Theme: re:define

TEDxDeerfield expands in 2018 with 12 speakers on topics ranging from behavioral economics to blockchain, from the power of kindness to the important role of service animals. General admission. Free event.

Elizabeth Wachsmann Concert Hall
Deerfield Academy
Deerfield, Massachusetts, 01342
United States

Anna Mishchenko

Raised bilingual of Russian ancestry, Anna has lived in Switzerland, attended international schools and has gained insights and perspectives by surrounding herself with people from all over the world. As a dancer and pianist, Anna has gained an interest in self-expression that has led to a love of debate and discussion--and an ability to see across the lines that divide topics and disciplines.

Bill Wood

Bill Wood is founder and president of Mountaintop Economics & Research, Inc., a supplier of market analyses and forecasts for decision-makers in the plastics industry. He has over 30 years of experience in commodity market and industrial market analysis.

Bridgette Howard James

Community Outreach Coach

Bridgette Howard James is a speaker, writer,mentor, coach, and consultant at Howard James Consulting LLC., specializing in community outreach and engagement, personal and organizational development, and small business consulting. A graduate of Emory University, Bridgette teaches individuals and businesses how to overcome challenges during transitional periods. She believes that periods of transition are opportunities for success. It is this belief that drives Bridgette to motivate, encourage, and empower people to live each day with purpose.

Jonathan Bardzik

Storyteller Chef

Following a passion for food and storytelling, I gave my first live farm-market cooking demonstration in July 2011. Combining food stories and cooking with my experience growing up in a family business, a performing arts degree, MBA, and 11 years in marketing and membership with a national trade association, I work with organizations to connect around the table and in the office, telling the important stories of their work. I also teach and entertain home cooks, and have given over 250 live appearances, written three cookbooks, produced several video series, and created more than 700 recipes with farm-fresh seasonal ingredients. While appearing in USA Today, Forbes, Thrillist and Food Network Magazine was exciting, I get the most satisfaction from working with live audiences. I truly believe the kitchen is a place where we can discover, create and share joy.

Kiana Rawji

Kiana Rawji has developed a keen interest in and promoted the understanding of pluralism and Islam over the past five years. Kiana’s passion for this is demonstrated in her medal-winning speeches delivered at various competitions at the national and international levels. To Kiana, speaking and writing are powerful vehicles for change and she hopes to continue to leverage her talent in both to promote social justice. In 2017, she received the Cadillac Fairview Youth of Distinction Award for her efforts to advocate for the understanding of Islam. Kiana is also the Founding President and CEO of a nonprofit, Gentr (www.gentr.org), a girls entrepreneurial development program. Through Gentr's program, adapted from the MIT Launch curriculum, girls in Tanzania and Kenya are acquiring the skill set and mindset needed to succeed in their environments and develop their confidence as young women.

Marco Marsans

I was only three years old when my father passed away. His sudden departure dramatically altered the trajectory of my life. Three years later, my mother married my stepfather, an affectionate and open-minded man. Together, we left my birth home, Madrid, Spain, for a fresh start in Italy. The combination of a new father and a new land was exhilarating. I developed a passion for food, Renaissance art, and music. I also mastered two new languages: Italian and English. Fast-forward five years, and we moved to America. With my sister now in college, and brother attending boarding school, I learned what it meant to be an only child. Eventually, I grew hungry for my next adventure: I applied to boarding school and arrived on campus as the youngest student in school. Among other things, I captain cross-country, lead the Young Democrats, and play in the advanced jazz band.

Marshall Carroll

Marshall Carroll joined the faculty of Deerfield Academy in 2017 as the Director of the Library. Previously, Marshall spent ten years at Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania where he served as the Director of Library Services. Marshall is a graduate of The Lawrenceville School, and he has earned master’s degrees in Library and Information Science from Rutgers University and Independent School Leadership from the Klingenstein Center of Teachers College, Columbia University.

Orlee Marini-Rapoport

A high school student from Northampton, Massachusetts, Orlee is a student leader with a keen interest in improving gender dynamics in the classroom.

Raegan Hill

Raegan is a student at Deerfield Academy, and hails originally from Lunenburg, MA.

Sarah Meikle

Non-Profit Leader focused on Service Animals.

Sarah runs Diggity Dogs, a non-profit organization that produces medical alert and psychiatric service dogs for conditions that most people don’t realize dogs can address.

Shreyas Sinha

Youth Activist and Advocate

Shreyas has spent countless hours advocating to city councils and local organizations. In addition, he's run leadership camps for students in the summer, developed through a heavily researched curriculum. Shreyas hails from Nashua, a small city of 86,000 people on the southern border of New Hampshire. Nashua is at the center of the opioid epidemic in America.

Valerie Hetherington

Born and raised in Bozeman, Montana, Valerie loves being outdoors, especially in the mountains. Attending school in Deerfield, MA has further expanded her horizons. This emphasis on exploring limits has led Valerie to her interest in the blockchain.