By Amanda Gonzalez Garcia
TEDxBarryU 2022 returned after two years to inspire Barry students and faculty at David Brinkley Studio on March 31. This event was hosted by MBA student Mateo Gomez, who previously hosted this event as an undergraduate student in March 2020 before the lockdown.
TEDx events are local gatherings where live TED-like talks and performances are shared with the community. These events are fully coordinated independently, on a community-by-community basis.
This TEDxBarryU event served as inspiration and education for the surrounding community on the mediums of art, expression, and performance and how each can be used to restore communities. For instance, the speakers at Barry’s event all had different artistic visions in fashion, sports, public speaking, and activism.
Working on the production this year were a class of leaders and faculty at Barry. The organizers were senior international business and marketing major, Janeisha Cambridge, and freshman business management major, Melanie Morejon. Faculty advisors included the department chair and professor of communication, Dr. Vicente Berdayes, and assistant professor of management, Dr. Dale Hartz, with Media Center Manager Avid Learning Partner (ALP) Program Director John Musulin as executive producer. Finally, on the speakers committee was senior marketing major, Nia O’Connor, associate professor and program director in human resource development, Dr. Katya Matusevich, and Morejon.
The following is the list of this year’s speakers:
1. Elizabeth Ricci (“Seeing Ourselves in Each Other”) is an author, thespian, and immigration lawyer of over twenty years. She serves on various boards like the Barry University Alumni Board of Directors.
2. Sid Mohasseb (“Are You the Art, the Artist, or the Entrepreneur”) is known as the “Entrepreneur Philosopher.” He is a bestselling author, professor at University of Southern California, and advisor to Fortune 500 leaders.
3. William McCormick, Jr. (“Saved by Two Strikes, ‘Service for Survival’”) is the founder and Chief Executive Producer Officer of Americlaims Billing, Inc. McCormick is a 32-year pharmaceutical and healthcare executive recognized for his work in revenue cycle management and claim adjudication.
4. Gynella Ngounou (“You Are More Than They Can See”) is a senior at Georgia State University and founder and CEO of Students Expressing Life through Fashion (SELF). SELF is an award-winning sewing and design academy equipping at-risk designers with an affordable, quality education.
5. Akiel Griffith (“How Jamaican & Diaspora Migrations Helped Influence the Birth of Reggaeton”) is a songwriter, director, and content creator. He’s worked on projects with Inner Circle, Mykal Rose, and Lil Pump.
6. Ronnie Lillard (“A More Effective Juvenile Justice System”) holds a Bachelor of Arts in religious studies, philosophy, and sociology from Rice University and a Master’s in public administration from Barry. He has committed his time and efforts towards struggling youth and incarcerated men as far back as 2009.
Watch these speakers and their ideas come to life now on Barry’s BTV Channel 14 YouTube channel.
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