Theme: POWER

pow·er | \ ˈpau̇(-ə)r

A word not confined to a singular dictionary definition...

It’s found in the lights you turn on, the words you speak, the emotions you feel, the influence you wield.

It’s everywhere.

On April 8th, TEDxGrandCanyonUniversity will scratch the surface of ways mankind interacts with this word — exploring innovative ideas that have otherwise remained unknown.

7 Speakers. 2 Unique Performances. 1 Focus.

What will YOU uncover?

Grand Canyon University
3300 West Camelback Rd
Phoenix, California, 85017
United States

Diana Alsindy

Diana Alsindy is a propulsion engineer and the founder of @TheArabianStargazer, a bilingual educational platform. She is responsible for designing, testing, and analyzing propulsion systems on liquid propellant rockets. As an Iraqi immigrant, Alsindy is passionate about science accessibility and communications. She wants to ensure space and STEM are open for everyone.

Dr. Abby Hamilton

Dr. Hamilton is a Filipino-American industrial/organizational psychologist and speaker on assertiveness and culture. She has educated and trained in leadership for over 20 years and spent the past 12 years coaching professionals to advance in their careers and the workplace. She is also the Principal Scientist at EQMatch and the Vice President of the National Association of Asian American Professionals – Tampa chapter.

Dr. Kevin Haselhorst

Founder of Graceful Departures and emergency physician, Kevin Haselhorst is the author of “Wishes to Die For” and “Is Palliative Care Right for YOU?”. As an avid yogi and holistic medical coach, he integrates spiritual wisdom with medical knowledge to calm emotions for peace of mind during serious illness conversations with parents and their children.

Dr. Rosemarie Dombrowski

Dr. Rosemarie Dombrowski is the inaugural Poet Laureate of Phoenix, AZ, and the founding director of Revisionary Arts, a nonprofit that facilitates therapeutic poetry workshops for vulnerable populations. She has published three collections of poetry and is the recipient of the Arts Hero Award, the Great 48 award, and the Fellowship from the Academy of American Poets. She serves on the advisory board of the Narrative Medicine Program at the University of Arizona Biomedical- Phoenix and teaches courses in literature and the medical humanities at Arizona State University’s Downtown Phoenix campus.

Erik Yost

Erik Yost is the founder and president of S.T.E.L.L.A.R.— a program that furthers humanitarian research across the world and in space. He is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Business Management at Grand Canyon University.

Keith Ballard

Keith Ballard is a 28-year veteran public school educator who works at Southwest Middle School— one of the lowest academic performing and underprivileged schools in San Diego, CA. He has received more than 25 teaching awards during his career, including being inducted into the Arizona State University Hall of Fame and receiving the Milken National Educator Award. Ballard’s classroom programs have been featured in the San Diego’s news media more than 70 times and with performances four times on national TV. His music groups have also performed for two U.S. Presidents, two U.S. Congressmen, two CA Governors, and a host of national celebrities.

Leanna Firestone

Leanna Firestone is a 20-year-old singer-songwriter from Nashville, Tennesse. Her career was launched on TikTok where she posted original songs and gained a large following. Her music is raw and down-to-earth, tackling topics that are both relatable and relevant. Firestone’s first feature-length album Forward / Slash was released in February 2022.

Mary Oves

Mary Oves is a professor of English at Stockton University in New Jersey and a freelance writer who has written for The New York Times and The Philadelphia Inquirer. She speaks nationally for the Soaring Spirits Organization and is the 2022 Grand Prize Winner of the Erma Bombeck Humorist- in-Residence contest. Mary Oves entertains her readers five days a week on her website, The Chrysalis Collective, and is working on a book of humor essays to be published in 2023.

Raelene S Weaver

Raelene S. Weaver is a licensed marriage and family therapist who also holds a K-12 teaching credential. She has attained over ten years of teaching experience with special education children as well as a private practice as a Juvenile Sex Offender Counselor through the Santa Clara County Juvenile Probation Department. Weaver is the founder of the Silicon Valley Men’s Center. Her work is endorsed by Division 51-Men’s Issues-by the American Psychological Association in Community Education.