Theme: Patterns

Trends, reoccurring events and circumstances. These are common ways we see patterns. Patterns are the laws of nature and life that present themselves in all disciplines of life – from the smallest microorganism to macrocosm. They manage the systems by which our universe operates. While patterns aren’t always apparent, they are continuous and autonomous.

Our theme explores the various ways patterns present themselves and their significance in our daily existence. TEDxVCU will present ideas that:

● define and clarify the existence of patterns
● identify occurrences that establish patterns
● identify occurrences that alter the course of patterns

Grace Street Theater
934 W Grace St
Richmond, Virginia, 23220
United States

Aditi Sharma

Medical student + tabla player

Aditi Sharma is a fourth year medical student at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine. She received a bachelor’s degree in Bioengineering from the University of California, San Diego. Prior to joining medical school, she worked at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) researching viral immunity. In addition, she worked at the World Health Organization (WHO) to ensure improved access, quality and use of safe and appropriate medical devices. Following the WHO, Aditi worked at the Center for Disease Dynamics, and Economics & Policy in New Delhi, India and was involved in the Disease Control Priorities Project as well as the analysis of antimicrobial resistance. During medical school, Aditi received the VCU Global Health Award in support of her research on the costs of delaying care and extending lengths of stay for trauma patients at University Teaching Hospital in Kigali, Rwanda. Outside of school, Aditi has been playing the tabla (Indian Drums) for 20 years.

Alixander Laffredo-Dietrich

Communication arts student + guitarist

Alixander Joel Laffredo-Dietrich has been a musician for 12 years. By evolving his love for guitar into a desire to understand music theory, he has found a passion for composing music for local game studios. He has taught privately since 2011, and implores a variety of teaching methods to cater to students of all ages and backgrounds. By teaching music theory and it's practical applications to the guitar, he seeks to develop a foundational understanding in his students that carry over into other aspects of musicianship.

Amy Oestreicher

Health advocate + actress + playwright

Amy Oestreicher is a PTSD peer-to-peer specialist, artist, author, writer for Huffington Post, speaker for TEDx and RAINN, health advocate, survivor, award-winning actress, and playwright, sharing the lessons learned from trauma through her writing, mixed media art, performance and inspirational speaking. As the creator of "Gutless & Grateful," her BroadwayWorld-nominated one-woman autobiographical musical, she's toured theatres nationwide, along with a program combining mental health advocacy, sexual assault awareness and Broadway Theatre for college campuses and international conferences. She has studied as a playwright and performance artist in the National Musical Theatre Institute at the world-renowned Eugene O'Neill Theater Center.

Becky Crump

Lead consultant

Between the nutrition consulting and workplace wellbeing program design, the communications strategy and video shoots, the speaking engagements and meeting moderation, Becky specializes in finding the real “why” behind the actions of individuals and teams to inspire lasting behavior change. Her passion for healthy and engaged people, communities, and companies gets sharpened every time she witnesses the limitless determination of the human spirit and works with companies who value the engagement of their employees before product and profit. As a lead consultant with The Frontier Project, a certified health coach, and an integrative nutritionist, Becky has an eye for a good story, a focus on creating a more well-world, and the insatiable hunger to breathe life into it all.

Caitlyn Scaggs

Marketing professional + C-level executive

Caitlyn Scaggs went from being a police officer to marketing professional and ultimately a c-level executive at Polymer Solutions Incorporated, all before the age of 30. She also owns her own marketing firm, Blue Mobius Marketing. Caitlyn's non-traditional background has helped shape her into the successful businesswoman she is today. She is regarded as an expert in social media and digital marketing strategy. Caitlyn enjoys being a champion for emerging professionals and has a love for communications, people, and continuously improving.

Caroline Meyers

Art student

Caroline is a freshman at Virginia Commonwealth University in the Art Foundation program and the Honors College, hoping to major in Sculpture & Extended Media. She recently completed a semester-long research project on creating opportunities for constructive learning in museums, where she proposed several new labels for the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts' 21st Century collection. This work, along with the amount of time Caroline has spent visiting museums with different people, all of whom have varying levels of interest in art, has made me passionate about observing the different ways people function in art museums and finding methods to maximize the informal learning experiences that occur therein. As a lover of art but also as one museum visitor among many, Caroline loves discovering innovative programs museums use to serve their visitors as best they can.

Elizabeth White

MBA + former c-suite executive

Elizabeth White is a Harvard MBA and former C-suite executive who never expected to be "Fifty-five, Unemployed and Faking Normal." Author of a book by the same name, she has culled wisdom from the dozens of Boomers she's interviewed and hundreds more she's heard from who, despite monumental financial challenges, are finding ways to look beyond the rubble of what happened to thinking about and putting together the best possible plan B.

Lauren White

Brand architect + business creative

Lauren White is a Richmond, VA based business creative and brand architect, specializing in solving problems through brand development and holistic design. A recent graduate of VCU’s Graphic Design program, the academic sphere became the place where she discovered unique ways to solve the problems that deeply affected her the most — namely social issues. As an African-American woman, who avidly studied the history of her people, it wasn’t until she was in her twenties that her country’s perception on people who looked like her really began to uncover itself in it’s most devastating light. Growing up with primarily men in her family, including her younger brother, this perception on African-American men in particular stood out to her the most. She spent the majority of her undergraduate career trying to solve this puzzle of negative perception by addressing inconsistencies in historical education and media attention.

Margaret Cullather

Human safety specialist

Margaret (Maggie) is recently graduate from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a double major in Microbiology and Science, Technology, and Society with a minor in Community Health Psychology. She recently presented research in several research symposiums local to the Albany area and additionally has been published in the Journal for Asthma Educators on her research regarding the impact of playing a musical instrument on asthma health outcomes.

Pamela Ferrell

Hair expert

After being fired because of her hairstyle Pamela Ferrell became a hair expert by default. She created a movement to help people embrace and love their hair in order to change discriminating hair policies in the workplace and the US Armed Forces. The beauty of her hair artistry can be seen in the film Daughter’s of the Dust, and on artist like Diana Ross. The National Museum of African-American History and Culture has on display one of her four publications referring to her as the pioneer of Natural Hair Care.

Paria Maghsoudi

Graduate social work student

Paria Maghsoudi is a graduate student in VCU School of Social Work. As a person who has dealt with the effects of mental health and it's stigma, Paria has grown an interest and passion to give hope for those who have dealt with the same way. Being an advocate for those who feel their voices cannot be heard is an essential part of social change. Human beings are made to have emotion and therefore should not be afraid to express it in a way that is healthy and productive. She believes more people should be aware of mental health and how they can get their needs met without the cost of more pain and suffering. We often think those who are working in the frontlines of duty cannot display emotion due to its harmful stigmatization. If elements of acceptance and compassion can be implemented not only will there be a contribution to social change but a better quality of life for all.

Robin Sanders

Former U.S. Ambassador

Ambassador (Dr.) Robin Renee Sanders served as one of the U.S. Government’s top diplomats on African issues over a long career in the United States Diplomatic Corps reaching senior positions ranging from Ambassador to the Republics of Nigeria and the Congo, two stints as Director for Africa at the White House, and the U.S. Permanent Representative to the West African Regional Organization ECOWAS. Dr. Sanders received her doctor of science degree from Pittsburgh’s Robert Morris University, where she also holds the title of Distinguished Public Service Scholar; has MA and MS degrees from Ohio University; and, a BA from Hampton University. She is a recognized thought-leader on Africa's political/democratic, economic, cultural and security issues, as well as on thematic topics in the region such as food security, elections, education and climate change.