Theme: Failure is Feedback

TEDxKLB presents "Failure is Feedback." Speakers within and connected to the King-Lincoln neighborhood will share personal experiences, research, and other powerful stories about how mistakes can foster growth.

Grab a ticket and join us for food, fun, and community building on Sunday, October 23rd at 11 am at the Lincoln Theatre.

This live in-person event highlights this diverse neighborhood's unique and creative lives and shows how their experiences connect to national and global narratives and solutions.

Lincoln Theatre
769 E. Long Street
Columbus, Ohio, 43203
United States

Autumn Francisco

Autumn Francisco is a Columbus native with a passion for mental health, women's health, and social justice. She earned a BA in Journalism and a Master of Social Work from the University of Cincinnati. Her interests surround destigmatizing the Black family as well as reproductive justice. In the future, she plans to open a private practice to serve Black communities with an emphasis on perinatal mental health. She is the Co-Founder of Mother's Day L.O.V.E. an initiative created to support mother's experiencing loss to gun violence. She is also the Co-Founder of Change the Cycle, a non-profit organization dedicated to ending period poverty, and the inequalities women face relating to their menstrual cycle. Through her passions, she is always looking for ways to better serve her community in ways that broaden traditional and Eurocentric service. In her free time she likes to read, try new restaurants, and rest.

Carlos Christian

At age 13, Carlos Christian became involved in the drug trade – eventually leading to a 10-year prison sentence. He was incarcerated at the Marion Correctional Institution in Marion, Ohio from age 19 to 29. During his sentence, Mr. Christian dedicated himself to his rehabilitation and becoming a positive role model. Upon his release, Mr. Christian had support from his friends, family, and a case manager. After he obtained employment; Mr. Christian relocated from Cleveland to Columbus, where he became a homeowner, gained custody of his son, and began to mentor currently incarcerated individuals in penitentiaries and county jails. Mr. Christian founded The Starts Within Organization (SWO) in 2011 because of his determination to help currently incarcerated men build the same solid foundation – pre- and post-release – that he was able to build. Christian is the published author of 3 books that serves as a tool for those seeking to overcome prison.

CarolineINSPIRES Bennett

As a 2x TEDx Speaker with more than 10 years of experience in youth and community outreach efforts, Ms. Caroline Inspires has captured and transformed the lives of over 20,000 students across more than 15 states. Ms. Caroline Inspires Bennett is surely a sought-after unapologetic authentic force whose transformative inspiration you would not want to miss! Ms. Caroline Inspires is an experienced speaker, artist, and educator whose liberating energy is sure to captivate, create, and connect with all whom she comes in contact with.

Cynthia A. Amoah

Cynthia Amoah is a spoken word artist, performer, and writer who started her artistry through national poetry recitation competitions and motivational talks in 2006. Since the onset of her career, Cynthia’s dynamic voice has captured diverse audiences and her authentic stage presence has left them inspired after every performance. Originally from Ghana, West Africa, her voice reflects the strong and colorful oral traditions of her homeland. They cultivate, shape, and move her work in ways she believes has been purposed to her life. An activist in her own right, her literary pieces often highlight the forgotten stories of the world, while transcending the oftentimes marginalized groups she delineates in her work. Cynthia completed her MFA in Creative Writing, concentration in Poetry at The New School and has been featured on the stages of The Lincoln Theatre, The King Arts Complex, TEDxDrewUniversity, and TEDxOhioStateUniversity where she performed her most notable poem Honam. In 2016, she served as an apprentice writer for Columbus-based arts collective, Maroon Arts Group’s “Write the Power” writer’s residency, joining 7 other writers in the creation of a social-justice centered choreopoem that came to life on the stage in June 2018. In December of the same year, Cynthia also debuted an all woman poetry showcase, “Women & Words,” featuring Ghanaian writers, poets, and artists in Accra, Ghana. Cynthia has received honorable mention for the Paul Violi Poetry Prize in 2018 and was cited for Excellence in Poetry by The New School in 2019. She was selected for the longlist of the University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor’s International Poetry Prize in 2016 & 2018 and her work has been published or is forthcoming in OURS Magazine, Nimrod Journal, and Crab Orchard Review. Through her literary works and performance, Cynthia aspires to leave an indelible mark on the way in which we discuss race, gender, and social justice. Her poignant poems often explore themes of community, the value of culture, and a dedication to self-identity.

Dr. Janell Jones

Dr. Jones is a certified life coach, a national and international best-selling author, and a licensed clinical therapist. Dr. Janell Jones was born into poverty and raised in the projects of Columbus, Ohio. She lost her father and sister to inner-city violence as a child and was a teenage mother at 17. She was determined to live a different life than the one she saw played out around her. She shares the extraordinary story of how she took the leap that awakened her to her purpose and destiny. Dr. Jones is the founder of Melanin Grace Publishing, LLC, a publishing company, and created the “Mahogany, Beautiful Bright Me” program to help girls with self-love and self-acceptance. She also has the “Girl, You Got This” Podcast to empower women to live their dreams. Dr. Jones coaches women and helps them get clear and monetize their purpose.

Edwin W. Lee II

Edwin W. Lee II, PhD is the son of parents who are both former soldiers and teachers. He is the brother of a talented chef, a godfather to three beautiful children, and a friend to many. Edwin is a higher education administrator who serves as the Assistant Director for Student Academic Success in the Office of Diversity, Outreach & Inclusion in the College of Engineering at The Ohio State University (OSU). His work focuses on empowering historically underserved engineering students with learning instruction, problem solving skills and career engagement opportunities that enhance their educational experience by improving their self-efficacy and sense of belonging. He completed his undergraduate work at Louisiana State University and masters and PhD work in electrical engineering at OSU. He is also the co-host of the podcast "Black Men Unlearning," a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. and the National Society of Black Engineers.

Johari Mitchell

Johari “J.P.” Mitchell is a writer, educator and creator. She is a wife, mom, proud daughter and community member who brings all of these identities to bear on her art. Her mission is to help others to link vision to opportunity through the power of words. This desire shows up in her life as an author of children’s works, poetry, songs and education solutions. In her various work, Johari’s specialties are elevating marginalized voices while championing liberatory instruction, healthy school climates, creativity and educator wellness. She has worked for 21 years in Columbus City Schools, where her experience spans elementary and middle school teaching, instructional coaching, literacy intervention, family engagement, and curriculum. She has also recently made her long-standing work as a community writing coach official through Words in the World, her tool for building skill and confidence in voices the world needs to hear.

Leroy Bean

Leroy Bean is a Dayton native with 7+ years of poetry experience. His background started with spoken word performances and grew to include live entertainment production, creative writing workshops, publications in 6 different literary magazines, and self-publication of his poetry book “The Love and Theory of Womanology.” In addition to being an individual artist, Leroy has spent a great deal of his time and energy doing community work in Dayton through the poetry collective Underdog Academy and Baldwin Café, a book store with a Black literature focus and a 3rd space for community events.

Racquel Armstrong

Racquel Armstrong is a native of Cleveland, OH and is a Ph.D. candidate at The Ohio State University in Multi-cultural & Equity Studies. Her research sits at the intersection of race, gender, class and school leadership and focuses on the role of self-care in educational leadership practice and on disrupting the school-to-prison pipeline and racialized violence in schools. She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Wellesley College in Urban Studies-Economics, a Master of Science in Education from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Master of Business Administration from the Fisher College of Business. Beyond her scholarly work, Racquel serves as an Assistant Principal in Bexley City Schools and uses original poetry as a medium to spark dialogue around social justice issues. In her spare time, Racquel enjoys laughing, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.

Stephanie K. Starks

Stephanie K. Starks, LISW-S is an independently licensed therapist and owner of Starks Counseling and Consultation Services, LLC, where her area of specialty is trauma. Ms. Starks has built her career counseling and advocating for children, families, couples, and groups in the greater Columbus community for close to 20 years. She facilitates workshops and trainings for schools, churches, companies and non-profit agencies on the topics of: mental health; trauma; grief; resiliency; and more. She facilitates a monthly support group called, Mothers in Healing, for mothers who have lost children to gun violence. Ms. Starks is a proud graduate of The Ohio State University, where she earned her Master of Social Work. She is a member of the National Association of Social Workers, Ohio Chapter, where she holds the office of Region 5 Director for the Central Ohio area.

Todd Corley

Todd Corley is the Senior Vice President, Inclusion, Sustainability & Community at Carhartt, a global premium workwear brand. In this role, he is responsible for strengthening Carhartt’s commitment to environmental and social issues. Corley has deep experience leading transformational change focused on promoting equity and belonging. He is credited with mitigating the reputational and financial losses following a landmark $50M EEOC discrimination case (Abercrombie v. Gonzalez). His lived experience is the subject of the Netflix documentary White Hot: The Rise and Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch. Citing his expertise in design thinking and change management, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) appointed him to their newly established USDA Equity Commission. Todd is also a recipient of the Claes Nobel World Betterment Award, presented by the family that established the Nobel Prize.