TEDxRaleigh

Speakers

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

• Anthony Rapillo

  Entrepreneur-Restaurant Owner

  Anthony Rapillo started cooking as a way to honor his mother after she passed away nearly 20 years ago. He's doing just that with Layla's Son Hospitality, a burgeoning company specializing in experience-driven restaurants, bars, catering and hospitality consulting.

• Celeste Bell

  Former HR Executive

  Celeste Bell is a former C-suite HR executive turned professor and researcher whose work focuses on identity, work, and resilience. She’s also a 70-time marathoner who has run on every continent and uses serious leisure as a live experiment in what it means to build a self that’s bigger than a job title.

• Dr. Arif Kamal

  Chief Patient Officer, American Cancer Society and Associate Professor, Duke University

  Dr. Arif Kamal is the inaugural chief patient officer for the American Cancer Society, a practicing oncologist and palliative care physician in North Carolina, and an associate professor of medicine and population health at the Duke University School of Medicine. He has published more than 225 peer-reviewed scientific articles and is recognized as an international expert in supportive oncology and palliative care

• Dr. Kristen Wynns

  Family Psychology

  Dr. Kristen Wynns is a child and adolescent psychologist, founder of Wynns Family Psychology, and author of The No Wimpy Parenting Handbook, whose work has shaped parenting and youth mental health for over 25 years. A sought-after media expert, speaker, and stand-up comedian, she blends psychology and humor to help people build resilience, confidence, and meaningful connection.

• Dr. Michelle Chambers-Rollins

  Dr. Michelle Chambers-Rollins- Professor UNC

  Dr. Michelle Chambers-Rollins is a trauma-informed mental health clinician and professor at UNC–Chapel Hill whose work examines how anxiety quietly governs the choices we make. Drawing on civic training, public systems work, and her book Faith to Win, she challenges people to reclaim agency and move forward even when certainty is unavailable.

• Gina Casazza

  Founder EmpowerLit

  Gina Casazza is the founder of EmpowerLit, a nonprofit dedicated to building literacy and confidence in children through storytelling and author visits. After completing a Navy SEAL-inspired training program, she now shares lessons on mental toughness, resilience, and curiosity through her podcast and speaking.

• John Cooper

  John Cooper - Founder of Cooper Foundation

  John Cooper is the Founder and CEO of Cooper Tacia General Contracting Company, a multimillion-dollar commercial, industrial, and municipal construction firm based in Raleigh. After moving to North Carolina to attend NC State University, he grew the business from performing small kitchen and bathroom remodels to exceeding $100M in revenue.

• Mark Agnew

  mark@markagnew.com

  Mark Agnew builds businesses and personal performance by mastering the art of showing up — using partnership, relationship, and narrative to help teams, leaders and individuals unlock creativity and perform at their best.

• Michael D Cooper

  Podcaster

  Michael D. Cooper (“Coop”) is a media personality and host of The Big Scoop with Coop, now in its 12th season. After a decade of interviewing high performers across industries, he identified recurring patterns in how breakthrough and long-term success quietly develop.

• Michael M Allison

  Michael W Allison, MBA

  Michael W. Allison is a leadership theorist, advisor, and best-selling author whose work focuses on identity, meaning, and decision-making under pressure. A U.S. Marine Corps Purple Heart veteran, he studies how individuals interpret adversity and how those interpretations shape long-term behavior, resilience, and well-being.

• Odell Bizell II

  Director of Strategic Partnerships and Programming for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund

  Odell Bizzell II is the Director of Strategic Partnerships and Programming for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. NC State as a communication major and former law enforcement officer, he studies how people discover meaningful work and build careers.

• Rufus Edmisten

  Rufus Edmisten is currently the founder and partner at Edmisten & Webb Law, specializing in government representation and civil law

  Rufus L. Edmisten is a North Carolina attorney, former Attorney General and Secretary of State, Watergate Committee counsel, and dedicated community leader known for his legal, political, and charitable contribution