TEDxOvertown

Speakers

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

• Adriana K. Smith

  Adriana K. Smith is a Certified Astrologer, international educator, and storyteller born in Miami and raised in Overtown. Her work helps people and communities reconnect with their sense of calling and belonging through healing and soul work. Raised in Overtown, Adriana learned early that true rebuilding begins when we remember who we are. Her teachings blend storytelling, astrology, and soul work to help people make peace with their past and build aligned futures. Featured in outlets like SELF, Essence, and USA Today, Adriana’s message is rooted in the belief: we thrive when we embody our individual and collective calling.

• Brandon Okpalobi

  Brandon Okpalobi is a global STEM education leader, innovation pipeline architect, and entrepreneur dedicated to ensuring every young learner can access the future through science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. A Nigerian-American based in Miami and originally from New Orleans, he designs scalable STEM ecosystems that guide students from first exposure to career readiness—bridging classrooms, communities, and high-growth industries. He founded DIBIA Athletic in 2011, integrating sports with academic enrichment and life skills to build confidence and open pathways to scholarships and leadership. In 2014, he launched Dibia DREAM, now serving 45,000+ youth across 32 states and 12 countries through immersive STEM programs that transform curiosity into capability. Brandon also created Siyanse to extend STEM learning into the home and hosts Discovery Education’s Hands-On STEM, reaching 600,000+ students nationwide.

• Darshae Spells

  Darshae Spells is a multidisciplinary artist and entrepreneur whose work operates at the intersection of historical storytelling, creative expression, and equity building. A descendant of survivors of the Rosewood Massacre, his perspective is deeply informed by generational loss and the responsibility of legacy restoration. Through photography, dance, acting, and media production, he leverages art as a vehicle for cultural preservation and forward focused impact. Darshae advocates for ownership driven approaches to economic empowerment and challenges conventional narratives that position corporate advancement as the primary measure of success. His work is centered on transforming inherited loss into sustainable opportunity and advancing generational wealth through intentional creativity, entrepreneurship, and community focused development.

• Dominique Lavel Burrell-Paige

  Dr. Dominique Lavel is a consulting psychologist, executive coach, and founder of Blacker The Berry, a multimedia platform reimagining wellness and storytelling through the lens of Black culture. More than a brand, it's a creative universe—a vision for a Black Disney where art, healing, and imagination converge. Through film, music, design, and community engagement, Blacker The Berry builds worlds that honor the depth, humor, and brilliance of Black life. The platform challenges the limits of mainstream wellness and entertainment by centering narrative, psychology, and emotional truth as foundational to collective healing and forward movement. As both clinician and cultural storyteller, he equips individuals, leaders, and organizations with frameworks to achieve psychological liberation through narrative reclamation.

• Jamarah Amani

  Jamarah Amani is a mother of four and a community midwife. She created the Black Midwives Model of Care, the Birth Justice Bill of Rights, founded Black Midwives Day, co-founded the National Black Midwives Alliance, and is a founding member of the Queer and Transgender Midwives Association. As Executive Director of Southern Birth Justice Network, she offers free midwifery care, facilitates accessible doula support, and advocates for birth justice in hospitals and institutions. Jamarah has written op-eds for many publications. She recently co-authored the Birth Justice Black Papers. Jamarah speaks internationally about Birth Justice, including briefings for the US Congress and the United Nations. She produced a documentary, “Legacy Power Voice: Movements in Black Midwifery,” and served as an advisor on MTV’s short film “Water Angel.” Her awards include the 2022 Umm Salaamah Birth Worker Award, and the 2024 Woman of Vision Award. She is currently a Black Maternal Health Fellow.

• La Criscia Fowlkes

  LaCriscia began her journey of community involvement in high school, focusing on empowering and mentoring youth and adults in leadership. She emphasizes fostering healthy, supportive communities and has explored trauma, resilience, and grief-informed training. LaCriscia incorporates holistic practices such as meditation, journaling, breathwork, and sound healing, believing that healing starts with love and truth.

• Miren Oca

  Miren Oca is the founder and CEO of Ocaquatics Swim School, a certified B Corporation established in 1994 and is a 100% employee owned, community involved business. Under her leadership, Ocaquatics has grown into a community-centered business with five beautiful, warm-water facilities around Miami, Florida, employing 165 team members and teaching approximately 6,500 swimming lessons per week in high season. Ocaquatics' dual mission focuses on teaching families to love swimming and be safer in the water, while fostering the personal and professional growth of its team members within a socially and environmentally responsible framework. Recognized as a Top Workplace by the Sun Sentinel for eight consecutive years, Ocaquatics is celebrated for its innovative approach to business and community impact. Miren is also the founder of Ripples of Impact, a nonprofit dedicated to equipping young people with resiliency skills and empowering them to create positive change in their communities.

• Natalie Robinson Bruner

  Natalie Robinson Bruner is a program leader, strategist, and public speaker with more than 15 years of experience designing education, workforce, and community based initiatives that expand opportunity and improve long term outcomes. She serves as a Program Manager at Prosperity Social and Community Development, leading teams that support justice involved youth through skill building, credential attainment, and access to employment to reduce recidivism. Natalie is also the CEO of GladED Leadership Solutions, where she has designed leadership programs for organizations seeking sustainable growth. Previously, she held senior leadership roles at YWCA South Florida, launching multimillion-dollar programs and building equity-focused initiatives. Her background spans nonprofit management, public policy, workforce development, higher education, and K–12 education. Natalie holds a Master of Public Administration and is a doctoral candidate in Educational Leadership and Policy.

• Rae Chesny

  Rae Chesny is a visionary Zora Neale Hurston scholar, interdisciplinary storyteller, and cultural practitioner whose work reshapes how history, literature, and legacy are studied and lived. Rooted in rigorous scholarship and cultural memory, her work bridges academic research with community centered practice. As the inaugural Director of Programs for the Zora Neale Hurston Trust, Chesny produced the landmark Zora Neale Hurston Summit, a global convening honoring Hurston’s enduring impact. The event welcomed 74 artists, scholars, and practitioners, 57 of Hurston’s relatives, and more than 1,500 participants daily across two days. In 2025, she founded Lit & Co. Consulting Group, supporting authors, cultural stewards, and institutions through her Anansi Ecosystem™. Chesny is the author of Zora’s Garden, a celebrated children’s book, and her work has been featured on national platforms including CBS New York, American Black Journal, and Black Enterprise.

• Shayna Johnson

  Shayna Johnson is the Senior Director of Grassroots Leadership, where she builds pathways to shared ownership and cooperative leadership. She designs education programs, supports worker-owned businesses, and strengthens Miami’s emerging employee ownership ecosystem. Her work is deeply influenced by her grandmother, an immigrant entrepreneur who relied on cooperation and collective care to build stability despite limited access to opportunity. Through her work, Shayna has witnessed how shared ownership transforms not only economic outcomes, but how people see themselves and their role in shaping the future. Previously, Shayna led leadership and education programs for emerging entrepreneurs in Harlem, NY, and held operations leadership roles in Atlanta, GA. She is also active in her community, supporting leadership and cultural initiatives in Little Haiti and beyond. Shayna holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BA in Economics from Spelman College.