Theme: Breaking Barriers

TEDxSNHU is Southern New Hampshire University's program to engage with "ideas worth spreading" in its community. Faculty, students, staff, and alumni participate in this greater community of ideas, inspiration, and action.

Virtual
SNHU Virtual
Manchester, New Hampshire, 03106
United States

Jia Anderson-Salo

Educator

Jia Anderson-Salo is a 2022 graduate of the Taipei American School. She is currently a junior at Southern New Hampshire University, majoring in elementary and special education. Within her program, Jia has had had many valuable opportunities to observe and assist in various schools, enriching her understanding of diverse educational environments. On campus, Anderson-Salo is actively involved in several programs, including the honors program. She also serves as a tour guide and orientation leader, helping new students acclimate to university life. She is passionate about athletics and is on the cross country and track and field teams.

Jim Chilton

Technology Innovation Leader

Jim Chilton is a technology executive with a passion for driving growth and transformation. As the executive vice president and Group CTO at Cengage Group, he leads the innovation efforts and ensures that the Group Technology organization aligns with the company's vision. His role encompasses artificial intelligence programs, internal business systems, cloud computing and cybersecurity. He is deeply committed to giving back to the industry and community and serves as an advisor and board members for several organizations. Chilton received the 2020 Inspire CIO of the Year/Boston ORBIE award and has been a finalist for the National Inspire CIO of the Year ORBIE Award in 2023 and 2024. He’s also been a multi-year recipient of the Apprenti Industry award and HMG Global Leadership award.

Kayla Stoll

Ecohydrologist

Kayla Stoll has spent the past eight years practicing and educating her community about organic agriculture, volunteering at a local farm for five years and working there for two. She loves the world of botany and teaching others to respect the ecosystem of flora/fauna that make it run — why she works as a current ecohydrologist studying tree populations and biodiversity. She’s been a devoted environmental advocate since age 14, mainly through writing letters to government officials and businesses regarding plastic pollution and elephant poaching (both in the U.S. and abroad). Stoll maintains a YouTube channel, centered on furthering education about plastic pollution and the Earth as a whole. She’s served as a guest speaker at middle schools throughout the past year, speaking about plastic pollution, trying to make more students aware of this crisis and how they can help lessen their environmental footprint.

Laura Finley

Professor of Sociology

Laura Finley, Ph.D is a professor of sociology and criminology at Barry University. She is also an adjunct at Southern New Hampshire University, teaching Strategies for Online Learning and Diversity Awareness and Online Learning. Finley is the author, co-author or editor of 40 books as well as more than four dozen peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters. She is also a syndicated columnist with Peace Voice and a frequent presenter at local, state, and national conferences. Finley is also an activist for peace, justice, and gender equality. She is involved with a number of movements and is a Board member for The Humanity Project and Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, as well as co-founder and organizer of the College Brides Walk, a dating and domestic violence awareness campaign. In 2022, Finley was named Outstanding Faculty Member at Barry University.

Lila Harfoush Bayliss

Systems analyst

Dr. Lila Harfoush Bayliss is an IT systems analyst and adjunct professor at Southern New Hampshire University. An American-Lebanese citizen, she earned her doctorate in business management from the University of Maryland College of Graduate and Professional Studies, where her dissertation focused on elements of a successful IT framework.

Lowell Matthews

Professor of Business Administration

Dr. Lowell C. Matthews (Chris) serves as a professor of business administration and management at Southern New Hampshire University. His research interests include organizational culture, global leadership practices, and social justice and equity. His current research involves exploring post-secondary learning opportunities for youth that chose not to attend college. In his role as faculty member at SNHU, he is known for his experiential class delivery and project-based learning that allows students to use the community as their textbook. Outside the classroom he serves on the board of several nonprofit organizations including the Black Heritage Trail, NH, Endowment for Health, World Affairs Council of New Hampshire, Manchester True Collaborative, and the Racial Unity Team.

Marcia Griffith

Training specialist

Marcia Griffith is a support analyst on the Solutions Training team in Student Financial Services at Southern New Hampshire University. Her primary focus is managing the SFS Mentor Program, which supports both new hires and Contact Center staff. Prior to joining SNHU in 2018, she worked for The LEGO Group from 2007-2018, and ultimately managed the Rhode Island retail territory. Griffith founded and facilitated NetLunch, a women-in-business networking group, hosting meet-up events for several years within New Hampshire and Massachusetts. She is the mother of two adventurous adult children and has engaged in some adventures of her own in recent years, too.

Nancy Crawford

Broadcast journalist

Nancy Darlene Crawford is a 58-year-old Black woman, who made a midlife career change after working in finance for more than a decade. She decided to pursue the role she’s wanted since she was 8-years-old — to become a broadcast journalist. Returning to school in 2020 at Southern New Hampshire University, Crawford was featured on Good Morning America with Robin Roberts in a segment focused on her life and intended career change. She was soon offered an internship with the local ABC station in New York, WABC7, which eventually led to an internship with ABC News, this time with Good Morning America — and she made the decision to walk away from her successful finance career. She graduated in November 2024 with her Bachelor of Arts in Communication and she’s focused on landing a new role in journalism.

Scott Cloutier

Marketing technologist

With more than a dozen years of experience as a marketing and technology expert, Scott Cloutier currently serves as the senior marketing automation architect at Southern New Hampshire University, where he leads innovative marketing technology, automation and integration strategies to enhance student experience, engagement and persistence. An alumnus of Southern New Hampshire University, Cloutier holds both a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Master of Science in Marketing from SNHU. In addition to his professional role, he has dedicated the past five years to leading and serving as the president and chair of the board for Manchester True Collaborative, a volunteer-based organization developing into a 501(c)3 and Manchester, New Hampshire's first LGBTQIA+ center. Known for his leadership, technological expertise and passion for fostering collaboration, Cloutier excels in creating impact across corporate and nonprofit sectors.