Speakers without Apply Button

Laura Biagi

"Reimagine Failure: Breath, Belong, Believe."

After traveling the world, studying yoga and diving into academia to find more meaning in life, Biagi found fulfillment by searching within herself. She takes us on her path to discovery and gives tools we can use in our own times of distress in her talk: "Reimagine Failure: Breath, Belong, Believe."  Watch>>

James Brinkmann

"Collaborative Listening: Rethinking Your Connection to Music"

Brinkmann is an innovative flutist and a 2011 DePaul School of Music alumnus on a mission to find creative ways to engage audiences with music. He unites his passions for teaching and performing by creating interactive performances that strengthen the music experience for the listener. He discusses his master plan in his talk: "Collaborative Listening: Rethinking Your Connection to Music."  Watch >>

Karli Butler

"Reimagine Forgiveness"

While we are all the sum of our life experiences, not all of them come to us by choice. Butler, a 2010 alumna of DePaul's College of Communication, survived an acid attack and spent years recovering from it. No stranger to adversity, she's managed to turn her trauma into triumph through storytelling, reflection and empowerment, which she discusses in her talk: "Reimagine Forgiveness."  Watch>>
Adia Gooden

"Cultivating Unconditional Self-Worth"

When a person demands perfection of herself or himself, anything less can feel like failure. Gooden, a 2013 College of Science and Health graduate, knows this from experience. In addition to her work as a staff psychologist at the University of Chicago, she's learned in her own life how to break negative thought patterns and live more freely. She shares those lessons in her talk: "Cultivating Unconditional Self-Worth." Watch>>

Team Funny Business

"Funny Business"

Is the use of humor appropriate at work? Bartuch, Hendrix and Higgins think so. The students in DePaul University's Doctorate in Business program reconsider the role of humor in the workplace in their talk: "Funny Business." Watch>>

Kevin Felisme

"Reimagine Chicago: Power to the People"

Felisme is an MBA student with a passion for Chicago and an appreciation for what we can learn from the past. He sees a path for creating economic opportunities to benefit the communities around us. He shares his vision for his city in his talk: "Reimagine Chicago: Power to the People." Watch>>
Rev. Christopher Robinson

"Replacing Our Idols with Icons"

Most people "idolize" what they view as normal because it is a version of life they believe to be true, but what if someone told you there was a phone on the moon? If that is their version of the truth, who are you to say it's wrong? Could you meet somewhere in the middle or agree to disagree? For Fr. Robinson an experience he had before he became a priest provided the initial spark that led to his talk: "Replacing Our Idols with Icons."  Watch>>

Whitney Spencer

"Reimagining the Intellectual"

What image comes to your mind when you hear someone described as an intellectual? Did you think of the person sitting next to you in your last meeting or standing behind you at the grocery store? Well, why not? Spencer, a critical ethnic studies graduate student, challenges our ideas of how people earn the label intellectual with her talk: "Reimagining the Intellectual."  Watch >>

Guillermo Vásquez de Velasco

"The Liberal Arts and the Making of T-Shaped People"

Vásquez de Velasco is a steadfast advocate of the liberal arts and for good reason. As dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, students emerge from his college's programs with a foundation that enables them to think, solve, lead and live. To inspire us to spread our own wings, he shares his personal journey and how he discovered the true power of a liberal arts education in his talk: "The Liberal Arts and the Making of T-Shaped People."  Watch>>

Julia DiGangi

"The Art and Science of Suffering"

Through her work with torture survivors, combat veterans, bereaved parents and orphans, DiGangi has become intimately acquainted with the many faces of suffering. The DePaul alumna shares what she has learned about various forms of suffering and coping strategies in her talk, "The Art and Science of Suffering."
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Jameson Dixon

"The Power of Self-Connection"

Drawing on his lived experiences, Dixon aims to help others connect with the world around them through empathy, openness and conversation. The Career Center staff member discusses this in his talk: "The Power of Self-Connection."  Watch >>

Biz Lindsay-Ryan

"Why We Need to Talk to Our Children about Race and Difference"

Lindsay-Ryan is an adjunct faculty member, trainer and consultant who is passionate about helping educators and parents navigate the difficult discussions with children, which she addresses in her talk "Why We Need to Talk to Our Children about Race and Difference."  Watch >>

Nelly Mueller

"Careening Out of Complacency"

Mueller grew up with three siblings who were adopted from Ethiopia, and understanding the communication patterns when discussing race, privilege, and the way it is talked about in America became imperative. The DePaul alumna shares what she has learned from her unique experiences in her talk: "Careening Out of Complacency."  Watch >>
Kelly Richmond Pope

"Why Do We Hate Whistle-Blowers?"

Pope is an accounting professor turned documentary filmmaker who teaches accounting through the lens of fraud and film. In her talk, "Why Do We Hate Whistle-Blowers?" she touches on the lessons learned from some of the nation's most high-profile whistle-blowing cases.  Watch >>

Tom Rietz

"I Grew up in Poverty. Here's Why I Recognize My White Privilege"

As a child, Rietz saw first-hand what it was like for children of all backgrounds in the foster care system. Deeply affected by the experience, it has shaped how he sees the world today, which he discusses in his talk: "I Grew up in Poverty. Here's Why I Recognize My White Privilege."  Watch >>

Doris Rusch

"Why Game Designers Are Better Lovers"

Rusch's work as a faculty member is focused on the theory and practice of creating games that model the "human experience" and focus on mental health issues. Her expertise as a game designer opened her eyes to a new theory, which she discusses in her talk titled, "Why Game Designers Are Better Lovers."  Watch >>
Rachel Pride

"Courage to Disconnectring"

In her talk "Courage to Disconnect," Pride - who is also a student at DePaul - emphasizes the impact we can have on our community if we simply take a break from our phones to serve those around us, especially those less fortunate.
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Brian Thompson

"Connecting Young Minorities to Their Future Selves"

As a young college student, adjunct faculty member Thompson faced academic challenges and fought to find his direction until an internship on the floor of Chicago Board Options Exchange changed everything. His experience there launched into a finance career in conjunction with his entrepreneurial pursuits, which he discusses in his talk: "Connecting Young Minorities to Their Future Selves."
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Mariela Shaker

"A Story of Hope from the Syrian Civil War"

Shaker is a graduate student and an accomplished Syrian violinist who escaped the war in Syria after receiving a music scholarship to Monmouth College in 2013. Unable to return back home, she applied for asylum in the United States. Through it all, her passion is to deliver a message of peace and love through music, which she demonstrates in her talk and performance, "Healing Through Music: A Story of Hope from the Syrian Civil War." Watch >>

Ken Butigan

"Mainstreaming Nonviolence"

What does a world without violence look like? Butigan discusses this increasingly important question in his TEDxDePaulUniversity talk, "Mainstreaming Nonviolence." Watch >>

Winifred Curran

"Gentrification is not Inevitable: Care and Resistance"

As a lover of cities, Curran's work has focused on understanding the effects of gentrification on urban landscapes. She discusses her work and personal experiences with gentrification in her TEDxDePaulUniversity presentation, "Gentrification is not Inevitable: Care and Resistance." Watch >>

Fr. Edward Udovic

"What Must be Done? Then and Now"

As a church historian specializing in the history of the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentians), Udovic takes a deeper look at TEDxDePaulUniversity's theme in his talk, "What Must be Done? Then and Now."
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Kinza Khan

"The Multitudes of a Single Muslim Identity"

In her talk, "The Multitudes of a Single Muslim Identity," Khan discusses her decision to wear a headscarf, her decision to stop wearing a headscarf, and stereotypes she faces as a young Muslim woman in America today. Watch >>
Jacqueline Martinez

"In Cities I'd Never Lived?"

Martinez has spent her undergraduate career at DePaul University researching comparative international educational practices in hopes of one day making education a global human right, which she discusses in her talk: "In Cities I'd Never Lived."  Watch >>

Mark McGreevy

"Massaging Life into a Wooden Leg"

Is it possible to end global homelessness or make the impossible possible? McGreevy tackles these questions in his talk: "Massaging Life into a Wooden Leg."
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Derise Tolliver Atta

"SANKOFA: Going Back to Fetch Your Inner Voice"

In her presentation, "SANKOFA: Going Back to Fetch Your Inner Voice," Tolliver Atta dares viewers to "remember" who they truly are.  Watch >>

Shailja Sharma

"Refugees with Benefits"

As the daughter of refugees, Sharma knows first-hand how much refugees have to offer the cities and countries in which they settle. In her talk, "Refugees with Benefits," she discusses her family's experiences and the "gifts," "skills" and "education" they can bring to a local economy.  Watch >>
Gabrielle Presbitero

"I did my Best: Overcoming the Pursuit of Praise"

Presbitero was only 16 years old when she began her college career at DePaul University. In her TEDxDePaulUniversity presentation, "I did my Best: Overcoming the Pursuit of Praise," she discusses what life is like "without medals" and discovering her own identity. Watch >>

Dorothy Griggs

"Can You Cry For Me? Will You Cry With Me?"

Griggs is a passionate writer who seeks to help individuals who are marginalized understand that they don't have to define themselves by someone else's limited vision of them. She also encourages courageous and honest dialogue among individuals, which she challenges in her talk: "Can You Cry For Me? Will You Cry With Me?" Watch >>

Alyssa Westring

"The Secret Life of a Work-Life Insider"

In her presentation, "The Secret Life of a Work-Life Insider," Westring shares her personal journey to find the right work-life balance, and how it has influenced her research on women's careers and creating work cultures conducive to the success of women in medicine. Watch >>