Action News Jax Lorena Inclan co-hosts TEDxFSCJ Saturday

JACKSONVILLE — On Saturday, April 10, 2021, join TEDxFSCJ for its sixth annual conference: Wonder.

Eight speakers will show us the power of wonder to captivate, challenge, and inspire.

This virtual event is free and open to the public, but all attendees must register. The event will begin promptly at 7 p.m. EST.

To register click HERE.

Speakers

Andrew Adams

How I Became an Activist—and How You Can Too

Andrew Adams (he/him) is a 20-year-old transgender activist and currently attends the University of Central Florida in Orlando. While attending high school in St. Johns County, he made a name for himself fighting his school district’s transphobic bathroom policy. Represented by Lambda Legal, he sued the St. Johns County School Board. After the first full trial of its kind in a federal court, he won his case in an unprecedented victory for transgender students everywhere. Andrew is also a writer, speaker and community activist. Currently, he studies psychology and political science at UCF and hopes to become a counselor and politician.

Inderjit (Vicky) Basra

It’s Time We End Invisibility

Vicky Basra is a nationally recognized executive and advocate for girls’ rights with more than 20 years of experience in non-profit leadership. She is a sought-after trainer, thought leader, and architect of change. She is a regular contributor to research studies analyzing the impact of trauma on girls and young women and is a trusted media expert on issues related to commercial sexual exploitation, diversity and women’s leadership, and the impact of trauma on girls and young women. Vicky has developed multiple programs including the first advocacy program to provide services victims/survivors of intimate violence, sexual assault and stalking on Vanderbilt University’s Campus.

A passionate advocate for gender equality, Vicky currently serves as the President and CEO of the Delores Barr Weaver Policy Center, where she oversees strategies for growth and improvement and works to fulfill the organization’s mission to ensure that everyone “SEE THE GIRL” especially those being pushed into the justice system. During her time at the Policy Center, Vicky collaborated to develop and implement the Open Doors Network, a program specifically addressing the needs of victims of human trafficking. She has extensive experience meeting needs of communities through the development of innovative programs and community engagement models.

Vicky holds an MSW from the University of Tennessee and is presently pursuing a Doctorate in Social Work from the University of Tennessee.

Heather Campbell

3 Simple Steps to Feeling Bad (and Why It Feels So Good)

Heather (she/her) has worked in health care and human services for over a decade. While pursuing her degree in health sciences, she began to notice the significant gaps between medical treatment, emotional healing and social progress. After earning her Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Central Florida, she began practicing in fields dealing with grief and loss. She currently serves as a counselor and rehabilitation trainer at Florida State College at Jacksonville’s Vision Education and Rehabilitation Center. Heather resides in Jacksonville with her math teacher husband and a 5-year-old “Star Wars” enthusiast.

Dima Kroma

Your Passion Can Build Bridges

Dima Kroma is a Syrian-German informatics engineer, a mother, a wife and a passionate artist. She grew up in Syria and moved to the U.S. in 2010. As a hijabi immigrant Muslim woman, Dima faced challenges during her daily life in the U.S., and she found that people who are perceived to be different face the same challenges, no matter what the difference is. Dima decided to utilize her passion for art to build bridges, to tell people about her culture, to break cultural boundaries and to encourage open mindedness and inclusion. Dima has participated in multiple exhibitions and was featured at Jacksonville’s Museum of Science and History in 2019. Dima is also the founder and administrator of Arab Ladies in Jacksonville, a Facebook group supporting Arab women.

Donte Palmer

Squat for Change

In October 2018, 30-year-old Philadelphia native Donte Palmer posted a photo to Instagram (@realdontepalmer) and unwittingly turned a routine moment of parental frustration into a global awareness campaign championing hands-on fatherhood. The now-viral image of Donte squatting on the floor while changing his son’s diaper—without access to a changing table in a men’s restroom—sparked an international discussion about evolving parenting dynamics and outdated caregiver expectations. With his family’s support, Donte embraced his new role as advocate and founded Squat For Change, a nonprofit with a mission to empower caregivers through education and inclusion. Donte currently lives in St. Johns, Florida, with his wife and three sons and recently announced a partnership with Pampers and Koala Kare to install 5,000 baby changing tables in public restrooms across the U.S. and Canada by 2021.

Andrea Reyes

No One Is Illegal

Andrea Reyes is an immigration attorney and advocate of immigrants in Jacksonville, Florida. 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 exclusively on immigration law. For the past four years, she has served on the Board of Directors for the Central Florida Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. Andrea received the Florida Bar President’s Pro Bono Service Award for Florida’s 4th Judicial Circuit in 2018, and in 2019, her law firm received the First Coast Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Business Advocate Award. She is also the President of the non-profit organization, North East Florida Immigrant Resource Alliance (NEFIRA), which supports immigrants on their pathway to living informed, stable and civically engaged lives in NE FL. Andrea prides herself on her commitment to justice for the oppressed and underprivileged in need of legal guidance and advocacy.

Kalai Sankar

Build Robots to Build Better Kids

Kalai Sankar, ‘Coach K’, as she is affectionately known among her students, is the founder of Shiva Robotics Academy, a robotics education institution geared to students in grades K-8. As a Carnegie Mellon-certified robotics instructor and professional LEGO educator, she has introduced after-school robotics programs in more than 25 Title I schools in Jacksonville, thanks to the partnership with organizations like Renaissance Jax and Communities in Schools of Jacksonville. Kalai is the recipient of Florida’s Best Robotics Coach award, Jacksonville Business Journal’s Innovator in Education Award, and the 40 Under 40 Award. Her robotics camps have been featured in the Florida Times-Union and Folio, as well as on Channel 4 and Action News Jax.

Sarah Clarke Stuart

Invisible Monsters: When a Child Falls Prey to Addiction

Professor, writer, and advocate for families in recovery, Sarah Clarke Stuart knows the trauma of living with someone in the clutches of serious addiction. As a mother of two bright and healthy children, she never imagined she’d hear the words, “your child will either end up in prison or dead.” Sarah currently teaches English at Florida State College at Jacksonville downtown, and is a freelance writer for local and regional publications including Arbus Magazine. Her books underscore Sarah’s passion for storytelling on screen: Literary Lost: Viewing Television Through the Lens of Literature and Into the Looking Glass: Exploring the Worlds of Fringe. Along with colleagues and neighbors, Sarah is helping to spearhead an oral history project in partnership with the Historic Springfield community in downtown Jacksonville.

Cox Media Group