TEDx Raleigh 2025

Welcome to TEDx Raleigh 2025! Our 7th year running! We brought you the best and brightest and our team is dedicated to having the aboslute best speakers from over 400 applicants nationwide.

Be a part of extraordinary!

12 Ideas

12 Speakers

10 Minutes

That will leave inspired, motivated and ignited.

1:00-5:00 2025 TEX Speakers

Followed by Speakers' Reception at Birdies - Live Band - Adam Lee Decker Band.

(Dinner and Drinks are NOT included in the ticket price) Everyone buys their own food and drinks.

Join us at the Raleigh Convention Center - Room 306 for an exciting day filled with inspiring talks, innovative ideas, and thought-provoking discussions. Get ready to be inspired by a diverse group of speakers from various fields as they share their unique perspectives on the theme of "Shaping the Future." This in-person event will take place at South Salisbury Street, Raleigh, NC, USA.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and be part of a day that will spark new ideas and conversations. See you there! After Party details will follow.

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Dr. Scott Lehr : The Lie That Built You Will Break You•

Bio: Dr. Scott Lehr is the founding pastor of Southbridge Fellowship and the founder of Unshakable Coaching, where he helps high-achieving men lead with clarity, courage, and conviction. With two decades of leadership experience, Scott challenges cultural narratives around success and identity, calling men to live grounded, free, and on mission.•

Brief Talk Description: We all build our lives on a story—but what if that story is a lie? In this talk, Dr. Scott Lehr unpacks the hidden scripts that drive high performers and reveals how the very lie that fueled your rise might be the same force that leads to your fall—unless you rewrite it with truth.

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Dr. Amelia Kelley: Before the Breaking Point: A New Approach to Kids’ Mental Health

Bio: Dr. Amelia Kelley is a trauma-informed therapist, author, podcast host, and mental health advocate with over 20 years of experience supporting emotional health and neurodiversity. As a military spouse and former school counselor, she brings a personal lens to mental health reform—advocating for early intervention and greater emotional support for children.

Description: We all want to believe our kids are okay—but what if their struggles are hiding in plain sight? In this talk, Dr. Amelia Kelley reveals how one simple but powerful tool could uncover what’s missed, connect kids to life-changing support, and prevent tomorrow’s crises before they begin.

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Amna Shabbir, MD - Perfectionism Has a Solution - It's Not What You Think

Amna Shabbir, MD, NBC-HWC, CPC, is a Dual board-certified physician with advanced training in integrative well-being, performance, and leadership development. She speaks and consults on perfectionism, sustainable success, and the well-being of high achievers.

Brief Description:

These days, success never feels like enough, and that’s because of the hidden epidemic of perfectionism. Think perfectionism is just a personal problem? Think again. Socially prescribed perfectionism is on the rise. It’s time to step back and share courageously creative solutions.

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Pete Proimos - Find the Thing that Breaks your Heart and Refuse to Look Away

Pete Proimos was born with cystic fibrosis and is the founder of the Filotimo Foundation, an organization dedicated to empowering individuals with CF and raising awareness about the disease. A husband and father of three, he is passionate about removing stigma, fostering community support, and creating opportunities for those affected by CF.

Description: Diagnosed with cystic fibrosis as a baby, Pete was never expected to see adulthood, let alone build a family, a business, and a movement. In this raw and inspiring talk, he shares how silence protected him, how ordinary moments saved him, and how one broken-hearted decision sparked a foundation that has now supported hundreds. Through his story, Pete reminds us: you don’t need a perfect plan to make change. You just need to start with the pain and refuse to look away.

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Marva Bailer - Your Introduction Is Your Human Prompt

BIO: Marva Bailer makes complex things click-whether scaling a billion-dollar business or helping the next generation find their voice. A Women of Influence with 25 years in AI, cybersecurity, and global enterprise, she brings bold energy from the boardroom to the classroom.

Description: What if rethinking how we introduce ourselves is the spark we need to connect, collaborate, and lead in the age of AI?

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Dr. Rita Renee - Belonging Over Boxes – Why We Must Rethink DEI and Reclaim Excellence

Bio: Dr. Rita Renee is an international speaker, healthcare leader, and empowerment strategist who helps women “come off mute” by embracing their authentic voices with courage and clarity. She is the founder of Ultimate PowerHouse Coach.

Description: In this talk, Dr. Rita Renee challenges the status quo of DEI initiatives by advocating for a shift from checkbox diversity to true belonging, merit, and excellence. Her message is a bold call to prioritize qualifications, value diverse thought, and create spaces where everyone can rise on the strength of their contribution

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Dr. Gina Anderson-How Microlearning and Connections Transform Us: The Power of Being Present

BIO: Dr. Gina Anderson is a learning scientist and the CEO and co-founder of Luma Brighter Learning, an award-winning learning company and a 2X recipient of the prestigious Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies award. Dr. Anderson is the author of Thrive: How Learning Can Ignite a New Way Forward which launched as the #1 best-selling book in Neuroscience.

Short Description: Dr. Gina Anderson explores how true transformation doesn't come from consuming more content, but from small, emotionally resonant moments of connection within ourselves. Blending the science of microlearning and immersing listeners into the learner to self interaction mode, she reveals how presence, purpose, and love in the tiniest moments can ignite powerful, lasting change.

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Dr. Marline Cepoudi Duroseau -The Secret Battle Behind Powerful Women Leaders

Bio: Dr. Marline Cepoudi Duroseau is a financial leadership executive, fertility advocate, and resilience expert who empowers women leaders to transform silent struggles into extraordinary strength. Drawing from her lived experience and doctoral research, she redefines how women navigate disruption, identity, and leadership.

Brief Description of the Talk: Dr. Marline reveals the hidden personal struggles women leaders silently face, highlighting how embracing vulnerability and disruptions can unlock powerful, empathetic leadership. Through research-backed insights and personal experience, she demonstrates why true leadership isn't about appearing unbreakable, but leading courageously through life's breaks.

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Gabi Angelini- Powered by Special Abilities

Gabi’s efforts have earned her numerous accolades. She was named a Mover and Shaker in class of 2025 in Cary Magazine. In 2024, she was named a “Community Champion” by the NC Down Syndrome Association. Gabi’s collaborate with companies such as Peter Millar, AmerisourceBergen, Brand Fuel to offer high-quality packaging, assembling, labeling, and shipping services

In her talk, Gabi reveals her “secret secrets ” the hidden superpowers of kindness, perseverance, joy, and being unapologetically herself. With humor, honesty, and infectious energy, she encourages others to see the value in every person and to recognize the power of inclusion, confidence, and love. This talk is a celebration of ability, courage, and the beauty of being exactly who you are.

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Greg Singleton - Unlocking Generational Communication

Bio: Greg Singleton is a coach, speaker and generational strategist who helps individuals and organizations close the communication gaps to create clear, concise messaging - rather than chaotic or confrontational exchanges.

He blends real-world experience with storytelling to inspire lasting change.

Brief Description : Greg shares how shifting your communication and

mindset can create deeper understanding across generations and help us all build stronger personal and professional relationships.

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Brian Bartes - What No One Tells You About Excellence

Short Bio: Brian Bartes became the Chief Financial Officer of a $100 million company at the age of 23, and has helped grow it to almost $2 billion in annual revenue. He is an author, success coach, and host of the podcast, “LifeExcellence with Brian Bartes,” where he interviews athletes, entrepreneurs, authors, entertainers, and others who have achieved excellence in their chosen fields.

Brief Talk Description: Why do some people rise to extraordinary success while others fall short? In this insightful and surprising talk, success coach and podcast host Brian Bartes draws on decades of research and interviews with world-class achievers to reveal the often-overlooked truth about what it really takes to achieve excellence – and why so few people do it.

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Shaun Deardorff - Turning Obstacles into Superpowers

Bio: Shaun Deardorff is Founder/CEO of Airmage Media Productions, a nationwide drone and media company, and a serial entrepreneur, pursuing his PhD in Aerospace Engineering at NC State, researching origami-inspired space structures. He has worked at SpaceX, Rocket Lab, and the FAA, and earned the Provost Doctoral Fellowship, Miller Fellowship, Eagle Scout Rank Award, and Leazar Award in Entrepreneurship.

Description: "Being neurodivergent isn’t an obstacle—it’s my superpower, and my story proves it." Shaun has launched companies, pioneered aerospace research, and worked with SpaceX, Rocket Lab, and the FAA—all by leveraging the very traits society sees as obstacles. This talk delivers a powerful message that challenges the stigma around autism, offering a deeply personal, inspiring perspective on how embracing neurodiversity fosters innovation, resilience, and success, inspiring those who feel different to reframe their struggles into strengths and boldly pursue their dreams.

************************Thank you to our sponsors****************************

1. 8MSolar - Best Solar Panel Company Installers
2. LM Restaurants - Vidrio, Taverna Agora, Ale House, Blue Water
3. Executive Socks
4. Ever Clean Gutter: 859.259.1133 www.evercleangutter.com

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