Prolonged psychological stress is the enemy of our mental health, and physical movement is our best weapon to respond.​ Leon Taylor is a former competitive diver who competed for TeamGB at three Olympic Games. Following retirement, he transitioned to the commentary booth where he works for the BBC. Leon has a passion for performance, wellness and movement spending much of his time now as a speaker, executive coach, and mentor to the next generation of sports stars. His enthusiasm and skill for mentoring have allowed him to work with a range of athletes across Olympic and Paralympic sports. Most recently playing the role of Athlete services lead at the pre-Games Camp in Brazil prior to TeamGBsrecord-breakingg 2nd place on the medal table. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

The increase in political polarization over the last several years threatens democracy. Some people have given up on trying to create bridges with people who do not think like them or see the world the same way. Speaker David Plazas talks about why embracing good citizenship and connecting with neighbors are essential to American society and offers some ideas for how to create successful conversations in a messy time. David Plazas is the Opinion and Engagement Director for the USA TODAY Network Tennessee and The Tennessean. He has worked as a journalist for two decades and most of his career has focused on opinion journalism, community conversations, and building solutions to local and state challenges. He leads The Tennesseans Civility Tennessee campaign, which started in 2018 to model, promote, and encourage better civil discourse. In 2020, he started the Tennessee Voices podcast, a show focused on conversations with diverse leaders, thinkers and innovators on what they are doing and how they are managing during the COVID-19 pandemic. He holds a B.A. in political science and Spanish, and a masters in journalism, both from Northwestern University, and earned an M.B.A. at Florida Gulf Coast University. He and his family live in Nashville, Tennessee. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

How did this pilot get her wings back? Henry Ford said, “When everything seems to be going against you, remember that a plane takes off against the wind, and not with it.”

Antonia Wysong currently holds the position of Assistant Chief Pilot for Delta Air Lines in Atlanta, Georgia.

She holds an Airline Transport Pilot certificate, and is rated for B757, B767, CL65 and DC9 with Commercial privileges for both Airplane Single/Multiengine Land, and Airplane Multiengine Sea. She also holds Advanced Ground Instructor and Certified Flight Instructor Licenses. She has a BA in Business and Finance from London University, and a degree in International Culinary Arts, and a Masters in Nutrition.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at ted.com/tedx

In his talk, Gould discusses the important role dreams and memories play in our lives.

Jeff Gould has managed the Funeral Planning department for 10 years. “The best part of what I do is the learning the stories and life lessons of families we serve. I meet people every day who may or may not be rich, but have led rich lives.”

An accomplished speaker, Jeff speaks to thousands of people either in person, or on his annual Christmas Radio Program, A Prairie Christmas. He is a current board member of Tiger Nation, Sales and Marketing Executives and is a lay speaker at Hilltop United Methodist Church.

Jeff and his wife Libby have four daughters and a 125 year old house that keep them busy.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at ted.com/tedx

Gene editing tools make it possible for us to manipulate the code of life. If we slightly modify the DNA of an orange we can obtain a tangerine. The old biology was used to observe stuff, the new biology can make it, it can redesign species. But what happens when we do it with human DNA? What happens when we decide to program cells? Renowned TED speaker Juan Enriquez gives us an outlook on the future of humankind in the post DNA-editing era and he explains the impact of new life-sciences on politics, business, technology, and society. Juan Enriquez is a life scientist, author, and futurist. He is the co-author of the book “Evolving ourselves: How Unnatural Selection and Nonrandom Mutation Are Shaping Life on Earth”. He is also the managing director of Excel Venture Management, a life sciences VC firm. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

Do you believe that what you see influences how you feel? Actually, the opposite is true: What you feel — your «affect» — influences what you see, hear, smell, taste, and touch. Psychologist and neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett shares the groundbreaking discovery that you experience the world through affect-colored glasses. She also reveals how affect can be a source of wisdom that helps you to make better, wiser choices. Learn more at www.tedxcambridge.com Lisa Feldman Barrett is a University Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Northeastern University, with positions in psychiatry and radiology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. She has published over 200 peer-reviewed research papers in top journals on emotion, psychology, and neuroscience. Her research teams span the globe, studying people in the West, the East, and remote parts of Africa. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

Dan has been published in the Harvard Business Review and has lectured internationally on topics such as the neuroscience of resilience, bias, creativity, leadership wisdom, the aging brain, the biology of collaboration and the impact of stress on the brain. Here he explores the idea that our modern brain can over ride our caveman brain.

Dr. Dan Radecki is the Chief Scientific Officer at the Academy of Brain-based Leadership (ABL), which offers a scientifically validated, brain-based approach for future-oriented leaders

This is an exploration of play and the importance as we become adults. Play is key to enjoyment and can be beneficial in many different ways.

Mallory Nezam (Founder of STL Improv Anywhere) instigates unexpected creative interactions in public space. Nezam chooses to place art and play in the context of public space to disrupt routine and reconnect passerby with the magic of being alive. Interested in the experiential and bodily, her work does not point at the thing but becomes the thing and invites to audience to take active part. Nezam believes that collectively performing creative expressions in public builds a sense of connection between citizens and ownership of place.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at ted.com/tedx

How can we eradicate poverty? That is the question that underpins a majority of development programs. But what if by asking that question, we are limiting our capacity to actually eradicate poverty and create prosperity? In this heartfelt and passionate talk, Efosa Ojomo explains how our framing of the problem of poverty is hindering our progress. He suggests a different way to solve the global poverty problem.

An alumnus of the prestigious Forum for Growth and Innovation Center at the Harvard Business School (HBS), Ojomo works alongside colleague and mentor Professor Clay Christensen in their shared goal to discover, develop and disseminate robust and accessible theory in the areas of disruptive innovation and general management as it relates to economic development.

Ojomo’s body of work will ultimately help entrepreneurs, policy makers and development practitioners spur prosperity in their regions.

Specifically, Ojomo’s research examines how emerging markets in sub-Saharan Africa, Central and South America, and Asia can engender prosperity for their citizens by focusing on investments in market creating innovations, such as M-PESA, the mobile money transfer platform in Kenya.

Ojomo graduated with honors from Vanderbilt University with a degree in computer engineering. He earned his MBA from Harvard Business School.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

Christine Carter studies human happiness — and what holds us back from living our most joyful lives. In a personal, eyebrow-raising talk, she shares the surprising secret to feeling fulfilled. A talk to share with teens and anyone addicted to social media.

A Sociologist and Senior Fellow at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, Christine Carter, Ph.D., is the author of The Sweet Spot (2015) and Raising Happiness (2011).

After receiving her B.A. from Dartmouth College, where she was a Senior Fellow, Dr. Carter worked in marketing management and school administration, going on to receive her Ph.D. in sociology from UC Berkeley.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at ted.com/tedx