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 N Pine St.
Florence, Alabama, 35630
United States

Alp Bora

As a mining & metals expert, Alp Bora is passionate about making mining greener, more sustainable, and more attractive for new generations. He is creating a movement to transform the role as well as the future of the mining industry. Author of “Mining is the Future,” Alp helps mining & metallurgy companies improve their production throughput and achieve operational excellence. Alp spent more than ten years as an operations and maintenance professional across multiple commodities on three continents. Born and raised in Turkey, Alp completed his bachelor’s degree in engineering in Montreal, Canada. A mechanical engineer turned serial entrepreneur, he is also the co-founder of Greenlight Partners, a venture capital studio with the core objective to partner with early-stage startups to build the green technology solutions of tomorrow. He is passionate about helping the next generation succeed in business. He believes that it is much easier and cheaper to learn from others’ mistakes than to learn by repeating those mistakes yourself. With that philosophy in mind, he has mentored more than 100 students and young professionals. On a personal level, he is an artist at heart. Self-taught guitar player, he studied theater, was the leading actor in a French play, and even adapted a Turkish play in French.

Amy Moor, LPC-S

Originally from New York, Amy Moor came to the Shoals area after graduating from Lander University in South Carolina. She originally wanted to pursue a political science career, but that changed during her employment with Residence Life at the University of North Alabama. She earned her Master of Arts in Community Counseling in December of 2010, and became a Licensed Professional Counselor in 2013. Amy began her counseling career as a substance abuse counselor and then worked with adolescents in a residential outdoor program. She is currently in private practice with Valley Psychiatric Associates in Florence. Amy has had the privilege of presenting multiple times at the Alabama Counseling Association Conference. She was also interviewed twice on the podcast On Air with Elk River. Amy enjoys connecting with others and sharing experiences. Through her varying counseling jobs, as well as the experience of birthing her two children, Amy has become passionate about women’s issues, especially pregnancy and postpartum mental health. Her son was born in 2017 and her daughter during the height of Covid in 2020. Her two pregnancy and postpartum journeys were vastly different, as a result of Covid. These experiences led to a greater understanding of how important our support system is during such vital life chapters. Amy currently resides in Killen with her husband, Mitchell, and two children, Wyatt and Paisley. She enjoys spending time with her friends and family, watching Marvel movies, and reading.

Codie Gopher

Huntsville, AL music veteran and co-founder/general manager of Slow Motion Soundz, Codie Gopher, AKA Codie G. SMS, was founded in November of 1999. Codie was also the manager of Huntsville rap legends G-Side and the producers known as the Block Beattaz. Currently, Codie Gopher is an independent researcher of modern culture based in his hometown of Huntsville, AL. With over 20 years of experience in the music creative zone, Codie is working to bridge the gaps economically, as well as with sustainable opportunities for his community, to enhance the quality of life for the next generation of creators. Being involved with Huntsville-generated music projects, acknowledged by the likes of Forbes, The New York Times, SPIN, National Geographic, NPR, and other national and international publications, the idea of Huntsville making future strides in Music Tech is not impossible in his eyes. Codie has managed Huntsville producers that have landed on projects which included artists such as Nas, De La Soul, Rick Ross, T.I., Meek Mill, and many others. He has managed deals for Huntsville artists with BET, MTV, Sony Pictures, 2K Sports, Rockstar Games, and a host of other media giants. He has worked to provide talent, based from Huntsville, to events such as Sundance Film Festival, SXSW, UKA Festival in Norway, and many other top-tier stages across the globe. A key in his research is understanding the festiveness of the minds which are cultivated in the city, and how said cultivation impacts the world. Creating music inside the territory of Cummings Research Park is proof Huntsville has what it takes to strive in the global music economy. Between the years of 2014 to 2018, Codie helped curate the first Hip Hop Exhibit at the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in Tuscumbia, AL, which opened in August 2018. This project documented the body of work, plus the influence Alabama Hip Hop has had on the world of music, and pop culture. He is a self-published author and believes culture is a key component to the future of his community. Codie is also a member of the Huntsville Music Board, the first of its kind in the United States. Codie understands music education, mixed with a thriving entertainment economy is viable and doable.

firekid [Dillon Hodges & Heidi Feek]

artist

Known as firekid, the universe brought Dillon Hodges and Heidi Feek together based on their shared love for making the old new again. Introduced by a mutual friend who recognized the connection, Hodges’s music aimed to mix elements of bluegrass and pop, Feek’s a culmination of trail songs and pop. But as their discography develops, firekid strays further and further away from being just a genre-bending folk pop band. That’s evident in XY, their new four-song EP influenced by vintage hip hop production and 90s country songs. Meanwhile, the album showcases the refined skill of both members as individual musicians and gives listeners a glimpse of their personal lives, more specifically — loss. With both Hodges and Feek emerging from divorce and grieving the death of loved ones, XY is firekid’s exploration of those feelings, finding happiness, and learning how to appreciate the small victories.

Hina Sheeth

Hina Sheth leverages robust experience and passion for innovation to provide best outcomes for her clients. The owner and practitioner of Rebalance Physical Therapy, Sheth is a board-certified physical therapist with more than 20 years of specialization in orthopedics, including spine and pelvic floor rehabilitation. Sheth’s practice in functional health coaching helps clients adopt behavioral changes that nourish improved health. Sheth earned her Master in Physical Therapy degree from the University of St. Augustine in 2000, focusing on manual therapy, biomechanical assessment for prevention and injury, men’s and women’s health and chronic pain. Following graduation, Sheth practiced in a New York City clinic, serving as the primary therapist treating spine and hip dysfunction. While in this setting, Sheth realized that chronic spine, hip, and pelvic issues were not treated in a holistic manner. Fueled by this insight, Sheth turned to University of Pennsylvania for additional training as a pelvic floor specialist. While working closely with the renowned physicians at Penn, Sheth honed her skills by mentoring novice therapists and teaching physical therapy students. Opened in Philadelphia in 2008, Rebalance Physical Therapy and Wellness showcases Hina Sheth’s intricate understanding of the pelvic floor and the other systems that impact musculoskeletal health and wellness. Sheth’s practice also draws from the best of eastern and western philosophies, enhancing her holistic approach to treatments. A respected colleague and community leader, Sheth shares her expertise in public forums as well as the academy, offering lectures on a host of physical therapy topics including spinal dysfunction and pelvic pain. A writer for the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) women’s specialist exam, Sheth has participated in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded studies for pelvic health. Sheth’s articles appear in two urologic volumes, and her insights about physical therapy and wellness are frequently featured by local and national media outlets including NPR, Livestrong, IC today, mainline health, and Philly magazine. Deeply committed to family, friends, and self-care, Hina Sheth loves photography, gourmet food, silly television programs, and outdoor adventure. Sheth’s three children and cockapoo “Rooney” are the loves of her life.

Kimberly H. Deason

Kim has been working in the Safety Industrial Industry for more than 12 years. She has a passion for teaching and training on ways to work safer and be safe in general. She is passionate about hearing loss and tells everyone she meets how to protect their hearing. Graduate of UNA with a BS in Mathematics Qualified Safety Specialist (QSSP) Associate Safety Professional (ASP) Safety Equipment Expert (SEE Blue Badge) Competent Person in Fall Protection Occupational Hearing Conservationist (OHC)

Lindsey A. Sherrill

Lindsey A. Sherrill (Phd, The University of Alabama; BS, MBA, University of Montevallo) is an Assistant Professor of Business Communication at the University of North Alabama. Before academia, Lindsey spent ten years in the wholesale nursery business in Alabama and Georgia and three years covering sports and local events for the Atmore Advance, a small town paper in south Alabama. Lindsey has always been fascinated with true crime and has translated that fandom to research, including her dissertation, which won the 2020 University of Alabama Communication & Information Sciences Outstanding Dissertation award. Her research in true crime media as well as journalism and political communication has been presented at multiple national and international conferences, and has been published in notable outlets such Journalism Practice, Communication Theory, Journal of Communication, Journal of Broadcast & Electronic Media, and Mass Communication and Society. Lindsey is the author of a forthcoming book on true crime, podcasting, and criminal justice reform entitled Suddenly the Podcast was Sexy: Growth, Entertainment, and Advocacy in True Crime Podcasting (Lexington Books). She splits her time between Florence, AL and New Orleans, LA, along with her road trip buddy, Freddie Mercury, a 13-year-old Portuguese Pointer.

Loresa Stansell

She is the proud mom of an adult with autism and the author of the book No More Chasing Normal. She provides readers with an understanding of this very unique A-typical Cyclic Grief experience and the negative impacts it can have on families. She is extremely passionate about this topic because she has experienced this silent grief firsthand. When her son was four years old, he was diagnosed with Autism. Everything she expected to happen when she learned she was going to have a child was derailed in life-altering ways, leading her down a path of grief that was foreign. She helplessly watched as life passed him by through the teenage years. The loss was real and the grief was wreaking havoc in her life. After spending several years poring through professional research, looking for a description of the type of grief that resounded with her own experience, she discovered the absence of any such model to articulate and identify what she was living through. This led her to pioneer and develop a framework to guide people through the grief process that accompanies the loss of the expected “normal.” Loresa holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Public Communications and a Master of Arts Degree in Mental Health counseling focused on Community Based counseling from the University of North Alabama. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Alabama where she works in private practice at Stansell Counseling and Consulting, LLC. She spent several years working in the Disability Support Service Office and Counseling Center at the University of North Alabama providing services to a diverse campus. She also worked in a community mental health center for several years delivering services to various populations. She has been hosted as a special guest on talk radio, Special Needs Family Hour, in the state of Florida. She was hosted on PBS Television Network in the Greater South Florida area as a panel guest expert in the area of A-typical Cyclic Grief related to disability and the loss of the anticipated normal.

Monica Harris

Raised in a working class family in Los Angeles, Monica Harris’s drive and hard work earned her a pedigree that made her a poster child for the American Dream. After receiving a B.A. from Princeton’s School of Public and International Affairs in 1988, she graduated from Harvard Law School, where she served as an editor on the Law Review with then-future president Barack Obama. Harris spent the next 20 years carving out a successful career as a business and legal affairs executive at Walt Disney Television, NBC-Universal Television, and Viacom Media Networks. In 2002, she was named one of Los Angeles Daily Journal’s “Top Twenty Lawyers Under the Age of 40.” At the height of her career, Harris became disillusioned with corporate America and frustrated by a southern California lifestyle that seemed unsustainable. In an effort to balance and simplify her life, she quit her job as senior vice president of business affairs at VH1 in 2011 and moved with her family to a farm in Montana. As a gay, black woman living in a red state, she made a surprising discovery: regardless of race, political persuasion, or sexual orientation, most Americans have far more in common than they realize. Harris currently operates her own law firm in northwestern Montana where she services clients in the entertainment industry. In her spare time, she uses her life experience, skills, and unique perspective as an advocate to help others awaken to the forces that divide and distract us. Her blog, www.letsgetunplugged.com, invites readers to consider and challenge the illusions that support the institutions that are failing all of us and embrace our power to revolutionize America in a way that works for everyone, not just those at the top. Her new book, The Illusion of Division, takes readers on her personal journey across the racial and political divide where she made a surprising discovery: America isn’t nearly as divided as we’re led to believe. In fact, we’re more alike than we think in ways we often ignore.

Terrance Brown

American Baritone Terrance Brown currently serves as Dean for Potter College of Arts and Letters at Western Kentucky University. He is a native of West Blocton, AL. Dr. Brown was awarded a Bachelor of Music degree from Samford University in Birmingham, AL, and Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from Louisiana State University. Dr. Brown has quickly made a name for himself as a versatile singer and conductor. An active teacher and stage performer, Dr. Brown has traveled extensively throughout the United States and Europe as a concert artist, recitalist, and operatic artist. He is known for his rich, lyrical baritone voice that is capable of performing a variety of musical styles.