Deborah Biddle, a respected diversity and inclusion professional with over 30 years of experience across corporate, non-profit, and small business sectors. Through candid reflection, Deborah will share her transformative journey toward authentic inclusion, urging us to reconstruct systems that genuinely celebrate every individual. Deborah Biddle is a highly respected diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) consultant, coach, speaker, and trainer with over 30 years of experience across corporate, non-profit, and small business sectors. As the founder of The People Company Consulting Group, Deborah helps organizations build inclusive cultures, rethink strategies, and make impactful decisions. Known for her calm, thoughtful approach and passion for belonging, she has transformed how organizations and individuals approach DEI. 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

Cory Charles, a transformational growth architect dedicated to empowering leaders and teams to redefine their understanding of success. Drawing from his exhilarating experiences, Cory will challenge us to reframe our perception of failure—not as a setback, but as a catalyst for growth and resilience on the journey to realizing our greatest potential. Standing still in today’s world makes you a sitting duck. Disruption’s inevitable, but why let others disrupt you? Cory "Kxng" Charles, the Transformational Growth Architect, has spent years empowering leaders and teams to redefine success. Through his Leap, Fail, Grow! (LFG!) approach and The SuperHero Mindset, he turns audacious ideas into impactful realities. Cory's worked with clients like Taylor Morrison, CarMax and NASCAR, proving that with the right mindset, growth is limitless. His philosophy? Choice separates heroes from villains- victors from victims, and the belief that we all have the power to rewrite our stories. 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 urgent talk, educator and entrepreneur Alfredo Mathew III proposes a new model where we live in a society that is optimized for the success and well-being of the many instead of the few. He calls for a regenerative economy built on shared prosperity, sovereign wealth, and last-mile capital solutions. If you loved watching his TEDx, join the movement to support this bold idea: alfredomathew.com Alfredo Mathew III is on a mission to make entrepreneurship accessible and worthwhile in every community. An experienced teacher, non-profit leader, and business owner, for the past 25 years he has worked at the intersection of education, workforce, and entrepreneurship. A native New Yorker and Anglo-Rican, Alfredo co-founded ESO Ventures Inc, an entrepreneurial support organization, which has incubated over 500 Black and Brown businesses, deployed $5.2 million in capital, and secured $22 million in public and philanthropic contracts to support equitable entrepreneurship in California. He is now the Founder and CEO of SPCC ONE, the world’s first special purpose community corporation focused on consolidating small businesses to compete against monopolies and access multi-million dollar contracts and growth capital to accelerate the green economy in California and beyond. 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

Alyssa Ackerman, a visionary Grief Tender and Death Doula from Portland, Oregon. Through heartfelt storytelling, Alyssa will invite us to rethink our approach to loss and explore the transformative power of grief rituals rooted in vulnerability, connection, and community care. Alyssa Rose stands at the threshold of life's profound transitions, illuminating paths through our deepest grief. As Portland's visionary Grief Tender and Death Doula, she weaves together the wisdom of ancient ritual arts with modern somatic and trauma-informed healing to create transformative spaces of honoring and integrating loss of all kinds. As a facilitator, speaker and doula in the death-positive movement, Alyssa challenges our culture's relationship with mortality and invites us to re-imagine our relationship with loss, ritual, and community care. 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

Pamela Slaughter, a prominent advocate for outdoor access and inclusion. Pamela will reconnect us to our roots in nature, discussing the profound impact environmental education has on our communities. She calls on us to nurture a love for the outdoors and stand as environmental advocates alongside our youth, who are already leading the way to ignite hope and take action toward creating a livable planet for generations to come. Pamela Slaughter is a prominent advocate for outdoor access and inclusion in Portland, Oregon. She is the founder and executive director of People of Color Outdoors (POCO), an organization dedicated to creating safe and inclusive outdoor experiences for people of color.Pamela has been recognized for her work with several accolades, including being the first recipient of the Joey Pope Award from the Portland Parks Foundation in 2022, and being selected by adidas to join the Adidas Community Lab Accelerator as one of an eight-person cohort of community leaders and entrepreneurs and nonprofit founders in 2023, and being featured on OPB’s Think Out Loud radio show and “Oregon Field Guide” television show in 2024. Her efforts have significantly contributed to increasing visibility and access to natural spaces for marginalized communities in Portland. 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

Jason Tran, a dynamic advisor, coach, and counselor focused on creating supportive and engaging learning environments for college students. As a first-generation college student himself, Jason will urge us to rethink the models of student success by advocating for the integration of comprehensive career readiness services into education, ensuring every graduate is empowered for a fulfilling future Passionate and dedicated, Jason’s mission is to empower all students to unlock their full potential and successfully navigate their academic and career journeys. He brings over a decade of experience to diverse student populations, including first-gen, international, undergraduates, graduates, and doctoral candidates through his work as a career strategist. Born to immigrant parents, he is a proud first-generation professional driven by a deep sense of purpose and a desire to make a positive impact.Jason provides comprehensive advising, coaching, and counseling to support the personal and professional growth of his students. Beyond individual support, he has a proven track record of designing and leading innovative, large-scale career development programs carefully tailored to meet students' unique needs. These programs equip students with essential skills for success in today’s competitive job market through a combination of workshops, group sessions, and networking events. 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