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).

Mountain View College
4849 W Illinois Avenue
Dallas, Texas, 75211
United States

Daniel García Ordaz

Daniel García Ordaz, a.k.a. The Poet Mariachi, is a writer and educator from Mission, Texas. He is the author of You Know What I’m Sayin’? and Cenzontle/Mockingbird: Songs of Empowerment. He is a founder of the Rio Grande Valley International Poetry Festival. García, whose parents emigrated from México, is an Eagle Scout, a U.S. Navy veteran, and a former newspaper journalist, and former migrant farm worker. He earned a B.A. in English from the University of Texas-Pan American and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley. García’s work has been taught at colleges and universities. García’s forthcoming book, Read Until You Bleed, is a collection of children’s poetry. His work also appears in several anthologies, including Twenty, Poetry of Resistance, Juventúd!, and Living Beyond Borders, among others. García’s work has appeared in several journals and he has been a panelist, featured poet or guest author at AWP, Texas Book Festival, Dallas International Book Fair, Texas Library Association, and Gemini Ink, among others.

Frances West

Frances West is an internationally recognized thought leader, speaker, strategy adviser, and women-in-technology trailblazer known for her work in innovation, technology, and business transformation. She is the author of “Authentic Inclusion™ Drives Disruptive Innovation” and founder of FrancesWestCo, a global strategy advisory company focused on operationalizing inclusion as a business and technology imperative. Her insightful knowledge and “human first” approach come from her personal journey as a first-generation, non-English speaking immigrant and her career as a technology executive, which includes being IBM’s first Chief Accessibility Officer. Frances’ expertise has been highly sought after by governments, businesses, nonprofits and startups. She was invited to be the sole IT expert witness to testify before the US Senate on the need to pass the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities. She recently was appointed as an instructor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Massachusetts in Boston in recognition of her work in accessibility, research, and digital inclusion. Frances was born in Taiwan and educated in Hong Kong and the US. She is married with two sons and currently resides in Newton, Massachusetts.

Frances West

Frances West is an internationally recognized thought leader, speaker, strategy adviser, and women-in-technology trailblazer known for her work in innovation, technology, and business transformation. She is the author of “Authentic Inclusion™ Drives Disruptive Innovation” and founder of FrancesWestCo, a global strategy advisory company focused on operationalizing inclusion as a business and technology imperative. Her insightful knowledge and “human first” approach come from her personal journey as a first-generation, non-English speaking immigrant and her career as a technology executive, which includes being IBM’s first Chief Accessibility Officer. Frances’ expertise has been highly sought after by governments, businesses, nonprofits and startups. She was invited to be the sole IT expert witness to testify before the US Senate on the need to pass the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities. She recently was appointed as an instructor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Massachusetts in Boston in recognition of her work in accessibility, research, and digital inclusion. Frances was born in Taiwan and educated in Hong Kong and the US. She is married with two sons and currently resides in Newton, Massachusetts.

Gaby Natale

Gaby Natale is a three-time EMMY-award winner media personality, entrepreneur and author. She is the executive producer and host of the TV show SuperLatina that airs nationwide in VME TV, a member of the PBS family. Gaby Natale is one of the few women in the entertainment industry who owns not only the rights to her TV show but also a television studio. This unique situation has allowed her to combine her passion for media and her entrepreneurial spirit. In 2017, Gaby became the first Spanish-language TV host to win back to back Daytime EMMYs in the “Outstanding Talent Category”. On May 2016, Gaby and SuperLatina won two Daytime Emmy awards for Outstanding Daytime Talent in a Spanish Language Program and Outstanding Entertainment Program in Spanish, respectively, making it a first for an independently-produced Spanish language show. Her book “El Circulo Virtuoso” (The Virtuous Circle) became a #1 bestseller in three Amazon categories. In the digital world, Gaby has developed a thriving fan base, with over 52 million views on YouTube and 200K+ followers on Social Media. She is also the co-founder and President of AGANARmedia, a marketing company with a focus on Hispanic audiences. AGANARmedia’s clients include Fortune 500 companies such as Hilton Worldwide, Sprint, AT&T, Ebay and Amazon, to name a few.

Jason Pointer

Jason Pointer is director of pastoral care and counseling at the largest state psychiatric hospital in Texas. He is a certified instructor for Mental Health First Aid and trained alongside police officers earning a Mental Health Peace Officer certificate. A gifted speaker, teacher, writer and thinker, he has presented for seminars, conferences and organizations, including National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Jason has certifications in Critical Incident Stress Management, Crisis Response, Disaster Spiritual Care and De-Escalation Techniques. As an ordained minister and professionally trained hospital chaplain with specialization in mental health care, he has served in the emergency room, during disasters, and alongside first responders, and has been recognized multiple times for his passion and exceptional patient care.

Matthew Sanchez

Matthew truly believes when all people begin to push themselves and search for their “why” the world will be a better place. He truly enjoys talking with people and getting to know them on a deep personal level. Matthew had the opportunity to do an internship in his master’s degree at a children’s advocacy center in North Texas where he provided mental therapy with victims of abuse of all ages. It was here that he began to recognize his “why” and develop beliefs in his purpose to help and inspire others to discover their mental grit and push their personal limits, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. He has two daughters, Bella and Sheridan, ages 13 and 8. He continually seeks to reinforce his purpose with them by having discussions around quotes to help them discover more about themselves and encourages physical-boundary tests by coaching them in soccer and basketball. Matthew seeks to ignite hope and inspire people to realize that they can do more than they believe.

Ryan Romano

Ryan Romano (USAW, FNS, PN-1) is a High Performance and Wellness expert, writer and speaker. He is also the CEO of The Warehouse Performance Institute, a Birmingham, Alabama-based sports and human performance training center. For almost a decade, Ryan has worked with 15,000 individuals and 3,000 families around the country providing physical, mental and emotional training. He specializes in building an individual’s confidence and self-esteem, as well as providing mentoring and coaching to help the individual to discover and align their true value and worthiness.

Tara Peters

Dr. Tara Peters is the Founder and Managing Director for Peters Consulting Group (PCG). She's a gifted educator who believes there is no greater calling than educating our future generations. A professional educator for more than 24 years, she currently serves as Academic Dean for the Texas Campus and Professor in the DeVos Graduate School at Northwood University. She earned a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Systems and has been invited to teach on multiple occasions in Northwood’s international programs. She consults internationally and has worked with several companies in the D/FW Metroplex, including Coca-Cola Bottling, Allstate Insurance, Walmart Distribution Center, Medical Center of Plano and Ocwen to name a few. Her scholarly work has been presented at regional and national conferences.