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).

Wait Chapel
Wake Forest University
1834 Wake Forest Road
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 27109
United States

Amy Aussieker

Amy Aussieker is the Executive Director for Envision Charlotte — a public private plus collaborative that leads Charlotte’s progress as a global Smart City through innovations that strengthen economic competitiveness, environmental sustainability and positive community impacts. Amy is responsible for developing strategic plans for community outreach, fundraising, vendor and partner relationships, often times at Charlotte’s renowned Innovation Barn — a combination of entrepreneurial businesses, zero-waste initiatives, and a space to convene groups in order to learn more about and implement circular projects.

Daniel Eberli

Daniel Eberli MD. Ph.D. is a scientific physician working in the translational field of urologic tissue engineering. He has a medical degree from the Medical School in Zurich, Switzerland, and a Ph.D. in Molecular Medicine from Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, NC. Since 2021, he is head of the Department of Urology at the University Hospital Zurich, where he devotes half of his time to patient care. Together with his research team, he is working on novel biomaterials for bladder reconstruction, improving autonomic innervation, cellular treatment of incontinence, and tracking of stem cells.

Jamaal Barber

Jamaal Barber is a creative imaginative soul who was born in Virginia and raised in North Carolina. In 2013, after seeing a screen printing demo at a local art store, Jamaal started experimenting with printmaking and made it his primary focus. His woodcuts and mixed media prints can be seen on display at ZuCot Gallery. They have also been included in the Decatur Arts Festival, Atlanta Print Biennial Show and at various art shows around the Metro Atlanta area. Additionally, Jamaal has done work for Twitter, the New York Times, Penguin Random House, Black Art in America and Emory University. In 2004, Jamaal moved to Atlanta, GA where he now resides with his wife and two children.

Jenna Anderson

Jenna Anderson (she/her) is the CEO of Jenna Sais Quoi Designs, an atelier specializing in custom clothing, costumes, and dancewear. Her passion for dance costuming and couture fashion has provided her with unique opportunities in the San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago, New York City, and most recently London, England. Jenna originally moved to Winston-Salem to become the first ever apprentice of the UNCSA Dance Costume Shop in 2017. She was named one of “5 Women to Watch” by Winston-Salem Monthly, and was the winner of Winston-Salem Fashion Week’s “Art of Fashion” during 2021. Winston-Salem Journal dubbed Jenna the ‘Queen of Cold Calls’ after she created the opportunity to design and construct a custom tutu for Yasmine Naghdi, principal dancer of the Royal Ballet in London, England during her final year of university. She graduated from UNC School of the Arts in 2022 with a BFA in Costume Design and Technology and a minor in Arts Entrepreneurship. Jenna is excited to continue carrying out her vision of a creative industry that embraces arts, innovation, technology, and inclusivity in Winston-Salem.

Jennifer Thompson

Inspirational Crime Survivor, Founder of Healing Justice, and New York Times Best-Selling Author of Picking Cotton. Jennifer Thompson is a crime survivor who, in 1984, survived a brutal attack in her home while attending college in North Carolina. The man who was convicted and imprisoned for the crime at the time was proven innocent a decade later, revealing that the actual attacker had gone free. Thompson emerged as a pioneer of restorative justice, and a symbol of courage and resilience, when, in the wake of these devastating events, she befriended the man who had been wrongly convicted. She then went on to co-author with him the New York Times best-seller, Picking Cotton, which recounts their joint story of failed justice. Thompson has since become a beacon of strength and recovery by speaking out to the world about her traumatic and painful experiences. She has also become a leading advocate for other crime survivors and victims, and her lived experience has inspired countless policy makers, law enforcement, and justice leaders worldwide to effect key reforms to improve the accuracy and fairness of our justice system. In 2015, Thompson founded the national nonprofit organization, Healing Justice, which serves crime survivors, victims, and others through restorative justice and justice reform. Thompson is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Special Courage Award from the US Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime. She has testified on behalf of crime survivors and victims on criminal justice reforms before the United States Congress and state legislatures. She has appeared as a guest on numerous television and radio programs, including Good Morning America, the Today Show, Oprah, Dr. Phil, Rikki Lake, The View, 60 Minutes, 20/20, NBC News, Nightline, CNN Anderson Cooper, NPR, Diane Rehm, and PBS Frontline. Thompson’s courageous and inspiring story has also been featured in many print outlets, such as People, RedBook, Newsweek, and The New York Times. Engaged through Keppler Speakers since 2010, Thompson has presented to hundreds of audiences around the world on issues of fairness, equity, empathy, trauma, recovery, healing, altruism, and leadership. An unwavering example of turning tremendous harm into abundant healing, Thompson inspires audiences to not just persevere but to flourish in the wake of unexpected - and even unimaginable - adversity. With endless bravery, grace, and humor, Thompson captivates all audiences with her profoundly important and timely message of optimism, generosity, and hope.

Jonny Groome

Dr. Jonny Groome is an anaesthetist from London in his final year of training. Subspecialising in paediatric anaesthesia he is concerned about the future of the patients he serves, and the impact healthcare and other industries are having on our planet. In 2018, he set up The Greener Anaesthesia & Sustainability Project (GASP), a national multidisciplinary group working to reduce the environmental impact of healthcare in the UK and beyond. Over time GASP has grown to be a group of sixty dedicated volunteers from all over the world working out of four domains; education, improvement, advocacy, and consulting. Jonny has extensive experience working alongside healthcare organisations, suppliers, professional bodies, and the building industry helping them towards a future of net zero emissions. This year he was appointed as Associate Medical Lead for Sustainable Healthcare at Nuffield Health, the UKs largest healthcare charity.

Thomas Marshburn

Dr. Thomas H. Marshburn was selected by NASA in 2004. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Physics from Davidson College, North Carolina; a Masters in Engineering Physics from the University of Virginia; a Doctorate of Medicine from Wake Forest University; and a Masters in Medical Science from the University of Texas Medical Branch. The North Carolina native is a veteran of three spaceflights, STS-127, Expedition 34/35, and Expedition 66/67 as part of Crew-3. Prior to becoming an astronaut, Dr. Marshburn served as a Flight Surgeon, assigned to Space Shuttle Medical Operations and to the joint U.S./Russian Space Program and eventually became the Medical Operations Lead for the International Space Station. He served as pilot of the NASA SpaceX Crew-3 mission to the International Space Station, which launched on November 10, 2021. Marshburn served as a flight engineer on Expedition 66 and commander of Expedition 67 during that mission. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-3 astronauts safely splashed down Friday, May 6, 2022, aboard the Dragon Endurance spacecraft completing the agency’s third long-duration commercial crew mission to the International Space Station. The international crew of four spent 177 days in orbit.