TEDxCentral Michigan University

Speakers

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

• Cleamon Moorer

  Dr. Cleamon Moorer, Jr. was legally blind at 21. A community paid for the surgery that restored his sight. His mother's last words were simple: "Promise me you'll give back." He's spent the last 25 years keeping that promise. Dr. Moorer is the Founding Executive Director of Eye Care for Michigan, a mobile vision nonprofit serving homebound seniors statewide, and President & CEO of American Advantage Home Care. He invented horEYESontal.ai — a provisionally patented AI platform detecting early markers for Alzheimer's and dementia through a routine eye exam. An Entrepreneur in Residence and Lecturer at Central Michigan University's College of Business Administration, host of The Home Health Care Today Show on WMYD TV-20 Detroit, and bestselling author — Dr. Moorer delivered his first TEDx talk in 2016. He returns with a decade more of promises delivered. Holder of a Bachelor of Science from Kettering University, two master's degrees and a Doctor of Business Administration from Benedictine University and Argosy University respectively, and a Cornell University post-graduate certificate, he has secured $1.5M+ in grants and earned 25+ awards including recognition from Governor Whitmer and Black Enterprise Magazine. He lives in metropolitan Detroit with his wife Nicole and their four sons.

• Holly Holly Korhorn

  Holly Korhorn is a wife, a mother of two, and a woman who has rebuilt her life from the inside out. She is a motivational speaker who is also getting her Criminal Sociology career in hopes to aid others struggling with addiction and incarceration. For years, she lived in a world where alcohol was the norm. Woven into celebrations, stress, and even identity. But nearly four years ago, she made a decision that would change everything: she chose sobriety. What started as a personal choice became something much bigger. Holly began to see a cultural shift happening around her: one where more people were quietly questioning their relationship with alcohol and redefining what it means to connect, celebrate, and cope. Through honesty, humor, and raw storytelling, Holly shares her journey through motherhood, marriage, and recovery. She speaks to the tension between what we’re taught to normalize and what we know deep down isn’t serving us. Her message is not about perfection, it’s about presence. It’s about choosing a life that is real, even when it’s hard. And it’s about a growing movement of rewriting the narrative, one sober choice at a time.

• Jeannine Rashidi

  Jeannine Rashidi, AD is dedicated to helping people transform the impact of early adversity into lasting growth - and reconnect with a deeper sense of joy. Her work is shaped by lived experience. On the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) scale—a measure of early adversity—her score was 10 out of 10, reflecting significant challenges in her early environment. After becoming a mother in her teens, Jeannine began to recognize repeating patterns in her life, sparking a decades-long journey into healing, neuroscience, and mind-body practices. Today, Jeannine is an International Speaker, Doctor of Ayurveda, Psych-K Facilitator, and creator of the EDHIR® Process, a method designed to support the mental and emotional integration of difficult experiences. She is also a #1 bestselling author of Abundance Beyond Trauma, breathwork facilitator, and founder of her practice, Goodbye Tension. For over 20 years, she has worked with individuals to reduce stress, build self-awareness, and create healthier relationships—with themselves and others. Her work emphasizes practical tools for breaking cycles and fostering resilience across families and communities. A proud grandmother of five, Jeannine is passionate about generational healing and believes that meaningful change begins within.

• Joseph Cope

  Keynote Speaker, Workshop Facilitator, and Author, Joseph Cope has built a reputation around redefining empathy as a fiercely intentional, transformative leadership skill. This foundational belief has fueled his journey from award-winning educator to highly sought-after speaker, and it’s what keeps his work rooted in presence, curiosity, and courageous human connection. Whether The Empathy Guy is speaking from top stages, guiding leadership teams with deep intention, or helping individuals reconnect with their own voice, Joseph’s mission resonates. Spend any time with him, and you will be inspired to create space, firstly for yourself, and then for others. Joseph is based in Austin, Texas

• Kait Philp

  Kait Philp is a community advocate, organizational leader, and Central Michigan University graduate student pursuing her master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling. As a first-generation college student, she brings both academic training and lived experience into her work, shaping a perspective that is deeply empathetic and grounded in real-life application. Kait’s passion for mental health advocacy is deeply personal. While navigating her own mental health challenges, she became committed to reshaping how we think about care. Kait’s work emphasizes that community and connection play a vital role in well-being, offering support that can help prevent crisis before it begins. Through her leadership involvement and nonprofit work, Kait aims to create spaces that foster belongingness. She believes meaningful mental health care happens not only in difficult moments, but in the small, everyday experiences that help people feel valued. She is also the creator of Flourish, a guided gratitude and wellness journal designed to help individuals engage in small, consistent practices that support their mental and emotional well-being.

• Lauren Lasceski

  Lauren Lasceski is an engineer driven by more than technical excellence; she is passionate about designing with people in mind and leading with purpose in everything she does. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology with a minor in Leadership from Central Michigan University in 2023 and will complete her Master of Engineering from CMU in May 2026. At CMU, Lauren was a Division I student‑athlete in Cross Country and Track, a mentor to younger engineers, and a frequent guest speaker in early‑level engineering courses, which were experiences that shaped her belief in resilience, discipline, and the power of showing up for others. Professionally, she is passionate about designing products that prioritize safety, reliability, and the well‑being of the people who use them. Her engineering philosophy centers on the idea that thoughtful design helps ensure loved ones return home safely and that technology should make life not only safer, but more joyful. Lauren is also a dedicated community advocate, engaging in outreach that inspires middle school, high school, and college students to pursue their passions. Through storytelling and mentorship, she shares messages of hope, perseverance, and possibility. At her core, Lauren is driven to uplift others; bringing energy, optimism, and a deep commitment to helping people recognize their own potential in every space she enters.

• Lisa Blosser

  I didn’t set out to rethink leadership. I was living the dream—flying around the world, coaching executives, shaping organizations. Until one day, I realized I was breaking under the weight of the very patterns I’d been celebrated for. That moment of reckoning became a lens: what we normalize, we can’t transform. Today, I work with founders and executive teams to reveal the invisible dynamics shaping how they lead, decide, and relate. My gift is naming what others can’t quite see—the unspoken agreements, inherited roles, and subtle choreography holding teams in place. My work is about recognizing when high performance becomes self-erasure, when survival strategies become cages and when organizations keep themselves stuck. With a rare blend of systemic clarity and emotional intelligence, I help leaders unbind what’s old—so new forms of leadership, culture, and capacity can emerge.

• Zarinah El-Amin

  Zarinah El-Amin is a cultural anthropologist, author, and founder of Legacy Storykeepers, where she helps individuals and communities preserve their life stories and lived experiences before they’re lost to time. Known for her powerful ability to connect storytelling with identity, culture, and purpose, she has guided people around the world in documenting what matters most. She is also the creator of Enliven Your Soul, curating transformative travel experiences that foster deep reflection and global connection, and the founder of Beautifully Wrapped, a platform that explored the cultural and spiritual significance of headwrapping. Whether on stage or in intimate settings, Zarinah brings a rare depth—inviting people to think differently about legacy, connection, and the stories they are leaving behind.