Theme: DISRUPT-Danville | Igniting the Power of Change: Embracing Disruption as Catalyst for Transformation

FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!

In a world that often seeks stability and conformity, disruptive ideas and actions hold the key to unlocking extraordinary progress. This TEDx event, "DISRUPT-Danville: Igniting the Power of Change", will delve into the transformative power of disruption and examine its potential to foster creativity, inspire change, question the familiar, challenge existing systems, and ignite positive change in their lives, communities, and beyond. Together, we will explore how disruption can lead to the birth of innovative ideas, spark dynamic collaborations, and shape a future that transcends limitations.

Through thought-provoking talks, TEDxDanville will showcase individuals who have defied conventions, shattered barriers, and revolutionized industries. These disruptors will share their experiences, insights, and strategies for harnessing the power of disruption to create meaningful and lasting transformations. We invite visionary speakers from diverse backgrounds to share their experiences, insights, and strategies for embracing disruption as a driver for positive impact.

Join us for an extraordinary TEDx event that challenges traditional thinking, ignites imaginations, and empowers individuals to become catalysts for transformation. Let us discover together how disruption can unlock hidden possibilities, fuel progress, and create a better world for all.

TEDxDanville is organized independently under license from TED.

Gravely Auditorium
203 East Lexington Avenue
DANVILLE, Kentucky, 40422
United States

Abby Kom

National Collegiate Debate Champion

Abby lives to learn. Whether it is in Butler University's Organizational Communications or Graduate school next fall, she is excited to listen and gain an understanding of the world around her. She is further developing her leadership skills through her roles as President of Butler’s Speech and Debate team, a Resident Assistant, in her research, and as a Peer Mentor in the College of Communication. She enjoyed her past two years in the College of Communication so much, she decided to add a Strategic Communications minor. After winning her national title in debate last fall, she believes in making a space for disagreement and disruption, as these are often a force for good. When she’s not in class, you can find her studying in a coffee shop, training for a half-marathon, or visiting her family back home in Minnesota.

Alicia Dunams

How To Talk To Your Enemies

Alicia Dunams, a leadership keynote speaker and sought-after expert in conflict resolution, has long recognized that the persistent conflicts we struggle with are fundamentally rooted in our collective inability to communicate effectively, particularly when it comes to those we perceive as "enemies." These "enemies" can manifest in various forms, whether personal, business-related, or on the global stage. Regardless of their nature, Alicia firmly believes in the existence of solutions that provide a clear roadmap toward achieving peaceful coexistence. In her award-winning book, "How To Talk To Your Enemies: 101+ Ways to Turn Hostility into Peace," Alicia's mission is abundantly evident: to promote peacemaking in the moment for a wide-ranging audience. Alicia Dunams wears multiple hats, not only as an award-winning author but also as a corporate leadership keynote speaker, workshop facilitator, and a certified peacemaker and mediator.

Ashley Easter

Cult-Surviver, Activist, Advocate, Author & Founder

Ashley is a cult survivor turned Intuition Coach who helps people escape self-doubt and harness the science and practice of intuition so they can take control of their destiny. She is an activist, author and the founder of Courage 365, a non-profit for abuse survivors (especially those abused in high-control faith contexts) and a television producer focused on highlighting stories of meaning and mission.

Brett Werner

Environmental Studies Professor

Brett Werner is a climate researcher, ecologist, and an environmental studies professor at Centre College. Werner lives in Danville, having spent half his life in South Dakota and half in Minnesota before moving to Kentucky. He is the developer of WETLANDSCAPE, a system dynamics model that can simulate how climate, agriculture, and other land use shape wetland ecosystems, and his research has been widely published, widely used, and widely supported by national grants. Werner has taught courses at Lake Tahoe, in Thailand, and in Singapore. Brett wants his students to understand the complexities of the biggest environmental issues, and he recognizes that to explain these topics, they first have to practice explaining the things they know well. He teaches classes related to the human dimensions of climate change, systems thinking and systems modeling, water, and sustainability, along with the quantitative and interpretative approaches to make sense of these topics and our world.

Dave Thompson

Director of Strategic Programs

As Director of Strategic Programs for Potentia Workforce, Dave supports companies in becoming more neuroinclusive through training and support in becoming self-sufficient, as well as recruiting and providing ongoing support to neurodistinct professionals and their teams. He uses his experiences as a neurodistinct professional himself, along with those in building, managing, and scaling neuroinclusive hiring programs internationally to develop and share how we can change the workplace to work for everyone.

Dr. Sherrie Campbell

Licensed Clinical Psychologist & Advocate

Dr. Sherrie Campbell is a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in helping healthy people cut ties with the toxic people in their lives. She is a nationally recognized expert on family estrangement, a best selling author, inspirational speaker, host of the “Sherapy Sessions: Cutting Toxic Family Ties” podcast, a well-known social media influencer and a regularly featured media expert.

Hazel Sy

Fortune 100 Business Strategy Executive

Hazel Sy is an accomplished Business Strategy executive at a Fortune 100 company, solving thorny challenges by seamlessly integrating people, processes, data and technology. As a dedicated mother to twin daughters, Hazel intimately understands the delicate balance of pursuing a thriving career while nurturing a loving family. Her mission is to empower women to invest in themselves and find innovative solutions that allow them to excel professionally and as devoted mothers. Hazel's passions extend to nurturing the development of infants and toddlers with her Montessori certification. She also founded a non-profit organization, training individuals worldwide in a groundbreaking animal rescue socialization method. Hazel is continuously learning with an MBA from NYU Stern, a BS in Computer Science from Binghamton University, a Design Thinking certification from the Stanford d.school, and a Professional Culinary Arts Degree from the International Culinary Center.

Jim Loring

Award-Winning Global Humanitarian & Photographer

Jim is an award-winning humanitarian photographer and educator. With over thirty years of experience and more than 70 international assignments, he has traveled the world discovering the strength of the human spirit and capturing stories of people living on the edge of survival. His work has covered disasters and a dozen conflict zones. His ongoing projects include trips to Malawi (2023), Afghanistan (2018), Iceland (2018), Nepal (2016), Lebanon (2014), Mali (2012), Haiti (2010), and the Dominican Republic (2008), where he witnessed the struggles of refugees, the global impact of HIV/AIDS and the hopes of those seeking a better future. In 1987, he covered stories in Romania documenting the impact of Nicolae Ceauşescu’s resettlement policy and the plight of orphans. He went on to work with some of the world’s leading NGOs, including Care International, World Vision, Save the Children, Childfund, and Tearfund UK, where he was chief photographer and photographic editor.

Jordyne Carmack

Executive Director & Corporate Trainer

Dr. Jordyne Carmack is a leadership and communication professional who believes every person can lead with excellence by leading from the heart. As a corporate speaker and trainer, she specializes in helping leaders identify and understand their strengths and growth opportunities in order to grow professionally, while leveraging new technologies and advancing their communication skills. After seven years as a college professor, Dr. Carmack now provides engaging leadership and communication training for businesses and non-profits in Kentucky and around the world. Creator of the ACT Framework for Communication Excellence, Dr. Carmack teaches leaders to be authentic, clear, and trustworthy as they lead their teams through the fourth industrial revolution. She also currently serves as non-profit executive director of Leadership Tri-County, a leadership program in southeastern Kentucky and as the co-chair of the Women in Business initiative for the London-Laurel Chamber of Commerce.

Stacy Vega

Director of Strategic Planning & Governance

Stacy Vega is a seasoned marketing professional with nearly two decades of experience. As the Director of Strategic Planning and Governance for Government Marketing at Elevance Health, Stacy combines her unconventional background with her expertise in brand strategy. Stacy understands first-hand how pivotal disruption can be. Her remarkable journey began at the age of 14 when she became a very young mother, teaching her valuable life lessons about resilience, determination, and the importance of self-belief. This early experience set her on a path to make it her mission to control the narrative of her life. She’s not just a marketer; she’s a builder of bridges between brands and their audiences, a convener of ideas, a storyteller who crafts compelling narratives, and, above all, a human who understands the core of what makes us all connect. Stacy, a graduate of Penn State, is committed to making a positive impact on her professional field and humans she encounters daily.

Stephanie Boone

Assistant Professor of Epidemiology & Population Health

As an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology and Population Health, Dr. Boone studies determinants of chronic disease outcomes, and a pillar of her team’s work is community engagement. She has a strong track record in research that focuses on identifying populations at risk of poor health outcomes after a cancer diagnosis. Her interest is in understanding the interplay between health-related quality of life, modifiable lifestyle factors, biological factors, and the development of cardiovascular disease after cancer treatment. In 2019, Dr. Boone became a Core-Principal Investigator for a National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute-funded U01 epidemiology project called the RURAL (Risk Underlying Rural Areas Longitudinal) Heart & Lung Study. Seventeen institutions in the US collaborate on the design/implementation of this new study, which aims to determine reasons some rural counties have a higher incidence and prevalence of cardiovascular and chronic disease outcomes than others.