Theme: REimagine

TEDxWaterStreet aims to exemplify these admirable traits of New York City by gathering like-minded individuals from the area who are intentional about resetting as thinkers, leaders, friends, and community members to bring about a new perspective on how we can reset and press forward.

IPIC Theaters
11 Fulton St
New York, New York, 10038
United States

Bhavana Bartholf

Global Head Digital & Sales Strategy, Microsoft

Bhavana Bartholf is an award-winning leader and sought-after expert in the field of providing vision and accelerating Digital Transformation for corporations across industries worldwide. Bartholf has over a 20-year diverse career with Microsoft across their customer success, sales, marketing, consulting, and support businesses. Today, she is responsible for advancing technical sales strategy across solution areas to enable digital transformation for Fortune 500 companies. Throughout her career, she has served as a customer focused, transformational leader, innovative technologist, STEM advocate, and ally for women and racial/ethnical minorities (REM). She has a proven track record for building high performing organizations with focus on growing female/REM workforce and is dedicated to driving systemic change to create inclusive work environments.

Brock Pierce

Technology Pioneer, Philanthropist and Chairman of the Bitcoin Foundation

Brock Pierce is a blockchain pioneer, impact investor and philanthropist with an extensive track record of founding, advising and investing in disruptive businesses. He's been credited with pioneering the market for digital currency and has raised more than $5B for companies he founded. Pierce is the Chairman of the Bitcoin Foundation and co-founder of EOS Alliance, Block.one, Blockchain Capital, Tether, Mastercoin (first ICO), and Lighthouse NFT, the first physical NFT smart gallery. In 2020, Pierce ran for President of the United States as an Independent, receiving the first US presidential vote on the blockchain. He is the founder of IMI Exchange, the world's leading digital currency marketplace for games. Pierce also founded ZAM, one of the largest media properties for gamers (acquired by Tencent in 2012), and IGE, the pioneer of virtual assets in online games (sold in 2007). Pierce is also a co-founder of D10e, GoCoin, Five Delta, Xfire 2.0, Playsino, Evertune, & GamesTV.

Dia Simms

CEO, Lobos 1707 Tequila & Mezcal | Co-Founder, Pronghorn

Dia Simms serves as the CEO of Lobos 1707 Tequila & Mezcal. Simms leads Lobos 1707 alongside Founder and CCO Diego Osorio with early backing by sports and cultural icon, LeBron James. In addition to her work at Lobos 1707, Simms is Co-Founder of Pronghorn, a 10-year initiative to drive diversity, equity and inclusion in the spirits industry. Pronghorn, backed by the world’s leading spirits producer, Diageo, aims to help participants within the Black community achieve the goal of generating $2 billion in economic value in the U.S. Simms spent fifteen years working alongside Sean “Diddy” Combs at Combs Enterprises. She grew within the company while building multiple multi-billion-dollar brands and businesses under the Combs Enterprises umbrella – including CÎROC Ultra-Premium Vodka, Blue Flame Agency, AQUAhydrate, Bad Boy Entertainment, Sean John and Revolt TV. In 2017, Dia was named President of Combs Enterprises, making her the first president in the company’s thirty-year history.

Eric Klasson

CEO of Resilienci.ai

Eric Klasson is a social entrepreneur creating human resilience solutions for 3 billion at-risk and unvaccinated people worldwide. The technology is now being deployed as a forward-looking business supply chain solution to address pandemic business disruption. Working with leading technology, data scientists, and consulting thought leaders, resilinci.ai is developing a global, open source solution to return life to normal. Eric has spent over 20 years as a volunteer and director on non-profit food insecurity boards. He brings his significant corporate experience with PwC, Pepsico, Conagra and 20 years in the start-up sector. Eric is now leveraging a new human and business resiliency solution to safely move and live in an uncertain world.

Erin Harris

CBO, Lobos 1707 Tequila & Mezcal | Co-Founder, Pronghorn

A seasoned marketing professional and community advocate, Erin Harris, serves as the Chief Brand Officer of Lobos 1707, an independent tequila & mezcal brand. Harris helps to lead the brand’s “Wolfpack,” alongside Founder and Chief Creative Officer, Diego Osorio, and Chief Executive Officer, Dia Simms. Harris is co-founder of PRONGHORN, a stand-alone business established to create a scalable template for diversifying an industry. The initial aim will be to cultivate the next generation of Black founders and executives, within the spirits industry through sustainable investment, incubation and recruitment. Bringing innovation and strategic thinking to the table, she’s known for her ability to build savvy consumer brands that have commercial success. Devoting more than 10 years to Combs Enterprises as SVP, General Manager of Blue Flame Agency, she’s worked across the company’s portfolio for brands including CÎROC Ultra-Premium Vodka, DeLeón Tequila and Sean John.

H.E. Dr. Michal Mlynar

Ambassador of Slovakia to the United Nations in New York

Dr. Michal Mlynár has been Slovakia's Ambassador/Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York since August 2017. In 2022, he serves as Vice President of UNICEF Executive Board. In 2021, he held the position of Vice Chair of the UN Peacebuilding Commission. Previously he also served as Chair of the UN GA 6th Committee (Legal), co-Chair of the Ad Hoc Working Group for the Revitalization of the Work of the General Assembly and Vice President of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC). He has been a member of Slovakia's Foreign Service since 2000. Prior to becoming a diplomat, he worked as a teacher of English and Russian for 7 years, including as a Fulbright Scholar at L.A. Harbor College and UCLA. He holds a Ph.D. and a master's degree in teaching foreign languages and applied linguistics from the Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia.

Jack Brewer

White House Appointee at Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys

Jack Brewer is a former NFL safety and 3x team captain who played for the Vikings, Giants, Eagles and Cardinals. He is a devoted philanthropist and an ordained minister who works in prisons across America; leading over $70 million in aid delivery and resources to the worlds most underserved through the efforts of The Jack Brewer Foundation. Brewer is a White House Appointee on the Commission for the Social Status of Black Men and Boys, Chair of the Center for Opportunity Now at America First Policy Institute, and a Board Member of the Federal Enforcement Homeland Security Foundation. Jack coaches baseball, flag football and track through his American Heroes youth program, is a father of 4 and resides in South Florida with his beautiful wife Cortney.

Kely Nascimento

Activist/Content Creator

Kely Nascimento works with entities to help define a focused identity and brand story, and to create partnership opportunities and programing that align with their objectives. Her recent work has been focused in the Sports Diplomacy and sports for development sectors. Kely travels the world and speaks on the power of storytelling in promoting equity as well as a community and trust building tool to further the UNDP Sustainable Development Goals. Ms. Nascimento is currently directing of Warriors of a Beautiful Game, a feature documentary on sports and gender equality (currently in post-production). Kely is the eldest daughter of Brazilian soccer legend Pelé and has founded the Nascimento Foundation which, through sports and the arts along with the principals of equality, leadership and storytelling, aims to harness the power of her father’s legacy towards building a more equitable, peaceful and sustainable future.

Khatira Rafiqzada

Co-Founder of Break Bread

Khatira Rafiqzada was born in Kabul Afghanistan. At age 8 her family was forced to flee to India because of the Soviet-Afghan war. A few years later, the family relocated to Northern California in the early 90’s. Her experience as an immigrant in America combined with generational and cultural trauma impacted her life in a myriad of ways. It also generated many variations of “people problems." Khatira has spent the past 4 years exploring the impacts of trauma on interpersonal relationships and mental health. Her two main areas of focus are Afghan refugees and mothers & children in need. With the help of her co-founders, Khatira eventually combined her philanthropic efforts and her passion for the culinary arts into her passion project - Break Bread. Break Bread is a non-profit program dedicated to educating young teenage mothers in the Los Angeles Foster Care system on how to source and prepare healthy meals for their families.

Natalie King

CEO of Dunamis Clean Energy Partners

Natalie King is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Dunamis Clean Energy Partners, LLC. Prior to forming Dunamis, Ms. King served as co-founder, Vice President and General Counsel of J King Solar Technologies, LLC, a solar energy integration firm. Ms. King has over 15 years of experience in the green energy industry. Under her leadership, Dunamis has grown into a multi-million dollar corporation with over 150 employees throughout Southeastern Michigan. Ms. King’s innovative vision for Dunamis has resulted in the creation of a diversified portfolio of products and services, including LED lighting and Electric Vehicle Charger manufacturing, as well as energy efficiency and environmental service solutions. Through her trailblazing initiative, Dunamis Charge, a wholly owned subsidiary of Dunamis, is the first African American woman owned electric vehicle charger manufacturer in the United States.

Norman Alexander

Singer/Songwriter

Queens, NY raised, Norman is a self-developed singer / songwriter whose voice, talent, and creativity can be found only once in a generation. This Pop, Soul, and R&B artist made a splash onto the scene in 2020 where he was deemed “one to watch” by LA Wire and a top 3 musician in Music Observer’s top 20 artists of 2020. His debut single “no goodbyes” introduced him to millions of viewers and listeners worldwide within a short couple of months. Humberto Gatica, the 17-time Grammy award winning Chilean American music producer and engineer, described him as “an incredible artist”. Moreover, Norman was able to work closely with another Grammy award winner Randy Merrill, who had glowing reviews of the single and of Norman in general as a talented musician. A famous saying goes “Show me your friends and I will show you your future” therefore if Norman’s associations are any indication, this is the beginning of a long and successful career.

Rick Tumlinson

Founder, SpaceFund, EarthLight Foundation

A leader in the space community on a quest to transform the future - by helping humanity literally rise above its past - Rick helped create the New Space Revolution exemplified by Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. He led the takeover of the Russian Mir space station, signed the first space “tourist,” helped develop the policies allowing the private sector to begin leading the U.S. space agenda, funded over 20 space startups, and is fighting for an inclusive and environmentally responsible space industry. Blending pragmatic business and a serious track record of accomplishment with a soaring yet achievable vision of our future, his work speaks for itself, and when he speaks, the space world listens. His EarthLight Foundation hosts the Space Cowboy Ball and New Worlds conferences and his iHeart/IRoc Space Radio show: “the Space Revolution” goes live in May.

Ryan Mundy

Founder of Alkeme Health

Ryan Mundy, a native of Pittsburgh, PA, is Founder and CEO of Alkeme - a mental health platform that offers culturally centered therapist-led courses and expert guided mindfulness and meditation practices. Previously, Ryan played eight seasons in the NFL (2008-2016) with the Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Giants, and Chicago Bears. In 2009, Ryan was a member of the Super Bowl 43 Champion, Pittsburgh Steelers. Ryan serves on The Alzheimer’s Association National Board of Directors, The NFLPA Players Investment Advisory Committee Athlete Advisory Board, Advisory Council Member for the Illinois Growth & Innovation Fund, Founding Member of LYFT City Works Advisory Council, and Founding Board Member of Chicago Blend. Ryan graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Liberal Arts. Additionally, Ryan holds a Master’s in Sport Management from West Virginia University, and MBA from The University of Miami (FL). Ryan resides in Chicago, IL with his wife and two daughters.

Shaman Durek

6th Generation Shaman, Author of Best Seller "Spirit Hacking"

Shaman Durek is a 6th generation shaman, author of best seller "Spirit Hacking: Shamanic Keys to Reclaim Your Personal Power, Transform Yourself, and Light Up the World," and a visionary for the Now Age. His focus is on the evolution of humanity and simplifying our lives through common sense. He’s redefining what wellness means by putting the power back in the hands of the people so that they may live consciously, authentically and in alignment. Through his powerful ancient teachings he helps demystify spirituality making it attainable and understandable for the mainstream audience. Durek’s teachings have impacted thousands of people from diverse public figures like Nina Dobrev and Gwyneth Paltrow to tech giants like Dave Asprey of Bulletproof Coffee. He has a reoccurring role on the nationwide CBS television show, 'The Doctors' where he aids guests in overcoming challenges that are impacting the connection between their emotional/physical well-being.

Travis Ludlow

Youngest Pilot to Fly Around the World Solo

Travis is the World Record Holder of the Youngest Person to Fly Solo Around the World, when he completed his journey, at the age of 18, in June 2021. He is also a Youth Ambassador and envoy for Sustainable Aviation. His aspirations saw him became the UK’s youngest glider pilot at 14 and the youngest certified PPL pilot at 17. His dream to fly around the world took three years of planning but just 43 days to complete, becoming the fastest of the young solo circumnavigators, while flying the slowest plane. He raised half a million dollars in sponsorship, half of which was raised before he had a plane, or even a pilot’s licence. But it wasn’t all blue skies and tailwinds, Travis had to overcome numerous challenges. Travis helps motivate and develop the leaders of the future and reaches out to all generations, in many inspiring and rewarding ways.

Victory Brinker

Classical Singer

Victory Brinker is a 10 year old singer and actress best known as the first Group Golden Buzzer winner and Finalist on NBC’s America’s Got Talent, as well as a Guinness World Record holder as The World’s Youngest Opera Singer. She sings in 7 languages with over a 3 octave range, performing on NBC’s Little Big Shots, Dr. Phil, Wonderama, at the Apollo, and Carnegie Hall(with Protege International). She has been an anthem singer for the NBA, NFL and MLB. Victory is also an actress and has appeared in film, commercial and on stage.