Mrs. Rebecca Gacki
Watch: An Unexpected Turn
Rebecca Gacki (aka Coach Beckie) is the Founder and CEO of Build UR Best U, LLC, a health coaching business focused on helping former athletes who were derailed from their healthy lifestyle rebuild their inner athlete. She is a double Masters prepared, American Council on Exercise Health Coach, Fitness Nutrition Specialist and a project management professional. Rebecca is also an Adjunct Instructor at SAE Institute Chicago where she teaches Speech Communication.
Mr. Adrian Burney
A Fort Wayne, Indiana native currently residing in Indianapolis. Adrian begun his journey as a barber at the age of 15 years old. Adrian received his barber license in 2002 and later received his barber instructors license in 2013.
Adrian has operated in many roles within the beauty industry as a barber, barber instructor, barbershop owner and industry mentor. Adrian currently serves the industry with professionalism in cutting hair, providing mentorship to beauty professionals, instructing across the nation on professionalism, proper haircutting techniques, and the correct way to install cranial prosthesis on those who are suffering from alopecia and male pattern baldness.
Adrian in 2019 became the founder of Mended Arrows Academy of Barbering a 501C3 Not for profit organization with the mission to “provide barbering education to at risk people so that they may become skilled barber professionals, self-sufficient, and role models within their communities.” Mended Arrows is raising funds and plans to open its doors in 2022.
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Dr. Kiko Suarez
Watch: Our Inner "E"
Dr. Juan “Kiko” Suarez likes to be described as a global citizen. Born in Spain and a naturalized US citizen since 2016, Dr. Suarez has a unique blend of international experience in leadership development, education, marketing, communications, corporate responsibility, and information technology in Fortune 50 corporations, entrepreneurial startups, nonprofits, and strategic philanthropy. From 2009 to 2016, Kiko served as lead executive for communications and innovation at Lumina Foundation, where he also directed the Foundation’s work in social impact investing and evaluation. Then he served as Chief Impact Officer for United Way of Central Indiana. After a year as Vice President for Higher Education and Workforce Development at a global EdTech company, he just agreed to serve as Chief Academic Officer at Huntington Junior College.
In 2019, he launched MyCareerMD, a coaching and counseling practice that serves middle and high-level executives in leadership development, career transitions, and public speaking training. He is also serving as an associate professor of Business Communications and Executive Presence at the Jack Welch Management Institute and adjunct at Davenport University.
Dr. Suarez has a Ph.D. in Leadership and Change from Antioch University, and he was awarded the title of “doctor honoris causa” from National Louis University. Among his many publications and speeches, his dissertation was on the role of wisdom in leadership and innovation processes, which he presented at TEDx at the Hilbert Circle Theatre in Indianapolis in 2014.
Ms. Aleanya Moore
Watch: The Family Historian
Aleanya Moore is a vibrant speaker with a dynamic message empowering teens & young adults to be the person in their family to change the trajectory of their bloodline. She is a 1st generation college student born and raised in Toledo, Ohio to a mentally ill & drug addicted mother and an unknown father. Raised by her grandmother in low-income housing communities, she understood at the age of 17 that she was the wildcard of her family that was destined to change the direction of her lineage.
Aleanya graduated high school with a 1.7 GPA but didn't allow that to stop her, she was sent 3 hours away to go to college and since then, she has been an unstoppable force. She is the Founder of a local non-profit called Ladies Under Construction Inc. a mentor outreach program for girl’s and established Moore Out of Life Speaks LLC a business & life coaching brand empowering individuals to Stay Focused! Dream Big and Don’t Quit!
Aleanya received her Master of Art Degree in Organizational Leadership & is also the author of Through My Lens biography sharing her life’s journey. Currently Aleanya is pursuing a PHD from Marian University in Indianapolis Indiana and is a member of The Mitch Daniels Leadership Foundation.
Mr. Peter Schlifke
Watch: How to Love Like a Boss: The Important Work of Infusing Love Back into Leadership and Learning.
Known as “Mr. S” to students and “Positive Pete” by former colleagues, Mr. Schlifke has spent the past 15 years in Indianapolis Township elementary schools first as a teacher, Assistant Principal, and currently residing as Principal at Nora Elementary in Washington Township. Building a school where Data days and Friday dance parties can coexist, Mr. Schlifke’s passion is creating authentic relationships with students, staff, families, and community members and it is his mission to build empowering relationships throughout his school and cultivate those relationships at every opportunity.
Supported by his wife Sarah and four children, Mr. Schlifke holds an undergraduate degree from Indiana University Bloomington in Elementary Education, a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Butler University (EEPSP), and has presented professional development on a number of topics throughout the country and state.
Dr. Lara Ramdin
Dr. Lara Ramdin, Chief Nutrition & Wellness Scientist at Dole Sunshine, has an extensive global track record in R&D, product development and innovation within leading organizations including Unilever, Estee Lauder and Molson Coors Beverages Company. She is a passionate innovator and a fierce advocate for young women in STEM. She is a champion for the “zero food waste” movement and in her role on the Upcycled Food Foundation board, works with other pioneers to tackle food system design end-to-end and educate on the importance of creating value from food waste.
Personally, it is her mission is to drive the communication of science to the next level - engaging and informing consumers, empowering them to make healthy food/nutrition choices, for a longer lifespan.
Interested in being selected as a TEDxZionsville speaker?
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The application process for 2023 is not yet open. Check out this site or follow TEDxZionsville on social media to learn about future opportunities.
Enjoy this video with great TEDx speaking tips: