Richard Gallegos was born and raised in Orlando Florida. After working as a paramedic in the emergency medical field for 10 years and struggling with PTSD, Depression, Anxiety, and Substance Abuse Disorder, Richard found his sobriety through the help of running ultra distances. Richard currently works as the Lead Intake Coordinator for a National Substance Abuse and Mental Health facility that solely focuses on treatment for Firefighters, Paramedics, and EMTs. Since his first 100-mile ultra marathon in May 2019 he has completed eleven 100 mile runs and one 200 mile run across the state of Florida. When he is not spending time with his wife and daughter, you can find him running through Florida trails and swamps.