TEDxSioux Falls

Speakers

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

• Afomiya Dejene

  Student

  Afomiya Dejene was born in Ethiopia, Africa, and immigrated to the United States at the age of four with her parents and older sister. After graduating from Roosevelt High School in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Afomiya is now a student at the University of South Dakota pursuing a major in Criminal Justice with a minor in Sociology on a Pre-Law track. Passionate about law and community, she hopes to use her future legal career to encourage thoughtful conversation in politics and everyday life.

• David O’Hara

  Professor of Environmental Studies

  David O'Hara is Professor of Philosophy, Religion, and Environmental Studies; Director of Environmental Studies and Sustainability; and Clara Lea Olson Professor of Christian Values at Augustana University in Sioux Falls. He studies the relationships between fish and forests across the Americas, and the "religious architecture of water" and sustainability across the Mediterranean. Born and raised in Woodstock, NY, he has worked in Nepal, Poland, Morocco, Spain, Greece, Guatemala, Belize, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. He and his wife have lived in South Dakota since 2005, where they raised their three kids. He has received awards for teaching and for his work in sustainability. He is a 2024 Bush Fellow, and was recently named inaugural Canon for Creation Care for the Episcopal Diocese of South Dakota. He loves to teach students to build gardens, to keep bees, and to work with their hands. Whenever possible, he teaches outdoors.

• Emily Magera

  Performance Educator and Communications Strategist

  Emily Magera is a communication specialist, choreographer, and fine arts educator based in South Dakota. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies and Theatre from the University of Sioux Falls and Master’s degree in Communication and Leadership Studies from Gonzaga University. Before returning to South Dakota, Emily spent time in New York City working as a background actor on major film and television productions, including The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Maestro. Those experiences, often spent “professionally blurry” in the background, deeply shaped her understanding of communication, hierarchy, and servant leadership. Today, Emily is passionate about building environments where every person has the opportunity to lead and feel seen. Her work centers on developing future leaders and creating spaces where influence is rooted in service, connection, and intentional communication.

• Jason VanRuler

  Therapist

  Jason VanRuler became fascinated by a quiet pattern he kept seeing in his work: some of the most generous, successful and dependable people were also the most exhausted. Growing up in the Midwest, he was the kid who felt deeply, asked questions about relationships, and, as he jokes, “always dressed like a therapist.” After early success in the recruiting industry, that curiosity eventually led him into psychology, where he began working with leaders, founders, and couples navigating some of life’s most complex moments. Today he is a psychotherapist, nationally recognized speaker, and author of two books including Discovering Your Communication Type. His work centers on a powerful insight: the gift you give best may be the one you once needed most.

• Luke Cumbee

  AI Education Trainer

  Luke Cumbee is an educator, former debate coach, and national speaker focused on the intersection of artificial intelligence and human thinking. After twelve years teaching at Roosevelt High School in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, including a decade of coaching debate, he saw firsthand how real-time argument and explanation deepen learning. Today he works with school districts across the United States to help educators respond to the rapid rise of generative AI. Through workshops and weekly educational content, Luke helps schools design classrooms where AI can assist the learning process, but students are still required to think, explain, and reason for themselves.

• Sarah Meagher

  Education Specialist

  Sarah grew up in Sioux Falls, SD in a loving family. An avid learner, Sarah traveled extensively during and after college, and began her career teaching in the South Bronx before transitioning into non-profit leadership. After nearly a decade in New York, Sarah and her husband Shane, and their two children, returned to Sioux Falls in 2021. Sarah is passionate about building strong communities through human connection and making deliberate choices to will the good of others.

• Staci Perry Mergenthal

  Midwest Food Storyteller

  Staci Perry Mergenthal is a Midwest storyteller, writer, and home baker who explores how everyday recipes carry stories and connections across generations. She is the producer and host of the podcast Funeral Potatoes & Wool Mittens and creator of the blog Random Sweets, where she shares recipes, food stories, and the warm spirit of Midwest living. A frequent guest on KELOLAND Living and a contributor to Food Network, Taste of Home, and regional magazines, Staci speaks about how baking together passes down more than recipes—it preserves stories, tradition, and belonging.

• Vaney Hariri

  Co-Founder

  Vaney Hariri is a Sioux Falls-based strategist, facilitator, and keynote speaker, and co-founder of Think 3D Solutions. For over a decade, Vaney has worked at the intersection of leadership development and civic engagement — building programs like Leaders of Tomorrow and the Bridging the Gap initiative, and developing frameworks that help organizations and communities grow with intention. A 2019 TEDxSiouxFalls speaker ("Low on Leaders"), Vaney is known for direct, practitioner-rooted insight earned through hundreds of real conversations with leaders across industries. The belief driving it all: the best leaders don't just lead people — they build the conditions for others to rise.

• Vince Danh

  Entrepreneur

  Vince Danh grew up behind the counter of his family's restaurant — the first Vietnamese eatery in Sioux Falls, South Dakota — navigating two cultures without ever leaving one place. He calls himself an "Anchored Third Culture Kid": someone who didn't move between worlds, but learned to hold them both at once. Today, he channels that upbringing into community building, entrepreneurship, and civic leadership. He co-founded 4Front Studios, organized the Sioux Falls Lunar Fest, serves on the board of Downtown Sioux Falls, Inc., and mentors emerging entrepreneurs at Startup Sioux Falls. He is passionate about turning generational pressure into community purpose — and making sure the doors his parents opened stay open for the next generation.