Theme: Rewriting the Future

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).

Virtual Event
Virtual Event
Virtual Event, New Jersey, Virtual Event
United States

Alice Y Liu

Professor, Researcher and Educator

Dr. Liu is a Professor at Rutgers University, where her current research focuses on understanding the pathogenic mechanisms of Huntington’s disease. She also teaches undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral students. Dr. Liu strives to bestow in her students the merits of curiosity, drive, and humility in learning, and the joy of scientific discovery. Prior to her tenure at Rutgers, Dr. Liu spent seven years on the faculty of Harvard Medical School. She began her career at Yale Medical School as a postdoctoral fellow working under Dr. Paul Greengard, an American neuroscientist awarded the Nobel Prize in 2000. Dr. Liu’s work over the decades is published in many scientific journals and books, and she served on grant review panels for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), American Cancer Society, and the American Heart Association. In her spare time, Dr. Liu enjoys the companionship of her family and friends, and spending time outdoors.

Alicia Angel

Songwriter, Artist and Activist

Alicia Angel is a New York City based songwriter, singer, visual artist, and activist. She has co-written over 35 songs for Emmy nominated and award winning hit preschool shows including Nickelodeon’s “Dora the Explorer" and "Dora and Friends: Into the City" as well as songs for “Sesame Street,” Sesame Studios, and Universal Kids’ “Snug’s House.” She has written songs for artists in China and Taiwan via Universal Music Publishing Group, including the song “Girls” performed by Rainie Yang and Cyndi Wang. Alicia’s paintings have been exhibited in NYC art galleries. She’s used her music and art to raise awareness of, and money for, domestic violence, female genital mutilation, Myasthenia Gravis, and COVID-19.

Beatriz Wawra

Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Advocate

Beatriz Wawra is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) and mental health therapist in New Jersey. With over fifteen years of experience, she has worked with children and families experiencing difficulties due to depression, anxiety, trauma, anger, stress management and mood disorders. Her good-humor and carefree personality creates a safe, therapeutic atmosphere where clients feel at ease to explore, understand and move forward with confidence and determination. Beatriz helps them gain a greater understanding in how their thought patterns and limiting beliefs stops them from being their best self. Beatriz integrates various modalities such as solution focused, cognitive behavior and spirituality with the purpose to create the most ideal situation for growth and healing. Her professional background includes leadership in social movements, policy, advocacy, and community organization. Beatriz enjoys spending time with family, her dog Milo, friends, traveling, volunteering and dancing.

Busie Matsiko-Andan

Advocate and Entrepreneur

Busie Matsiko-Andan is an award-winning Global Strategist and serial Entrepreneur. A master of personal and professional reinvention, Busie combines savvy business acumen, an ability to cultivate strategic partnerships and manifests powerful ideas from concept to reality. One of the most influential people of African Descent, she believes in selflessly helping others reveal their true potential. She co-founded one of the first fashion-technology companies, Fashion Indie, is the founder and CEO of Pont Global and the creator of RESET. Busie’s work has been featured in Businessweek, Forbes, Fortune, New York Post, Daily News, Timeout New York, Women’s Wear Daily and several international publications. Busie’s proudest job is being Mom to three daughters, serving as a mentor supporting the evolving dynamic of women-Mothers seeking to return to the workforce, choosing to stay home, working from home, working outside the home, or returning to a different industry altogether.

Chelsea Phillips Tafoya

HOST

Chelsea Phillips Tafoya is a high-spirited, award winning Producer and On-camera Talent, leading over 500 productions. With brands like AT&T, Home Depot, Porsche, and Coca Cola, notable moments include sporting All Star Shaquille O’Neal and NFL MVP Cam Newton, music legends from Ludacris to Stevie Wonder, and onscreen icon, the late Chadwick Boseman. Tafoya is even secret service approved, working with former President Jimmy Carter. As Producer & Red Carpet Host, Tafoya represented the American Cancer Society Super Bowl Gospel Campaign garnering over 1.5 million online impressions. Tafoya accomplished 50+ hours LIVE, hosting Georgia Public Broadcasting’s Football Fridays, including consecutive days of 9 hour live on-air championships from the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. 2020 featured Tafoya in two DOVE My Hair My Way national commercials, highlighting The CROWN Act. And Tafoya’s recent interview with Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms as Producer of Glamour Magazine’s Women of the Year.

Courtney G. Smith

Film Producer and Health Advocate

Courtney G. Smith is an award-winning film producer turned Reiki Master who discovered that going with the flow has proven to be her best recipe for life. After graduating undergrad, Courtney was diagnosed with the autoimmune disease myasthenia gravis in April 2001. Courtney had a thymectomy on September 11, 2001 to force the MG into remission. When the disease did not go into remission, Courtney went on her own healing journey that blossomed into her helping people enhance their wellbeing. In 2006, Courtney produced the award-winning documentary Beauty Does Lie: The Untold Stories of Autoimmune Diseases. The film features seven women with five different autoimmune diseases. Courtney is a certified Reiki Master and Teacher. She finds great joy helping her clients and students along their healing journeys. Courtney holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication from Michigan State University. She is a former spokesperson for the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association.

Daniela Larsson

Writer, Editor, Activist and Advocate

Daniela is an editor, writer, political activist, explorer and marketing specialist. She passionately advocates for positive innovation in communities and inspires others to promote change. After graduating with a bachelors degree in environmental studies, she began working as a marketing consultant with sustainable and eco-friendly companies. Daniela has also worked for multiple political campaigns and as a freelance editor and writer. She is currently working towards her masters in sustainable development. She is also writing her first collection of essays about her journey with anxiety disorders to empower and encourage others to break stigmas surrounding mental health. When she’s not working, Daniela can be found in the kitchen baking treats for her family and friends.

Dawn Warner

Health Advocate and Entrepreneur

Dawn has been an advocate for people diagnosed with Myasthernia Gravis for over 15 years. Dawn is the founder of the Myasthenia Gravis Holistic Society Inc, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the health and wellness of people diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis and other chronic diseases. She hosts a support group for minorities with Myasthenia Gravis. When Dawn was unable work full-time due to the affects of Myasthenia Gravis, she did what many entrepreneurs have done: she turned her pain into a passion. She invested in a Dream Vacations franchise and named it The Travel Cure. Her travel franchise includes international travel for LGBTQI, special needs and minority clients. Dawn has been featured in several magazine articles including: Brain & Life, Black Enterprise and Recommend travel magazine. Dawn is also passionate about helping others as a racial and LGBTQI equality activist. In her free time she enjoys her family, photography, travel and self care.

Dr. Uzma Syed

Physician, Educator, Entrepreneur and Community Activist

Dr Uzma Syed is a board-certified Infectious Disease specialist, Chair of the COVID-19 Task Force, and is the Director of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Center of Excellence at Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center. Dr Syed is well-published in pneumonia-related research and has been leading several COVID-19 clinical trials. She teaches students of all ages and speaks nationally about Infectious Diseases, Diversity & Inclusion and Mentorship. Dr Syed is a member of the Inclusion, Diversity, Access & Equity Task Force of the Infectious Disease Society of America. Dr Syed has been featured on several media outlets as an expert in Infectious Diseases. Dr Syed cares passionately about education. She is the founder & CEO of a 501c3 organization, Align Us Inc, which provides career mentorship for high school students.

Jen Ponton

Actor, Podcast Host and Activist

Most known as the fiercely feminist fat activist 'Rubi' on AMC's critical darling DIETLAND, Jen is an award-winning actress and body liberation activist. With a television resume that includes 30 ROCK, UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT, ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK, LAW AND ORDER: SVU, THE BLACKLIST, and BLUE BLOODS, she also starred in the late Ash Christian's body-positive romantic comedy, LOVE ON THE RUN. As a screenwriter, she now has several pilots and feature scripts in development. She is also a puppeteer and co-creator of the digital puppet sitcom, THE WEIRDOS NEXT DOOR, now in its sixth season. In 2020, she launched the storytelling podcast ALL THE FUCKS with her friend and fellow fat activist Lillian Bustle. All The Fucks is a podcast about caring too much, and it can be found wherever you listen to podcasts.

Keah Brown

Journalist, Screenwriter, Author and Advocate

Keah Brown is a journalist, screenwriter, and author. She created the viral hashtag #DisabledAndCute in 2017 and was one of The Root’s most influential African Americans of 2018. She is deeply passionate about pop culture, music, Film and TV. Her work can be found in The New York Times, Glamour Magazine, Marie Claire UK, Harper's Bazaar, among others. Keah Brown’s debut essay collection THE PRETTY ONE, is out now via Atria Books. Her picture book “Sam’s Super Seats” will be out 2022 via Koklia Books. You can learn more about her at keahbrown.com

Mila Jam

Recording Artist and Activist

NYC pop recording artivist & transgender star, Mila Jam fills every room with talent, personality & undeniable style. A YouTube Sensation turned Original Pop Artist, Mila is known around the world for her unforgettable stage performances & one of a kind music videos. Mila has toured internationally with the Broadway musical RENT; performed alongside James Brown, Mark Ronson, Laverne Cox, Travis Wall, Jody Watley, Lady Kier (Deee-Lite) & Natasha Bedingfield. Appearances include the BBC's The Lilly Allen Show, GLAAD Media Awards, MTV & MTV NEWS with special features on The Hugffington Post, MTV.com, OUT.com & Perezhilton.com. She is the Odyssey Nightlife Awards Breakthrough Artist (2015), the GLAM Nightlife Awards Best Video & Dance Artist (2013) and the talk show host of an original YouTube Talk Show Series titled 'I'm From Driftwood'.

Nikki Lynette

Performer, Writer and Visual Artist

Nikki Lynette is a performer, playwright, and visual artist whose individual style is equal parts hip hop, alternative, and pop. A Chicago native, she fuses mental health activism into her performances and has created a lane for her music that is uniquely her own. A proud independent artist, her self-produced tunes are currently featured in popular shows on Netflix, Hulu, Showtime and more. Lynette’s success in music licensing has earned its own accolades, including a prominent feature in Billboard Magazine and being invited to speak at South By Southwest. After a hiatus from releasing new music, Nikki Lynette returned to the public eye with a confession: she’d secretly been battling mental health issues. She began writing articles about depression and suicide for prominent sites like BlackDoctor, Afropunk and AllHipHop. A proud ambassador for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the film adaptation of her play GET OUT ALIVE is currently in production.

Talia McKinney

Real Estate Agent, Triathlete, Volunteer and YouTube Host

A licensed Real Estate Salesperson and a top agent on the #1 residential sales team in NYC, THE SERHANT TEAM of Nest Seekers International, Talia McKinney believes that success is built upon the strength of the relationship. It is this belief that guides Talia in every interaction she has with her clients. Born and raised in Pennsylvania, Talia was recruited to run track at a state college and went on to help her team become state champions. After graduating she moved to New York City. Along with her remarkable athletic background, she brought with her a degree in Communications and Public Relations. When she isn’t running around Manhattan selling apartments or dashing to an afternoon townhouse showing in Brooklyn, Talia can be found volunteering at Achilles International, NY Cares, or the Boys and Girls Club. She competes in triathlons and marathons—what better way to train for the next sprint to an open house?—and is also an avid world traveler, having been to over 40 countries.

Tana Jenkins

Attorney and Writer

Tana Jenkins knows a thing or two about transitions. She is a reformed attorney who’s lived many places and worn many hats. A graduate of NYC’s Fordham University School of Law, Tana spent ten years as a Public Defender for the State of New Jersey. During her time in New Jersey, she also served on the Supreme Court Criminal Practice Committee and helped draft massive bail reform legislation that has been a model for the nation. She’s also served as an Assistant Attorney General for the United States Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General, U.S.V.I. However, shortly after her short story, Little Black Ugly, was nominated for a Pushcart, Tana decided to take the leap into full time writing. Tana is a founding member of the Get Write To It Girls, writing accountability group, and her debut novel, Midnight Beacon, is due out in 2021.