Theme: Standard Deviation

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, TED Talks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection. 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.)

ABOUT TEDxSAVANNAH 2022: A roster of 13 thought-provoking speakers explored the theme “Standard Deviation." The 11th anniversary event also included live poetry and prose performances by Deep Center Youth Artists as well as family-friendly comedy segments by Odd Lot Improv.

TEDxSavannah 2022 Event Photos: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjzXFdh
Watch TEDxSavannah 2022 videos on TEDx Talks YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TEDxTalks/search?query=tedxsavannah%202022

Yamacraw Center for the Performing Arts
649 W. Jones St.
Savannah, Georgia, 31401
United States

Alex Muir

Alex Muir is the former Advocacy Coordinator for One Hundred Miles (OHM), a regional nonprofit that advocates for conservation policies to protect our coast and the communities that call it home. While at One Hundred Miles, Alex organized coastal residents to advocate for responsible local land use and zoning decisions. She also lobbied at the Georgia General Assembly on issues including flood resilience funding, oyster mariculture, and protection for Georgia Heritage Preserves. Alex has a master’s degree in Public Affairs from Indiana University. Since the pandemic, she started law school at Georgia State University College to further her impact in the conservation policy arena.

Bertice Berry

Originally from Wilmington, Delaware, Bertice earned a Ph.D. in sociology at the age of 26. The former host and co-executive producer of her own nationally syndicated talk show, “The Bertice Berry Show,” she has also been featured on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” and “20/20.” She is a best-selling author, with books including I’m On My Way, But Your Foot Is On My Head; Sckraight From the Ghetto; You Might Be Ghetto If; Redemption Song; The Haunting of Hip Hop; Jim & Louella’s Homemade Heart-fix Remedy; When Love Calls, You Better Answer; The Ties That Bind and A Year to Wellness and Other Weight Loss Secrets.

Chris Hanks

Chris became a junior firefighter following the death of his mother. By the time he graduated from high school, he had learned basic EMT skills, and he became the youngest National Registered Paramedic in the state of Georgia. As a fire captain and paramedic with a bachelor’s degree in Emergency and Disaster Management, he teaches new EMTs and serves as a shift health and safety officer in Savannah, Georgia.

Deep Center Youth Artists

Marquice Williams and Ka’Dia Dhatnubia Stanley Jackson, Velma Johnson, and Bashiah McNutt Deep Center uses writing, art, and culture to fuel the creative fires of Savannah’s young people, helping them connect their learning to their lives, their lives to their communities, and their actions to transformational change. In collaboration with adult writers, artists, and mentors, Deep youth learn how to tell their stories powerfully, celebrate their neighborhoods, elevate Savannah’s forgotten narratives, and find their place in history and current events.

Isai Castrejon

Originally from Mexico, Isai moved to Savannah to continue his work on educating the next generation as part of Junior Achievement (JA). In his role as the director of the JA Discovery Center Experience, he oversees a state-of-the-art facility that offers middle school students in Coastal Georgia the opportunity to experience their futures via JA Finance Park and JA BizTown. He earned a degree in economics from Georgia Institute of Technology.

Jay Brandes

A professor who works at the University of Georgia - Skidaway Institute of Oceanography in Savannah, Georgia, Jay is a marine and freshwater chemist. He specializes in the study of the chemistry of the oceans and conducts research on carbon and nutrient cycling in estuaries and coastal oceans and evaluates the composition of particles and microplastic pollutants.

Kyrin Dunston, M.D.

Kyrin is a Fellow of Anti-Aging, Metabolic and Functional Medicine who lost 100 pounds and healed herself of multiple unresolved health issues. She provides coaching for women seeking a superior level of health nationwide.

Mark Bowen

Mark Bowen was born and raised in Virginia, outside of Washington, D.C. and currently serves as the programs director for the Forsyth Farmers Market in Savannah, Georgia. His career has primarily focused on community organizing and education in food and social justice. He has worked in these areas throughout the mid-Atlantic and South for over 20 years. He is a licensed social worker taking a career shift towards mental health with aspirations to intersect mental health with social justice and horticultural therapy.

Marquice Williams

Deep Center uses writing, art, and culture to fuel the creative fires of Savannah’s young people, helping them connect their learning to their lives, their lives to their communities, and their actions to transformational change. In collaboration with adult writers, artists, and mentors, Deep youth learn how to tell their stories powerfully, celebrate their neighborhoods, elevate Savannah’s forgotten narratives, and find their place in history and current events.

Mary Dillard

A Savannah, Georgia native who was born with Cerebral Palsy, Mary graduated from Georgia Southern University with a degree in technical writing and works for the Americorps VISTA program, focusing on marketing and communications. She is passionate about finding new ways to tell important stories and hopes to use her skill set to advocate for individuals with disabilities.

Maxine Bryant

Maxine Bryant serves as the director of both the Center for Africana Studies and the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Center at Georgia Southern University. She is also an assistant professor in Georgia Southern University’s Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology. With more than 30 years of experience helping prisoners successfully reintegrate into society, she is a sought-after resource for community organizations, city government, family members of justice-impacted persons and justice-impacted individuals.

Mickie McNamara

Born to Guyanese immigrants in Brooklyn, New York, Mickie studied Italian, classical art history, and collage in Rome, Italy. She interned at the United Nations World Food Programme before beginning her decade-long career in finance. She served as a Civil Servant for U.S. Army Africa in Vicenza, Italy before moving to Savannah. She currently works as a marketing specialist for K-Care, a software company based in Austin, Texas.

Vira Salzburn

Ukrainian-American Vira Salzburn moved to the United States at the age of 18 with $300 in her pocket. Passionate about helping those in need, she is trained in mindful self-compassion and applied suicide intervention skills. She currently serves as the program director for community-based safety and resilience programs managed by the Chatham County Safety Net Planning Council.

Wanda Lloyd

Coming Full Circle: From Jim Crow to Journalism is Wanda’s self-reflective exploration of her journey from childhood in the Deep South to becoming a daily newspaper editor. She retired as the executive editor of the Montgomery (AL) Advertiser and then worked as the chair and associate professor for the Department of Journalism and Mass Communications at Savannah State University. She was inducted into the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Hall of Fame and is co-host of the 2 Old Chicks podcast.

Wyatt Powers

Wyatt has visited 44 of the United States as well as five countries in North and South America. In his book, RV Travel on a Budget: A Mother and Son’s Guide to Roadschooling the USA, he chronicles his journey and shares the valuable lessons he learned about life, leadership, and community while on the road.