TEDxUTAustin

Speakers

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

• Alberto Martinez

  Alberto Martinez is a writer and professor of history at UT Austin, where he has taught for twenty years. He grew up in the island of Puerto Rico, where he also went to college and became confused and fascinated by Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity. He has written books about historical myths in science, myths about Einstein, about music, myths about math, and even fake news. His books include Eyes of Texas (2025), Science Secrets: The Truth about Darwin’s Finches, Einstein’s Wife, and Other Myths (2011), Burned Alive: Giordano Bruno, Galileo and the Inquisition (2018), and The Media Versus the Apprentice (2019). He has been a research fellow at M.I.T., Harvard, Caltech, Boston University, and The Smithsonian. He also writes articles for newspapers and online magazines such as The Hill, Scientific American, Austin American-Statesman, SALON, the USA Today newspapers, and The Daily Texan. He has been honored as a Fellow of the American Physical Society. For several years, Martinez has been writing a historical novel about Einstein, to tell surprising true stories that are missing in his biographies. His TEDx talk will discuss a neglected aspect of Einstein’s creativity and success: that he didn’t believe in human freedom.

• Brian Wynne

  Brian Wynne is a senior Talent Acquisition Manager with more than 15 years of experience leading recruiting and people initiatives across sectors, including technology, services, and social impact organizations. Known for building collaborative, high-performing teams, he focuses on broad talent acquisition, leadership coaching, and creating candidate experiences that reflect an organization’s deepest values. In 2017, Brian’s younger brother, Charleston entrepreneur Drew Wynne, died after using a paint stripper containing methylene chloride. Brian helped his family transform grief into national advocacy, testifying before federal officials, and joining other bereaved families to push for restrictions on this deadly chemical. Their efforts amplified public attention and regulatory pressure. He also is the founding board president of the Drew Wynne Foundation, formally established in 2019 to invest in human resilience and entrepreneurial dreams similar to Drews. In Austin, Brian channels his commitment to community into hands-on roles, coaching Little League and supporting veteran service organizations alongside his professional and advocacy work. He speaks about leading through loss: navigating systems, staying grounded, and channeling tragedy into community protection. A graduate of James Madison University, originally from Alexandria, Virginia, and a former military spouse, he lives with his wife, Johanna, and their two children, John and Brooke.

• Caitlin McFarland

  Caitlin McFarland is Co-President, Co-Founder, and Head of Programming & Partnership at ATX TV and ATX Television Festival. Since founding the festival with Emily Gipson in 2012, Caitlin and the ATX TV team have developed and created a distinct event that serves a unique audience of consumers and the TV Industry, who become one community that celebrates TV’s past, discover something new, and experience TV together. Throughout the first decade of the event, Caitlin established the Sponsor and Partnership department to work with Programming and serve network and studio partners. She develops and maintains deep industry relationships with both executives and creatives by marrying programming in distinctive and authentic ways. Since 2020 the team has launched an evergreen brand, ATX TV, that serves their community through consumer and industry led events with partners year round, including virtual and in person gatherings, a membership program, and newsletters that grow their digital reach. While calling Austin home for 15 years, Caitlin has become even more passionate about the power and impact of story and community -- both through television and through conversation. ATX TV serves to curate programming that allows for discovery and creates culture that serves Austin, the TV Industry, and the TV Consumer. Before founding ATX Television Festival, Caitlin primarily worked for TV and Film Directors (Betty Thomas, Nora Ephron, and Mira Nair) and learned the balance required to create film and television. She met her cofounder, Emily Gipson, as assistants on the Fox Lot…. seven years later they had an idea. It worked.

• Dr. Aliza Norwood

  Aliza Norwood, MD, FACP, is a board-certified internal medicine specialist in UT Health Austin’s Primary Care Clinic. She specializes in ­­­human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) care and prevention and LGBT health. Additionally, Dr. Norwood is an associate professor in both the Dell Medical School Department of Internal Medicine and the Dell Medical School Department of Population Health at The University of Texas at Austin. She also serves as the Chief of the Division of General Internal Medicine for the Dell Medical School Department of Internal Medicine. Dr. Norwood earned her bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from Pomona College and her medical degree from The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. She completed a residency in internal medicine at the University of California San Francisco. Dr. Norwood previously served as Co-Director of the Primary Care, Family, and Community Medicine Clerkship for Undergraduate Medical Education at Dell Medical School. She has more than 10 years of experience providing HIV care in private practice, at the University of California San Francisco Women’s HIV Clinic, and locally at CommUnityCare and Vivent Health. She also led HIV prevention clinical trials at the San Francisco Department of Public Health. She is dedicated to empowering patients on their health journeys, training the next generation of exceptional doctors, and driving innovation to improve healthcare.

• Josh Babetski

  Josh Babetski is a builder of communities disguised as a technology and creative professional. Over the past two decades, his work has lived at the intersection of storytelling, interactive experiences, and participatory culture. His quest: Creating spaces where people don’t just watch, but belong, guided by a belief that the strongest movements are rooted in shared identity, ritual, and care. That philosophy found its clearest expression in Austin’s soccer community. As the founder of Austin Anthem, Josh helped catalyze a supporter culture that predated and ultimately shaped the arrival of Austin FC, influencing matchday traditions and civic energy around the club. His work continues to explore how creative systems, fandom, places, and belonging intersect to turn strangers into communities.

• Keith Simon

  Keith Simon is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA), adjunct faculty at the UT School of Architecture, a building enclosure consultant at Salas O’Brien, and a believer in interdisciplinary continuing education having co-organized over 200 industry continuing education programs. Keith travels all over the country presenting on wonky building performance topics such as stucco and window flashing installation best practices. However, Keith also talks about big picture issues plaguing the design world and desires to inspire the next generation of architects to rethink society’s design priorities with the goal of providing for a better future. A lifelong volunteer, Keith was a Peace Corps volunteer in Pampa Aullagas, Bolivia, a Crisis Corps volunteer in Huiziltepeque, El Salvador, a volunteer award winner from the Philadelphia Community Design Collaborative (CDC), the founder of the Austin Building Enclosure Council (Austin BEC – winner of the national “Best BEC” award), Chair of the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) Building Enclosure Technology and Environment Council (BETEC), and board member for the Passive House Institute US (PHIUS) Austin chapter. Having visited all 88 Texas State Parks with his family, Keith’s passion for sustainable design comes from his love of the great outdoors.

• Reese Saliceti

  Reese Saliceti is an entrepreneur who believes creativity is a form of leadership. Reese grew up inspired by the hustle and heart of small business owners in her family from San Antonio and Puerto Rico who turned their skills into service. She combined her love of art with her sweet tooth, and Dulce Custom Cakes was born in 2019. Since then, Dulce Custom Cakes has sold hundreds of cakes, grown a community of more than 18,000 followers, and inspired bakers of all skill levels to see baking as an art form and way to build meaningful connections. A junior at the University of Texas at Austin, Reese studies Plan II Honors and Sociology with a minor in Business. On campus, Reese serves as a proud member of the Texas Orange Jackets. She is also a Resident Assistant, Middle School mentor, and member of the Kendra Scott Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute. Reese hopes to use her work at the intersection of creativity and social impact to empower others to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset and find comfort in the art of risk-taking.

• Reno Dudley

  Reno Dudley: A Business Maverick, Street Alumnus, and Community Voice Reno Dudley is a force to be reckoned with in the business world. His unwavering competitive spirit and knack for understanding the mechanics of success are evident in his impressive trajectory. As a former DECA champion with an unbroken record of first-place wins, Reno went on to earn a BBA and MBA from Lamar University, consistently topping his class. His reputation as a skilled strategist and marketing mastermind has been solidified in his professional career, where he's generated millions in revenue growth for companies ranging from local businesses to tech giants such as Dell, Verizon, and LogicMonitor. Reno's influence extends beyond traditional business. He's proven his talent in the music industry by crafting impactful campaigns for acts like LMFAO and managing award-winning musicians such as Alesia Lani, Jake Lloyd, and the Grammy-winning Jonathan Deas. His connection to the culture is deep, further cemented by his role as the General Manager of KAZI 88.7 FM, Austin's oldest community-focused radio station, where he revitalized the station and moved it to a new million-dollar studio to further build the station's legacy. His clients have lit up iconic stages like Madison Square Garden and Austin City Limits, even gracing the cover of The Austin Chronicle. Reno's drive comes from his deeply held "Be Water" philosophy, inspired by Bruce Lee. He believes in endless adaptability and constant learning. This hunger for knowledge motivated him to found Street Alumni, dedicated to transforming business owners' dreams into reality. His background as an "at-risk" youth who ultimately defied expectations fuels his desire to see others succeed. Currently, Reno balances his business endeavors with teaching as a Professor at Huston-Tillotson University and at Austin Community College, where he also serves on the executive advisory board of adjunct faculty. When he has free time, you might find him conquering a video game or exploring a thought-provoking museum.