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).

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Jonny Imerman

Jonny Imerman is the founder of Imerman Angels. While fighting cancer at 26 years old, Jonny had loving support from family and friends, but never met anyone his age who was a cancer survivor. He wanted to talk to someone just like him, someone who truly understood and remembered - someone who had already beaten the same type of cancer.

Rachel Bishop

Rachel R. Bishop is vice president of global merchandising and own brand expansion at Walgreen Co. Bishop is responsible for igniting Walgreens daily living sales and optimizing the company’s cost structure by leveraging the joint scale and capabilities of the strategic partnership between Walgreens and Alliance Boots.

Patrick Korellis

Patrick has worked for Walgreens for 2 ½ years, and is currently a Sr. GIS Analyst on the Location & Business Analyst team. Patrick graduated from Northern Illinois University, with a degree in Geography-GIS and Meteorology. Prior to Walgreens, Patrick worked at the Lake County Division of Transportation, Warren Township, and interned at WGN-TV with Tom Skilling, the chief meteorologist.

Omar Duque

Omar Duque is the President and CEO of the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (IHCC), the leading Hispanic business, networking, advocacy and development organization in Illinois. Duque has forged strong relationships both locally and nationally and acts as an effective advocate for Hispanic businesses. Duque is a sought-after speaker on issues relating to the Hispanic community and diversity.

Sona Chawla

Sona Chawla is president of e-commerce for Walgreens Co. She joined Walgreens in July 2008 as senior vice president of e-commerce and was promoted to her current position in January 2011. Her team is dedicated to growing the digital channels for Walgreens, while simultaneously integrating the digital experience across the company’s retail and healthcare businesses.

Troy Henikoff

Troy Henikoff is the Managing Director of TechStars Chicago, is a manager of the FireStarter Fund. He teaches Entrepreneurship and Digital Marketing at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management and is a Faculty Coach for University of Chicago / Booth’s New Venture Challenge. Henikoff is alsoon the board of the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center and an advisor to Hyde Park Angels.

Alicia Gonzalez

Alicia is the Executive Director of Chicago Run, a local non-profit that provides free running programs to Chicago Public School students as a means of promoting health and wellness, digital learning, and cross-community collaboration. She has led the organization to serve over 16,000 students in 55 Chicago Public Schools in 33 neighborhoods across the city.

Mark Achler

Mark Achler was most recently senior vice president of new business, strategy and innovation at Redbox, where he managed the Company’s long-term planning and expansion into new business opportunities. Achler was recently featured as a mentor to a tech startup on Bloomberg TV’s “The Mentor.”

Christopher Desmond

From scouring garage sales for baseball cards and vintage audio equipment to starting a painting company in high school, Christopher Desmond was always drawn to being an entrepreneur and developing new businesses. A Chicagoland native, Desmond earned his bachelor’s and MBA from Eastern Illinois University, where he was also a Theater and Law minor. After his MBA, he landed in the niche profession of transfer pricing at Ernst & Young and later joined PricewaterhouseCoopers while still dabbling in theater by taking Improv classes at Chicago’s Second City Comedy Club.

Steve Pemberton

Steve Pemberton is Divisional Vice-President and Chief Diversity Officer for Walgreens, the first such person to hold that responsibility in the company’s 110 year history. Prior to assuming his role at Walgreens, Steve was Chief Diversity Officer and Vice-President of Diversity and Inclusion at Monster.com, the leading global online careers property. As Vice-President of Diversity and Inclusion, Steve had end-to-end management responsibilities for the Diversity and Inclusion business unit which focused on helping employers diversify their workforce.