TEDxFaurot Park

Speakers

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

• Charlie Wollborg

  Creative Director, Speaker, Founder of Curve

  Charlie Wollborg has earned a reputation for shaking things up a bit. From SXSW and TEDx events to countless conferences and boardrooms, his humorous and insightful keynote presentations are anything but business as usual. He's a sought-after speaker on creativity, marketing, innovation, leadership, and branding. Charlie opened the doors at Curve, a Marketing Strategy & Creative Design firm, after being thrown out of several well-respected ad agencies. When he’s not consulting with growing brands, you’ll find Charlie producing events like TEDxDetroit, performing stand-up comedy, writing children's books, and traveling with his family.

• Dr. David Treadway

  Therapist, Author, Teacher, Consultant

  With five decades as a therapist, author, teacher, and consultant, I help people navigate life’s emotional challenges. I’ve written five books, over 100 articles, and delivered workshops and speeches across the U.S. and Europe, blending professional insight with personal experience. I co-founded Sailors for the Sea to promote ocean conservation, and above all, I treasure my roles as husband, father, and grandfather, drawing meaning and purpose from the connections that shape our lives.

• Eva Benn

  Cybersecurity Leader and Educator

  Eva Benn is a Principal Security Program Manager at Microsoft. Eva has spent more of her security in ethical hacking and penetration testing, both as a people leader and hands-on practitioner. Before joining Microsoft, she worked in Big 4 cybersecurity consulting, leading cybersecurity initiatives across various industries. She is a globally recognized security leader, holding an extensive list of industry certifications. As an international keynote speaker and educator, Eva is known for her disruptive thinking, unconventional storytelling, and high-energy stage presence. She frequently speaks on topics such as ethical hacking, the future of cybersecurity in the era of AI, and the intersection of cybersecurity and psychology. Eva’s presentations challenge conventional wisdom, offering fresh approaches on how to outpace attackers and rethink security in an AI-driven world.

• Laneshia Conner

  Social Scientist and Health Equity Researcher

  Dr. Laneshia Conner is a social scientist from Lexington, Kentucky. She began her career as a community practitioner, and those early experiences led her back to academia to become a researcher. Her work focuses on improving the health of older adults, especially by developing and testing culturally relevant sexual health programs and educational tools. A central goal of her research is to strengthen HIV prevention and risk-reduction efforts for older Black women. Her work has been supported by funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, and a recent five-year grant from the National Institute on Aging. She also studies innovative teaching approaches that use horror films as a critical pedagogy to help students engage with social justice issues. Dr. Conner is committed to community engagement and serves in leadership roles, including coaching youth and high school track.

• LeJuane Bowens

  Award Winning Spoken Word Poet and Arts Educator

  LeJuane “El’Ja” Bowens is an award-winning spoken word poet, author, host, and arts educator whose work bridges storytelling, culture, and community empowerment. Born in Detroit, Michigan and raised in Lima, Ohio, he served six years in the US Army, including two deployments to Iraq—an experience that shaped his voice and commitment to creative expression. El’Ja has collaborated with major national arts and community orgs, including The Kennedy Center, National Endowment for the Arts, Poetry Foundation, & Wounded Warrior Project, using poetry as a tool for healing, advocacy, & connection. He has been featured at notable cultural events such as the National Folk Festival & the Big Ears Festival, and currently serves as the Director of the Southeastern Regional NC Poetry Slam. El’Ja is a multiple award-winning poet whose performances and work have appeared on All Def Poetry, NPR, Amazon, and PBS. His artistry continues to inspire audiences while uplifting the literary arts across the US.

• Patricia Fox

  Clinical Psychologist Doctoral Candidate

  Tricia Fox is a 5th year clinical psychology doctoral candidate whose work explores the intersection of autonomy, dignity, and mental health. After a 25-year career as an Art Director and creative leader, she redirected her focus toward understanding the psychology of choice and the human right to self-determination. Her experiences working with trauma survivors and marginalized communities have shaped her belief that psychological well-being depends on the freedom to define one’s own narrative across the lifespan, including at the end of life. Drawing from her years living in New Zealand and working within diverse cultures, Tricia’s perspective combines humanistic philosophy with evidence-based psychological insight. As a clinician, artist, and advocate, she approaches complex ethical issues with empathy, intellectual depth, and respect for individual autonomy.