Theme: Discovering Ideas Beyond the Mountain

Our inaugural event theme of “Discovering Ideas Beyond the Mountain” was motivated by the desire to build deeper connections between people and the ideas, organizations, communities and cultures they create. Be part of the community and conversation at TEDxMountRubidoux!

California Museum of Photography
3824 Main St
Riverside, California, 92501
United States

Alethea Espino

Assistant Vice President

Alethea (she/her) is a leadership coach, corporate leader, and empowerment collaborator who is passionate about the impact of individual influence over community and organizational objectives. She brings an extensive career in the financial services sector, serving in Assistant Vice President roles at Bank of America and Pennymac. She is an active member of Toastmasters International, having earned Club Mentor of the Year and President’s Distinguished Club Coach awards. Alethea is based in Los Angeles, California.

Cindy Tsai, MD

Physician

Dr. Cindy Tsai is a board-certified physician, bestselling author, mindfulness teacher, speaker, and life coach who is committed to helping high-achievers live their best life with ease. She earned BA and MS degrees from Johns Hopkins University and MD degree from the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. As a physician and patient, Dr. Tsai saw and experienced the impact of chronic stress on the body and was compelled to do more than prescribe medications as a bandaid. Through her own healing journey, she explored and trained in a wide range of solution-oriented therapeutic modalities and now emphasizes taking an integrative approach to wellness. As author of the bestselling book, "So Much Better: Life-Changing Strategies to Develop Calm, Confidence, and Curiosity to Become an Inspiring Success Story", she introduces a radical path to well-being, through creating the Inspiring Success Story MethodTM.

Holli Kenley, MA, LMFT

Therapist

Holli Kenley, MA, LMFT, works in the field of psychology as a therapist and author. She is passionate about understanding and addressing betrayal and believes unhealed betrayal trauma is a common underlying cause of discomfort in our lives. She is the author of four books on betrayal including “Daughters Betrayed By Their Mothers: Moving From Brokenness To Wholeness” (2018); and “Breaking Through Betrayal: And Recovering The Peace Within 2nd Edition” (2016). Holli has been a six-time presenter at the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists Annual State Conferences sharing her ideas on betrayal, relapse, and other mental health topics.

Ivan Estrada

Real Estate Broker

Ivan Estrada is an inspirational business leader and the CEO of two companies, a nationally ranked real estate business in Beverly Hills and a branding and marketing education ecosystem. He is a sought-after expert on personal branding and the author of Amazon’s best-selling book on personal branding “Brand With Purpose”. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance & Accounting from the University of Southern California with a CPA designation. Ivan is currently a member of the Advisory Council at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles and was a former president of the Los Angeles LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce. Ivan is part of a selected cohort of top entrepreneurs for Stanford University's Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative.

Kyra O'Keeffe, Ph. D

Teacher and Coach

Kyra O’Keeffe, Ph.D., has researched ego as a mental, emotional, social, and cultural activity. Kyra earned her master's degree in Mind, Brain and Education at Harvard University, where she studied ego development through the lenses of neuroscience, cognitive science and developmental psychology. She then earned her Ph.D. in the Learning Sciences at Stanford University, where she researched the social and cultural aspects of ego in the American educational system. She then taught at Stanford University, before leaving to pursue her interest in the ancient philosophy of non- duality, which complements science by including the direct experience of awareness, beyond the limitations of ego.

Natasha Ickes-Saman

Salon Owner

As a 2x best-selling author, owner of Shear Passion Salon, and founder of Manifesting Miracles, Natasha has been a multi passionate entrepreneur her entire adult life. Her degrees and certificates range from Sociology and Ayurveda to Reiki and Cosmetology. Her hairstyles have landed in Munaluchi Bridal- which is the largest bridal magazine for women of color. She has written articles for multiple publications such as the LA Tribune and Hudson Weekly. Her memoir won 3 awards in its first year of publication and she has spoken at conferences all over the world. However, her deepest love has been uplifting and empowering others. This includes regularly providing free haircuts for the homeless, which led to her receiving a Certificate of Congressional Recognition. She is also a mentor for young women of color, running workshops designed to help them overcome the unique challenges they face in today's society.

Rene Urbanovich

Voice & Creativity Instructor

Rene Urbanovich is an author, speaker, workshop leader and mentor to thousands. Over the past 39 years with degrees in Creativity, adult learning and a Masters in Humanities, Rene has led seminars, performed workshops, produced shows and taught for organizations such as SAG/AFTRA, Creative Talent Network, AMDA, Art Center College of Design, Osborne Head and Neck at Pepperdine, Crafton Hills College and College of the Canyons. Rene’s wide range of students span television’s Glee, Broadway performers, network and HBO performers and indie songwriter/artists. The term CREATIVIST ™ for those who dedicate their Creative acts to benefit the collective is key to her message and following. She is an award-winning speaker and writer, a poet, and a mother to four grown children who each profoundly contribute to the world. When a vocal injury left her voiceless, Rene became a teacher dedicated to preventing the same impairment in developing singers and has found deep meaning in nurturing others.

Solomon Wilkins

Vice President of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging

With a career in diversity, a background in organizational leadership, and an unshakeable passion about uniting the world, Solomon Wilkins is on a mission to help people question their race-related assumptions and biases. Wilkins is purposeful about connecting diverse communities and culture while bridging the gap between how the world works and communicates. In his TEDx Talk, “How to Talk About Race at Work,” he takes us on his personal journey through Corporate America and shares stories of how he’s coached and empowered corporate executives and employees on how to be BRAVE when having conversations about race. His soon-to-be-released book, How to Talk About Race at Work combines his corporate experience and qualitative research in an easy-to-read guide designed to teach organizations how to engage in conversations about race at work.

Veronica Crystal Young

Corp. Manager

Veronica Crystal Young is a Resilience and Change Expert and Leadership Coach. She’s on a mission to ensure every person who has experienced a traumatic or Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) knows their power; The power to choose their own life and stop having the pain of the past infiltrate and run their choices. She enjoys success in both the Corporate and Creative arenas. She is a filmmaker, Nature videographer, Producer, Professional Singer, and Award Winning actress. She is also a Senior Finance Manager at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and President at KnowURPower365.