Péralte Paul lives in the world of words, working to tell people’s stories as a communications professional at a prestigious university following a nearly 3-decade career as a print journalist.
As someone who enjoys experiencing new perspectives, meeting new people, trying new foods, Péralte enjoys traveling overseas by biking and hiking. He’s visited 25 countries, biked across 10 of them, and hiked the equivalent of 990 miles in one year — roughly the length of New Zealand’s North and South islands combined.
Péralte Paul: I knew about TEDx and saw some of the videos of different talks and was drawn to the concept of getting to hear from people from all walks of life encouraging us to think about something new or challenge our own paradigms about the what we accept to be true or how things ought to be. I went to a then-TEDxPeachtree event in the 2010s, but I had the serendipitous chance of working with Jacqui Chew (TEDxAtlanta Licensee and Curator)a few years ago. I was fortunate to have a front row seat into what makes it a unique experience and the philosophy behind the “ideas worth spreading” maxim.
PP: It’s hard to limit it to just one, but for me, as a person whose career is in telling stories and bringing new concepts to the forefront, I think working with the speakers and giving feedback as they refine their talks is what I enjoy the most because it’s an opportunity to not only learn something new and see things in a different way. Maybe even more impactful is that these talks stay with me long after the speaker has left the stage. They affect me to think and act. One other thing I would say is a favorite memory is opportunity to interact with volunteers who come from all walks of life an experiences, but all of course come together in a unified desire to share great ideas and findings with broad audiences.
PP: Committed would be first because, you have to be committed not just to your part in the process that leads to events throughout the year and the main conference, you have to commit to being fully engaged to ensure those depending on your contributions can succeed with their contributions. The second word is opportunity. I have met some of the most interesting people as fellow volunteers — some of whom I’m not sure I would have had the opportunity to meet had it not been for TEDx and our shared interest in exploring ideas that challenge and inspire us. Lastly, I would say fulfilling. It’s a lot of work and planning that go into TEDx events, but it is rewarding to see how one person’s talk can spark conversations and further exploration into what could be possible. For me it’s rewarding to see the speakers engaged in discussions with conference attendees who really connected with the talk and leaves me wondering how many will leave inspired to act and effect change in their corners of the world.
PP: We really are all volunteers. I think to see such a professional event be put together on such a large scale and the caliber of the talks presented, most would assume there’s a big-budget production entity behind it all. But it’s team of committed volunteers.
PP: “See How the Rest of the World Lives, Organized by Income,” by Anna Rosling Rönnlund. This talk is a fascinating exploration of what we consider home and normalcy through race, class, and economics via the visuals of housing, everyday activities, and cultural norms. It’s a critically moving presentation of the disparities from country to country and how economic class shapes the day of what we consider ‘standard.’
PP: From the different talks I’ve watched, I am often reminded of the things I’ve learned and an underlying realization that big, bold ideas, and new ways of thinking can be garnered anywhere and everywhere in the most unexpected of places. Joining TEDx has made me become more open to hearing perspectives that I might not necessarily agree with. I still might not agree, but I am more open to understanding the “how” and “why” behind their views.
PP: Without a doubt. The biggest thing is collaboration. In hey both teach me how to be a better leader to my own team [and] a better communicator. So, it does teach me a lot. Not only how to lead a team but also how to find the leaders within the team and help them grow and keep that loop going. We’re all helping each other. Building each other up to our full potential. That’s something that I’ve learned over the years and especially through TEDx.
PP: You get to have fun and work with volunteers and make great friends.
Last Friday 500 attendees opened their hearts and their minds for a day of learning, inspiration, community and celebration. Sixteen innovative ideas and four performances that raised our pulses and hearts were set free on the TEDxAtlanta 2023 stage.
The women of ConunDrums opened the show with Funga Alafia, a rousing West African folk song of welcome that got the audience’s blood pumping as they rose to their feet in dance and song.
The opening session explored the works of laryngologist Dr. Anthony Law and electrical engineer Omer Inan, respectively, to establish voice and joint sounds as new biomarkers of health. Both gave us fresh perspective on what the sounds that we make can tell us about our health.
Entrepreneurship researcher Susan Cohen offered fascinating insights into the co-making of advice between startup founders and mentors. Closing the session was filmmaker Rob Hardy’s journey of breaking negative intergenerational patterns to foster deeper father-son bonds.
The second session celebrated the resilience of the human spirit and the innovations that are possible when we recast adversity as opportunities to improve the human condition.
Not only did award-winning jewelry designer Sydney Scherr not look away when she encountered two little girls in the child trafficking trade while on vacation, she developed the three ‘Vs” of vacation, volunteerism and vocational training as a novel approach to stemming the scourge of child re-trafficking. Isabel González Whitaker shared the spectrum of civic activities between voting and running for office that we could all engage in to uphold and protect our democracy. Anant Madabhushi shared his ground-breaking research that promises to revolutionize and democratize precision medicine in the field of cancer treatment and finally, Dr. Monisha Pujari offered a poignantly tender perspective on death.
Capping off the moving and sometimes emotional session was the mesmerizing performance by Indian classical music duo Amol Khanapurkar & Sai Ravisankar.
Non-obvious interdependencies and their impact on our lives and the world around us were the foci of Session 3.
Marine biologist Alistair Dove kicked off the session with a playful but insight glimpse of the world’s largest fish: The Whale Shark. His five lessons that human could learn from whale sharks were a crowd pleaser and his talk was met with an enthusiastic standing ovation.
Gerry Chen brought the next level in artist-robot collaboration to life with his invention GTGrafitti, a cable-based robot designed to enable muralists to unleash their creative vision free from the dangers of making large scale art. Staying with the concept of collaboration, Debra Lam shared her vision for solving the world’s most pressing problems: hyperlocal, community-centered collaboration. Finally, the audience gave a standing ovation to Joe Bankoff’s talk on the unintended consequences of gerrymandering, the threat to our democracy and community-centered voting districts.
Emerging hip hop talent JahWill Fannings closed out the session with a rousing performance of original music We Gotta Do Better.
The fourth and final session of the day, The Future of Us featured ideas both micro and macro to overcome the frustrations and loneliness that arise from of modern living.
Leading off was Andrew McConnell whose zero-based calendar concept as a means to retake ownership of our time and our minds resonated with the audience. Kris Braman’s ode to pollinator health reframed our perception of bees – from nuisance bugs to natural food diversity allies.
Moe Ari Brown and Tara Stoinski closed out the day of ideas. Therapist Moe Ari shared the importance of identity, acceptance and belonging through the lens of his personal transgender journey inspiring us to live our lives as our authentic selves. Primatologist Tara drew the uncanny parallels between gorillas and humans and the positive effects of strong social ties for both species underscoring the power of community regardless of species.
JahWill Fannings concluded the day with a two-song performance. First, a recap rap highlighting all of the speakers and encouraging the audience to participate chanting “together, we rise” and the dance along finale, “Jump” wherein he invited the TEDxAtlanta team and audience members to join him on stage.
In addition to the fantastic line up, we were treated to a variety of interactive experiences during the conversation breaks between speaker sessions. These took place in the common areas at the Rialto Center for Arts which were collectively known as the X Zone.
If there was one takeaway from TEDxAtlanta 2023, it would be the power of community and togetherness. We are the future and with innovation, there is nothing that we can’t accomplish-as one community. Together, we truly rise.
Celebrated director and executive producer Rob Hardy believes that family is the foundation of success.
Rob is the CEO of Rainforest Entertainment and is known for his groundbreaking work on hit shows such as STARZ’s Power Book III: Raising Kanan, The CW’s All American, and BET Network’s The Quad to name a few. His directorial genius has been recognized by top industry publications with Entertainment Weekly naming episodes of Power and All American to ‘The 30 Best TV Episodes” in 2018 and 2020. He continues to direct some of TV’s hottest shows, including Prodigal Son, Evil, Shameless, Black-ish, The Flash, and Grey’s Anatomy.
A 2014 NAACP Image Award nominee, Rob is credited for being a foundational force in Atlanta’s thriving television and film production industry. He co-founded nonprofit The Amazing Stories Foundation to train and place apprentices from diverse backgrounds on film and TV sets.
AAFCA salutes Rob Hardy at 2017 Synergy Awards
Rob Hardy Inks First-Look Deal With Lionsgate & Courtney Kemp’s End of Episode, Deadline
Omer Inan creates medical devices and systems that improve human health and well-being. He believes that wearable technology can revolutionize healthcare by providing personalized feedback, improving diagnosis, and enhancing treatment.
A smart patch that measures fluid accumulation in the lungs of heart failure patients, a wireless device that monitors joint inflammation in arthritis patients, and a wearable system that can track muscle activity and fatigue in athletes are just some of projects powered by his research.
Omer is Professor and Linda J. and Mark C. Smith Chair in Bioscience and Bioengineering in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Adjunct Professor in the Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech.
His work has earned him numerous accolades, including an Academy Award for Technical Achievement and the IEEE Sensors Council Young Professional Award.
Kris Braman works at the intersection of pollinator health, ecology and conservation.
She leads the Department of Entomology at the University of Georgia. Her research not only advances our scientific understanding of insects, it has also informed public policy on issues such as pesticide use and environmental protection. The sustainable pest management practices developed by her team has helped farmers around the world reduce their reliance on harmful chemicals and increase their yields.
For her contributions in the field, Kris has received numerous awards including the Entomological Society of America’s Distinguished Achievement Award in Horticultural Entomology and Georgia Green Industry Association’s Environmental Friend of the Industry Award.
The ultimate bee book for bee enthusiasts and experts alike
Scale-dependent effects of landscape context on urban bee diversity.
What if AI can be used to unlock the secrets hidden in medical images and data that human eyes cannot see? What if the aggressiveness of cancer tumors can be predicted more accurately and treatments tailored more precisely to save lives?
These questions drive Anant Madabhushi’s pioneering research which improves diagnostic and prognostic accuracy of cancer and other diseases. He is a faculty member at Emory University’s Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering and Georgia Tech’s College of Engineering.
A world-leading authority on medical imaging and AI with more than 500 scientific papers and 100 patents to his name, Anant received the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society award in 2017 for technical achievements in computational imaging and digital pathology.
New AI-based biomarker can help predict immunotherapy response for patients with lung cancer
How people and machines can work together to diagnose diseases in medical scans
Debra Lam believes that technology can be a force for good and inclusion.
She is passionate about creating more equitable, resilient and sustainable communities through innovation. Debra has worked with cities nationwide and those in the United Kingdom, Taiwan and Hong Kong on addressing climate change, urbanization and social inequality.
Debra is the founding director of the Partnership for Inclusive Innovation in Georgia and previously served as the city of Pittsburgh’s first Chief Innovation Officer.
Apolitical named Debra a top 100 most influential people in digital government. She is an Atlanta Business Chronicle and Georgia Trend 40under40 honoree and serves on the U.S. Department of Commerce Internet of Things Advisory Board.
Smart City Digital Twin Convergence Workshop Report
Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto: Humans Negotiating Autonomous Vehicles is the New Driver’s Ed
Small and Smart: Why and How Smart City Solutions Can and Should be Adapted to the Unique Needs of Smaller Cities[abstract only]
Alistair “Al” Dove is one of the foremost experts on the whale shark, the world’s largest fish. He is a leading voice in marine research and education inspiring audiences around the world with his passion, expertise and storytelling skills.
From the depths of the Arctic Ocean to the coral reefs of the Caribbean, Al has explored and documented the biodiversity of some of the most inhospitable environments on Earth. His work has contributed to our understanding of the complex and interconnected ecosystems that make up our blue planet.
As Vice President of Science and Education at the Georgia Aquarium, he leads education, research and conservation initiatives and spearheads partnerships with other institutions. His work with policymakers and industry leaders have contributed to advancing sustainable marine resource management and conservation practices.
The Whale Shark, by the Georgia Aquarium
Whale Sharks: Biology, Ecology, and Conservation, edited by Alistair D. M. Dove and Simon J. Pierce
Moe Ari envisions a world where we all embrace our innate authenticity and diversity so that all people experience belonging and love just for being who they are.
He is passionate about helping LGBTQIA+ individuals and allies find their authentic selves and connect with others in meaningful ways. As a transgender, non-binary person and a licensed marriage and family therapist, he brings a unique perspective when helping others navigate identity, relationships and belonging in a diverse world.
An authority on relationships, Moe Ari has featured in a broad array of media outlets from USA Today to Out Magazine to Discover Magazine.
About transgender people, Nation Center for Transgender Equality
Helpful links and resources curated by GLAAD
Monisha believes that striving to die well is an extension of striving to live well and she has dedicated her life to helping patients proactively manage their decline.
With more than a decade of experience as a palliative and hospice care physician, Monisha is known among her peers for her novel approach that offers terminal patients the option of hospice care in the home setting. She currently serves as Longleaf Hospice’s medical director.
Monisha is board certified in hospice and palliative care in addition to holding a Hospice Medical Director certification. She received her internal medicine training at the Mayo Clinic.
What if everything you’ve been taught about building a successful career no longer applies?
Margaret Weniger has spent years exploring that question from both sides of the table. As director of entrepreneurial programs for CREATE-X at Georgia Institute of Technology, she helps founders navigate uncertainty while building companies designed for the future. As a technology sales executive, leadership strategist and author of “Broken,” she has interviewed hundreds of professionals, founders and executives to understand why some people emerge from career disruption stronger than before.
Margaret’s work sits at the intersection of entrepreneurship, leadership and the changing nature of work. Drawing from her own unconventional career and years of research, she challenges long-held assumptions about success, ambition and what it really takes to build a meaningful career in a world that refuses to stand still.
At TEDxAtlanta, Margaret invites us to rethink one of the most familiar ideas about work. The answer may change not only how you think about your career, but also how you approach whatever comes next.