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).

Terry Theater
300 Water Street
Jacksonville, Florida, 32202
United States

Andrew Rush

Andrew Rush is an experienced aerospace executive and thought leader in the emerging space economy. Most recently, since its founding and through it going public, he served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Redwire. There he oversaw Redwire's business portfolio, long-term planning, and strategic investments. Under Andrew’s guidance, Redwire diversified its portfolio across civil, national security, and commercial organizations, including significantly boosting the International Space Station’s power-generating capability with roll-out solar arrays, building more than 40 antennas for a national security customer, and providing state-of-the-art digital engineering solutions for commercial providers. A strong advocate for manufacturing technology development and adoption, Andrew has positioned multiple companies at the vanguard of in-space servicing, assembly and manufacturing capabilities. Previous to his time at Redwire, Andrew was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Made In Space, leading that organization from early stage to acquisition and becoming the first firm to manufacture parts in space, sell a space-built product to a customer on Earth, and build the first-ever satellite that will manufacture and assemble parts of itself on-orbit.

Ashton Body

Ashton Body is a rising junior studying Social Anthropology and Global Health and Health Policy at Harvard College. She is passionate about the intersection between the molecular and social levels of health and disease, striving to connect social determinants to their long-term biological effects. She has conducted biomedical research at the Mayo Clinic for the past five years developing novel drug delivery systems to treat cancer. She hopes to become a physician passionate about increasing health equity and providing better, personal patient care guided by medical innovation.

Audrey Moran

Audrey Moran, Attorney at Law, has been elected to the position of Duval County Judge and will take the bench in January of 2023. She most recently served as Executive Vice President at Baptist Health and as President of the Baptist Health Foundation in Jacksonville, Florida. She has a bachelor’s degree in communications from Syracuse University and received her juris doctorate from Duke University’s School of Law. She has enjoyed a broad and varied career, ranging from serving as a top prosecutor at the State’s Attorney’s office to Chief of Staff for former Mayor John Delaney to CEO of the Sulzbacher Center for the Homeless. A civic leader, Audrey currently serves on the Board of Directors for UF Health and Renewing Dignity. She is a Founding Board Member of OurJax — an advocacy group that promotes integrity, transparency and accountability in local government. Audrey is a past Chair of the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce and is a recipient of the Eve Lifetime Achievement Award and the Humanitarian Award from OneJax. Audrey is a member of the Women’s Giving Alliance and has previously served as a trustee for the Jessie Ball duPont Fund, a $300 million charitable grant-making organization in Northeast Florida.

Basma Alawee

Basma Alawee is the National Campaign Director for We Are All America, and Executive Director of Weavetales. She oversees organizing efforts for policy changes and support for refugee communities with We Are All America in 21 states. In 2019, she founded Weavetales and has helped share the stories of more than 300 refugees and immigrants, and developed storytelling training programs. Her lived experiences as a former refugee from Iraq fuels her passion and dedication for advocacy. Basma’s work has earned her much recognition, including Jacksonville’s EVE Award in 2020, Athena40’s "40 Under 40” in 2021, and Grant Thornton’s Purple Paladin in 2022.

Evelyn Higgins

Chief Executive Officer and inventor of the patentpending panel utilized by Wired For Addiction™, Dr. Evelyn Higgins is a recognized international expert in the epidemiology of addiction. As a dual Diplomate of the American College of Addictionology and Compulsive Disorders and Diplomate of the American Board of Disability specializing in pain management, Dr. Higgins has had the honor of advising the U.S. Surgeon General, producing and hosting a Gracie Award winning nationally syndicated radio program, and serving as a 1996 Olympic Team Doctor and Olympic torch bearer. With 34 years in clinical practice, Dr. Higgins has designated over 16 years to Research and Development in the science of addiction recovery. A panelist at the 2022 International Society of Substance Use Professionals Annual Conference in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, the 2022 International Gambling Conference in Auckland, New Zealand, and a 2021 Nominee for Modern Healthcare’s Top 25 Innovators in Healthcare, Dr. Higgins finds herself at the nexus of epigenetics, neuroscience, and addiction.

Hamzah Shanbari

Hamzah Shanbari is the Director of Innovations at Haskell where he oversees vetting and testing new applications of technology both in the office and on the job site. Hamzah joined Haskell in 2016 shortly after completing his Ph.D. in Design, Construction and Planning from the University of Florida. Starting out as a Virtual Construction Specialist, Hamzah conducted several successful BIM coordination efforts. He also led innovation projects in virtual and augmented reality as well as sUAS processes and applications. Hamzah published and presented several conference and journal papers on laser scanning, sUAS, augmented reality and construction management education.

Lainie Ishbia

Lainie Ishbia is a writer, entrepreneur, and disability advocate born with a rare and progressive neuromuscular disorder called Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease (CMT). After receiving a master of social work degree from the University of Michigan, Lainie spent most of her 30-plus year career specializing in adolescent girls and women’s self-esteem and body image issues. In 2017, Lainie founded the lifestyle and fashion brand Trend-Able, which provides adaptive fashion and other tools for people living with disabilities so they can look and feel their best. Lainie is also the co-creator of the Embrace It Podcast and the EmBrace It Workshop Series. She has partnered with numerous nonprofits, businesses, and Fortune 500 companies to train employees on disabilityrelated communication and to eradicate negative stereotyp

Matt Berseth

Matt Berseth is the co-founder and CIO of NLP Logix, a data science services firm located in Jacksonville, Florida. Matt is a technologist with a specialty in delivering Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning solutions across a variety of industries. He grew up in Fargo, North Dakota and graduated with degrees in Computer Science (B.S.) and Software Engineering (M.S.) from North Dakota State University. Matt has worked for more than 20 years in a technical capacity in a variety of industries. Matt and his wife Katie have been married over 15 years, have three children and reside in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

Nan Nkama

Boasting a 16-year history of consistent cultural preservation and performance, and state recognition by the Florida Folklife Program, Nan Nkama Pan-African Drum and Dance Ensemble is Jacksonville’s premier source of Afro-Diaspora performing arts. As a dance and music performance troupe with a concentration in West African (Mande) music, dance and culture, and dances of the African Diaspora, Nan Nkama members pride themselves on being lifelong students and cultural ambassadors.

Nicole Thomas

Nicole Thomas, FACHE, is hospital president of Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville, responsible for the operational and strategic direction of the largest hospital in the health system. Thomas joined Baptist Health in 2011 and in 2016 was named Baptist Medical Center South’s president, becoming the first female and first African American to lead a hospital in Baptist Health’s history. Through the years, Thomas has held several system roles at Baptist Health, including co-chairing its diversity, equity, and inclusion council; chairing its transformation council; stepping in as interim chief human resources officer; and serving as senior vice president of specialty services overseeing neurosciences, orthopedics, and oncology, with primary executive responsibility for the formation of Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center in 2015. Thomas has a Master of Healthcare Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and she received a Bachelor of Science in Public Health Administration from Dillard University in New Orleans. A fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives, Thomas was named among Modern Healthcare magazine’s Top 25 Minority Executives in Healthcare in 2018 and 2020, and one of 70 African American leaders in healthcare to know by Becker’s Hospital Review in 2020.

Reese The Poet

Spoken word artist Reese the Poet is also an artist, musician, and communicator who specializes in storytelling. He is also a youth inspirational speaker and life skills teacher who aims to educate, equip, and empower students to make healthy life choices though verbal engagement and critical thinking exercises.

SAYS WHO

Performer

Each member brings the kind of energy and passion to the stage that will make you want to move your body. This band takes girl power to the next level, and their sound will leave you wanting more.

Tanaine Jenkins

Tanaine Jenkins is a recidivism strategist, a motivational re-entry speaker, and a published author. In 2010, Tanaine was charged with defrauding a financial institution and sentenced to two years prison and five years of probation. After release, Tanaine worked in the logistics and tax industries before starting Everything I Am LLC, an organization that focuses on helping returning citizens and justice-involved individuals become successful in their second chance. In February of 2022, Tanaine was invited to speak at the Florida Capitol for National Advocacy Day to bring awareness to the policies that hinder returning citizens. Tanaine also serves on the Florida Restoration of Rights Coalition (FRRC) policy council, which works to implement legislation at the state and national level to address the most pressing issues of returning citizens.

Tara Roberts

National Geographic Explorer and storyteller Tara Roberts embarked on a life-changing journey alongside Diving With a Purpose — a team of Black scuba divers — in search of shipwrecks that once carried captive Africans during the transatlantic slave trade. Roberts documented her travels and the stories of the divers, historians, archaeologists, and communities she met along the way for the National Geographic Societyfunded podcast series, "Into the Depths." The critically-acclaimed series received close to half a million downloads and was listed on ‘best of’ lists for Essence magazine and Spotify. Roberts became the first Black female explorer to grace the cover of the National Geographic magazine, where her story reached over 26 million people. Most recently, she was named the 2022 Rolex National Geographic Explorer of the Year, becoming the first Black American to ever receive the honor. Roberts was also a Fellow at MIT’s Open Documentary Lab and has worked as an editor for CosmoGirl, Essence, AOL, EBONY and Heart & Soul.