Theme: Moving Humanity Forward

Welcome to the first ever TEDxRolandPark!

Putting our community’s best creative minds together with action takers in the same room, proves to be an unbeatable combination.

Our Attendees, Partners and Speakers will be Uplifted, Inspired and Motivated. They will come away recharged and ready to take action, Moving Humanity Forward to create a better world.

This will be a day to be remembered for years to come.

Roland Park Country School
5204 Roland Ave
Baltimore, Maryland, 21210
United States

Aliza Friedlander

Publicist

Aliza Friedlander is a former morning show producer, turned stay-at-home mom turned sought-after publicist and media strategist. She is the founder of Freed Up Communications, a full-service agency working with industry-disrupting brands using storytelling to share a mission and message. In 2014, Aliza realized her personal and professional goals didn’t align so left her TV career to stay home with her kids. While home, Aliza got a master’s degree in Emerging Media, arming herself with new storytelling skills that would eventually become her answer to the personal and professional success she craved. Since going back to work, Aliza’s created a professional and personal life that works for her and her family. Now, she advocates for work/life integration and is an example that, while the juggle is real, it is possible to have financial success without sacrificing family time.

Bryan Young

Automotive Designer & Humanitarian

Bryan Young is an accomplished automotive designer, artist, and professional speaker of nearly 30-years. Through his consultancy, BryanYoung Creative, he provides a wide range of services. Keynote speaking, to industrial design services to major corporations, to mural contracts and apparel. Surviving multiple near-death experiences during his creative career provoked Bryan to examine his life’s purpose. Deeper introspection of his own resiliency sparked renewed passion to expand his service work to have a broader positive impact on humanity. Bryan serves his local community through youth mentorship programs and travels the world on humanitarian trips rebuilding homes and structures, as well as teaching art to young budding artists, and speaking publicly on resilience and purpose. Bryan is always available for consultations and opportunities. #BryanYoungCreative #SundayDriveWithBryan #CCSalumni #CQFamily

Catarina Rivera

Public Speaker, DEI Consultant, and Content Creator

Catarina is a dynamic public speaker, DEI consultant, and content creator (@BlindishLatina). She works with companies and organizations to improve disability awareness, inclusion, and accessibility. As a disabled Latine woman, she is passionate about sharing her own unique story to help build a more inclusive world. Catarina has been featured in Thrive Global, Nasdaq, Authority Magazine, and as one of HonestCulture's Top 21 DEI Influencers. To learn more about Catarina’s work + access free resources, visit: https://www.catarinarivera.com

Donna Andersen

Journalist, author, relationship consultant

Donna Andersen is author of Lovefraud.com and eight books about spotting, escaping and recovering from sociopaths. She learned about sociopaths the hard way — by marrying one. Donna now teaches the world that millions of sociopaths live among us, they aren’t all serial killers, and we all need to protect ourselves.

Geri Kayingo

Student at Roland Park Country School

Geri Kayingo is a 9th grade student at Roland Park Country School in Baltimore, Maryland, where she studies languages, humanities, and STEM disciplines. Growing up she enjoyed swimming and playing the flute. Currently, her main focus is writing. From an early age she has been an avid reader and writer. For the past year she has been an active member of The Young Writers Project (YWP), an online community of youth writers based in Vermont. Through this initiative Geri has been a guest speaker on the website’s podcast Line Break, interviewed award winning author and anthologist Dana Walrath, and has been published on multiple accounts in The Voice, YWP’s digital newspaper. Among her poetic contributions are pieces such as 2020: The Recipe and Truly Alone, in which she explores life during the pandemic and emotional trauma. She also submits poetry to her school’s newspaper The Reds Report. Her most recent piece Memories Marked in Snow was published in the February 2022 issue.

Jenny Ward

Human Resources Executive, Professional Storyteller, and Career Strategist

Jenny empowers women to tell their professional stories with impact to uncover the career they want and the money they deserve. Jenny’s thoughtful client approach celebrates individuality, and she believes in fierce self-advocacy and unabashedly speaking to one’s professional wins and accomplishments. Jenny partners with her clients to develop roadmaps and action plans to ensure they embrace their voice, live with intention, and catapult their professional impact in the world. Jenny has helped realize the dreams of many professionals across multiple industries including Fortune 100 - 500 companies such as Netflix, AMEX, LinkedIn, Google, and The Walt Disney Company. Her message has been shared on CTV News, LinkedIn, and multiple podcasts including Brave New Girl, The Change Diaries, and Below the Surface. To connect with Jenny, follow her on Instagram: @jennywardcareers, or visit her at www.jennywardcareers.com.

Johnson Chong

Author, Shaman, Yoga and Meditation Teacher

Johnson Chong is the best-selling and award-winning author of Sage Sapien: From Karma to Dharma. He is a shaman and the founder of Sage Shamanic Yoga Retreats and Trainings where he trains aspiring meditation and breathwork teachers. Through the synthesis of the most applicable teachings of yoga, meditation, breathwork, coaching and shamanic healing, his trainings are designed to help people quiet the mind, awaken the heart and free themselves of the roadblocks that keep them from living more authentically and joyfully. He has spoken and led workshops at companies like Unilever, Facebook, Nike, Macquarie, Insight Timer, UBS, UOB and more. Johnson is a native New Yorker, and has lived on 3 continents, currently based in Sydney, Australia. To connect more with Johnson to see what offerings and programs he is currently running, follow him on facebook and Instagram: @johnsonchong_sagesapien, or visit him at www.johnsonchong.com #estrangedfamily #dysfunctionalfamily #familyestrangement

Mario Armstrong

Talk show host and experienced content creator.

Mario Armstrong is the host and creator of the Emmy winning web-series, "Never Settle Show" and an NBC TODAY show contributor. Mario focuses on giving entrepreneurs and creators the blueprint to mindfully pursue their dreams and build their ideas. Recently, he launched the Never Settle Academy, an online platform of courses teaching students how to get brand sponsorships, clarity on their vision and more. He’s a partner with Daymond John’s Shark Group Speaking Division and his podcast, "Wake Up and Level Up", kickstarts your day in under 5 minutes with a jolt of inspiration. It recently became a Top 200 podcast on the iTunes Self-Help charts. His newest podcast "Parents and Profits" just got picked up by the Hubspot Podcast Network and his new tv show on Entrepreneur TV network launches this summer. Mario mentors youth in the iMentor program and he is a Board member of the Baltimore School for the Arts.

Mark Martinkov

Investment Banker

Mark Martinkov is a banker focused on emerging technologies in the Aerospace and Defense Sector. Formerly at Microsoft, Mark experienced the power of digital innovation firsthand. He is interested in exploring the growth of the spatial web and its potential applications to both public and private sectors.

Zavanna Dova

Motivational Speaker & Life Coach

Zavanna started her career in the modeling and acting world being featured in the movie Creed 2, published in countless magazines, and showcased on numerous television shows. Chronic pain led her on what would become a seven-year journey to being diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. She had to reroute her life and start over while also overcoming generational family struggles and breaking free from childhood trauma. Zavanna is now a full time certified Motivational Speaker and Life Coach as well as the founder of one of the largest online entrepreneurial communities, having been featured in both INC and MEDIUM Magazine. She speaks across various platforms and stages to spread the idea that the things you were born to do are not ahead of you, but within you. Her message to others is, "You need to show up on the great days, but you need to show up on the worst days even greater.” It is that message that she hopes serves to change even one person’s life in the same way that it helped change hers.