TEDxRochester

Speakers

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

• Andrea Holland

  Communication, Coaching, Leadership

  Andrea Holland is the powerhouse behind Andrea Holland Coaching and the creator of The Executive Deck—a first-of- its-kind professional development card deck that brings high- impact leadership tools to your fingertips, one daily card at a time. With nearly 15 years of experience coaching thousands of leaders across the U.S., Canada, and abroad, Andrea has helped clients find the kind of clarity that changes their careers. Her work centers on helping high-achieving humans do three things: find their voice, cultivate their potential, and share their purpose with the world (without burning out in the process).

• Anthony James Pamatmat

  Healthcare Access, Health Equity, Systems Integration

  Anthony Pamatmat grew up in Galesburg, Illinois, and studied Biomedical Sciences at the University of Iowa. He is currently a fourth-year medical student at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, applying to residency in Diagnostic Radiology. Anthony is the founder and clinic director of the URWell RAWNY Clinic, a student-run free clinic that helps individuals returning from incarceration reconnect with healthcare and community resources. His work focuses on bridging gaps in access to care and building sustainable systems that promote health equity.

• Gaelen McCormick, MFA

  Performance, Music Education, Arts, Health Integration, Lived Expertise in Disability

  Gaelen McCormick was a member of the Rochester Philharmonic’s double bass section from 1995-2017. Shortly after finishing her graduate degree in 2004, she was diagnosed with Meniere’s disease. The next 10+ years were an ever-changing landscape of hearing loss, distortion, vertigo, and unpredictable balance while still pursuing a career onstage. The stress associated with trying to hide the hearing loss in a VERY hearing-oriented occupation led Gaelen to search for alternative careers and alternative ways to deal with anxiety. Since losing her hearing in 2017, Gaelen has forged a new career path as a composer, arranger, executive director of a chamber music festival and now is the Director for Eastman Performing Arts Medicine Center at the University of Rochester. She continues to teach the double bass through the Eastman Community Music School, educates pre-professional musicians through the Arts Leadership Program at the Eastman School of Music.

• Jack Armstrong Bookbinder

  Health Equity, Pediatrics,

  Jack Armstrong Bookbinder is a 4th year medical student at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. He grew up in Cazenovia, New York and attended Cornell University for undergraduate studies. During medical school, he has focused heavily on health equity for people involved with the criminal-legal system. This commitment began with his volunteer work providing health-related education within the Monroe County Jail. Inspired by this work, he co-founded and currently serves as Clinic Director for a student-run clinic dedicated to serving formerly incarcerated individuals in the greater Rochester community. After medical school, Jack plans to pursue a dual residency in Medicine and Pediatrics.

• Jerome R.Wright

  Advocacy, Criminal Justice Reform, Education, Mentorship, Human Rights

  Jerome R. Wright is a distinguished human rights activist and tireless advocate for criminal justice reform. As Co-Director of the HALT Solitary Campaign and the NYS Jails Justice Network, he works to end the use of solitary confinement and promote humane, restorative approaches within the justice system. He is also the founder and co-creator of the MAN (Mentoring and Nurturing) Program, dedicated to supporting and empowering individuals impacted by incarceration. Beyond advocacy, Jerome hosts The Wright Report on Think Twice Radio, an edutainment podcast that amplifies community voices and raises awareness about systemic injustice. He also serves as a consultant for the University at Buffalo School of Law’s Criminal Law Clinics, using his lived experience to inform education, inspire reform, and advance a more equitable justice landscape.

• Karama Neal, PhD

  Public Health, Research, Advocacy, Education

  Karama Neal, PhD is the principal for the Neal Firm which provides consulting and mediation services. Her practice is built on 15 years of experience in personal and rural development finance and prior work in academic, corporate, philanthropic, nonprofit, and government sectors. In 2021, she launched the Heirs Property Information Project which grew out of a statewide grassroots organization she started in 2013 to promote passage of the Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act. Previously, she was the Biden Presidential appointee to serve as Administrator of Rural Business-Cooperative Service, an agency of the US Department of Agriculture, Prior to that she served as President of Southern Bancorp Community Partners After graduating from the historic Little Rock Central High School, She earned a BA in biology at Swarthmore College and later a doctorate in genetics from Emory University and a master's in bioethics from Loyola University Chicago.

• Laura Sugarwala, MBA, RDN

  Community Health & Prevention

  Laura Sugarwala serves as the Associate Director and Director of Community Health Partnerships at the University of Rochester Medical Center’s Center for Community Health & Prevention. Her work bridges healthcare, research systems, and community impact, fostering meaningful connections to improve public health. A graduate of Cornell University and the Simon Business School, Laura holds a Master of Business Administration and is a registered dietitian. Outside of her professional endeavors, she is passionate about teaching yoga and cultivating a vibrant fruit and vegetable garden alongside her family.

• Michael Krasner, MD

  Medicine, Pediatrics, Organizational Wellness, Mindfulness Based Medicine, Immune Systems

  Michael Krasner, MD, FACP, is Co-Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of Education at EmPRO Insurance Company and Professor Emeritus of Medicine at the University of Rochester. For over two decades, he has taught mindfulness-based programs to thousands of patients and health professionals, helping transform how medicine approaches well-being, resilience, and compassionate care. He co-directs the internationally recognized Mindful Practice in Medicine programs, which offer retreats, training, and global Centers of Excellence in Australia, Europe, and North America. His pioneering Mindful Communication study, published in JAMA, helped establish mindfulness in clinical practice. Dr. Krasner also hosts the podcast Flourishing in Medicine and produced the documentary The Healer’s Journey, following medical students’ identity formation. His mission is simple yet profound: to support health professional flourishing and rehumanizes medicine through awareness, reflection, and connection.

• Patricia Luck, MBChB, MPhil, MSc

  Health Humanities, Family Medicine, Palliative Care

  Patricia Luck (she/her), MBChB, MPhil, MSc is an Assistant Professor. She graduated from the University of Cape Town Medical School in 1989, where she also completed an MPhil in Palliative Medicine, and holds an MSc in Medical Humanities from King’s College London, UK. Patricia has trained healthcare professionals in a variety of Mindfulness-Based Programs for over 20 years, including the Mindful Practice in Medicine program developed in Rochester, and is a certified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction teacher. Her interdisciplinary background and experience in health humanities, family medicine, palliative care, and mindfulness-based programs in healthcare—combined with lived experience in eight countries across five continents—bring a sensitivity to and deep interest in the complex, intersecting factors that shape how we experience the world.