Observations and key takeaways for navigating a successful career and personally fulfilling and impactful journey along the way. Geoff Blythe, a graduate of the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce and the Harvard Business School, is a Senior Managing Director at Guggenheim Securities, leading its Industrial practice. With decades in investment banking, he has advised on multi-billion-dollar mergers and acquisitions across industrial, technology, and healthcare sectors. He lectures annually at UVA’s McIntire School of Commerce and actively recruits UVA students into finance. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

In this talk, Nicole Bailey shares her personal journey with chronic pain, detailing the physical, emotional, and psychological challenges she has faced, including misdiagnoses and the grief of losing her former identity. She highlights the importance of recognizing chronic pain as a complex, often invisible condition, and the need for empathy and understanding from healthcare providers. The talk also explores how resilience, support, and compassion can empower those living with chronic pain to rebuild their lives and find strength in their journey. Nicole Bailey is a chronic pain advocate and a second year medical student at the University of British Columbia (UBC). She has a research background focused on pain, including a Masters in Experimental Medicine from UBC. Nicole serves as Vice Chair of Pain BC’s Board of Directors, the world’s largest pain specific charity, and has worked directly with people living with chronic pain as a Pain Health Coach and Peer Support Group Facilitator. Living with chronic pain from a traumatic spine injury and multiple spinal surgeries, she is passionate about transforming pain care through advocacy, education, and lived experience. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

The traditional nonprofit sector is evolving — and Proimpact Project founder Greg Harrell-Edge believes each of us has a role to play in its transformation into a new “proimpact sector.” Whether as volunteers, donors, board members, or leaders, we can help develop organizations capable of making a positive impact on the world at scale. Before founding the Proimpact Project — a charitable organization dedicated to modernizing the nonprofit sector — Greg Harrell-Edge served for nine years as Executive Director of CoachArt. During his tenure, he led an innovative transformation that quintupled the organization’s impact on children affected by chronic illness and earned recognition from multiple awards for nonprofit innovation. Greg’s approach to leadership and strategy was shaped by both Dan Pallotta’s 2013 TED Talk, “The Way We Think About Charity Is Dead Wrong,” and the highs and lows of his father’s long career as a nonprofit leader. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

In this empowering talk, Maxine Clifford challenges the traditional understanding of burnout and introduces a bold new framework: energy isn’t something we possess — it’s something we create. Drawing from her experience as a young entrepreneur and owner in the boutique fitness industry, she shares how intentional energy generation through mindset, movement, and meaningful action can help us break free from burnout, rewire habits, and unlock our potential. This talk offers a new approach to resilience, personal growth, and leadership — a call to action for anyone ready to stop chasing balance and start building momentum in their life and community. Maxine Clifford is the owner of pūrvelo cycle’s flagship studio and headquarters in Charlottesville, VA, where she leads a growing team of 60+ employees across multiple locations. A graduate of the University of Virginia, Maxine has transformed her passion for community, movement, and mindset into a high-energy boutique fitness brand that redefines the way people experience wellness. As a young female entrepreneur, she is committed to cultivating spaces that inspire strength, resilience, and personal transformation. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

Giving people the validation that they deserve, Dr. Erin Nance is revolutionizing our understanding of misdiagnosis by providing a framework to navigate our emotions, normalize our experiences, and find a path toward healing. Dr. Erin Nance is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon, TikTok’s viral “medical storyteller” (@littlemissdiagnosed), and co-host of The Medical Detectives podcast. She is the founder of the FeelBetr app, the first women’s health-focused social media network, and the author of Little Miss Diagnosed. Based in NYC, she lives with her husband and daughter. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

O que a coragem de uma travesti ao comprar pão usando sua primeira saia tem a ver com a crise climática na Amazônia? Para a artista e ativista Maria Flor, tudo. Nesta palestra visceral, ela nos apresenta o conceito de "moda de guerrilha": a roupa como armadura, comunicação e um ato político de afirmação da identidade. Partindo de sua própria transição e do estranhamento que seu corpo causa, Maria Flor traça um paralelo genial e doloroso: por que a sociedade que normaliza a destruição de um igarapé pelo garimpo considera "antinatural" uma travesti expressar quem ela é? Uma fala potente sobre corpo, território e como o ato de se vestir pode ser a mais radical forma de lutar por si e pelo planeta. Travesti, artista e ativista climática, Maria Flor é uma voz potente, cria das margens do Tapajós, em Santarém. Com sua marca Mulambra Grif, ela revoluciona a moda periférica, celebrando a ancestralidade amazônica e a cultura paraense. Através de performances de rua, apresentações e desfiles, Maria Flor desafia os padrões e usa a moda como ferramenta de resistência, conscientização e empoderamento. Suas peças únicas, produzidas à mão e inspiradas na fauna e flora da Amazônia, são um manifesto contra o desmatamento e a poluição. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx