TEDxFSCJ Adventure: Community Justice: From Trauma to Connection

Equal justice is the work of all of us.

This past summer, protests over police misconduct and racial injustice touched communities across the nation. In Jacksonville, a Confederate monument was taken down and a city park renamed, and in Washington, DC, the words “Black Lives Matter” were painted in large yellow letters along a two-block section of 16th Street. But in the months since, what concrete steps have been taken to reform our criminal justice system? And what wider institutions and practices must we understand if we are to make lasting change?

Join TEDxFSCJ for Community Justice: From Trauma to Connection, a virtual event that will explore the criminal justice system with a focus on youth and communities of color. 

Hosted by Kimberly Hall, Professor of Criminal Justice at FSCJ, and Alyssa Beck, a Survivor Mentor at the Delores Barr Weaver Policy Center in Jacksonville, our panel will discuss how the trauma of racism is intergenerational; the impact of public perceptions and individual bias on adolescents, especially Black, Indigenous, and People of Color; and the best ideas, existing resources, and underappreciated alternatives for achieving true and equal justice for all. 

Our speakers include: 

• Tiana Davis, Policy Director for Equity and Justice, Center for Children’s Law and Policy in Washington, DC

• Jacquelyn Green, Community Development Administrator, Florida Department of Children and Families

• Kelly Roy Kemp, Deputy, St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office

• Selena Webster-Bass, CEO, Voices Institute in Jacksonville

This virtual event is free and open to the public, but all attendees must register. 

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The event will be held February 11, 7-9 p.m. EST. Online check-in begins at 6:50 p.m. EST.

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Tiana Davis

Tiana Davis, M.S.W., is the Policy Director for Equity and Justice at the Center for Children’s Law and Policy (CCLP). In this capacity, Davis works with national, state and local leaders to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in the youth justice system. With more than 17 years of experience in the fields of juvenile justice and public policy, Tiana was Director of Community Programming for the Baltimore (MD) Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, after serving as the Coordinator for a local racial equity initiative in Baltimore County. She earned a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Maryland and a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from St. Mary’s College of Maryland.

Jacquelyn Green

Jacquelyn Green is Community Development Administrator for the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF).  Her experience encompasses healing-centered community engagement public and private agency policy and crisis management, media relations, and healthcare. Prior to joining DCF in 2007 she was Media Relations Officer for the City of Jacksonville and editor of the local, state and national award-winning Neighborhoods Magazine.  Her career highlights include the development and direction of the statewide crisis management and public safety policy for the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice in Richmond, VA and being an editorial clerk at The Wall Street Journal, Houston Bureau.

Kelly Roy Kemp

Deputy Kelly Roy Kemp has served in law enforcement for the last 29 years. Deputy Kemp has worked with the youth of St. Johns County as a School Youth Resource Deputy and as the Juvenile Civil Citation Coordinator.  He is also an Ordained Minister and serves as a Sheriff’s Office Chaplain. In addition to public service, Kemp enjoys spending time with his family and serving the Lord and our community.

Taina Angeli Vargas

Taina Angeli Vargas co-founded Initiate Justice, located in Los Angeles, California in September 2016 with the intention of activating the political power of people directly impacted by mass incarceration. Prior to creating Initiate Justice, she worked in the organizing and policy advocacy field as the Statewide Advocacy Coordinator with Essie Justice Group, State Campaigner with the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, and as a Field Representative for the California State Assembly. She is directly impacted by mass incarceration, with a loved one having served seven years in CA state prison.

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Hosts

ALyssa Beck

Alyssa Beck is a survivor and victim advocate who uses her past experiences (“CBS 48 hours: Live to Tell: Trafficked”) as a means to raise awareness of human trafficking while challenging public misconceptions. Previously an Advocacy Specialist at the Delores Barr Weaver Policy Center with the Open Doors Outreach Network, Allyssa now serves as a Survivor Mentor and consults with and advises civic leaders in anti-human trafficking, experts in girl-centered relations and legislators to develop laws and practices that support survivors of sex trafficking and youth involved in the justice system. In addition to her work with The Delores Barr Weaver Policy Center, Alyssa is a member of the Annie E. Casey Foundation's Juvenile Justice Youth Advisory Council and was recently appointed a position within Florida's Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention State Advisory Group. She has been awarded as one of the Department of Juvenile Justice Youth Ambassadors for the state of Florida and Superhero for Superkids Young Advocate award.

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Kimberly Hall

Kimberly is a professor of criminal justice at Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ) and advisor of Theta Sigma Chi, the FSCJ chapter of the American Criminal Justice Association - Lambda Alpha Epsilon.  Kimberly was a doctoral research fellow at the University of Maryland, where she studied criminology and was sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security to work on the Global Terrorism Database (GTD) at the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START).  Kimberly earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Alabama where she studied criminal justice and psychology.  Kimberly is passionate about helping students succeed and is dedicated to working with criminal justice professionals and individuals to enhance student learning and improve the Jacksonville community.

TEDxFSCJ Women: Fearless

In this moment, women’s leadership is more important than ever.

This is an uncertain time. And yet, amid the environmental, political, and economic challenges confronting us at every level, now is the time to engage.

Join TEDxFSCJWomen for Fearless, a virtual event featuring prerecorded talks from TEDWomen 2020 as well as a live and locally organized line-up of speakers. This year’s TEDWomen conference will showcase venues from around the world, including Lagos, Nigeria, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, Montreal, Canada, Colombo, Sri Lanka, and Sydney, Australia.

After screening select talks from TEDWomen 2020, our live speakers will take the virtual stage. Hosted by Action News Jax anchor and reporter, Lorena Inclán, our speakers include:

• Ms. Shawana Brooks, Founder of 6 Ft Away: Public Art Agency

• Dr. Diana L. Greene, Superintendent, Duval County Public Schools

• Dr. C. Nicole Mason, Ph.D., President and CEO, Institute for Women’s Policy Research

• Dr. Claire Thomas, Desk Officer for Botswana and Namibia, U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Southern Africa Affairs

Join us as we explore how women are leading us into the future at the crossroads of the local and the global, the national and international.

This virtual event is free and open to the public, but all attendees must register

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TEDxFSCJWomen 2020 will be held Saturday, November 14, 7-9 p.m. Online check-in will begin at 6:50 p.m.

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Shawana Brooks

Shawana Brooks is a literary artist and avid public speaker for her various roles as a curator focused on the relationship between artists and their communities. Her art revolves around personal storytelling infused with issues of social justice. She is the founder of a public arts agency that strives to amplify Black artists through representation and storytelling. Brooks’ work has been highlighted in the national media (“Morning Edition: NPR”), and she was selected as the first official curator for the Jacksonville Public Library. Recognized by her peers, she received the 2018 Robert Arleigh White Award for Artist Advocacy from the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville as the first Black person to win the award. Two years later, Shawana made history again winning the council's highest honor, the Helen Lane Founder Award.

Diana L. Greene

Dr. Diana L. Greene began her tenure as Superintendent of Duval County Public Schools (DCPS), the 20th largest school district in the nation, on July 1, 2018. Prior to becoming a superintendent in Duval County, Dr. Greene served as Superintendent and Deputy Superintendent of Instructional Services in Manatee County. During her 33-year career as an educator, she has spent time as a teacher, assistant principal and principal as well as in curriculum development, staff development and senior executive leadership. On a personal note, Dr. Greene’s father served in the Air Force, and she grew up living in locations all over the United States and abroad. She is married to James Greene, an independent financial advisor and retired Navy veteran; they have two sons, Aldon and Joshua.

C. Nicole Mason

As one of the nation’s foremost intersectional researchers and scholars, Dr. C. Nicole Mason brings a fresh perspective and a wealth of experience to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR). For the past two decades, Dr. Mason has spearheaded research on issues relating to economic security, poverty, women’s issues and entitlement reforms; policy formation and political participation among women, communities of color and youth; and racial equity. Prior to IWPR, Dr. Mason was the executive director of the Women of Color Policy Network at New York University’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, the nation’s only research and policy center focused on women of color at a nationally ranked school of public administration. She is also an inaugural Ascend Fellow at the Aspen Institute in Washington, D.C.

Claire Thomas

Claire Thomas is a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State, and she is currently Desk Officer in the Africa Bureau, Office of Southern African Affairs covering Botswana and Namibia.  Previously, Claire served as Vice Consul in Chennai, India and as Environment, Science, Technology and Health Officer in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.  Before becoming a diplomat, Claire was a Product Manager in the software and analytics sector in Silicon Valley.  She holds a Ph.D. in Linguistics and a B.A. in Russian and Linguistics from the University of Lund in Sweden.  Originally from the suburbs of Boston, Claire went to high school in Brooklyn, NY and is married with two grown daughters and a teenage son.

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Host

Lorena Inclán

Lorena Inclán, reporter and weekend anchor of Action News Jax This Morning, joined the Action News Jax team in 2012. Before moving to Jacksonville, Lorena was a multimedia journalist for Univision Orlando. Lorena began her broadcast journalism career in the Texas Panhandle. While there, she was the only bilingual anchor, reporter and producer for KFDA NewsChannel10 and its sister station, Telemundo Amarillo. She got her start in the TV industry by working behind the scenes as a camera operator and studio technician at WTVJ NBC6 in South Florida. The daughter of Cuban immigrants, Lorena was born and raised in Miami where she attended the University of Miami and earned a Bachelor of Science in Communication.

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TEDxFSCJ Adventure: Not the Enemy

Our differences matter—and the time to unite is now.

United we stand. E pluribus unum. From many, one. These affirmations of unity and difference are fundamental to any vibrant democracy. But in 2020, racial animus and discrimination have been reawakened. Across the U.S., COVID-19 has become a pretext for anti-Asian sentiment, while police killings of African Americans have sparked nationwide protests, bringing renewed urgency to the Black Lives Matter movement. At this critical juncture, how can we unite for the common good while affirming the value of our differences?

Join TEDxFSCJ for Not the Enemy, an adventure event featuring artists, activists, and academics from across the country who have dedicated their lives to exploring the rich diversity of racial identity. Our speakers will address how racism is and remains a defining element of contemporary America, but they will also place this issue in a wider context and conversation about the ambiguities of racial categories and the importance of multiple cultural traditions.

 Hosted by visual artist and FSCJ student, Maiya Elaine, and Dr. Paul Hendrickson, FSCJ Professor of Communication and Philosophy, our speakers will include:

 Speakers include:

• GeeXella, rapper, DJ, and program coordinator at JASMYN, a Jacksonville LGBTQI+ youth center

• Malcolm Jackson, artist and photographer based in Jacksonville

• Dr. Russell Jeung, Chair and Professor of Asian American Studies at San Francisco State University

• Diana King, Chinese-American photographer currently based in Nashville

• Christina Kittle, activist and cofounder, Jacksonville Community Action Committee

• Elena Øhlander, visual artist working in mixed media illustration and mural-making, based in Jacksonville

This virtual event is free and open to the public, but all attendees must register.

 Check in early so you can join the pre-event viewing experience, which will feature video shorts by videographer Marc Mangra, including a newly created piece highlighting the Frisch Family Holocaust Memorial Gallery in Jacksonville.

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This event will be held September 24, 7-9 p.m. Online check-in and pre-event will begin at 6:30 p.m.

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GeeXella

GeeXella (they/them) is a singer, rapper, DJ and community organizer. Their passion for music served as the catalyst to create and organize DuvalFolx—the only intentional dance party/space for marginalized communities in Northeast Florida. Catering to LGBTQI+ youths isn’t exclusive to events but also carries over into their daily work as the Program Coordinator at JASMYN (LGBTQI+ youth center). 

Malcolm Jackson

Malcolm Jackson is an award-winning artist and photographer currently based in Jacksonville, Florida. Malcolm uses photography as a bridge to connect the viewer to the realities of life for the common person in the 21st century. Using street photography to focus on race, class, identity and community, his photos have been commissioned by The New York Times and ESPN. The 2018 recipient of the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville Visual Artist of the Year, Malcolm’s work can be seen at malcjax.com

Russell Jeung

Dr. Russell Jeung is chair and professor of Asian American Studies at San Francisco State University as well as the author of several books and articles on race and religion, including Family Sacrifices: The Worldviews and Ethics of Chinese Americans  and Moving Movers: Student Activism and the Emergence of Asian American Studies. In 2020, Dr. Jeung launched Stop AAPI Hate, a project of Chinese for Affirmative Action, the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council and the SF State Asian American Studies that tracks Covid-19 related discrimination in order to develop community resources and policy interventions to fight racism.

Christina Kittle

Christina Kittle is a community organizer, activist, public school teacher and artist. After Christina and four other activists, who would later become known as the Jax5, were beaten and unlawfully arrested while protesting in 2017, Christina co-founded the Jacksonville Community Action Committee (JCAC), a grassroots organization fighting for police accountability and self-determination in the Black Belt South. Since its foundation, JCAC launched the Jacksonville Police Accountability Council, organizes some of the largest civil rights demonstrations in Jacksonville’s history and works with and provides legal aid for families who have been the victims of police crime. At present, the Jacksonville Community Action Committee is pushing for the repeal of Fla. Stat. Ann. §§ 112.532, the Law Enforcement Officer Bill of Rights, a Jim Crow remnant that gives police extra due process protections.

Diana King

Diana King is a Chinese-American portrait, lifestyle, fashion and commercial photographer. She is known for her ability to draw an emotive and expressive quality in her subjects and uses color and lighting to reflect the mood and tone of her images. Originally from the Bay Area, California, King moved to Los Angeles to study film and cinematography at Chapman University. After years of working on big-budget commercial shoots, she transitioned to photography and used her background in film production to hone her skills as a photographer.  King’s diverse portfolio includes work with many well-known brands such as Samsung and H&M. She is currently on the American Photographic Artists Diversity Committee to help create change in the photography community.

Elena Øhlander

Elena Øhlander is a visual artist working in the medium of mixed media illustration and mural-making. Currently residing in Jacksonville, she earned her B.F.A. in photography from The Art Institute in 2014 and began exhibiting her work at national galleries and museums. Influenced by Taiyo Matsumoto, Hayao Miyazaki, Yayoi Kusama and Yoshitomo Nara, Elena focuses on illustration that explores identity, gender issues, space, individuality and pop culture. The protagonist of Elena’s work takes viewers on a journey into her imagination through gesture, expression and environment to reveal the many facets of her inner life with the hope of inspiring the viewer to breakdown stereotypes and to look beyond the boundaries of culture and identity.

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Hosts

Maiya Elaine

Maiya Elaine is a classically trained visual artist, technical theatre major and graduate from Douglas Anderson School of the Arts. Currently enrolled in Florida State College at Jacksonville’s Bachelor’s Digital Media program, she utilizes the various tools and techniques in scenic painting and prop making in her work today. Her first solo show, “Breach,” explored themes and techniques for a new series in her studio at CoRK Art Studios where she combines her background in traditional techniques with digital in hopes to inspire others through the power of artistic expression. She is also the cultural correspondent for First Coast Living’s monthly segment, “The Artist’s Corner with Maiya Elaine,” where she discusses arts and cultural events happening in Northeast Florida.

Paul Hendrickson

Dr. Paul Hendrickson is the organizer of TEDxFSCJ and Pro­fessor of Speech Communication and Philosophy at Florida State College at Jacksonville. A student of political dis­course and global human rights, Paul was a doctoral fellow at the Frankfurt School in Germany and his publications include a book translation published in the MIT Press series on Contemporary German Social Thought. He holds a B.A. in philoso­phy from the University of Chicago, an M.A. in com­munication arts from the University of Wisconsin- Madison, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Illinois, Urba­na-Champaign. An avid jazz collector, Paul’s favorite TED talks include Chimamanda Adichie’s “The danger of a single story” and Ron Finley’s “A guerilla gardener in South Central LA.”

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TEDxFSCJ Adventure: Vanishing Worlds

Our oceans are home to more than a million species.

For the people of our region, the ocean is especially meaningful. For some, it’s a way of life; for others, it’s a day at the beach; but for all of us, the ocean connects us and our communities—from the Caribbean archipelagos to the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of Florida.  Yet human activity threatens the long-term survival of this vast ecosystem, forcing us to ask: What can we do to preserve the natural beauty and biodiversity of our ocean waters?

Join TEDxFSCJ for Vanishing Worlds, an adventure event exploring the underwater-themed paintings of Edmari Hernandez Silen. Hernandez’s exhibit, A/Hogar, is currently on display at the FSCJ Deerwood Center and serves as impetus and inspiration for our conversation.  Over the course of the evening, our panel of experts will address how the ocean connects us to a wider set of meanings and memories and how both art and science can inspire us to understand, appreciate, and better protect our ocean habitats. 

Hosted by FSCJ student and artist, Maiya Elaine, and FSCJ Professor of Biology, Dr. Chris Perle, our panel will include:

 Speakers include:

• Edmari Hernandez Silen, featured artist, MFA in Studio Art, University of South Carolina

• Dr. Bill Dally, UNF Professor of Civil and Coastal Engineering

• Dustin Harewood, FSCJ Professor of Art

• Dr. Maia McGuire, University of Florida Sea Grant extension agent

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We will conclude the evening by joining Hernandez for a guided tour of her A/Hogar exhibit.

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Edmari Hernandez Silen

While originally born in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, Edmari Hernandez Silen grew up travelling. Raised in a military family, she travelled to various places including Germany, Italy, Alaska and Florida and discovered at an early age that art was a universal representation of subjects that could be understood across languages and culture. Hernandez earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of North Florida and recently completed her Master of Fine Arts degree at the University of South Carolina in Studio Art. Now back in Florida, Hernandez continues to create work that explores her personal connection with the ocean and the changes occurring within the environment between Puerto Rico to Florida.

William Dally

Dr. Bill Dally has been a practicing coastal engineer for nearly 38 years.  He received his Ph.D. in Engineering Mechanics from the University of Florida and specializes in coastal processes and engineering. In addition to working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers early in his career, he was a member of the faculty at the Florida Institute of Technology for 11 years before starting his own company, Surfbreak Engineering Sciences, Inc. Dr. Dally returned to academia in 2013 as an Associate Professor of Civil and Coastal Engineering at the University of North Florida and continues his research on innovative beach protection technologies. 

Dustin Harewood

Born in New York City in the 1980s, Dustin Harewood developed his passion for the arts at a young age. Recognizing and nurturing his artistic energy, Dustin’s parents encouraged him to become a junior member of the Brooklyn Museum at just 7 years old. During high school, Dustin’s family returned to Barbados. Upon graduation, Dustin returned to the U.S. to continue his education receiving his bachelor’s degree from North Carolina Central University and his Master of Fine Arts at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Maia McGuire

Maia McGuire grew up on the islands of Bermuda where she developed an interest in marine biology at an early age. She received a B.S. in marine biology from Florida Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. in marine biology from the University of Miami. In 2001, she joined the Florida Sea Grant Extension Program at the University of Florida where she conducts informal education programs on topics including marine debris, climate change and invasive species. In 2015, McGuire was awarded a NOAA Marine Debris Outreach and Education grant to start the Florida Microplastic Awareness Project with the goal of raising awareness about the sources of and threats posed by microplastics in the coastal environment.

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Hosts

Maiya Elaine

Maiya Elaine is a classically trained visual artist, technical theatre major and graduate from Douglas Anderson School of the Arts. Currently enrolled in Florida State College at Jacksonville’s Bachelor’s Digital Media program, she utilizes the various tools and techniques in scenic painting and prop making in her work today. Her first solo show, “Breach,” explored themes and techniques for a new series in her studio at CoRK Art Studios where she combines her background in traditional techniques with digital in hopes to inspire others through the power of artistic expression. She is also the cultural correspondent for First Coast Living’s monthly segment, “The Artist’s Corner with Maiya Elaine,” where she discusses arts and cultural events happening in Northeast Florida.

Christopher Perle

Dr. Christopher Perle is a Professor of Biology at Florida State College of Jacksonville and teaches courses in Biology, Marine Biology, Oceanography and Hydroponics & Aquaculture.  In addition, Dr. Perle maintains an external consultancy focused on providing scientific research expertise regarding the habitat utilization of large aquatic predators. Dr. Perle’s doctoral research at Stanford University included ecological examinations of white sharks, pacific bluefin tuna and manta rays spanning habitats from the equator to Prince William Sound, Alaska.

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TEDxFSCJ Adventure: Unmasked

Comics, cosplay, and conventions have become defining icons of today’s popular culture.

Join TEDxFSCJ for Unmasked, an adventure event exploring the themes, identities, and fandoms that define nerd culture. 

Hosted by The Short Box podcast’s Badr Milligan and Cesar Cordero, we will look behind the mask in discussing how this culture functions at once as lifestyle and marketplace; how comic books and TV intersect; how comic culture empowers minority storytelling; and how comic-cons and e-sports have reinvented community and belonging.

 Speakers include:

•  Li Hoang, e-sports photographer

• Zack Kaplan, comic book writer & Jacksonville native working in Los Angeles

• Max Michaels, co-producer of Ancient City Con and Jekyll Comic Con

• Ann Marie Scarpinito, cosplayer

• Ryan Paul Thompson, founder of GAAM (Games Art And Music)

Arrive early so you can tour our interactive pre-event exhibits. Hosted by FSCJ Guild of Geeks, our pre-event experience will feature a behind-the-scenes look at GAAM Founder Ryan Thompson’s livestreams, interviews with The Short Box podcasters, and a digital media journey through cosplay spaces and places.

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Check-in begins at 6:30 p.m.; our event will start promptly at 7 p.m.

Seats that go unclaimed by 6:50 p.m. may be released to individuals on our waiting list.

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Speakers

Li Hoang (@HelloItsLi)

Li Hoang is an internationally published model, senior director of esports for GAAM (Games, Art and Music) and a photographer renowned for her portraits. Currently residing in Jacksonville, Florida, Li is a self-taught visual artist specializing in capturing natural moments in time.

Zack Kaplan

In three short years, Zack Kaplan has emerged as a breakout voice in comics as the creator of three sci-fi series. These series, ECLIPSE and PORT OF EARTH from Image Comics and Top Cow and the LOST CITY OF EXPLORERS from Aftershock Comics, are currently in TV development with Robert Kirkman’s Skybound Entertainment, Amazon Studios and Universal TV. Zack received his master’s degree in film and TV writing from the prestigious USC film school and taught screenwriting at the International Academy of Film and TV in the Philippines.

Max Michaels

Max Michaels, co-producer of Ancient City Con and Jekyll Comic Con and Jacksonville native, began his journey in 1992 when he first published MOVEMENT magazine. What began as an independent magazine focusing on the music and arts scene has grown into an international publication. Over the years, Michaels has expanded his portfolio beyond magazine publishing into gallery exhibitions of his rock and multimedia photography, club & nightlife promotions, music and talent management and film production.

Ann Marie Scarpinito

Ann Marie (Ms. Valentine) has poured her heart and soul into cosplay for almost 20 years with characters including Jill Valentine, Nathan Drake and Cortana.  The recipient of numerous awards such as “Most Cutting Edge,” “Best Individual,” “Best Craftsmanship,” and “Best Journeyman,” Ann Marie has made a name for herself creating panels for various fandoms, providing leadership to guide the course of cosplay contests at events such as GAAM and CEOtaku and supporting her favorite esports players and streamers.

Ryan Paul Thompson (@GAAMRyan)

Ryan Paul Thompson, GAAM Founder and video game lover, has worked with a team of wonderful people and with companies such as Nintendo, Sony Santa Monica, Volition, Iron Galaxy, Capcom, Microsoft, Naughty Dog and many others. Together they have created multiple events to promote gaming, the arts and “Do Good” culture with the GAAM Show, GAAM Gladiators (an esports event), Retro GAAM Nights, art and cosplay exhibits, The Nerd Market, GAAM Live (a livestream show about gaming culture) and more. He also enjoys working out, drinking, and loves his yorkie, Tobago.

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Hosts

Cesar Cordero

Cesar Cordero is a published broadcast journalist, podcaster, comedian, musician, graphic artist and has proudly served in the military for over 9 years. Since 2012, he has co-hosted the award-winning "The Short box" podcast. Along the way, he has managed to interview some of the most fascinating people in Jacksonville. In 2018, Cesar channeled his love of broadcasting in forming “Jax Podcasters Unite!," the official podcaster hub of the First Coast. Cesar knows it's the Bold City that made him and responsibly uses the power of laughter to uplift and engage the community.

Badr Milligan

Badr Milligan is a project manager by day and a podcast enthusiast by night. Since 2012, Badr has combined his passion for comic-books & pop culture with his natural fascination with technology to co-create and host the award-winning podcast, “The Short Box.” He has claimed the 904 as home since the age of five after immigrating to Jacksonville from Morocco. Badr is an FSCJ alumnus and veteran of the Florida Air National Guard, using both experiences to currently run his own small business, The Short Box Entertainment company. In 2018, he helped form the “Jax Podcasters Unite!” group, a fast-growing collective of podcasters and broadcasters who meet quarterly to discuss the podcast industry and encourage collaborative solutions.

TEDxFSCJ Adventure: Access to Healthcare

Access to quality healthcare shouldn’t be a luxury. However, in the U.S. the wealth-health gap is increasing––forcing many to choose between medications and food. Despite having the highest per capita health expenditures of all developed nations, the U.S. has slipped to the lowest rankings in health outcomes and equity.

Join TEDxFSCJ as we explore what these trends mean for our local community. Our expert panelists will discuss healthcare access challenges across the First Coast, the work being done to address healthcare inequity, and local healthcare resources for those in need. 

 Speakers include:

• Terrie Andrews, Ph.D., Behavioral Health System Administrator, Baptist Health

• Carol Jenkins Neil, Ph.D., Professor of Nursing, FSCJ, and President, First Coast Black Nurses Association

• Melanie Patz, Vice President of Community Investment and Impact, Baptist Health

• Mobeen Rathore, M.D., Professor and Associate Chair, Department of Pediatrics at the University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville

• Shannon Shea, M.D., M.P.H., Pediatrician, Agape Community Health Center

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The adventure will be held Thursday, November 7,
6-8:30 p.m. at FSCJ Deerwood Center.

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Speakers

Terrie Andrews

Terrie W. Andrews, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist with a background in business operations and development. A Florida State University graduate, Dr. Andrews began her career at Baptist Health as an outpatient psychologist specializing in psychological testing and psychotherapy services for children and adults. In 2015, Dr. Andrews became the Director of Outpatient Services for Behavioral Health. She held that role until accepting her current job as Baptist’s System Administrator for Behavioral Health––a position where she is directly responsible for all health functions in Northeast Florida’s largest healthcare system.

Carol Jenkins Neil

Carol Jenkins Neil, Ph.D., RN, is president of the First Coast Black Nurses Association and a professor of nursing at Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ). Under her leadership, FSCJ hosted its first Health Disparities Summit. Dr. Neil has served in various leadership roles including: co-leader of the Diversity Council for the Florida Action Coalition, founder of Friends of Adult Day Services, former CEO of Hope Adult Day Services, and nominations committee member of the National League of Nursing. Dr. Neil is also the recipient of numerous accolades such as the President’s award at FSCJ and the Great 100 Nurses award.

Melanie Patz

Melanie Patz’s career is rooted in community development. Her past work with the United Way, the Hubbard House, and the Association of Fundraising Professionals is now followed by her community outreach as Baptist Health’s Vice President of Community Investment and Impact. In this role, Ms. Patz directs the development of the Community Health Needs Assessment in collaboration with Brooks Rehabilitation, Mayo Clinic Florida, St. Vincent’s Health System, and UF Health Jacksonville. Additionally, Ms. Patz addresses each of Baptist Health’s hospitals’ needs and works with Baptist Health’s Social Responsibility Board Committee to improve wellness throughout Northeast Florida.

Mobeen Rathore

Through his extensive humanitarian outreach and medical expertise, Mobeen Rathore, M.D. has served our local community for over 25 years. Currently, Dr. Rathore is a professor and associate chair of Pediatrics at the University of Florida College of Medicine—Jacksonville, Division Chief for Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology at Wolfson Children’s Hospital, and Director of the UF Center for HIV/AIDS Research, Education, and Service (UF CARES). Additionally, Dr. Rathore co-founded MASS (Muslim American Social Services), Inc., one of the largest free clinics in the area. He is also an active member of community organizations such as Leadership Jacksonville, the Islamic Center of Northeast Florida, and OneJax.

Shannon Shea

Jacksonville native, Shannon Shea, M.D., earned her medical degree and master’s degree in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University. She then completed her residency in pediatrics at the University of California San Francisco as part of the Pediatrics Leadership for the Underserved (PLUS) program. After residency, Dr. Shea spent five years with the Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative’s Global Health Corps in Mwanza, Tanzania, caring for infants, children, and adolescents exposed to and infected with HIV. She returned to Jacksonville in 2017 and joined Agape Community Health Center and Jacksonville Pediatric Associates.

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Hosts

Joan Boyd

Joan Boyd, RN, MSN, MBA/HCA, is the Interim Associate Dean of Nursing at Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ). While at FSCJ, Ms. Boyd has been a full-time nursing professor, adviser to the future healthcare student association, and a member of several department and college-wide committees––including the curriculum and service leaning committee and the continuing contract committee. Prior to joining FSCJ, Ms. Boyd combined both her experience and education to serve the medical field in diverse capacities and across various medical specialties. An RN since 1992, Ms. Boyd has also been a nursing manager, a house nursing supervisor, and she has worked in ICU, NICU, and oncology units.

Larissa Mayer

After graduating with honors from the Nursing Associate in Science program at Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ), Ms. Larissa Mayer matriculated into FSCJ’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. Outside of her studies, Ms. Mayer serves as a talent grant awardee for TEDxFSCJ and as a laboratory assistant for FSCJ’s Deerwood Center teaching labs. Ms. Mayer also mentors future nursing students, is an active member of the National Student Nurses’ Association (NSNA), volunteers with her son’s baseball team, and has volunteered for the OHSA competition––a high health competition for students interested in pursuing health fields after high school. She is also a member of TRIO, a club for health programs at FSCJ.

TEDxFSCJ Salon: Leonardos of the 21st Century

2019 marks the 500th anniversary of the death of Leonardo da Vinci, the quintessential Renaissance man or “polymath” whose genius spanned an astonishing array of disciplines.

In today’s digital age, poets and scientists, designers and architects are rediscovering this vision, cultivating expertise in multiple fields and challenging the boundaries that separate the arts and sciences.

Join TEDxFSCJ for Leonardos of the 21st Century, a salon exploring how the Renaissance or polymath ideal is finding renewed expression across the First Coast. Hosted by local artists Princess Simpson Rashid and Mark Creegan, the evening will feature five creative innovators:

• Ben Atkinson, ecologist and poet at Flagler College

• Jonathan Cantor, architect and Vice President atRS&H, exploring how built environments impact human health and the health sciences

• Caitlín Doherty, Director, MOCA Jacksonville

• Clark Lunberry, UNF Professor of English, interdisciplinary scholar and artist whose work includes poetry installations

• Kedgar Volta, Creative Director of Castaño Group, connecting digital and physical environments through interactive media

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The salon will be held Thursday, February 28,
7-9 p.m. at MOCA Jacksonville.

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Speakers

Ben Atkinson

Ben Atkinson is an assistant professor of natural sciences at Flagler College. In recent years, he has returned to poetry as a creative outlet and tool for understanding the world. Ben’s work ranges from poems published in literary magazines and galleries to published articles on reptiles and amphibians in scientific journals and books. Field research has taken him to Belize, Bermuda, Honduras and across the U.S. Active with Ancient City Poets, Ben shares his work at Corazon Cinema and Café in St. Augustine. He also reads locally in Jacksonville. Last year, he debuted poems for the Southeastern Sister Cities Reading Tour, Sing Out Loud Festival and JaxbyJax Literary Arts Festival. Ben holds a Ph.D. in wildlife ecology and conservation from the University of Florida.

Jonathan Cantor

Vice President and Healthcare Market Leader for RS&H, Jonathan has spent his career focusing on the development of healthcare and life science environments. As an architect, Jonathan understands how the built environment directly impacts the health and productivity of patients, staff and researchers. Over the past decade, he has created multiple design studios that focus on evidence-based design decisions to improve those outcomes. Jonathan served for six years on the Board of Directors for BioFlorida, which focuses on the growth of the life science industry in Florida and is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps.

Caitlín Doherty

Born on South Uist, a small island in Northwest Scotland, Caitlín’s journey to Jacksonville highlights her passion for the arts, community and education. Having acted as the chief curator and deputy director for the Broad Art Museum in Michigan, the exhibitions and speaker curator at Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar and the inaugural director of Lismore Castle Arts in Ireland, Caitlín has engaged with and provided leadership to artists, students and communities around the world. Furthermore, Caitlín has taught a variety of courses at Ireland's Waterford Institute of Technology and University College London. Caitlín holds master's degrees from the University of Edinburgh and the University of St. Andrews. Currently, she serves as the Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville.

Clark Lunberry

Clark is a professor of English at the University of North Florida. Along with his interdisciplinary scholarship and teaching, Lunberry creates site-specific “writing on water | writing on air” art and poetry installations, placing large-scale poems on water and windows. Recent installations have been completed in Uppsala, Sweden; Oxford, England; Paris, France; Toronto, Canada; Tokyo and Hiroshima, Japan; Durham, England; Stanford University; the University of Georgia; and at the University of North Florida. To view his work, please visit www.clarklunberry.com.

Kedgar Volta

Kedgar has been a vital part of the Jacksonville arts and creative community for over a decade. As co-founder and Creative Director of Castaño Group, he uses interactive technology and his talent for design to create innovative ways to communicate in digital and physical environments. After emigrating to Florida from Cuba, Kedgar began his career at Brunet-García Advertising where he created internationally recognized work running the gamut from typography to animation. He has been a featured artist at Art Basel Miami Beach and the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and has been awarded multiple National ADDY and Emmy Awards.In 2015, he was named Emerging Artist of the Year by the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville.

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Hosts

Mark Creegan

Mark is an assistant professor of drawing and design at Florida State College at Jacksonville. He is also an artist whose work alternates between various media such as painting, drawing, collage, sculpture, installation and performance. Underlying Mark’s incredibly diverse practice is a thoughtful exploration of abstract form, repetitive mark-making, color, humor, and use of found and discarded materials. Hairnets, shark’s teeth, used watercolor sets and combs are just some of the diverse array of objects Creegan employs into minimalist arrangements or large-scale installations which are often used as spaces for performative action. Creegan currently lives in Jacksonville, Florida, and received an MFA degree from Florida State University.

Princess Simpson Rashid

Princess is an American painter, printmaker, blogger, art activist, competitive sport-fencer and coach. Her work has been part of exhibitions and private collections in museums, art centers and galleries across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Portugal. Locally, Princess has been recognized by various organizations including the Florida Watercolor Society, Tampa Regional Artists and the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville. Princess was born in Georgia and studied printmaking and painting at Escuela de Artes Plastica in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and earned her B.S. in Physics from Georgia State University.

TEDxFSCJ Salon: What are Human Rights?

Human rights have been called the dominant moral vocabulary of our time—but how do human rights affect the everyday lives of ordinary people?

Join TEDxFSCJ for What are Human Rights?, a salon featuring speakers with first-hand knowledge of how human rights protect us all. Embracing both the local and global dimensions of human rights, we will address such questions as the inherent and equal dignity of individuals regardless of gender expression, race, and nationality; the unprecedented discrimination and violence facing immigrant populations; and how global warming threatens entire communities with irreversible harm.

Our speakers include:

Drew Adams, a transgender student at Nease High School in St. Johns County, who successfully sued for the right to use the bathroom matching his gender identity; and

Charlene Taylor Hill, who as Executive Director of the Jacksonville Human Rights Commission has seen how the civil rights origins of, and recent changes to, the city’s Human Rights Ordinance have strengthened the protections afforded local residents.

We will hear from experts with a keen understanding of the immigrant experience, including immigration attorney Andrea Reyesand ACLU Regional Organizer Samir Gupte.

And Joshua Gellers, Professor of Political Science at UNF, will help us further explore interconnections between the global and local by discussing how the startling pace of climate change has sparked an environmental rights revolution.

Hosted by UNF Associate Director of Diversity Initiatives, Matt Hartley, and FSCJ student Haley Foley, the event is free and open to the public.

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The salon will be held Thursday, February 7th,
at the Nathan H. Wilson Center for the Arts Lakeside Room,
FSCJ South Campus, from 7-8:30 pm.

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Speakers

Drew Adams

Drew is an 18-year-old transgender man and LGBTQ+ advocate. He is an International Baccalaureate student, president of his school’s Gay-Straight Alliance and the 2018 recipient of the Matthew Shepard Foundation Spirit of Matthew Award and the JASMYN Diamond Award. When his school denied him access to the men’s room, Drew sued the district with the help of Lambda Legal; his was the first transgender student bathroom case to go to trial. Drew is a past member of the GLSEN National Student Council and the Trevor Project Youth Ambassador Council. Currently, Drew is the Volunteer Intern Coordinator for Point of Pride and sits on the Q Chat Space Youth Advisory Panel.

Joshua Gellers

Josh is an Associate Professor of Political Science and Public Administration at the University of North Florida, Fulbright Scholar to Sri Lanka and Research Fellow of the Earth System Governance Project. His research on environmental rights and sustainable development has been published in Global Environmental Politics, Journal of Human Rights and the Environment, and Transnational Environmental Law. Josh is also the author of The Global Emergence of Constitutional Environmental Rights (Routledge 2017). He holds a B.A. in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida, a M.A. in Climate and Society from Columbia University and a Ph.D. in Political Science from UC Irvine.

Samir Gupte

Samir Gupte serves as the ACLU Regional Organizer for North Florida focusing on voting rights, criminal justice reform, immigration and police practices. After a 26-year corporate career in Operations, HR and General Management, Samir changed career paths to pursue his passion of helping others build better lives for themselves. As the ACLU Regional Organizer, Samir supports this mission through his hands-on volunteer work. In addition to his work at the ACLU, Samir runs a private consulting practice that focuses on organizational problem solving and cultural change. Samir holds a BBA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a M.A. from Rollins College, and an MILR from Cornell University.

Charlene Taylor Hill

Charlene serves as the Executive Director of the Jacksonville Human Rights Commission. She is responsible for enforcing the city’s anti-discrimination laws governing employment, housing and public accommodations, and for implementing programs that promote respect and mutual understanding of all of Jacksonville’s diverse population. Charlene also meets with delegations visiting the city through the U.S. State Department’s International Visitors Program and shares information on the city’s work on human rights. She has received numerous awards, including the OneJax Institute’s Silver Medallion Humanitarian Award in April 2015. Charlene is a graduate of Bethune-Cookman University and the American Bankers Association’s Graduate School of Banking of the South at Louisiana State University.

Andrea Reyes

Andrea is an immigration attorney in Jacksonville, Florida and recipient of the 2018 Florida Bar President’s Pro Bono Service Award. Born in Bogota, Colombia, she immigrated to the U.S. as a child. After graduating from Florida State University in 2006, she attended Florida Coastal School of Law. In 2014, she opened her solo practice focusing on immigration law. She sits on the Board of Directors for the Central Florida Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. Andrea prides herself on her commitment to justice for the oppressed and underprivileged. To her, no one is “illegal” just in need of legal guidance through the complex world of U.S. immigration law.

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Hosts

Zach Kindy

Zach is an FSCJ student and a gun violence prevention advocate.  He is the executive director of March For Our Lives Jacksonville and secretary for 96 to None (formerly known as National Die-In). Zach is a survivor of the 2012 Episcopal School of Jacksonville shooting, where he was in seventh grade at the time. His transgender identity plays an important role in his activism. Recently, Zach has branched out into other areas of activism, confronting his lifelong medical issues and helping others do the same.  Currently, he is the program coordinator for the College Democrats of America Disability Caucus.

Matt Hartley

Matt is Associate Director in the Department of Diversity Initiatives at University of North Florida. Current leader of the Interfaith Center, he is also Chair of the Atlantic Institute of Jacksonville, an organization that facilitates Interfaith cooperation. He taught for eight years at Sandalwood High School, where he helped launch the AVID Program that empowers students to achieve their college dreams. He has 12 years of ministry experience with youth and young adults, including a $100,000 grant secured for an Interfaith college leadership program through the Episcopal Diocese of Florida. He earned his B.A. from the University of North Florida and M.A. in Religion from the University of Florida

2019 Main Event

TEDxFSCJWomen: Showing Up

TEDxFSCJWomen: Showing up – TEDWomen2018 Simulcast + Panel

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Women the world over are challenging the status quo—they’re rising up, breaking out, and pushing boundaries.

Join TEDxFSCJWomen for a simulcast event—featuring such luminaries as Tarana Burke and Dolores Huerta direct from the TEDWomen2018 conference in Palm Springs! 97.9 KISSFM’s Catalina Alers-Alers will emcee this simulcast event.

Then join Melissa Ross, host of WJCT’s First Coast Connect, as she moderates a local panel of experts, who will address the theme, “Speak out!,” and explore issues of fear, sexual violence, and survival. Panelists include:

Vicky Basra, Senior Vice President, Delores Barr Weaver Policy Center

Robin Graber, Rape Recovery Team Programs Director, Women’s Center of Jacksonville

Kristin Keen, Founder and President, Rethreaded

Paige Mahogany Parks, Founder, T.A.P. Transgender Awareness Project

Emily Rokosch, Director of Operations, JASMYN

Tickets are free and open to the public, but all attendees must register.

Program

3:30-4 p.m.: Check-in & Networking

4-5:30 p.m.: Simulcast – Showing up

5:30-6 p.m.: Refreshments & Networking

6-7:30 p.m.: Live local panel – Speak out!

Inside our welcome and registration atrium, speak with representatives from local nonprofits and women-centered organizations, including the Women’s Center of Jacksonville; Delores Barr Weaver Policy Center; Babes Who Hustle; FSCJ Student Engagement – Diversity & Social Change; Hubbard House; Jewish Family & Community Services; Sulzbacher Center; Women Empowering Women; and Women Writing for a Change.

Arrive early so you can meet new people, share ideas, and sample our food and refreshments!

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Speakers

Vicky Basra

Vicky manages the development and implementation of model programs and community organizing for the Delores Barr Weaver Policy Center. Assisting with the development and support of new and innovative programs and community engagement, Vicky brings with her more than 18 years’ experience working with girls and young women impacted by trauma. Vicky helped to develop and implement a violence against women prevention program at Vanderbilt University. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Toronto, a degree in Social Work from Ryerson Polytechnic University and her master’s degree from the University of Tennessee.

Robin Graber

Robin is the Rape Recovery Team Program Director at the Women's Center of Jacksonville (WCJ).  After beginning his career at the WCJ as an intern in 2012, Robin quickly rose through the ranks. Robin has worked with over 300 survivors of sexual violence and provided more than 400 training sessions on topics ranging from trauma-informed care, to consent, to self-care and burnout.  In his current position, he spends most of his time managing grants, providing training to the community and supervising a team of advocates and prevention staff.  Robin received his bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and Corrections from the University of North Florida.

Kristin Keen

Kristin lived for five years in Kolkata, India, where she co-founded Sari Bari, a thriving business that gives survivors of human trafficking a way out of exploitation through employment.  Sari Bari now employs more than 120 women. Upon her return to Jacksonville, Kristin started forming relationships with women on the street; it was then that she realized the problem of human trafficking was flourishing in her own city. In response, Kirstin founded Rethreaded.  Rethreaded is a safe, supportive work environment where women can start a new career while experiencing continued healing through community. When not at Rethreaded, Kristin is biking or swimming in the ocean at sunrise. 

Paige Mahogany Parks

Paige Mahogany-Parks is from Oklahoma City. She has been a transgender activist in the LGBT community for 36 years. She received the Dean Mckeller outstanding transgender of the year award in 2005 for her work with the hurricane Katrina LGBT community. She has been featured on NBC, ABC, FOX, CBS, Houston Chronicle, Houston Voice, and OutSmart magazine. She lives in Jacksonville, Florida, where she continues her work as the Director of the Transgender Awareness Project and writer. Check out her book Lady Paradox: Flawless Imperfection. 

Emily Rokosch

Emily Rokosch has been working with, supporting and advocating for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) community for 15 years.  Emily earned her Master of Education with a focus on mental health counseling from the University of North Florida. After graduating in 2006, she served as the founding Coordinator of UNF’s LGBT Resource Center where she worked to create a safe space and welcoming learning environment for all students.  Emily currently serves as the Director of Operations at JASMYN, Jacksonville’s LGBT non-profit center serving youth 13-29.

Hosts

Catalina Alers-Alers

Catalina Alers-Alers is the afternoon host on 97.9 KISSFM, host of the “But First, Brunch” podcast and TV correspondent for JTA's Around Town series on Making Moves. Growing up in Orange Park and graduating from the University of North Florida, Catalina has lived in Jacksonville for more than 20 years.  A conversation with Catalina is a healthy dose of real talk on social equality, pop culture and laughs till you cry.

Melissa Ross

Melissa Ross is the host and producer of WJCT’s “First Coast Connect,” the Jacksonville NPR/PBS station’s flagship local call-in public affairs radio program. The show has won five national awards from Public Radio News Directors Inc. and has been honored multiple times as Best Local Radio Show by Folio Weekly’s “Best of Jax” readers’ poll. Melissa recently started co-hosting the new, statewide call-in show, “The Florida Roundup,” that airs each Friday. With over 20 years of experience in broadcasting, Melissa has won four Emmys for news, feature and documentary reporting. Married with two children, Melissa is a graduate of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism/Communications.

Musical Curator

Adrian Kennedy

Adrian is a singer/songwriter from Jacksonville. She will be debuting her first video, “Woodland Coffin,” in December. Her music can be best described as, “music to sing by the light of a bonfire.” In addition to her professional work, Adrian is always looking for fulfilling volunteer opportunities. She has been involved with local organization SongBook and most recently began working with Women Empowering Women.

TEDxFSCJ Salon: Fearless Innovation

The salon was held Friday, November 2, at FSCJ-Deerwood, from 9-10:30 a.m.

The power of innovation reaches beyond mere technology. At its core, innovation is about questioning conventional wisdom, disrupting existing markets, and challenging theoretical assumptions. Innovation requires us to create new networks among people, places, and ideas, and to overcome the fear that inevitably attends change.

Join TEDxFSCJ for Fearless Innovation, a salon exploring how innovators in Central Asia and across Northeast Florida are defying the frontiers of the familiar. In collaboration with the U.S. Embassy in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, we will use live video streaming to connect thought leaders in Tajikistan with innovators located right here in Jacksonville. Co-hosted by FSCJ student Lauren Hutchison, our morning will feature two local innovators, Shiva Robotics Academy founder Kalai Sankar and Web.com Chief Technology Officer Jane Landon. Joining us from Tajikistan will be startup guru and salon co-host Parviz Jamalov, cybersecurity expert and social entrepreneur Abdurahmon Abdurashidov, IT project manager and English lecturer Nasiba Mirpochoeva, and financial technology leader Abdullo Kurbanov.

Drawing on their extensive experience challenging the bounds of technology and culture, our speakers will discuss how transformative thinking begins with innovative educators, how technology functions as a catalyst to local and global change, and how technological evolution is changing the way we live as well as the way we do business.

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Photos from the Jacksonville Location

Photos from the Dushanbe Location

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Speakers

Kalai Sankar

Kalai is the founder of Jacksonville’s Shiva Robotics Academy, an institution imparting robotics education to students in grades K-8. As a Carnegie Mellon Certified Robotics instructor and professional LEGO educator, she has introduced afterschool robotics programs in eighteen Title 1 schools. By partnering with organizations like Communities in Schools, Renaissance Jax, and Girl Scouts of Gateway Council, she has helped hundreds of Florida students compete in tournaments as far away as Houston and Costa Rica. Kalai is the recipient of Florida’s Best Robotics Coach award and Jacksonville Business Journal Innovator in Education Award, and her Shiva Robotics camps have been featured in the Florida Times-Union, Folio, and Buzz TV. Sankar holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Fatima College in Madurai, India.

Abdurahmon Abdurashidov

Abdu is a technology, innovation, and social-outreach change agent. He is the founder and CEO of Durandesh, a Tajik tech-startup company specializing in internet-related services, cybersecurity products, and software engineering. He also founded Durud, a Tajik Customer Relations Management project. Recently, he joined the board of directors at Alif Academy, a fast-growing IT institution in Tajikistan. Abdu has worked as an IT engineer at several institutions, including the microlending firm IMON International, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Aalto University of Finland, and the Swiss subsidiary, Nukrafom. Lastly, he is the founder and president of AIESEC, Khujand, an international nonprofit that provides youth with leadership opportunities, cross-cultural internships, and volunteer exchange experiences. Abdurashidov holds a bachelor’s degree in information technology from Khujand Polytechnic Institute.

Jane L. Landon

Jane is Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Web.com. Prior to joining Web.com in 2010, she was Deputy Commissioner and Chief Information Officer for the New York City Department of Finance. Her past experience includes Business and Technology leadership positions at Microsoft, where she was General Manager .net Market Development and Chief Information Officer for Public Sector Business Systems Information Technology, as well as Institutional CIO Prudential Insurance of America and General Manager Global Corporate Systems at The Bankers Trust Company. Jane is also on the Board of Directors of STEM2Hub of Northeast Florida. Landon holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from SUNY Fredonia in Fredonia, New York.

Nasiba Mirpochoeva

Nasiba is a project manager at MicroInvest, MCF and an English lecturer at Khujand State University in Tajikistan. Dedicated to empowering women, youth, and vulnerable communities through the arts, business, and environmental training, she is a Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant alumna, a George Mason University Community Leadership Institute alumna, and a recipient of multiple U.S. government grants. She has also participated in the Central Asia Teachers of English Conference, the Central Eurasian Studies Conference, and Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages. Mirpochoeva holds a cum laude diploma in English and German languages from Khujand State University and a master’s degree in finance and credit.

Abdullo Kurbanov

Abdullo is a financial-technology and banking leader. He is the co-founder and CEO of Alif Capital, one of the fastest growing fin-tech organizations in Tajikistan. Alif Capital brought key innovations to Tajikistan’s banking sector by introducing interest-free loans, offering revenue- sharing deposits, and adopting the non-conventional strategy of building key banking software in-house. Abdullo is also co-founder of Somon.tj, a classifieds website that has become the most visited local website in Tajikistan, and he is co-founder of Peshraft, a charitable fund focusing on education. He has worked in private equity, investment banking, and consulting in London, Moscow, and Ulaanbaatar. Kurbanov holds a bachelor’s degree in management from Boğaziçi University in Turkey and a master’s degree in finance from the London School of Economics.

Hosts

Lauren Hutchison

Lauren is a project manager at Web.com and an honor student in the IT Management Bachelor of Science program at Florida State College at Jacksonville. In April 2018, Lauren spoke at TEDxFSCJ’s annual conference; in her TEDx talk, she explains how she discovered non- technical ways to apply agile concepts to our lives outside the workplace. Hutchison is owner of the blog womenwholovetech.com, an aspiring entrepreneur, a member of STARS Computing Corp, a computer club at FSCJ, and a volunteer at St. Johns Riverkeeper, an environmental nonprofit. She holds an AA degree from FSCJ.

Parviz Jamalov

Parviz is a Communications and Projects Manager at the British Embassy Dushanbe. As a community leader with extensive experience in public speaking and media marketing, he was the first to bring TEDx to Tajikistan, organizing TEDxDushanbe in 2012. Inspired by his college studies in the U.S., he spearheaded several youth-oriented projects in Tajikistan, including a Youth Peacemaking Leadership Conference, a Model UN Conference, and an English Community Theater initiative. Parviz pioneered the concept of business pitching in Tajikistan, hosting its national pitching competition, Startup Choihona, as well as emceeing the G5 Startup Forum.  For his community service work, he received the Universal Peace Federation’s Youth Ambassador for Peace award. Jamalov holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from the Russian-Tajik Slavonic University in Dushanbe.

2018 Main Event

TEDxFSCJ Salon: Meklit - Passports in Ethio-Jazz

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2018 AT MOSH 3:00 P.M. - 4:30 P.M.

The music of Meklit Hadero is an invitation to explore. From the melodic soundscapes of her native Ethiopia to the jazz and hip-hop rhythms she heard growing up in New York, Meklit creates music that speaks to the unexpected poetry of everyday sounds, the joy of artistic creation, and the richness of transnational spaces and multicultural identities.

Join TEDxFSCJ for a behind-the-scenes conversation with San Francisco-based vocalist and TED Senior Fellow Meklit Hadero.  Hosted by Avant Arts founder Keith Marks and FSCJ student Eden Molla, the afternoon’s salon will explore several themes central to Meklit’s music and activism: musical cultures of the Nile River region; Ethiopian rhythms and Amharic idioms; multidisciplinary artwork; and the bridging of local and global immigrant communities.

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Panelist

MEKLIT HADERO

Meklit is an Ethio-American vocalist, composer, and cultural instigator bringing together Ethio-Jazz with a singer-songwriter's storytelling and strum.  Her most recent album, When the People Move, the Music Moves Too, was released last year on Six Degrees Records, and she has been featured in NPR, Vibe Magazine, and BBC World Service.  A TED Senior Fellow, Meklit is the co-founder of the Nile Project, an initiative that helps Nile citizens and musicians ensure the sustainability of their river.

KEITH MARKS

Keith is the founder of Avant, the music-based nonprofit which hosts a concert series, a weekly radio show on WJCT, a new film series launching in March at Sun-Ray Cinema, and an educational outreach program called Passport: Music. A graduate of UNF, Keith received his master’s degree from Tel Aviv University. He has founded a number of nonprofit and community initiatives in Northeast Florida and works as a neuromuscular therapist at his and his wife’s Pilates/Massage business in Avondale.

EDEN MOLLA

Eden is a communication student at Florida State College at Jacksonville and a first-generation Ethiopian American. As a columnist writing for Stanton College Preparatory School’s award-winning newspaper, the Devil’s Advocate, she explored local education issues ranging from dress codes to standardized testing. Her five-week travels in Ethiopia have inspired her to become an advocate for Ethiopian identity and culture at home and abroad.

TEDxFSCJ Salon: Rediscovering Space

For millennia, people looked to the stars as a source of awe and inspiration. Today, new ventures between private industry and government agencies like NASA have reignited our sense of wonder, prompting many to ask not only when humans will finally reach Mars, but what careers and businesses are experiencing the greatest growth and how ordinary people and science professionals can get involved.

Join TEDxFSCJ as we partner with the Museum of Science & History (MOSH) in hosting a salon focused on how Florida and the First Coast are accelerating the pace of space exploration. The evening’s speakers will include NASA engineer Kathleen O’Brady, Lockheed Martin engineer Chelsea Partridge, Professor of Astronomy Mike Reynolds, Made In Space CEO Andrew Rush, and hostJennifer Ruliffson, a student at the University of North Florida. 

At the close of the evening, attendees will have the opportunity to look through telescopes positioned atop the museum roof—courtesy of JAX #popscope, the local affiliate of #Popscope, an urban movement of astronomers who host free, “pop-up” events across North America.

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Panelists

KATHLEEN O’BRADY

Kathleen is Lead Certification System Engineer for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program in which she oversees the certification of Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner, a spacecraft for transporting crew to and from the International Space Station.  Kathleen graduated with a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a master’s degree in physics from the University of Central Florida. Kathleen considers herself fortunate to have supported the space shuttle program from 2004 until its retirement in 2011.

CHELSEA PARTRIDGE 

Chelsea is an engineer for Lockheed Martin Space Systems at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, where she conducts environmental control and life support systems testing on the agency's Orion spacecraft. Chelsea graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of North Florida where she conceptualized CubeSat applications for bone density research. A lifelong advocate for space exploration and science education, Chelsea advises gifted students at The Weiss School, who are currently building a CubeSat of their own. 

DR. MIKE REYNOLDS 

Mike is a Professor of Astronomy and Physics at Florida State College at Jacksonville and the Executive Director Emeritus of the Chabot Space & Science Center in Oakland, California. His 40-year career runs the gamut from high school and university instructor to planetarium and museum director, researcher, and college administrator. Mike is the recipient of several awards, including the 1986 Florida State Teacher of the Year, NASA Teacher-in-Space National Finalist, and the G. Bruce Blair Medal in Astronomy.

TAYLOR RICHARDSON

Taylor is a 14-year-old student at The Bolles School in Jacksonville and an accomplished science advocate. Inspired by Dr. Mae Jemison, the first African-American woman in space, she launched a book drive, entitled Taylor’s Take Flight with a Book, and has read to over 300 children and collected over 5,000 books.  After attending a private screening of Hidden Figures with First Lady Michelle Obama, Taylor helped sponsor screenings across several U.S. states; in April 2017, she addressed the March for Science rally in Washington, DC; and she is a student space ambassador for The Mars Generation.

ANDREW RUSH

Andrew is President and CEO of Silicon Valley-based Made In Space, Inc., the first manufacturing company in space. Serving first as general legal counsel during MIS's startup phase and then as CEO since 2015, Andrew envisions a robust interplanetary existence for humanity that unites life and work in space. Andrew holds a B.S. in physics from the University of North Florida and a J.D. from Stetson University, and he currently serves on the Physics Advisory Group at UNF.

 

Host

JENNIFER RULIFFSON

Jenn is a NASA Solar System Ambassador and has hosted several events centered on space and space exploration. She earned a Bachelor of Music degree in 2010 and began a career in non-profit arts management. Her passion for space exploration proved so persistent that she quit her full-time job in 2016 to study chemistry at the University of North Florida. Jenn hopes to pursue research at NASA and is currently a research assistant in atmospheric chemistry.

TEDxFSCJWomen: Bridges

TEDxFSCJWomen: Bridges

TEDWomen2017 Simulcast + Panel

Bridges: We build them, we traverse them, and sometimes we even burn them.  Join TEDxFSCJWomen for a simulcast event—direct from the TEDWomen2017 conference in New Orleans!

Our evening will also feature a local panel of speakers who will discuss how gender intersects with poverty and what Jacksonville nonprofits are doing to help. Hosted by Courtney Weatherby-Hunter of the Women’s Giving Alliance, the panel will include Dawn Gilman (CEO, Changing Homelessness), Teresa Miles (Executive Director, Women’s Center of Jacksonville), and Dr. Gail Patin (CEO, Hubbard House).

Be sure to check out our exhibit, “Seven Bridges out of Poverty”—a gallery of photo portraits and information booths highlighting seven local nonprofits that are helping to lift women out of poverty, including BEAM, Changing Homelessness, Hubbard House, LSF Health Systems, Sulzbacher Center, the Women’s Center of Jacksonville, and the Women’s Giving Alliance.  The exhibit is open to all and it located just inside the entryway to the event auditorium.  

The Simulcast + Panel will be held Thursday, November 2, 2017, at FSCJ's Kent Campus in room F128, from 6 – 8:30 p.m. Doors open at 5 p.m. The simulcast + panel will run from 6-8:30 p.m.  Arrive early so you can view the portraits and network with representatives from the featured nonprofits.

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Speakers

DAWN GILMAN

Chief Executive Officer
Changing Homelessness

TERESA MILES

Executive Director
Women’s Center of Jacksonville

DR. GAIL PATIN

Chief Executive Officer
Hubbard House

Host

COURTNEY WEATHERBY-HUNTER

Courtney is a Women’s Giving Alliance member and the Philanthropy Director at Children’s Home Society of Florida.

TEDxFSCJ Salon: Common Stories, Uncommon Futures – Youth, Crime, & Community

THE SALON WILL BE HELD WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27TH, AT THE FSCJ ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY CENTER (DOWNTOWN CAMPUS), ROOM T-140/141, FROM 6:30-8:30 PM.

The headlines are painfully familiar: In January, two shootings rocked the Jacksonville Landing, leaving one teenager dead; Duval County remains among Florida’s most dangerous; and across the city, people worry Jacksonville might become the next national tragedy. But what happens in between the headlines? And what can ordinary citizens and civic leaders do to ensure the youngest among us enjoy greater safety and security across the First Coast?

Join TEDxFSCJ as we host a salon exploring local efforts to address how crime affects our city’s youth. The evening will feature two prominent young leaders, EVAC Movement senior Davin Brown and anti-human trafficking advocate Alyssa Beck, as well as State Attorney Melissa Nelson and New Town Success Zone Executive Director George Maxey. Drawing on their first-hand experience and expertise, our speakers will discuss the often unseen effects of violence and incarceration, the lived realities of racism and gender-based trauma, the economic roots of crime, and innovative policies within the criminal justice system.

Speakers

ALYSSA BECK

Alyssa is the Advocacy Specialist for the Delores Barr Weaver Policy Center. In this role, she interacts with leaders in the anti-human trafficking field, experts in girl-centered relations and members of the state legislature to help develop laws and practices that will support survivors of sex trafficking and youth involved in the justice system. Collaborating with several organizations and councils, she brings her lived experience and passion for improving the lives of young women. Her goal is to change the laws around human trafficking and promote justice for children sent to jail.

DAVIN BROWN

Davin is a 17-year-old senior at Robert E. Lee High School and a founding member of the EVAC Movement, an award-winning leadership course primarily serving young African-American men. As a juvenile justice advocate, Davin believes Jacksonville can and will be a better place for youth like himself, and he has shared his vision with a number of elected leaders, from President Barack Obama to Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, Sheriff Mike Williams, and State Attorney Melissa Nelson. Raised by a single mother, Davin grew up in Riverside’s Section 8 housing, where he watched close friends enter the justice system and receive prison sentences ranging from 10 to 25 years—circumstances that fuel his commitment to becoming a juvenile defense attorney.

GEORGE E. MAXEY

George is the executive director of the New Town Success Zone, a collaboration between public and private groups to increase the well-being of residents—especially kids—in the neighborhood between West Beaver Street and Kings Road. He holds a Master of Science in Education from the University of Akron and a B.S. in Education from Kent State University. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, and inspired by his third-grade teacher to pursue a career in education, George spent 15 years working as a school administrator. At Cuyahoga Falls High School in Ohio, he became the school’s first African-American administrator, and in Jacksonville, he served as principal at William Raines High School and Ribault Middle School, where he guided the school from an “F” to a “B” status.

MELISSA W. NELSON

Melissa is the State Attorney for Florida’s Fourth Judicial Circuit, where she leads more than 100 attorneys and 200 staff who represent the people of Clay, Duval, and Nassau counties, primarily in criminal matters. After earning her BA and JD degrees from the University of Florida, she worked 12 years as an Assistant State Attorney from 1997 to 2009, prosecuting capital homicides, white collar matters, sex crimes, and crimes against children. In 2009, she joined McGuireWoods and worked in private practice for seven years. Since taking office, Melissa has pursued several important initiatives affecting public safety, strategic prosecutions, and public transparency. Recognized for her integrity, she was recently inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers and is a member of the Jacksonville Women's Lawyers Association.

Hosts

KIMBERLY HALL

Kimberly is a professor of criminal justice at Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ) and advisor of Theta Sigma Chi, the FSCJ chapter of the American Criminal Justice Association - Lambda Alpha Epsilon. Kimberly was a doctoral research fellow at the University of Maryland, where she studied criminology and was sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security to work on the Global Terrorism Database (GTD) at the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START). Kimberly earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Alabama, where she studied criminal justice and psychology. Kimberly is passionate about helping students succeed and is dedicated to working with criminal justice professionals and individuals to enhance student learning and improve the Jacksonville community.

Christina Parrish Stone

Christina is the Executive Director of the Springfield Preservation and Revitalization Council, Inc. A long-time advocate for Jacksonville’s urban neighborhoods, with significant experience in historic preservation and the use of arts and culture as tools for community development, she recently retired from a twenty-year career as an attorney specializing in real estate law. After earning her bachelor’s degree from Georgia Southern University and her JD from the University of Florida, Christina began her legal career working as an Assistant State Attorney and volunteered as an attorney ad litem representing children in dependency cases. Uniting her passion for civic and artistic renewal, she is also a founder of Jacksonville PorchFest, an annual music festival that brings thousands of people to Springfield to enjoy dozens of performances on porches and in parks throughout the historic district.

TEDxFSCJ Adventure: Safe to Drink?

Wednesday, April 26, 2017 – Kent Campus, D120, from 6 - 8 p.m.

How much do you know about the water you drink? The water crisis in Flint, Michigan has prompted widespread concern about the quality of local water sources, including right here in Northeast Florida. But distinguishing fact from fiction, and determining the true levels of risk to public health, is often difficult for the ordinary consumer.

Join TEDxFSCJ for an adventure exploring the current safety and future health of Jacksonville’s drinking water. The evening will feature several local experts, including JEA Laboratory Compliance Director Kevin Holbrooks, environmental chemist Lisa Saupp, and UNF environmental history professor Charles Closmann. Moderated by award-winning Jacksonville writer Lisa Grubba, our speakers will address what chemical levels are safe for drinking water, whether Jacksonville’s infrastructure is at risk for Flint-like contamination, and what causes First Coast sprinkler water to emit that off-putting odor.

Speakers

CHARLES CLOSMANN

Dr. Charles Closmann is Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of History at the University of North Florida. Closmann specializes in the histories of Germany, Europe and the environment. In 2010, he was awarded a grant from UNF’s Environmental Center to develop an oral history-based course on the St. Johns River.  Closmann’s students interviewed over twenty environmentalists, journalists, fishermen and artists, and the resulting oral histories are being archived in the UNF Library as part of a special collection on the St. Johns River. Closmann is the editor of War and the Environment: Military Destruction in the Modern Age (Texas A&M Press, 2009) and is currently writing a book on the environmental history of water in Hamburg, Germany.

LISA GRUBBA

Lisa Grubba is an award-winning freelance writer in Jacksonville.  She founded and edits the digital magazine, Florida Field Notes – Northeast Florida’s Outdoor Journal.  Grubba earned a bacchelor’s degree in Finance from the University of Central Florida and was a business analyst and portfolio manager.  She began magazine freelancing 22 years ago, first writing business articles and later branching out into feature, book review, essay, memoir and news reporting.  In 2006, she was faculty-nominated at UCF to the Associated Writers and Writing Programs Best Non-Fiction awards.  After obtaining a Florida Master Naturalist certification from the University of Florida, Grubba has focused on environmental and nature writing.  Currently, she is pursuing a master’s degree in journalism from Harvard University Extension School.

KEVIN HOLBROOKS

Kevin Holbrooks is Director of Laboratory Compliance at Jacksonville Electric Authority. With 25 years’ experience at JEA, Holbrooks leads a staff of 36 employees whose responsibilities include analyzing drinking water, wastewater and electric generating stack emissions. The laboratory performs approximately 210,000 analyses a year to ensure permit and regulatory compliance at 36 water plants, 11 wastewater facilities and 5 power plants.  Holbrooks graduated from the University of Florida with a BS in Chemistry and is certified by OSHA as an Incident Commander and by the United States Coast Guard as qualified to respond to environmental incidents. He serves on numerous utility committees and boards, including the Florida Electric Coordinating Group and the Air and Waste Management Association.

LISA SAUPP

Lisa Saupp is an environmental chemist who has worked in the water and wastewater industry for more than 30 years.  Saupp is the Laboratory Director for Aqua Pure Water & Sewage Service, Inc., which tests water and wastewater systems for municipalities in Marion, Lake, Citrus, Gilchrist, Putnam and Volusia counties, providing compliance monitoring and reporting for their EPA and DEP requirements. She holds an MBA in Environmental Business Administration from Florida Atlantic University, a BS in Chemistry with a minor in Environmental Science from the University of Florida, and a BA in Business Administration from St. Leo University.  Saupp has volunteered with various organizations, including the Florida Springs Institute, to promote community awareness about the Floridan Aquifer and springs.

TEDxFSCJ Salon: Duval Eats, Lettuce Grow

Thursday, March 9th, 2017, at the FSCJ-Deerwood Center Performance Theatre, Room G1709, from 6-8 p.m.

The “eat local” movement is thriving across Northeast Florida. From local farms and food producers to farmers’ markets and farm-to-table restaurants, Jacksonville offers a vibrant locavore culture to consumers concerned about the origins, nutrition and sustainability of their food.

TEDxFSCJ will host a salon exploring our community’s local food culture. The evening will feature two speakers steeped in Jacksonville’s food movement, Dr. Leslie Kaplan and Don Justice. The speakers will address the benefits of the local food system and opportunities for community members to get involved. The evening will also include the viewing of select TED talks.

Speakers

DON JUSTICE

Don Justice is a personal trainer and a 4th Dan black belt Master instructor at United Tang Soo Do Federation. Don is also a life coach and farmer for The Food Park Project and Clara White Mission's White Harvest Farms. He received his bachelor’s in International Business from San Francisco State University in 1986. He currently owns Paks Karate and Fitness in historic Springfield, and operates spring, summer and winter break camps for youth in urban areas that include farming and gardening practices that inspire sustainable living.

DR. LESLIE KAPLAN

Dr. Leslie G. Kaplan is Associate Director of the Hicks Honors College at the University of North Florida. Leslie holds a BA from Tufts University in English and Philosophy, an MA from Oxford University in Middle English Literature, and a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in Folklore and Folklife. She is involved with several community organizations focused on food, education, culture, and community, including Children’s International Summer Villages, the Jacksonville Obesity Coalition, and the Slow Food Movement. She has taught classes on food and culture since 2003 and developed a nutrition education program at a local public elementary school that has been running since 2006.

Photos: Duval Eats, Lettuce Grow

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TEDxFSCJ Salon: Lift as We Climb: Women, Race & Politics

The salon will be held Thursday, February 16th, 2017at FSCJ-Downtown Campus, Building A-1068, from 6-8 pm.

Jacksonville boasts a rich history of electing African-American women to political office. In fact, the first women elected to the Jacksonville City Council after Consolidation in 1967 were African American.  Breaking the glass ceiling in the world of politics is a legacy women of color proudly leave to our community; it is a bold testament to their resilience and resolve to protect the rights of all.

TEDxFSCJ will host a salon exploring how race and gender intersect along the path to elected political office. The evening will feature a panel discussion with women of color who will share their first-hand experiences working within the political process.  The panelists will address how others may enter the political arena, what it takes to run a campaign, and the challenges and triumphs of a life lived in public service. Rounding out the evening will be the viewing of select TED talks and opportunities for audience participation.

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Panelists

JENNIFER CARROLL

Former Florida Lieutenant Governor Jennifer Carroll has a long and distinguished career in the civil, military and private sectors. As Lt. Governor, Carroll sought to increase military operations in Florida and protect the state’s military bases.  As a member of the Florida House of Representatives, she sponsored a jobs package that provided tax credits to encourage companies to hire out-of-work Floridians. As Executive Director of Florida Department of Veteran’s Affairs, Carroll helped Florida secure two national veterans’ cemeteries, three veterans’ nursing homes and funds for the state’s World War II monument in Tallahassee. And as Chairperson of the Florida Council on Homelessness, she sought to provide enhanced services for solving homeless problems across the state, particularly within the veteran community.

MIA L. JONES

Current Chief Executive Officer of AGAPE Community Health Center, Inc., Mia L. Jones plays a vital role in Duval County’s health community. Prior to assuming her current position, Jones served as Director of Boards and Commissions and the first Health Commissioner under Mayor Alvin Brown. As a proud representative of the state’s 14th District, she spent eight years in the Florida House of Representatives and served as the Ranking Member on the House Select Committee on Health Care Workforce Innovation and Health and Human Services Committee.  Jones is a statewide and national thought leader recognized for her commitment to expanding healthcare for the uninsured and maximizing access to telemedicine in community health centers and in school-based care for children.

JU’COBY PITTMAN

CEO and President of the Clara White Mission, Ju’Coby Pittman has spent the past 24 years serving the Jacksonville community. Under her leadership, the Clara White Mission has expanded from a soup kitchen to a one-stop community development center designed to support job training, job creation and housing for the less fortunate. Through her vision and the support of staff and board members, the Mission has developed a Social Enterprise Service for job creation on-site called Ashley Street Catering and Project Clean City. Pittman’s innovative training programs have been featured on the “Today Show” and she is the proud recipient of numerous accolades, including the Leadership Jacksonville Award, The Tillie Fowler Leadership Award and the Jessie Ball DuPont Fund Award.

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