Theme: Limitless

This year's theme will be "LIMITLESS," conveyed through an exceptional, curated lineup of 13 Takeda speakers across the U.S. region. These speakers and their stories will undoubtedly inspire, challenge, and provoke new ideas among our wider Takeda community.
The event aims to champion 'human perseverance' and highlight how 'barriers can be catalysts rather than hinderances in achieving our goals.' By uniting our U.S. Takeda community, we strive to share mesmerizing stories on various topics, such as Human Potential, Leadership Behaviors, DEI, Resilience, Growth Mindset, Productivity and others.

Takeda
500 Kendall
12 floor
Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02142
United States

Alexandra Grace

Artist

Alexandra is a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, artist, and music instructor from Gloucester, MA. She graduated from Berklee College of Music in 2020 with a Bachelor of Music in songwriting and vocal performance and a minor in psychology. Since then, she released an EP of original songs, Solstice, which won awards from the John Lennon Songwriting Competition and International Songwriting Competition. She recently released her second EP ‘The Archer’, and is currently working on recording a full length album. In 2021, she started Alexandra Grace Music studio in Gloucester with the hopes of giving musicians and creatives a place to make music, collaborate, perform, and share their art with others. She performs as a solo act and with acoustic duo ‘Alexandra and Josh’. For upcoming performances and more information about Alexandra, visit her website www.alexandragracemusic.com. Her original music is available on all music streaming platforms.

Cozy Morton

Associate Director, Cross-Cultural Engagement • DSOC

Cozy is excited to return to the TEDx red dot to give another talk related to mental health. In her current role, she is helping teams identify opportunities to address health inequities through promotional strategies. Before this role, she helped define the USBU’s Omnichannel Engagement (OCE) vision and operating model and supported initiating the Digital Strategy and Omnichannel Capabilities (DSOC) team. Cozy began her career as a change management consultant, where she fell in love with helping others navigate big questions and bigger unknowns. As an author of Sockfoot Soldier and other articles, Cozy shares how her anxiety and depression influence her personal and professional life. These experiences have inspired her talk for TEDxTakeda Kendall, where she will discuss her belief that we can use the same methods she uses to manage anxiety to excel in ambiguity within our workplace, industry, and lives beyond the office. Cozy holds an MBA from IE Business School in Madrid.

Damion Nero

Head of Data Science, US Medical (Director) • US Medical Outcomes Research & Date Science

A Ph.D. in Bioinformatics with more than 14 years of experience in Data Science and developing IT infrastructure as well as HEOR and RWE research. Damion has an extensive experience working with large-scale datasets, including administrative claims, EMR, registries, SDOH, and other healthcare databases. Well-versed in statistical software such as SAS and R and skillful in using Python for advanced modeling techniques. He worked with many leading pharmaceutical, medical device, biotech companies and state and government agencies in developing research to understand complex healthcare problems in patient populations. One of Damion’s passions and the topic of his Tedx Talk is precision medicine, which uses different data sources to understand patients holistically, creating personalized treatments for patients who do not respond to existing therapies or for whom there are no existing therapies or treatments for their disease.

Debra Jennings

Head of US Oncology Patient Access & Support • US Patient Value & Access

“Deb” Jennings is the Head of Patient Access and Support within the Oncology Business Unit at Takeda. Her belief is that people-centricity and profitability co-exist when strategy and a culture-driven mindset intersect with intention. She has spent her career inspiring teams to cultivate the culture around them, which has consistently led to positive business results. Deb’s leadership roles have predominantly been within the Pharmaceutical industry in various functions, including marketing, communications, operations, business development, market access, and patient services. Deb’s current passions have her involved in digital evolution, health equity, and DE&I enterprise-wide efforts; moreover, she sits on the DE&I Steering Committee. She is an alumnus of the Women Unlimited Program, and when she is not working, Deb is also active within several affinity groups, including Healthcare Business Women’s Association, Chief, The Gender Parity Network, and the Boston Club.

Ellen Ginsberg Simon

Lead, Ethics & Compliance Policy Advisor • Policy & Industry Shaping

Ellen is a Lead Ethics & Compliance Policy Advisor in the Global Policy and Industry Shaping Team. A recovering lawyer, Ellen spent twelve years at DLA Piper where, among other achievements, she helped shed light on performance-enhancing substance abuse in Major League Baseball through The Mitchell Report and supported Penn State’s development of a compliance program and a revamped ethical culture as a member of the Independent Monitor’s team in the wake of the Sandusky child abuse scandal. Ellen’s Tedx Talk draws on her three-year journey with an undiagnosed, rare autoimmune disease that stole the functionality of both of her arms and legs to promote greater investment in and understanding of autoimmune diseases that primarily impact middle-aged women. A Keasbey Scholar, Ellen holds an A.B. in International Relations from Brown University, an M.Phil. in Modern Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Oxford and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.

Haelynne Barron

Community Education Specialist - Pacific Northwest • Community Education Area - West

Haelynne is a heartfelt professional in the field of experiential education, with a focus on working with the bleeding disorders community. Her passion for connection is the foundation of her facilitation, as she acts as a conduit for people to explore their core values. She is a Community Education Specialist in the US Hematology franchise. This role provides exciting opportunity to establish sustainable pathways for health and vibrant living within the bleeding disorders community. At TEDx, Haelynne invites you to consider the possibilities within an expansive expression of your whole self through inquiry and openness. They hope to shed light on the transformative power of creating spacious environments and relationships that are not bound by normative culture but rather inspired by curiosity, growth, and celebration. Haelynne’s roots in elementary education inform her belief in the powers and possibilities of play, nurture, and unbound exploration for folks of all ages.

Jennifer Edwards

Thought Leader Liaison • PDT Thought Leader Liaisons

Jennifer is a passionate Nurse dedicated to optimizing patient centricity through embodying the principles of PTRB. Her unwavering commitment to fostering an impactful culture has earned her numerous accolades, including being selected as a Value Ambassador for Takeda, receiving the esteemed Takeda One Award, an Innovation Award, and being recognized as an Emerging Leader. She firmly believes in the power of cross-functional pollination, continuously seeking fresh perspectives to fuel her personal and professional growth. Jennifer's journey has enlightened her on the realization that the keys she has acquired may not always fit every lock. This revelation has inspired her to redefine conventional notions of perseverance, encouraging her and others to embrace their unique paths. Through her engaging TEDx Talk, Jennifer aspires to ignite the spark within the organization, challenging folks to lean into a "Why not me?" mindset to unlock their limitless potential.

Kacy Fleming

Head of Global Well-Being

Kacy is a passionate advocate who believes well-being and joy are cornerstones to a fulfilling career. She currently works in her dream job as Head of Global Well-Being for Takeda. She is focused on empowering life-work alignment and creating equitable access to well-being resources and programming. Her fascination with compassionate leadership, a debilitating episode of burnout in her late 30s, and a love of all things Brene Brown led her to pursue a Master's in Organizational Psychology at William James College. An early career in theatre sparked a love of public speaking, and she is a lifelong learner who also loves to read and write. Most recently, she has authored pieces for Thrive Global on mid-life career transitions and women's health. With this TEDx Talk, Kacy is excited to share the limitless possibilities sparked by flexible work.

Kendall Square Orchestra (KSO)

Symphony Orchestra

Founded in 2018 and based in Cambridge, MA, the Kendall Square Orchestra (K²O) is a volunteer classical music ensemble of primarily science & technology professionals. K²O connects 70+ classically trained musicians working across over 50 diverse organizations in Kendall Square's academic and corporate community through music. With its guiding mantra of Orchestrate. Collaborate. Innovate., K²O has performed everywhere, from biotech conferences and Cambridge city parks to Symphony Hall in Boston. Learn more at: kendallsquareorchestra.org

Marco Lupo

Head of Global Supply Chain Excellence • GMS - Global Supply Chain

With 20+ years of international experience, Marco has successfully implemented Lean Six Sigma programs in three major pharmaceutical companies (Johnson & Johnson, MSD, and Takeda) across multiple countries and diverse business areas. His expertise spans manufacturing and packaging drugs and medical devices to sales, marketing, Research and Development, Supply Chain, and healthcare. As a leader, Marco has spearheaded transformative initiatives in Supply Chain, emphasizing agility. Currently, he holds the position of Global Supply Chain Excellence Lead at Takeda, overseeing performance management, capability development, and continuous improvement. In his TEDx Talk, Marco emphasizes the importance of acknowledging the true challenges one faces, drawing from both personal and professional experiences. He explores how this recognition fosters humor, humility, and connection among individuals, empowering them to discover effective solutions amidst adversity.

Nakul Grover

Learning Experience Design Specialist • Global Learning Innovation

Nakul is a Learning Experience Design Specialist in Global HR. At Takeda, he is dedicated to advocating, designing, and delivering exceptional learning experiences for the company's 50,000+ employees. With a strong focus on learning outcomes and employee sentiments, Nakul leverages design thinking, learning science, and adult learning methodologies to craft engaging and effective learning experiences for Takeda's global audience. He is a lifelong learning enthusiast and a published writer, receiving recognition with an Academy of American Poets prize. He pursued a master's degree from Harvard Graduate School of Education, where he specialized in human-centered learning design and innovative technologies for learning. In his TEDx Talk, he delves into the transformative power of knowledge during times of change and grief. He highlights the unique gaps we need to address in social-emotional learning for adults as we integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) into our learning solutions.

Nick Heath and Christy Fleshman

TEDx Takeda Hosts

Nick is a member of the Alliances and Operations team in the Center for External Innovation in Takeda, R&D. With a diverse background in R&D. His focus lies in empowering teams to deliver life-changing medicines. The experience of hosting an event such as TEDxTakeda has allowed Nick to showcase his ability to facilitate and host a global event and provided an opportunity to build upon his public speaking. Participating in this event has opened doors to many other opportunities in Takeda. Christy, a Takeda Solutions Hub Specialist, excels in various domains, juggling her role with a thriving career in TV, film, and commercials. Armed with a BA in Psychology and training from The Actor's Lab, hosting TEDxTakeda transformed Christy's work approach. Collaborating with colleagues across different levels and departments, she witnessed remarkable public speaking and network expansion growth, connecting with leaders across Takeda's departments.

Priya Jayaraman

Associate Director, Strategic Enterprise Capabilities, Commercial Operations and Business Solutions

Priya is a lifelong learner driven by natural curiosity and continuous improvement. Her passion for discovering possibilities by self-exploration has allowed her to garner diverse experiences within and outside the pharmaceutical industry in various roles focused on developing life-changing products in R&D, tracking execution in commercial operations, and developing successful marketing strategies to ultimately deliver patient-centric solutions. Priya thrives as a generalist at the intersection of her cross-functional experiences and interdisciplinary thinking. Priya holds a Bachelors's and Masters's in Chemical Engineering as well as a Master's Degree in Business Operations Management. Priya was on the Dean’s List for Academic Achievement at Harvard. Through her TEDx Talk, Priya hopes to inspire everyone to embrace experimentation and pivots as an essential part of a learning journey and harness their intellectual curiosity to the challenges of adaptive work.

Raghu Krishnamaneni, M.S

Associate Director, GRA Labeling, Global Regulatory Affairs

Accomplished regulatory professional and mental health advocate. With an MBA and masters in regulatory affairs, he has made significant contributions in the regulatory labeling function over the past decade. Raghu's personal story reflects resilience, breaking barriers, and finding inner strength. His own journey of personal growth led him to recognize the transformative power of breathwork techniques in enhancing mental well-being. Realizing the importance of prioritizing mental health, he embarked on a path of sharing his knowledge and practical tools with others, positively impacting thousands of lives, especially during the challenging times of the global pandemic. Known for his dynamic leadership, he has motivated hundreds of individuals to volunteer and make a positive impact in the world. Raghu's wisdom, humor, and unwavering dedication to mental health advocacy make him a compelling and inspiring speaker.

Stephanie Hunter-Banks

Senior Director, Medical Excellence L&D • US Medical Scientific Communications

Stephanie, a pharmacist, patient, caregiver, coach, and learning enthusiast, values service, empathy, connection, and excellence. Leading the US Medical Learning and Development team at Takeda, she empowers the US Medical Affairs Team to reach its full potential and make a positive impact on providers and stakeholders. With a PharmD from Florida A&M University, board memberships, and L&D awards, her true focus lies elsewhere. Stephanie's true passion lies in personal development and human potential. Her career is dedicated to sharing the transformative power of embracing a growth-oriented mindset. Overcoming limiting beliefs, she lives by the mantra 'discovering possible.' She takes us on her journey in her TEDx talk, sharing key principles she employs to live a 'limitless' life. Stephanie encourages us to see the triumphs and challenges of daily life through her perspective, inspiring us to uncover our own purpose.

Todd Bresler

Associate Director, IBD Patient Services Digital Operations • Patient Services

Todd is passionate about helping people live healthier lives. He has spent his career delivering technology to engage, educate, and motivate patients and caregivers to improve their journeys. Through NIH and pharmaceutical industry grants, Todd led talented teams to bring innovative online clinical assessments and disease-specific education sites to patients. He has worked on behalf of some of the largest Medicaid and Medicare plans in the U.S., leading data integration and digital engagement initiatives to improve health outcomes. Todd works collaboratively with IBD Patient Services partners to help guide the strategic design, implementation, and management of new and existing digital assets that ease the burden of chronically ill patients. His TEDx talk is inspired by his belief that technology offers an unparalleled opportunity to engage healthcare consumers. By embracing digital engagement, we can help patients and caregivers be their most healthy selves, physically and mentally.