TEDxDeer Park

Speakers

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

• Atul Bhatara

  Entrepreneur/Speaker/ Disability Advocate

  Atul's story is not one of simple success — it is one of remarkable strength and the unshakable belief that challenges are invitations to rise. At just 14 months old, he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. For many, such a diagnosis would define the limits of their future. For Atul, it became the beginning of an extraordinary journey. Atul spent part of his childhood in New Delhi, India, living with his grandmother — a woman whose strength helped shape his character. In her kitchen, filled with the scent of turmeric, cinnamon, and saffron, Atul learned the beauty of simplicity, the power of family, and the value of healing through nature. Atul joined his family business managing World’s Fair Marina and Banquet Hall. But then came COVID-19. It was during those uncertain months that the idea for Atul Skincare was born. Inspired by the traditional ingredients from his grandmother’s kitchen, Atul envisioned a skincare brand rooted in authenticity, cultural heritage, and holistic wellness.

• Dawn Cotter-Jenkins

  CIO & President of World Class Speech Services

  Dawn Cotter-Jenkin is the president of World Class Speech Services. Her areas of specialty include telepractice training and development, and professional speech and communication. She has expanded her scope of work to utilize her certification in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) strategies. In 2021, Dawn was a facilitator of the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association, Raw Conversation book discussion. She was the keynote speaker for the 2021 National Black Association of Speech Language and Hearing student mentoring convention luncheon. She co-presented to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Student to Empowered Professional (STEP) program on the topic of university admissions. In 2022, she launched a LinkedIn Live weekly vid-cast called DEI Speech IQ, where she talked to guests about DEI topics in Communication Sciences and Disorders careers and services.

• Julian Blair Baldwin

  Founder of Cohere Leadership Group

  Julian Baldwin is an author, leadership thinker, and founder of Cohere Leadership Group, an organization built on a simple belief: we have one life, and the values that guide our decisions should remain coherent across the many roles we play. His work explores integrity, internal clarity, inheritance, and legacy, helping leaders live and lead with greater coherence in a world that rewards fragmentation and pressures people to become different versions of themselves across roles, rooms, and relationships. With more than two decades of executive leadership across healthcare and technology, Julian brings both operator credibility and philosophical depth to his work. Through his writing and teaching, he helps leaders confront the hidden costs of misalignment and distrust, and translate identity and values into more grounded, consistent action.

• Mahwish Syed

  Founder & Creator of Design Is Medicine™

  Mahwish Syed is an award-winning designer, bestselling author, and keynote speaker exploring how environments influence health, resilience, and well-being. She believes that design is medicine and that beauty has the power to transform our biology. Her work weaves design, neuroaesthetics, circadian health, and biophilic principles to examine how the spaces we inhabit shape the way we feel, heal, and perform. Following her own experience with cancer, Mahwish shifted her focus from aesthetics alone to the biological and emotional impact of the built environment. She is the author of Purgatory to Paradise, a bestselling memoir of how she implemented design during her cancer journey. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, Architectural Digest, Elle Décor, and Hamptons Cottages & Gardens, and she has spoken for healthcare organizations, executive leadership groups, and wellness communities.

• Marsha Murat

  Educator/Instructional Leader

  For more than 20 years, Marsha has dedicated her career to transforming the way children learn and educators grow. Her experience spans from classroom teacher, literacy coach, assistant principal, and district instructional leader. A lifelong learner shaped by the culture, diversity, resilience, and energy of New York City, Marsha brings a perspective that extends beyond education. She is passionate about the ways history, culture, technology, and human experience shape how society evolves. Her work asks us to reconsider how we think about change: What if progress isn't about choosing between what was and what's next, but learning how to shift between them?

• Nadia Mbonde

  Medical Anthropologist

  Nadia Naomi Mbonde is a Black neurodivergent mother, scholar, and multimedia artist based in Brooklyn, New York. A Ph.D. Candidate in Sociocultural and Medical Anthropology at New York University, she reimagines care for Black reproductive mental health across the life course—from menarche to menopause. Bridging art, activism, and anthropology, Nadia translates lived experience with madness and motherhood through film, dance, and digital media. A trained doula and peer support specialist, she advocates for community-based models of healing that merge Mad liberation and reproductive justice. Her work invites us to imagine futures where Black birthing people and families can thrive beyond survival.

• Nicole Kolenda

  Lead Research Clinician/Professor

  Nicole Kolenda is a clinical researcher, speech-language pathologist, and adjunct professor whose work bridges science, clinical practice, and lived experience. A cancer survivor and lifelong runner, she explores how humans navigate transition across movement, identity, and life stages—and what becomes possible when change is approached with intention rather than urgency.

• Patrick Jenkins

  President, Patrick B. Jenkins & Associates

  Patrick B. Jenkins has more than 20 years of experience in government relations, public policy, and political strategy. As founder and president of Patrick B. Jenkins & Associates, established in 2008, he leads a firm known for navigating complex legislative and executive challenges in New York. His experience spans government service, campaign leadership, and advising clients through high-stakes policy decisions. His clients include leading corporations and organizations in financial services, gaming, pharmaceuticals, legal defense, and education. Before founding his firm, Patrick served as a political consultant and strategist on national, statewide, and local campaigns. His government experience includes serving as a congressional district director and as an aide to a New York City elected official. He began his career working at Stony Brook University and the New York City Board of Education before entering politics and public service.

• Pierre Laguerre

  Senior Project Manager/Waste Transportation Company Owner

  Born In New Jersey, Pierre spent most of his childhood in Haïti before moving back to the US at the age of 13. To describe Pierre, 3 words come to mind: versatile, ambitious and kind. Adapting to new environments/roles has never been a big issue, whether it’s moving to a new country with a foreign language/culture, or moving into brand new industries. As a business owner, podcast host, project manager, a big foodie and gym rat, Pierre gives 100% to each of his many endeavors while actively attempting to nourish his personal relationships. Despite his nonchalant personality, Pierre is actually very caring and empathetic. As one of the living proofs of “it takes a village”, Pierre tries his best to make sure that his village is taken care of.