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).

Antillies School
7280 Frenchman's Bay #16-1
St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, U.S., 00802
Virgin Islands, U.S.

Dan Mele

Coral Restoration Scientist

Is a coral restoration scientist at the University of the Virgin Islands and a conservation photographer. His photography has taken him from some of the most remote parts of Alaska to over 150 feet underwater, but his biggest passion lies in photographing coral. During his career as a coral biologist, Dan realized that corals are some of the most misunderstood animals on the planet, as most people don't even know corals are animals! Dan designed a small portable studio to photograph corals against a solid black background. By isolating the coral from the many distractions on a coral reef, the viewer's attention is solely focused on the complex detail in each coral. Dan has since used these images in multiple books, magazines, and online publications, but most importantly as a tool for building connections and understanding of one of the most fascinating creatures on earth.

Jessica Samuel

Education Equity Consultant

Born on St. Croix and raised between the U.S. Virgin Islands. She studies race, education, colonialism, and the environment, including where they all might converge, in the United States and the Caribbean. Dr. Samuel’s recently completed dissertation, “Consuming America’s Paradise: Education and Conservation on St. John” examines the racialized confluence of public education struggles, National Park conservation objectives, and U.S imperialism on the island of St. John. Prior to obtaining her Ph.D. in American Studies from Boston University, Dr. Samuel taught high school English and Writing as a Teach for America corps member in St. Louis, Missouri. In 2018, after serving as an education policy fellow, she was appointed to the Racial Imbalance Advisory Council of the MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Dr. Samuel holds a Master of Education from the University of Missouri-St. Louis as well as a BA in African American Studies and Anthropology from Wesleyan University.

Johnny Daemon

Magician

Was born in Trinidad and Tobago and moved to the USVI at age 15. There he attended St. Croix Country Day School, and discovered the art of magic at age 17. He immediately began designing and creating his own unique magic effects. For the past 12 years has been performing shows, and consulting for the world's top magic performers and studios.

Kendell Daughtry

Professor

A native of Philadelphia, PA. He has a Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Sciences. He teaches human development, sociology and other social science courses at multiple universities. He conducts original research on systems that impact Black Virgin Islanders and culture. Most recently he conducted a major mixed-methods study on how Black Virgin Islander high schoolers matter to their school and community. He developed the construct Code R.E.D, which aims to teach people how to become active against social justice issues.

Kitty Edwards

Outreach Educator

Born and raised in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, Kitty Edwards is passionate about protecting her home. At her position in the Department of Planning & Natural Resources Division of Coastal Zone Management she leads environmental outreach initiatives, provides project management, and connects the environmental community through networking and event facilitation. Her programs, such as Science Saturday, VI Clean Coasts, and Refill Bottles, Not Dumpsters, work with the community to bring attention and action to environmental issues facing the territory.

Marilyn Brandt

Research Associate Professor of Marine and Environmental Science

A Research Associate Professor of Marine and Environmental Science at the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI). She fell in love with the Caribbean in college when she visited a childhood friend and pen pal in Trinidad. She went on to study Caribbean coral disease ecology while earning her Bachelor’s degree from New York University and then her Ph.D. from the University of Miami. She moved to St. Thomas to join the research faculty in the Center for Marine and Environmental Studies at UVI in 2010. Dr. Brandt’s research focuses on understanding how disease is damaging coral reefs and how coral conservation and restoration can reverse that damage. She is the Research Team Lead and an Executive Team member for the U.S. Virgin Islands Coral Disease Advisory Committee and she directs the VI Reef Response program which is focused on science-based coral restoration in the northern U.S. Virgin Islands.