TEDxKUEdwards

Speakers

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

• Ally Jennings

  TED Talk Title: Take It To TikTok: Public Health Communications in the Age of Social Media

  Originally from St. Louis, Ally moved to Kansas to pursue her degree in microbiology, then onto Dartmouth for her master’s in public health. While there, she researched and created research proposals surrounding social media’s role in public health and health communications. She currently advises and teaches public health at the University of Kansas.

• Daisha Holmes

  TED Talk Title: Performative Professionalism in the Workplace

  Daisha Holmes is the Specialized Grant Programs Manager at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kansas, where she oversees the Kansas Promise Scholarship, state aid, and local grant initiatives. Drawing on her Master of Arts in Organizational Communication from the University of Kansas and hands-on experience supporting students in financial aid, Daisha is dedicated to fostering equitable educational opportunities and tackling complex challenges through innovation and service.

• Kaitlyn Sy

  TED Talk Title: When the Protector Becomes the Predator: A Medical Student’s Autoimmune Journey in a Sick Care System

  Kaitlyn Sy was just beginning medical school when she suffered life-threatening complications from an autoimmune disease. Instead of receiving the treatment she desperately needed, she faced a frustrating insurance battle that forced her to temporarily pause her studies. Through support from her community, Kaitlyn ultimately received the care that saved her life and is now determined to pay it forward. Today, she directs a free surgery clinic serving unhoused patients in the Kansas City Metro area and is a staunch advocate for prior authorization reform.

• Melissa Greene-Blye

  TED Talk Title: Short Circuiting the Short Cuts: Intentionality as a Counterpoint to Information Overload in Today's Media Marketplace

  Melissa Greene-Blye, Ph.D. is a citizen of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma and an assistant professor in the University of Kansas William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications. She is also affiliated with the KU Indigenous Studies Program. Greene-Blye worked as a television news anchor/reporter for 20 years before transitioning to a career in higher education where she teaches multimedia journalism and issues of representation in news media past and present, with an emphasis on Indigenous issues and identity in journalism past and present. Greene-Blye is the faculty supervisor for two student-led news programs: KUJH News and Good Morning Indian Country, she is the founder and director of the KU Native Storytelling Workshop, and director of The Center for Indigenous Student Media. She also sits on the board of IndiJ Public Media, the nonprofit parent company of ICT (formerly Indian Country Today).

• Ossco Bolton

  TED Talk Title: Do We Value the Children?

  Ossco Bolton III’s journey is a powerful example of transformation and community impact. A former Kansas City gang leader, his life changed after the tragic murder of his 11-month-old nephew in 1993, sparking a deep personal awakening. He went on to found The P.O.S.S.E. (Peers Organized to Support Student Excellence), a program focused on preventing youth violence and promoting positive life choices. Ossco has also contributed to major initiatives like Operation Break and Build, backed by The Kauffman Foundation and AmeriCorps. His work has reached over 40,000 teens, 25,000 law enforcement officers, and 30,000 educators. Through partnerships with organizations like KCPD, the Kansas City Metropolitan Crime Commission, and LINC, Ossco continues to build safer communities through mentorship, education, and relationship-building.

• Swanie McIntosh-Lily

  TED Talk Title: When We Change the Design, We Change Who Belongs

  Swanie McIntosh-Lily is a nationally certified Deaf interpreter, educator, and trainer rooted in a family with seven generations of Deaf heritage. They currently serve as Program Manager for Sorenson Interpreter Education Professional Development and as adjunct faculty in the ASL & Deaf Studies and Interpreting program at KU Edwards Campus. Swanie works with interpreters and interpreting students to strengthen language access and deepen understanding of Deaf perspectives.