Dancer and educator Courtney Celeste Spears explains how dance helped her to defy the expectations of an artist. This talk looks at how the arts—and tapping into your inner passions instead of suppressing them—can give us the keys to unlocking our greatest potential. Courtney Celeste Spears, of Bahamian descent, is a global dance educator and former dancer with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, where she performed in more than 20 countries. She graduated summa cum laude from the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program, received the Princess Grace Kelly Award in 2015, completed Harvard Business School’s “Crossover into Business” program, and was most recently named as one of Forbes magazine’s 2024 “30 Under 30.” Currently based in the Bahamas, Spears is the director of ArtSea Dance, an organization aimed at uplifting dancers in the Caribbean, and the director of two celebrated dance programs. 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

When people think of cities, they rarely picture green landscapes, rich habitats, or thriving biodiversity. But what if that perception changed? By shifting how we view cities and their role in wildlife conservation, we can build a future in which healthy habitats are woven into the fabric of urban life, benefiting people and birds while connecting landscapes and cultures across the hemisphere. Dustin Partridge, Ph.D., the director of conservation and science at NYC Bird Alliance, is a pioneering scientist in urban green space conservation research in North America.His work, focused on wildlife conservation in New York City, has driven cities to reconsider the ecological value of small green spaces. Partridge’s published research has reshaped the national conversation on the role of cities in conservation, leading to significant policy changes in New York City. These include the passage of Local Laws 92 and 94, which mandate green roof and solar installations on new buildings, and the Green Roof Tax Abatement, which offers substantial financial incentives for green roof installations in high-need areas. An adjunct professor at Columbia University and a sought-after speaker in media and public forums, Partridge is a scientist whose approach to conservation is based on using science to drive solutions that benefit both wildlife and people. 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