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).

Mane Room
310 North Pine Street
Florence, Alabama, 35630
United States

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Andy Wallace

Andy believes deeply in the possibility of a world where people with power use it to raise others up. But Andy also knows the dark side of power. He has interviewed more than 250 perpetrators of power based crimes and worked with their victims. Andy has seen the same power mindsets of violent criminals crop up in religious, family, and business contexts over the course of more than a decade in senior leadership in the nonprofit and corporate worlds. Today Andy explores with audiences the nature and role of power in society and teaches positional leaders how to use power well.

David Prejeant

David Prejeant, man about town, uses a contemporary approach to help business professionals improve communication, foster creativity, and enhance team consciousness. David explores how the secret formula to great Improv comedy is a great formula for life.

Dr. Rachel Winston

Dr. Rachel Winston was born and raised in Tuskegee AL. She graduated from the University of North Alabama with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. After working as a staff nurse and charge nurse for several years, Dr. Winston graduated from the University of South Alabama with a Master’s degree in Nursing Education and a Doctorate in Nursing Practice, specializing as a Clinical Nurse Specialist: Adult-Gerontological. Dr. Winston is the wife of Milos Winston (9th grade History teacher for the Florence City School System) and is the mother of Elijah, Nyah and Ava Winston. Dr. Winston currently teaches as an Associate Professor in the UNA Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions (ACONHP) and is the director for the UNA Scholarship for Disadvantaged Students. Dr. Winston has displayed multiple poster and podium presentations at conferences and published several papers and articles. Her honors include the Julie Haddon Matthews Professorship, Outstanding Leadership Achievement Award Recipient, and Outstanding Service Award. Dr. Winston enjoys educating and empowering others. In doing so, she has spoken at multiple engagements focusing on topics that range from social inclusion of people with disabilities to assisting students transitioning from high school to college. When Dr. Winston is not working with high school and college students, she is seeking out ways to serve her local community. Dr. Winston volunteers with Give-A-Kid-A-Chance (GAKAC), the Shoals Crisis Pregnancy Center and at multiple clothing giveaways/food giveaways. Dr. Winston also develop the ACONHP Children’s Respite Program. The respite program is open to local children with special needs, and their siblings. Dr. Winston has a servant heart and is passionate about “being the change she wants to see in her family, her community and in her world.”

Janae Lyde

Janae Lyde had served as UNA’s athletic ticket manager since June of 2018 and has been with the department since 2016. Lyde earned her bachelor's degree in sport management from UNA in 2016. Prior to taking the position, she was a graduate assistant in the ticket office for two years, earning her master’s degree in sport management in 2018. She has also earned her master’s of business administration in 2019. She is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Business Administration from Trevecca Nazarene University. She has also assisted in game day operations and marketing and promotions. A former standout on the UNA women’s basketball team, Lyde lettered three seasons at North Alabama, earning Gulf South Conference all-tournament honors as a sophomore in the 2013-14 campaign. She played in 67 games with 48 starts, totaling 324 assists, leading the team each season. She scored 535 points with 231 rebounds and an even 100 steals.

John Williams

John is an unshakable visionary who sees the world as it could be. He believes that we are the ones who get to shape our world and that if we can see it, we can create it. Described as a passionate-giant of a man, John has given his professional life to helping spread the vision of the power of strength through vulnerability, others-centered serving, and a deep sense of personal ownership where people can experience a beautiful world in which peer-to-peer equality is evident, individuals are free to achieve and enjoy the prize of a life well lived. John is the founder and CEO of Life that Counts, a social-entrepreneurial endeavor which seeks to help others make better decisions for more healthy outcomes. Visit lifethatcounts.org for more.

Justin W Carter PhD

Dr. Justin Carter has spent the last twenty years educating students and business leaders around the world that what you measure matters. As a professor at the University of North Alabama, consultant, and executive coach, he is one of the foremost leaders in the field of human capital management which focuses on measuring our most valuable business asset and positioning employees for maximum success His research and findings on positive psychological capital have been published in numerous empirical journals and featured in Inc., Forbes, and Psychology Today. His success has led him to a prestigious fellowship with the ROI Institute where he continues to explore the value of positivity in the workplace. Justin is the host of the popular podcast, Rise & Roar, where he interviews different leaders from various industries and organizations each week in search of answers that matter in today’s business climate. Known for his ability to explain abstract concepts in engaging, interesting and thought-provoking ways, he has successfully made the business case for investing in the psychological health and wellbeing of employees at firms such as Vulcan Materials, ADP, Chrysler Automotive, Siemens, Goodyear, Astellas Pharmaceuticals, Dow Chemical, and The Department of Homeland Security. In addition to his ability to capture and solve business complexities in a straightforward manner, his compassionate approach and southern charm, along with his passion for measuring the intangible value of employees, has led to numerous speaking invitations from groups such as the International Positive Psychology Association, Association of Talent Development, American Management Association, International Personnel Assessment Council, and the Senate Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety. In his personal life, Justin treasures family, staying active, and his sweet home Alabama roots. He is a multi-talented man who even competed as a bull rider for some time. When he is not teaching class or coaching business executives, he enjoys spending precious and rewarding time on the lake with his wife Jennifer, two beautiful daughters Loren and Lannah, and his son Mason.

Kate Brown

Kate Brown needs a vacation! She won’t be found crowding the beaches, though. She prefers trekking the sea. As an Advanced Open Water SCUBA Diver, Kate has no time to stop and smell the roses; there are two worlds captivating her curiosity, and she intends to get busy discovering both. Above ground, Kate serves as Vice President for Investor Relations of the Shoals Chamber of Commerce. Her passion is building strong and thriving communities, and thus has spent her young career in community planning and travel marketing. She is a Communications graduate of the University of North Alabama and has mastered the art of saying, “Roar Lions,” underwater. Below sea level, Kate became one of the youngest certified Open Water Divers at the age of 12. Having faced near death and the world’s most stunning sights, she has learned one thing: A person’s achievement potential rests entirely in his or her pursuit to quench every drop of life given.

Kent D. Ballard, Jr.

Kent Ballard, Jr., a seasoned educator with more than 17 years of experience in various sectors, especially the industry of education. He has been recognized for demonstrating a natural aptitude for promoting student achievement and growth. He has a specific passion to see young men striving for their absolute best, especially young men who have been physically or emotionally abandoned by their fathers. His professional focal points include student evaluation, professional development, marketing, curriculum development, program development, complex problem-solving, and project management. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a Masters in Education with a Specialization in Urban and Diverse Learners. He currently is the Workforce Education Specialist for the Chamber Foundation, a 501c3 under the Huntsville/Madison Chamber of Commerce in Huntsville, Alabama. In this role, He will empower students, faculty, and staff members, and administrators to develop tomorrow's workforce through effective resources and informational insight. Huntsville is growing and he is proud to be a part of the Chamber of Commerce in this season of change. Kent is a husband of 16 years and a father of three boys, Gabriel, Joseph, and Luke. As a father of boys, Kent takes paternal leadership seriously and is blessed to lead his children to healthy and vibrant futures.

LeRon L. Barton

LeRon L. Barton is a writer and speaker from Kansas City who lives in San Francisco, Ca. He has authored two books “Straight Dope: A 360 Degree Look Into American Drug Culture” and “All We Really Need Is Love: Stories of Dating, Relationships, Heartbreak, and Marriage. LeRon has also published essays and articles about race, mass incarceration, politics, and dating. He has appeared in Al Jazeera, TEDx, Salon, Your Tango, Black Enterprise, The Good Men Project, Speakers Who Dare, and Raconteur. LeRon believes that as a writer, one of his responsibilities is to create, be honest, and encourage others to do so. He is a story advocate who believes everyone’s story counts and we should all share them.

Leticia Ashley

Texas native, Leticia Ashley, is a mother of four boys. Currently residing in Alabama, her heart for service shines through in her role as a homeschool teacher and active member of her church family. Leticia's selfless involvement in TEDxWilsonPark lifted black voices from across The Shoals community and encouraged others to listen, support, and share their own "What if."

Prasha Dutra

Prasha Sarwate Dutra is an engineer, podcaster and a career coach, on a mission to help women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) believe in their brilliance. Less than a decade ago, Prasha moved to the US to live her American dream and now works full time at a Manufacturing company in Rhode Island. She has a M.Sc in Mechanical Engineering and B.Sc in Chemical Engineering. Prasha is the host of Her STEM Story, a weekly podcast that helps women in STEM excel in their STEM careers and beyond. In the last 2 years, she has interviewed over 125 women in STEM from around the world, organized two online conferences and built a community of over 12,000+ on social media. She started Her STEM Consulting, LLC to provide customized coaching and consulting for women to help them take their careers to the next level. She loves podcasting, public speaking and cooking Indian food! Check out her podcast at www.herstemstory.com.

Safwan Shah

Safwan Shah is the CEO of PayActiv, a Public Benefit Corporation and Certified B Corp. Prior to PayActiv, Safwan founded Infonox, which was acquired by TSYS. Safwan’s book, “It’s About TIME”, calls for businesses to embrace greater responsibility and has been published by Conscious Capitalism Press. In 2019, Safwan received the George Norlin Award, the highest alumni honor for his devotion towards the betterment of society from CU Boulder, where he got his PhD and worked for BioServe Space Technologies, a NASA center. Safwan has taught at UC Berkeley and Santa Cruz, received 7 patents, and graduated from the distinguished Stanford Executive Program.

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Teresa Smith

Originally from Tennessee, Teresa moved to Florence by way of Charleston, SC in 2018 for her husband’s job. Teresa holds a Bachelor’s in Social Work, Master’s in Sociology, and is currently working as an RN in at a local hospital. She spends her spare time supporting her 8 year son in local soccer and basketball leagues, volunteering at the Shoals Dream Center and Shoals Community Clinic, and working out.

Tia Nall

Tia Nall is a young native of Colony, AL. She resides in Florence, AL after graduating from the University of North Alabama with a Bachelor's of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies. Tia is currently serving as a part-time Administrative Assistant for Armosa Studios, as well as, the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Presidential Mentor's Academy at UNA. While growing in the role of an administrative assistant, she enjoys the drive to learn new skills, mentor students and embrace the challenges of greater responsibility in this season. As a growing writer for her own blog, Relentless Pursuit, Tia is truly "living to tell the story". She loves creative expression and aspires to both live and work in a capacity that allows her to catalyze others into the light and love.