Theme: UNITY

TEDxAsburyPark, one of the longest-running TEDx conferences on the East coast, will be presenting UNITY – an educational and entertaining event featuring talks and music centered around the theme of “unity.” Audiences of all ages will experience a fascinating lineup of expert speakers and performers who will share their inspiring stories and “ideas worth spreading.”
This year’s event will take place on Saturday, April 20 at 2PM at the all-new Bell Theater in Holmdel, New Jersey.

Bell Works Theater
101 Crawfords Corner Rd.
Holmdel, New Jersey, 07733
United States

Alexander Simone

Musician

Alexander Simone and Whodat? Live Crew are an Asbury Park based band led by Alexander Simone. Alexander is a prolific singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist known for his rich rock and roll, rhythm and blues, soul, and soul doo-wop history. He was encouraged to pursue music by his paternal grandmother who served as pastor at various churches throughout New Jersey, shaping his spiritual and artistic foundations. He is also the grandson on his mother’s side of music icon Nina Simone. Other members of the group include Kindra Graham (vocals), Jules Drucker (guitar), Kevin Stryker (bass), Andrew Davis (drums). Shows at ASimoneWhoDat.com and streaming on Spotify, Amazon and Apple Music.

Dustin Ross

Podcaster, social commentator

Dustin Ross is a New York City-based writer, producer, host, and social commentator. Since 2015, over 60 million listeners have heard him weekly as one third of The Friend Zone podcast. For the past three years he has also been co-host of Holding Court with Eboni K. Williams which one the 2024 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding News & Information Podcast. Dustin is also host of REVOLT TV’s entrepreneurial competition television series Bet on Black, currently airing its third season.

Eileen Kennedy-Moore

Psychologist, author

Dr. Eileen Kennedy-Moore (also known as “Dr. Friendtastic”) is an author, psychologist, and mom of four, based in Princeton, NJ. She is the creator of the Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic podcast, where she answers questions from children about making and keeping friends. Her blog, Growing Friendships, on Psychology Today, has over 5 million views. Dr. Kennedy-Moore has been featured many times in major media, including Live with Kelly and Ryan and The New York Times. Her recent books include Moody Moody Cars (for ages 4-8), Growing Feelings (for ages 6-12), and Kid Confidence (for parents).

Eric Nuzum

Podcast producer, author

Eric Nuzum is the co-founder of Magnificent Noise and creator of iconic podcasts. He was instrumental in creating NPR’s original podcasting efforts in 2005 and continued that record of success during his tenure at Amazon as the leader for short-form content and podcasting at their Audible division. In 2019, he co-founded Magnificent Noise, a podcast production and creative consulting company based in New York City. He also publishes a popular newsletter for the audio and podcasting industry called The Audio Insurgent.

Greg Jackson

History professor, podcaster, author

Dr. Greg Jackson is best known as the creator and host of the podcast History That Doesn't Suck®. He holds a PhD in history, is a tenured Associate Professor and Senior Fellow in National Security Studies, and a Fellow of Integrated Studies at Utah Valley University. He is also a frequent commentator in film documentaries including the HISTORY® Channel three-night event Abraham Lincoln, which was Executive Produced by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Doris Kearns Goodwin and featured former President Barack Obama, among other history scholars.

Jawad Saleh

Chief Pharmacy Officer

Dr. Jawad N. Saleh, PharmD, MCSO, B.S., BCPS, BCCCP, is a recognized pharmacy leader and currently serves as the Chief Pharmacy Officer and Assistant Vice President of Clinical Operations at the Hospital for Special Surgery. He is an Assistant Clinical Professor for the St. John’s University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and acts as a mentor for future pharmacists. Dr. Saleh received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from St. John’s University, and is currently pursuing his Master of Science degree in Clinical Operations from Harvard Medical School.

Joseph Romm

Climate scientist, author

Dr. Joseph Romm has a Ph.D. in physics from MIT and is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania Center for Science, Sustainability, and the Media. In the 90s, Romm helped oversee the U.S. Department of Energy’s work on climate solutions, ultimately serving as Acting Assistant Secretary of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. In 2009, Time named him “Hero of the Environment″ and Rolling Stone included him in their list of 100 “People Who Are Changing America.” An author of ten books, CNN host Van Jones has called Romm “the communicator’s communicator.”

LaNysha Adams

Author, educator

Dr. LaNysha Adams is an 8x award-winning author of Me Power, mother of two young boys, and Director of the Student Wellness Center at Santa Fe Community College. Dr. Adams holds degrees from California State University San Marcos, Columbia University, and the University of New Mexico. She is a Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society Advisor and an Institutional Ethnography Board Member of the International Sociological Association. Dr. Adams has been featured on prestigious platforms such as The Roland Martin Show, American Heart Association, Reader’s Digest, Fox Business, Washington Business Journal, The Journal of Emergency Medical Services, Bold Journey Magazine, Blavity, Inc., Brown Girl Collective Book Club, numerous podcasts, and various syndicated radio shows.

Manpreet Kohli

Surgeon

Manpreet K. Kohli, MD, FACS is the Director of Breast Surgery for Monmouth Medical Center, affiliated with Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and RWJBarnabas Health. Dr. Kohli is a Cancer Liaison Physician for the Commission on Cancer, recognized locally and nationally for her work in the field of breast cancer care. She is an early adopter of new technology and was named American Cancer Society’s “Healthcare Professional of the Year” in 2019. In 2021 she created the nonprofit organization “I Pink I Can” to help provide equality in breast cancer care regardless of financial status.

Scott Carter

Producer, playwright

Scott Carter hosts the podcast Ye Gods! As Co-Creator/Executive Producer of Love & Respect With Killer Mike (PBS), he won a Regional Emmy Award. He received many Primetime Emmy nominations as Producer/Writer of Politically Incorrect With Bill Maher (Comedy Central, ABC) and Real Time With Bill Maher (HBO), for which he also won the Producers Guild of America and Writers Guild of America awards. His play The Gospel According To Thomas Jefferson, Charles Dickens & Count Leo Tolstoy: Discord has been seen in many U.S. cities and in Canada, Scotland and Switzerland.

Sydney Montgomery

Founder, advocate

Sydney Montgomery is Executive Director and Founder of the faith-based nonprofit organization, Barrier Breakers®, dedicated to increasing access to, and success in, higher education for BIPOC and other marginalized students. Sydney holds a B.A. in English from Princeton University, a J.D. from Harvard Law School, a Certificate in Independent Educational Consulting from UC Irvine, and a Certificate in Anti-Racism in Urban Education from the University of North Carolina, and currently an MDiv/MACEF candidate at Princeton Theological Seminary.