TEDxJeffersonU

Speakers

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

• Dympna Weil

  Board Certified ObGyn and Writer

  Dympna Weil, MD, is a physician and writer who spent two decades as a board-certified OBGYN before a vestibular disorder ended her clinical practice in 2020. A Master Certified Coach and founder of Prescribing Possibility, her writing and expertise have appeared in The New York Times' Modern Love, Newsweek, and Parade. In her TEDx talk, she explores a question she now asks in nearly every hard conversation: is this a share, or a fix? Drawing on medicine and motherhood, she offers a simple diagnostic that changes what happens when someone is struggling and what real help looks like.

• Jamal Benson

  Physicians Assistant and Medical School Student at Sidney Kimmel Medical College

  Jamal Benson explores the concept of "re-entry injury": the emotional wound and identity struggle that occurs when returning to a former environment after personal growth. Through his personal journey as a second-generation Nigerian American, he illustrates this phenomenon, from a traumatic childhood visit to Nigeria that left him with a physical scar, to a painful adult return where he felt like an outsider in his parents' homeland. The speech introduces a four-pillar healing framework called ROOT—Recognition, Openness, Ownership, and Touchstones—designed to help navigate these emotional returns. Ultimately, he discovers that healing from re-entry injury isn't about erasing the past but about reclaiming authorship of one's own narrative and understanding that while the wound may not fully heal, the journey itself is a direction worth pursuing.

• Justin Vazquez

  Creative Director at Eidos-Montréal

  Justin Vazquez is a Creative Director at Eidos-Montréal with over 25 years of experience designing stories and systems across music, film, TV, and video games, recently directing Grounded 2. He is also the author of The Build: A System for Self-Actualization, applying game design principles to human growth. In his TEDx talk, The Build: Self-Actualization is a System, Not Magic, Justin debunks the myth that success requires destructive sacrifice. Drawing on game design, psychology, elite performance, and his personal journey through cancer, divorce, and rebuilding his life, he presents a framework based on Autonomy, Mastery, and Harmony. By replacing shame with diagnosis and treating personal growth as a system, Justin offers a blueprint for balancing achievement with lasting fulfillment.

• Laryssa Creswell

  Author, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, and Board-Certified Music Therapist

  Dr. Laryssa M. Creswell—author, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, Board-Certified Music Therapist, and founder of Fearlessly Inspired Therapeutic Solutions—brings over two decades of experience helping women and teen girls heal from trauma, generational burdens, and identity stress. An Associate Adjunct Professor at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology and co-founder of Sisters In Healing, she specializes in trauma-focused clinical practice and emotional survival patterns. In her TEDx talk, Dr. Creswell explores how childhood survival roles often transform into exhausting adult identities mistook for strength. Blending personal storytelling with clinical insight, she reveals "the job we never applied for," offering a actionable path to dismantle these unconscious adaptations, reclaim personal power, and redefine who we truly are.

• Mary Bouchaud

  Registered Nurse and Educator at Thomas Jefferson College of Nursing

  What if a hat could change the way you experience healthcare? In this compelling talk, Mary Bouchaud — a registered nurse and educator, with nearly fifty years of experience — shows audiences how a simple metaphor can become a life‑saving strategy. With honesty, humor, and hard‑earned wisdom, Mary introduces her H.A.T. framework: Trust what you know. Bring a witness. Speak your truth out loud and without apology. Through powerful personal stories and practical guidance, she demonstrates how patients and families can build true partnership with clinicians and protect themselves in moments of vulnerability. This talk equips audiences with tools they can use immediately — and a message they will never forget.

• Olapeju Simoyan

  Addiction Medicine Physician, Professor, Author, Musician, and Photographer

  Drawing on neuroscience, Dr. Olapeju Simoyan advocates for incorporating music across all levels of education—from kindergarten through graduate school—by demonstrating its connections to science, transferable skills, and accessibility to everyone. An addiction medicine physician, professor, author, and musician, Dr. Simoyan actively bridges the arts and sciences. She pioneered medical humanities initiatives at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine and Reading Hospital, edited literary journals, and published extensively on behavioral health, personal growth, and healthcare. Her academic memoir, Girls Become Doctors and Much More, profiles over 80 women physicians, including several artists and musicians, underscoring the transformative power of a holistic approach to education and medicine.

• Priyanka Venugopal

  ObGyn Physician and Stress and Weight Loss Coach

  Dr. Priyanka Venugopal is an ObGyn physician and stress and weight loss coach, where she helps overachieving professional women achieve their goals, get out of overthinking cycles and feel more present in their very busy lives. After a decade in clinical practice, she discovered that the overthinking that built her career was also costing her peace and presence in the life it built. In her TEDx talk, she reveals what overthinking actually is and what it's costing you right now. Her solution is a three-step skill nobody teaches in school, but one that every overachiever needs in their back pocket.

• Ramon Guzman, Jr.

  Philanthropic Advisor and Major Gifts Officer at Villanova University's Charles Widger School of Law

  Ramon Guzman, Jr. is a philanthropic advisor with over a decade of experience supporting Greater Philadelphia’s leading higher education institutions, including fundraising for PA Governor Tom Wolf. Currently serving as a Major Gift Officer at Villanova University’s Charles Widger School of Law, he was recognized by The Philadelphia Tribune as one of Philadelphia’s Most Influential African Americans. A husband, father, mentor, and community leader, Ramon believes meaningful legacies stem from daily choices. In his TEDx talk, Legacy Is Not What You Leave Behind—It’s What You Practice, he challenges the idea that legacy is defined solely by titles or achievements. Through stories of fatherhood, mentorship, and service, he encourages audiences to embrace intentional living and realize that the life they build today is the legacy they are already leaving behind.

• Shannon Russell

  Former Television Producer and LEGO® Serious Play® Facilitator

  When did we stop asking, "What might happen if?" In a world obsessed with productivity and increasingly powered by artificial intelligence, we may have forgotten one of our greatest strengths: imagination. In this thought-provoking talk, former television producer and LEGO® Serious Play® facilitator Shannon Russell explores why play isn't just for children, but one of our greatest tools for innovation, problem solving, and human connection. Blending neuroscience, storytelling, and the LEGO® Serious Play® method, she invites audiences to rediscover the power of curiosity and give themselves permission to play again. Because while AI can generate answers, imagination remains uniquely human, and it may become our greatest advantage.

• Susan C. Aldridge

  PhD and President of Thomas Jefferson University

  Dr. Aldridge has served as President of Thomas Jefferson University for 3 years. TJU is a national doctoral research university with 10 colleges and over 200 academic programs, serving 8,700 students in Philadelphia. Previously, Dr. Aldridge served as President of the University of Maryland Global Campus for 6 years after serving as Vice Chancellor for the Global campus at Troy University. In addition, she served as President of Drexel University Online and Senior Vice President at Drexel University. A well-known author and keynote speaker, Dr. Aldridge served as principal editor of Tough Decisions: A University President’s Journey which will be published in September 2026. Dr. Aldridge has been cited twice as one of Washington DC’s Top 100 most powerful women; and has received numerous awards including outstanding service awards from the US Department of Health and Human Services, the US Veteran’s Administration and the US Social Security Administration.