Theme: Nexus: Connection Sparks Innovation

This year, the theme of TEDxNCState 2025 is “Nexus.” To us, “Nexus” encapsulates the building of connections between people of all ways of life. This year's event will feature speakers and performers who are excited to share their ideas worth spreading.

Titmus Theatre
2241 Dunn Ave
Raleigh, North Carolina, 27606
United States

Alianna Kendall-Brooks

Undergraduate Student & Editor-in-Chief of The Nubian Message

Alianna Kendall-Brooks is a graduating senior at NC State University, majoring in International Studies and Political Science. As Editor-in-Chief of The Nubian Message, she leads NC State's sentinel newspaper for Black and marginalized students. Alongside her dedicated staff, she leverages the power of student journalism to amplify stories that would otherwise go untold. Alianna is also a TRIO Scholar, a Lee Barnes Campus Debates Fellow, a former Eva Clayton Fellow, and a member of the National Association of Black Journalists. Her academic interests include human rights, environmental justice, and the lasting impacts of colonial legacies. Alianna plans to pursue a Juris Doctor specializing in civil and international human rights, using legal advocacy to protect marginalized communities across the globe. On the TEDx stage, she explores the power of Black and marginalized student media while highlighting The Nubian Message's role in historical truth-telling and community empowerment.

Amber Melanie Smith

Nonprofit Founder & Social Entrepreneur

Amber Melanie Smith believes every person is a changemaker, even if they don’t believe it about themselves (yet). As a social impact content creator, speaker, and social entrepreneur, Amber helps people create their roadmap to a life and career that creates positive social change. In college, Amber launched Activate Good, a nonprofit that has since mobilized over 50,000 people to volunteer for more than 600 causes in Raleigh and Durham, NC. Amber’s writing about social impact, service, and leadership has appeared in Fast Company, the Philanthropy Journal, and other media. Fast forward: Today, Amber is the CEO of ChangeKit, a social good company aimed at training and equipping people to create positive social change in their communities. Her YouTube channel provides free educational content about leading nonprofits, social entrepreneurship, tackling social issues, and more to over 75,000 changemakers worldwide.

Angela Kingdon

Autistic Advocate & Author

Dr. Angela Kingdon is an Autistic advocate, bestselling author, founder of Difference Press Publishing, and host of the award-winning Autistic Culture Podcast, a Substack bestseller. After discovering she was Autistic at 39, Angela helps others identify and celebrate Autistic traits and equips young adults to find their neurokin and embrace their birthright heritage. Her TEDx talk celebrates Autistic Joy while fostering appreciation for neurodiversity. She holds a B.A. and M.A. in journalism from The George Washington University and a Ph.D. in Communications from The European Graduate School. Angela lives in England with her husband and two cats, studies psychology at the University of Kent, and serves on the editorial board of Neurodiversity Journal.

Anna Paltseva

Soil Scientist & Founder of House of Soil

Dr. Anna Paltseva is an international urban soil scientist originally from Russia and a Clinical Assistant Professor at Purdue University, where she leads research on soil contamination and remediation in urban environments. With a Ph.D. in Earth and Environmental Sciences from the City University of New York, Dr. Paltseva investigates how urban soils affect health, food systems, and the environment, offering solutions for building safer, more sustainable cities. She is the founder of House of Soil, a platform where science meets etiquette in living sustainably. Her work highlights how understanding soil, eco-conscious decisions, and environmental etiquette can transform industries like fashion, blending elegance with environmental responsibility. In her TEDx Talk, she unveils the surprising link between soil and fashion, inspiring action for a regenerative future.

Clarenda Stanley

Farmer & Founder of Green Heffa Farms

Clarenda “Farmer Cee” Stanley is a visionary farmer, herbalist, and advocate reshaping agriculture, equity, and sustainability. As founder of Green Heffa Farms, the first Black-owned farm to achieve Certified B Corp status, she champions regenerative practices, environmental stewardship, and economic empowerment. Before farming, Farmer Cee was a trailblazing fundraising executive, serving as the first Black principal gifts officer at the world’s largest environmental organization and as VP for institutional advancement at a leading HBCU. Her lived experience fuels her mission to bridge gaps in agriculture, wellness, and entrepreneurship. Through her consulting firm, she advises leaders on creating *Inclusive Impact*—ensuring equity and sustainability are actionable, not just aspirational. A sought-after speaker, she inspires audiences to rethink who shapes the future of farming, wellness, and entrepreneurship.

Gavin Bell

Scholar Practioner

Gavin Bell is a scholar practitioner from Durham, North Carolina. As a member of the Lumbee Tribe, the largest tribe east of the Mississippi river, Gavin holds strong ties to his native community. Upon his graduation from UNC Chapel Hill in 2017, Gavin’s professional journey has revolved around education at both the K-12 and university levels. Gavin has held a variety of different professional capacities in areas such as advising, university housing, campus programming, and many more. His current role is at NC State University, as an Assistant Director in Multicultural Student Affairs, where he is also pursuing his Ph.D. Through his engagement with a diverse array of campus populations, Gavin recognizes the importance of holistic well-being on student and staff populations alike.

Steven Hayward

English Professor

Born and raised in Canada, Steven Hayward is a Professor of English at Colorado College where he's been taking students on study abroad programs for decades. A Canadian bestselling author, he's published four books of fiction and directed the documentary feature The Block Plan, which won "Best Picture" at the 2022 Helsinki International Film Festival. His talk examines how digital connectivity has changed the way we experience new places and cultures-- and offers a path to rediscovering authentic connection through intentional moments of 'lostness'.