TEDxTHR

Speakers

Speakers may not be confirmed. Check the event website for the latest lineup.

• Dr. Ken Adams, MD

  Dr. Ken Adams is currently the medical director for Inpatient Rehabilitation at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas and Chief Operating Officer of Skilled Rehab Specialists. He is the former Chief Medical Officer of RehabCare Group and is currently one of the team physicians for the USA Cycling Team. He is a former Texas State Masters Champion in track cycling and former medal winner in the PanAmerican Masters Track Cycling Championships in Havana Cuba. He is also the father of 3 delightful little girls and a devoted husband.

• Gabriella Draney

  Gabriella Draney is Cofounder and Managing Partner of Tech Wildcatters. Most recently she was with HP Growth Partners, an early stage venture fund in Dallas. She co-founded an aircraft scheduling software company in 1998 that ended in a profitable exit. She went on to work for Morgan Stanley in private wealth management. True to her entrepreneurial roots, she left to follow her passion for nutrition by opening a specialty foods retail store, and simultaneously spent three years consulting with numerous Dallas-based startups on strategic planning and finance. Ms. Draney received her MBA in Strategy & Entrepreneurship from Southern Methodist University as a Cox Distinguished Merit Scholar, during which she interned for Silver Creek Ventures. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of North Texas with a BBA in Finance.

• Cole Edmonson

  Cole Edmonson, DNP, RN, FACHE, NEA-BC, is vice president of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas. In this role, he is responsible for the strategic, operational and financial performance of nursing at the hospital. Edmonson has almost 20 years of health care experience, with a proven track record for improving nursing engagement, physician satisfaction with nursing, and overall quality of patient care. Prior to his appointment at Texas Health Dallas in June 2010, Edmonson served as the CNO and vice president of nursing at Medical City Dallas. His responsibilities there included direct management of seven service lines, including heart, cancer, surgery, orthopedics and neurosciences, and clinical responsibility for women and children's services. As the facility's Magnet Program Coordinator, he successfully led Medical City to become the first hospital in North Texas recognized as a Magnet facility. Under his leadership, the hospital was also the first in North Texas to be re-designated a Magnet facility.

• Nancy Hairston

  Nancy Hairston possesses 20 years of experience as a digital technologist and traditional sculptor. Her qualifications are channeled to the pursuit of integrating 3D technologies in the creation and manufacture of consumer, medical, technological and engineering products. Receiving a BA in Sculpture from Loyola University in New Orleans, Ms. Hairston began a career in 3D modeling with Alias | Wavefront | Silicon Graphics within its 3D animation and special effects departments. In 2000, Ms. Hairston joined SensAble Technologies and was instrumental in designing and implementing the Rapid digital product development process for major American manufacturers. She founded VanDuzen Inc. in 2002, whose divisions – SculptCAD and MedCAD – work with major manufacturers to develop a variety of products using Rapid technologies, from toys to housewares to aircraft components to medical devices. In 2009, VanDuzen Inc. developed Vouch Software, which detects safety hazards in children’s products.

• Brian Johnson

  Brian Johnson. With an undergraduate degree in Exercise Science and Human Movement and a passion for real food, Brian Johnson has been in the holistic personal training industry for over 10 years. Once a competitive natural pro bodybuilder, Brian has shifted his focus to a more integrated approach to healthy living. Upon graduating, he took a job as an Exercise Physiologist at The Cooper Clinic in Dallas, learning the works of clinical preventive medicine. With several clinical years under his belt, he decided to pursue his true passion of lifestyle coaching and traditional methods for healthy living. He is a blogger at Brian-Speaks.com and owner of The Movement Dallas, a holistic personal training studio dedicated to the practice of better living through real food, movement and thinking and runs a local food co-op out of his current studio space. His hobbies including gardening, rock climbing, free running and cooking (especially fermentation) and supporting local food and farms.

• Herbert Marx

  Herbert Marx was born in Karlsruhe, Germany in 1934. His childhood was disrupted by the Gestapo, when he and his family were shipped by cattle train to Gurs, a concentration camp in France. Through a series of connections, Herb escaped and spent the duration of the war avoiding capture until he was led on foot, over the Alps and into Switzerland. He never saw his family again. Herb’s video testimony has been preserved by the Shoah Foundation Institute. Herb is a twenty-year decorated combat veteran of the US Army and a twenty-year retired civil servant for the US Air Force. Herb was married to his first wife, Ida, for fifty years before she died of ovarian cancer in 2006. He has 7 children, 15 grandkids, and 1 great grandchild. Herb graduated with a BS in Business from Colorado State University in 1980. Herb keeps busy as a sports referee, staying in touch with his grandchildren and traveling with new wife, Doris. He is the only soccer referee to have given a sitting US President a red card, ejecting President George H.W. Bush from the field of play.

• David Obrand

  David Obrand oversees Yammer's sales and customer success teams and is responsible for the growth of Yammer's business worldwide. David brings close to 20 years of experience in sales, technology, operations and management. Before Yammer, he served as Vice President of Vertical Sales at Salesforce.com where he spent almost 10 years establishing a record of revenue over-achievement. David has also held sales and business development positions at leading technology companies such as Promptu Corporation, Sagent Technology and Siebel Systems. David holds a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from Claremont McKenna College.

• Richmond Punch

  Richmond Punch is owner of Richmond Punch Productions, a business specializing in corporate and special events entertainment. He has performed around the country playing anything from classical music, jazz, hip hop, to gospel. He's let his violin do the talking before crowds of more than 16,000 from Anchorage, Charleston, to Houston, New Orleans, DC, Los Angeles and New York during corporate, concert and special events. He is a sought after speaker for Youth Groups, Colleges and Universities such as Howard University, Jarvis Christian College, Paul Quinn College in Dallas, the Piney Woods School in Mississippi, Dallas County Community Colleges, Southern Methodist University, and teaches at a summer camp in Alaska.

• Dr. Scott B. Ransom, MD

  Scott Ransom, DO, MBA, MPH is the fifth president of UNT Health Science Center at Fort Worth. As president, Dr. Ransom leads a rapidly growing academic health science center with schools in medicine, public health, biomedical sciences, and the health professions. He also leads the largest multi-specialty clinical practice in Tarrant County that includes more than 230 clinicians. Approximately 400 full-time faculty and 750 adjunct faculty work with nearly 1,600 students who are training to be physicians, researchers, public health officers, physician assistants, physical therapists, and other health professionals. Dr. Ransom earned a medical degree from the University of Health Sciences in Kansas City; a master of business administration degree from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor; and a master of public health degree from Harvard University in Boston. Dr. Ransom has published more than 140 articles, chapters and abstracts and eight books on topics related to clinical improvement, women’s health, quality and leadership. His most recent book, The Healthcare Quality Book: Vision, Strategy and Tools, provides a roadmap to improving health care quality.

• Rami Rassas

  Rami Rassas (The Mav Belt Guy) is a graduate of the University of Texas at Dallas, where he majored in the Performing Arts. He's played some roles in a few movies and TV shows, but made his living as the Director of Online Sales for one of the largest independent car dealers in the nation. He takes pride in everything he does and tries and be the best at it. It's his passion that leads to the creativity. His background gives him the perfect perspective on how to succeed in life.

• Jonathan W. Scholl

  Jonathan W. Scholl joined Texas Health Resources in February 2010 as executive vice president and chief strategy officer, responsible for the system's strategic planning and business development functions. As a nationally renowned health care consultant, he has extensive experience working with systems nationwide in strategy development, operations improvement, change management and physician practice planning. Scholl came to Texas Health from The Boston Consulting Group, where he served a total of 14 years. Most recently, he was head of the North American Health Care Provider practice and leader of the North American Provider "Lean" (Six Sigma) initiative for hospitals. He was also vice president for applications development for the TenFold HealthCare Group in Dallas. Scholl received a master's degree in business administration from Harvard Business School. After graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1984 with a Bachelor of Science degree in control systems engineering, he served five years in the U.S. Navy as a nuclear submarine officer and nuclear power plant instructor.

• Dr. Robert Schwab, MD

  Dr. Robert Schwab, MD serves as vice president and chief quality officer at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Allen. Schwab came to Texas Health Allen in May 2010 from St. Luke's Hospital in Kansas City, Mo., where he served in the Patient Safety/Risk Management department. In his role as chief quality officer, Schwab works closely with hospital and medical staff leadership to promote clinical excellence and safety in patient care. His primary objective will be to foster physician engagement in clinical initiatives and to work with Quality and Patient Safety/Risk Management departments within the hospital. Schwab graduated from the University of Virginia College of Arts and Sciences. He received his medical degree from the University of Virginia School of Medicine and completed his residency in Emergency Medicine at Truman Medical Center in Kansas City. He is board-certified in Emergency Medicine.

• Dr. Alan Stein, MD

  Dr. Alan Stein. With twenty years of experience in medical technology, Dr Alan Stein brings both breadth and depth of knowledge, bridging the gap between medical, technical and business experience. Dr. Stein holds a medical doctorate and a Doctor of Philosophy in biophysics and molecular biology from the University of Pennsylvania. After completing an internship in internal medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Dr Stein pursued his passion for advancing medical technologies, through innovation and commercialization. Dr. Stein is a published author in both academic and industry journals and has worked with for-profit and not-for-profit entities, as diverse as 3M and The Helmsley Charitable Trust, working to improve the state of healthcare through better technology. He has mentored entrepreneurs at the Wharton School of Business and retains ongoing ties to academia and research. Prior to joining Autonomy, Dr. Stein was Chief Medical and Technology Officer for Zargis Medical Corporation, a major 3M software partner, where he specialized in heart murmur detection and telemedicine software.

• Lea Velez

  Lea Velez joined Back on My Feet in 2011 and oversees the Dallas-Ft. Worth program. As Program Director for BoMF Dallas Ft. Worth, Lea works with all elements of each Back on My Feet team as well as facilitating partnerships and opportunities for the residential members. Lea has had a wide range of experience working in both the non-profit and for profit sector. Lea’s passion for running and triathlon has propelled her to complete 36 marathons and 5 Ironman distance triathlons. Lea graduated from Texas State University with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in social work. She also has a Master of Science degree in human services from Capella University.

• Trigg Watson

  Trigg Watson. At twenty-one years old, Trigg has already made his mark on the world of magic. Since moving from his hometown of Townsville, Australia to the United States in 2001, Trigg has travelled across the nation and internationally with his original magic and energetic stage presence. Trigg has received several awards for his magic, most notably placing as the highest scoring American magician at the World Magic Contest in Las Vegas, and recent winner of the Texas Magicians Stage Contest. Trigg is currently a student at Southern Methodist University where he is pursuing a double major in Business Management and Theater Studies….a combination he likes to call “Show Business.”