TEDxSaint Leo U

Speakers

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

• Angelique Cauterucci

  Marketing student, NCAA Athlete, and Founder of You Define Beauty

  Please welcome Angelique Cauterucci. Angelique is a sophomore at Saint Leo University studying the 3+1 MBA Marketing program and is a member of the NCAA acrobatics and tumbling team. She is also the founder of You Define Beauty, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering young people to build confidence and positive body image. Through her speaking and outreach, Angelique has reached over 7,200 students in person and more than 80,000 people online through her social media platforms. Today, she’s here to share her talk titled “You Define Your Own Story.” Please join me in welcoming Angelique Cauterucci.

• Cheyenne Olson

  Social media influencer, speaker, and doctoral candidate

  Cheyenne Olson is a social media influencer, speaker, and doctoral student at Saint Leo University, where she also earned her MBA in Social Media Marketing. As a Student Activities Coordinator at Hillsborough Community College, she is passionate about creating meaningful experiences that empower students to lead and connect. She is the host of the podcast Girl Boss Hour, where she explores confidence, personal growth, and the realities of balancing ambition and productivity. With over 40 million views across her online platforms, Cheyenne transforms her journey of overcoming bullying and self-doubt into powerful messages on confidence, authenticity, and resilience. Through her work in social media and speaking, she empowers others to harness vulnerability as a strength, build impactful brands, and step boldly into visibility.

• David Smart

  Author, artist, entrepreneur, and MBA student

  David “D_R” Smart is an author, digital and physical artist, and entrepreneur dedicated to helping others rebuild and move forward with intention. With over 20 years of leadership experience in public service, he has guided teams and communities through crisis and change. David blends creativity and structured strategies to help individuals navigate life transitions, regain stability, and write their next chapter.

• Donald H Noble

  Adjunct Professor and Chief Financial Officer

  Donald H. Noble is a fractional Chief Financial Officer, doctoral candidate, researcher, and university professor with more than three decades of experience in finance, strategy, and executive leadership. Over the past 18 years, he has served as a fractional CFO to private companies across a range of industries, including technology, franchising, legal services, manufacturing, and healthcare. In these roles, he works directly with founders, CEOs, and boards on issues such as capital strategy, operational improvement, mergers and acquisitions, and financial transformation.

• Eileen O'Brien

  Professor of Sociology

  Dr. Eileen O’Brien, Professor of Sociology, has been with SLU since 2011, teaching at Virginia education centers until 2020, and now online. She has BA from William and Mary, an MA from Ohio State, and a PhD from University of Florida. She is author of several books, including Whites Confront Racism, White Men on Race (with Joe Feagin), The Racial Middle, White Privilege (with Ninochka McTaggart), and her latest: Beautiful Solidarity, Symbolic Impacts: 2020 Racial Justice Uprisings. But her proudest achievements are her two children, Kaya and Kaden. She leads community workshops on racism, and enjoys live music, fitness, food, wine and travel.

• Emilee Tucker

  Leadership Advisor and International Speaker

  Emilee Tucker, founder of Authentic Leadership Consulting, partners with executives and teams to navigate complexity and strengthen alignment in how they think, act, and work together. Her clear, thoughtful, and grounded approach helps leaders communicate with greater clarity, lead with authenticity, and build more effective relationships, especially during periods of growth and change. Emilee holds a Master’s in Organizational Effectiveness and Leadership from Charter Oak State College and was named a 2026 Top 40 Women to Watch.

• Jonathan (Adam) Shoemaker

  Associate Professor of Business Adminsitration

  J.A. Shoemaker is an Associate Professor of Business Administration at Saint Leo University. He earned his Ph.D. in Industrial & Organizational Psychology from the University of South Florida and has worked as a consultant both internally and externally with organizations large and small around the Tampa Bay area and across the country. Dr. Shoe is the author of numerous articles, presentations and book chapters about HR and work culture trends.

• June Hall

  Lifestyle Counselor and Speaker

  Dr. June Hall, affectionately known as Dr. June has been an educator for over 20 years. When facing trials that negatively impacted her life, faith in God taught her APTing (Accentuate Positive Thinking). She then founded Time to APT, personal and professional development programs sharing When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Arnold Palmers and Lemon Cake. She authored No More Pity Parties and Teacher’s Handbook: 9 Behavior Strategies for the APTacious Teacher. She has been the keynote speaker for the Mental Health Association, CARE Foundation, colleges, and churches. She has also received the EPIC (Exceptional People Impacting the Community) Award.

• Kamryn Reynolds

  International Speaker and Coach

  Kamryn Reynolds is a communication coach, keynote speaker, and the youngest Executive Director in BNI history. He is the founder of Articulate Advantage, where he helps professionals speak with clarity, confidence, and influence. A graduate of the University of South Florida, Eagle Scout, and fluent Spanish speaker after serving a two-year mission in Argentina, Kamryn is known for his high-energy trainings and practical communication frameworks. He works with entrepreneurs, executives, and organizations to help them turn everyday conversations into meaningful opportunities, and is on a mission to become a global voice for intentional communication.

• LaTanya Lewis

  Payroll & Small Farm Business Consultant, and Doctoral Candidate

  LaTanya Lewis is a doctoral candidate studying the success factors that influence sustainable small agricultural businesses. With a professional background in public sector finance and payroll systems, she has spent years working in complex organizational environments while also exploring alternative models for economic resilience and community sustainability. Through her research and hands-on experience in small-scale farming, LaTanya is interested in helping people rethink agriculture—not simply as a lifestyle, but as a viable enterprise that can support families, strengthen local economies, and expand opportunities for future farmers. Her work focuses on bridging practical farming experience with business strategy to better understand how small agricultural operations can move from hobby to sustainable enterprise.

• Richard Ficca

  Risk management expert and entrepreneur

  Richard Ficca is a risk management expert and entrepreneur with nearly three decades of experience helping organizations navigate uncertainty and build resilience. From leading insurance platforms to advising complex enterprises and family offices, he has help to protect billions in insured assets globally. But beyond the numbers, Richard is known for translating complexity into clarity. As a speaker with over 20 years of experience, he challenges audiences to rethink success, embrace continuous growth, and make decisions that shape not just their businesses, but their lives.

• Ron Burrell

  Assistant Director, Career and Workforce Engagement

  Ronald Burrell is a respected leader in higher education and workforce development, as well as a seasoned corporate professional with more than 30+ years of leadership experience guiding individuals and organizations toward growth, innovation, and lasting success. As the Assistant Director of Career and Workforce Engagement at Saint Leo University, he works at the intersection of education and industry, partnering with students, faculty, employers, and community leaders to build meaningful career pathways that transform academic knowledge into professional opportunity. Before his work in higher education, Ronald built a distinguished corporate career grounded in leadership, operations, and strategic relationship-building. Today, he brings that experience to the next generation, mentoring students and professionals to navigate workplace expectations, strengthen their professional identity, and pursue their ambitions with clarity and confidence.

• Sayuri Vargas

  Business Management Student

  Sayuri Vargas‑Hernandez is a senior at Saint Leo University and a first‑generation college student. She is a storyteller and student leader who works to support and inspire her campus community. Sayuri serves as the Director of Marketing & Multimedia Engagement for the Campus Activities Board and as a staff writer for Lions Pride Media. Growing up with many responsibilities at a young age taught her the meaning of resilience, leadership, and the importance of asking for help. Today, she uses her voice to inspire others to share their stories, break unhealthy cycles, and recognize the strength they learned to carry. Her purpose is to turn challenges into purpose and opportunity.

• Scott Bedell

  Business Growth Coach and Keynote Speaker

  Scott Bedell is a leadership and growth coach who helps business owners build companies that don’t cost them their families, health, or faith. Drawing on decades as an entrepreneur, educator, and community leader in the Tampa Bay area, he has coached leaders across industries to grow with clarity, humility, and courage. Scott’s work centers on ordering life from the top down—faith, family, then work—so that what’s poured into leaders flows into their teams and communities.

• Sergiy Borysov

  Associate Professor of Biology

  Dr. Sergiy I. Borysov holds two doctoral degrees: one in Biochemistry from the National University of Kyiv, Ukraine, and another in Biomedical Sciences from the University of South Florida and Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, USA. His scientific career has focused on uncovering molecular mechanisms of cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Borysov is the author of multiple research publications and the inventor on two patents related to cancer drug development. He also served as co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of the biotech company Seventis Inc. Deeply affected by the humanitarian catastrophe caused by the war in Ukraine, Dr. Borysov redirected his professional path toward exploring effective approaches to restoring mental well-being and human resilience. He is the proud father of four wonderful children. In his free time, he teaches ballroom dance and serves as an emcee for show programs.

• Tommy Rhee

  Author, Developer, CEO, and Sport Chiropractor

  Dr. Tommy Rhee is a regenerative medicine innovator and founder of RheeGen®, a patent-pending cell-free technology designed to deliver biological repair signals without injections or downtime. Through his work with professional athletes, Olympians, team doctor for UCLA Athletics and as a former Team Chiropractor for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dr. Rhee saw both the incredible potential of the human body to heal — and the limits of traditional approaches. His work explores how regenerative signals, similar to those studied in stem cell science, may be delivered through non-invasive pathways to support recovery, performance, and longevity. As the author of The Future of Regenerative Medicine, Dr. Rhee presents a vision of healthcare shifting from force to precision signaling — where healing begins with communication.