PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Grace Valentine is a best selling author of four books and a sought after speaker who shares nationwide. She is from South Louisiana, attended Baylor University, and now resides in Atlanta where she enjoys going on runs, writing, and eating lots of sushi. She is passionate about helping others walk in confidence and contentment, and plans to talk honestly about this topic at TEDxGrandCanyonUniversity.

EDUCATION

Kenneth Mims is an Arizona local and a powerhouse in Neurodiversity education. He attended Hampton University and received a Master’s degree from Georgia State University. Founder of the Neurodiversity Education Research Center and the CEO of Science Prep Academy, Mr. Mims is excited to share solutions to a lack of Neurodiversity in the STEM industry.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Fortune 500 leadership and communication coaches, Jennifer Edwards and Katie McCleary are passionate about curiosity, conversations, culture, and collaboration. They are excited to demonstrate how to cultivate emotional intelligence and use it to gain clarity, foster great relationships, and create winning collaborations.

PERFORMER

Harrison Boe is a singer/songwriter originally from Nebraska, currently pursuing music in Nashville. He is also passionate about chess. As he explains what he has learned through these different hobbies, he will emphasize the importance of practicing your passions simply because you enjoy them, not for external validation.

MEDICAL

KL Wells is the daughter, sister, ex-wife, and mother of an addict. As the Founder and CEO of VoicesInCourage, her mission is to help families and parents navigate addiction’s chaos and learn to thrive. With over 30 years of experience in executive coaching and business consulting, KL drives transformative change – both individually and collectively! A community leader, influential speaker and family advocate who now resides in Eugene, KL’s mission is clear: To inspire hope and empower lives.

STUDENT SPEAKER

Nate St. John is a 3rd year college student at Grand Canyon University. He will be graduating this coming December with a Degree in Financial Planning. He is involved in many different clubs, ministries, and activities on and off campus. Nate has always been extremely interested in TED talks and feels that they have made a significant impact in the way he lives his life.

BUSINESS

Tracy Dando Mergler is a mom, educator, CEO of Safe Space Organization in New York, and the co-founder of Root to Rise CNY. Tracy has taken what has saved her mentally and relationally after beating an eating disorder of her own to start her own company, and now is bringing to light a new concept within mental disorders.

STEM

Michael Twining is a seasoned agriculture expert with over 50 years of experience. He's dedicated his life to food production and works with growers farming over 500,000 acres of agricultural production in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. He is passionate about the potential for agriculture to combat climate change.