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).

McKnight Hall
9205 University City Rd.
Room 320
Charlotte, North Carolina, 28262
United States

Arin Patteson

Senior Associate Director, Student Centers

Arin Patterson is an innovative community developer and culture architect with over a decade of experience in leadership roles at high-impact nonprofits, working with youth, young adults, families, and communities. As a visionary leader and effective communicator, she is passionate about helping others maximize their strengths and achieve their highest potential. She brings an enthusiastic energy to her work, offering authentic encouragement and an optimistic outlook on life. Arin focuses on servant leadership, practical training, and consistent inspiration, always aiming to develop better individuals, leaders, and teams. Building bridges between people and organizations is vital to her, and she enjoys helping others find meaning in their work by connecting it to a larger purpose.

Baldomero Chavez

Undergraduate Student

Baldomero otherwise known as "Baldy" by his friends and peers, is a student at UNC Charlotte studying Operations and Supply Chain management. He served for 6 years in the U.S. Navy as a Hospital Corpsman and has deployed to places like Africa, Europe, and assisted in Operation Allies Welcome for the Afghan refugees. Baldy is the son of two immigrants from Mexico. Baldy is interested in supply chains, community issues within minority groups, and education issues in the country. To battle the issues, he has made the Elmore Brown Leadership Scholarship which awards a school leader in Garinger High School and hopes to bring solutions to the issues around Charlotte and the country.

Barbara Lash

Communications & Engagement Specialist

Barbara Lash, PhD, is a wife and mother with original research on Black geographies and how athletes are represented in the media. She's also the author of two books: If You Died Today, Would You Live On? Your Legacy Needs Your Attention; and Athletes and the Media: Bridging the Gap. Dr. Lash has trained and consulted for several professional athletes and for companies and organizations including the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, Hanes Brands, Wells Fargo, the Jacksonville Jaguars, Carolina Panthers, Las Vegas Raiders and Charlotte Hornets. Barbara now works as a Communications & Engagement Specialist in the Office of the Vice Chancellor within the Division of Research.

Craig Lewis

Global Urban Design Consultant

Craig Lewis is Placemaking Practice Group Manager at Arcadis, managing planning, landscape architecture, mobility, and urban design studios across the US and Mexico. For more than 30 years, he has used an inter-disciplinary approach to plan and implement the growth and regeneration of urban places across the globe that are more livable, equitable, and sustainable. As a practitioner and researcher, he has been studying how the physical characteristics of places affect our mental and physical well-being across a wide range of contexts– from global cities to local main streets. Pulling data from a variety of sources, Lewis works with clients around the world to create places of enduring economic and emotional value. He lives in Davidson, NC where he and his wife have raised 4 children to appreciate the beauty in great urban places and the value of walking. He recently completed his second term as the chair of the Design Review Board for the Town of Davidson.

Enny Ogunyemi

Graduate Student

Eniolaoluwa Ogunyemi (Enny) holds dual bachelor’s degrees in Biology and Psychology from UNC Charlotte and is currently pursuing a graduate certificate in Cognitive Science. Upon completion in Spring 2025, she plans to further her studies with a master's in Cognitive Psychology. Originally from Nigeria, Enny is an international student currently studying in the United States. In addition to her studies, she serves as a Graduate Teaching Assistant at the University Center for Academic Excellence (UCAE). Outside of academia, Enny enjoys crocheting, listening to music, and getting lost in fictional novels.

Evan Smith

Undergraduate Student

Evan Smith is a student at UNC Charlotte from Davidson, NC. He is majoring in data science with a minor in bioinformatics and genomics, after transferring from Coastal Carolina University. He has a passion for stand-up comedy, and the comedy scene in Charlotte has been a great outlet for this.He even opened his first comedy shows in Chicago this December. In addition to comedy, Evan provides commentary for Charlotte Division 1 athletics and hopes to publish an audio book in the spring. At Coastal Carolina University he worked with Chants with Recovery supporting student recovery awareness campaigns. Substance abuse recovery is a subject he is passionate about because of his own experiences, and he hopes to help others overcome addiction

Jasmine Ballard

Organization Founder & Chief Storytelling Officer at Melanotion

Jasmine Ballard is the founder and Chief Storytelling Officer of Melanotion, an organization dedicated to preserving and promoting cultural heritage through storytelling, workshops, and design. Her passion lies in helping people discover and embrace their cultural roots, in order to document and create spaces that reflect their identity and history. Jasmine started this journey by unpacking her own family history and asking deep questions about identity that were never talked about growing up. With a background in cultural storytelling, event curation, and legacy preservation, Ballard’s work seeks to empower communities, foster connection, and build cultural confidence.

Jean Wright

Physician & CEO

Jean Wright is a physician and CEO of the COPD Foundation (COPD - Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease). She became CEO after retiring as the Chief Innovation Officer at Atrium Health (now Advocate).She has brought the passion of innovation into an organization that advocates for 30 million people with COPD in the US, and 300 million worldwide. While once thought of as the smokers' disease, we now know COPD can be genetic, environmental, related to childhood asthma and a risk to first responders. In 2020, Dr. Wright gave a TedxCLT talk about the Invisible Epidemic of COPD. In that talk, the 'invisible epidemic' of COPD was brought to light. Dr. Wright has also served as Chief Medical Officer for several Atrium Hospitals, an Executive Director for a women's and children's hospital in Savannah, and a clinician, a clinical scientist and an academic leader at Emory University. Clinically, Jean is an anesthesiologist and critical physician.

Jenna Drew

Undergraduate Student

Jenna Drew is a senior at UNC Charlotte studying Sociology and Gerontology. Originally from Cary, NC, she enjoys spending time with friends, traveling to new destinations, and trying different restaurants. Jenna hopes after her time at UNC Charlotte to pursue a career in mental health counseling. Jenna believes that bringing art into public spaces will help increase economic and mental well being for communities. After completing research on the topic of art in public spaces in Charlotte, Jenna realized the immense potential there is for these projects throughout the city and beyond.

Jennifer Adelhardt

Doctoral Scholar & Adjunct Graduate Faculty

Jennifer Adelhardt is a wife, mother, and business leader who also happens to have ADHD. She navigates life with her incredibly supportive neurotypical husband and equally neurodivergent teen. For nearly 20 years, Jen worked in the financial services industry, focusing on customer experience and innovative problem-solving through technology. She is passionate about leading diverse teams and fostering psychologically safe environments to promote innovation. Jen is pursuing her Doctorate in Business Administration at UNC Charlotte while also continuing to work, including teaching as an adjunct professor at the UNC Charlotte Belk College of Business. Jen's passion lies in educating and empowering business leaders and entrepreneurs to create inclusive, innovative workplaces where all employees can innovate and thrive.

Mary-Catherine Berger

Graduate Student

Mary-Catherine Berger has spent the last 4 years at UNC Charlotte completing her BA and beginning her MA in English Literature and Culture, with a particular interest in the literature of the British Renaissance, book history, and archival studies. She intends to also pursue her PhD in the same field of interest with hopes of becoming a professor. She has presented her work on Shakespeare’s "The Taming of the Shrew" at several student and professional conferences, as well as currently serving as the president of the English Graduate Student Association. Beyond her academic interests, Mary-Catherine is a born and bred Charlottean. When she isn’t working as a graduate assistant for UNC Charlotte’s Leadership and Community Engagement or as a content writer for a local family-owned business, she enjoys thrifting and antiquing around Charlotte while partaking in the many caffeinated beverage options offered at the dozens of cafés that populate the city.

Sara Gagné

Chair & Associate Professor, UNC Charlotte

Sara A. Gagné is the author of Nature at Your Door: Connecting with the Wild and Green in the Urban and Suburban Landscape (Stackpole Books, 2023) and chair and associate professor of landscape ecology in the Department of Earth, Environmental and Geographical Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.Gagné’s research, teaching, and writing is dedicated to understanding and communicating how people and nature interact in cities. She lives in Charlotte, where she helps to make urban spaces more welcoming to wildlife.

Sarah Gallucci

English Professor

Sarah Gallucci is an English professor at Central Piedmont Community College. In addition to her service to the college, she also serves the community of Charlotte through various art projects. Before this role, she was a journalist writing for popular national and international publications, including The Atlantic, CNN, Harper’s Bazaar, The Washington Post. She has previously given a TEDx Talk in New Delhi, India encouraging women to use their unapologetic voices.She is the creator of Sovereign Daughter, an empowering journaling community for women and people who identify as women, to write their truths, be transformed, and heal. She hosts monthly workshops and offers 1:1 journal therapy sessions to women around the world. She lives on the Westside of Charlotte with her two children.