Known for injecting fun into business-to-business (B2B) marketing, Destiny has been helping brands thrive in an ever-evolving landscape for more than 8 years. She has a proven track record of building award-winning marketing campaigns that resonate with target audiences.

Destiny earned a Bachelor of International Business and International Marketing from Valdosta State University. She is a graduate of Leadership Savannah and a member of the Metro Savannah Rotary Club.

The post Rediscovering Wonder appeared first on TEDxSavannah.

By seamlessly blending innovation with storytelling, Devika has helped craft identities for a wide range of wellness and lifestyle brands. Her passion for branding and simplifying complex systems also led her to write and illustrate two children’s books: A Twinkling Memory and The Children’s Object Book.

She is currently pursuing an MFA in Graphic Design and Visual Experience at SCAD and hopes to inspire other young designers to embrace their creativity and become forces for positive change in their own communities.

The post My Inner Child Is My Creative Director appeared first on TEDxSavannah.

Cyd Ahlberg, also known as CJ Giovanni, is a lifelong poet, talented graphic designer, compelling visual artist and keen-eyed photographer. A Savannah native, she is dedicated to honoring the legacy of storytelling by sharing her story and the stories of her elders with the next generation.

Inspired by poets Nikki Giovanni and Sonia Sanchez, Cyd delivers moving performances that blend music with spoken word to evoke raw historical narratives and reflect on life’s complexities. Through impassioned spoken word performances, she explores themes including faith, love, mental health, music and the Black experience.

She earned acclaim at the 2023 Savannah Grammar Poetry Slam and is a featured artist at community events, including Savannah Day of Peace, Sapelo Island Cultural Day, the Black Moses Freedom Festival, the Savannah Black Arts Expo and the Savannah Juneteenth Fine Arts Festival.

The post Save My Seat appeared first on TEDxSavannah.

Oz Yakabovitz is a young musician with deep roots and big range. At just 7 years old, he became the youngest officially permitted street performer in Savannah, playing at the Forsyth Farmers’ Market, where he played acoustic covers of The Beatles and Johnny Cash. Six years later, Oz has evolved into a dynamic multi-instrumentalist with a passion for jazz and a genre-bending repertoire that spans pop, hip-hop and beyond. Whether on guitar or trumpet, his improvisation is bold, expressive and always full of surprises. Live music sponsored by New Arts Ensembles.

The post Summer Workin’ Blues appeared first on TEDxSavannah.

Elizabeth M. Adams is a respected AI influencer who has been recognized by Forbes as one of “15 AI Ethics Leaders Showing The World The Way Of The Future.” She has studied the science of business and the influences of technology on society for more than two decades while leading large-scale technology initiatives for Fortune 500 companies and government organizations. As a scholar-practitioner, she developed her expertise working with tech and non-tech leaders, creating alliances that translate theory into results. Her commitment to inclusivity and ethical tech is reflected in her work driving broader employee stakeholder engagement. Currently pursuing a doctorate in Leadership of Responsible AI, her research focuses on how leaders can engage employees, particularly those exposed to AI harm. Her goal is to encourage individuals who have traditionally been excluded from the AI landscape to become active participants in building the future of AI.

The post Responsible AI Now For a Just Tomorrow appeared first on TEDxSavannah.

Lillian Grant-Baptiste is a renowned storyteller who focuses on healing, resiliency, and reconciliation stories. She recently retired from the City of Savannah and is a sought-after trainer and motivational speaker who facilitates a variety of cultural diversity, youth development, and leadership workshops. Known in Savannah for her advocacy for personal, family, and community empowerment, she has been actively involved in the social change movement for over 30 years. She is the Co-owner of a Touch of Afrika Boutique and Cultural Shop, and the founder and principal consultant of Baobab Speaks Consulting Group. She serves on the board of directors for the King Tisdell Cottage Foundation and the Martin de Porres Society. She is the immediate Past Chair of the board of directors for Healthy Savannah, the former Champion of Step-up Savannah’s Faith-based Committee, and the past Chair of Healthy Savannah’s Faith and Health Coalition. She loves spending time with her three grandsons.

The post Building Bridges of Hope, Healing, and Reconciliation appeared first on TEDxSavannah.

Temakha is a modern-day medicine woman offering the remedies of award-winning music, museum featured visual art, and community drum circles. Previously known as the internationally published runway model and beauty ambassador, Tierra – TEA – Benton, the artist chose to step off the runway and into the recording booth. Temakha’s singing and songwriting career began in 2019 with the release of her first single entitled, Nouri. Success swiftly followed as she received the Indie Music Channel awards for Best Female RnB Artist 2019 and Best Music Video in 2020. Temakha is based in Savannah, Georgia, and is currently adding the finishing touches to her first studio recorded album, which features futuristic compositions by her brother, innovative production by Eric Winbush, and appearances by musical powerhouses, including Mary Davis of S.O.S. Band and Jimmy Brown of Brick. She and her team are currently crowdfunding for her first tour to promote the release of her debut project, The Remedy.

Eric Winbush is a native of Savannah, Georgia, with over 40 years of experience in the music business. His journey as a musician, producer, engineer, stage, and production manager really began to bloom when he connected with another Carver Village native and globally recognized singer, Mary Davis of S.O.S. Band. She was working independently of S.O.S. Band when she brought Eric on her team to mix the songs for two albums, Stepping out in Full Bloom and Separate Ways. Eric also did the remix to Girls Night Out, which went to #1 on the music charts in the U.K. Along his journey, Eric also formed a close bond with another Carver Village-raised, gold record-selling artist by the name of Jimmie Lloyd Brown of Brick Band. Eric produced his solo album, They Call Me Dad, and the two continue to work together on new music. In the studio, Eric has worked on music projects for more than a thousand clients domestically and abroad. Nationally, he has worked with more than 70 churches and worship centers to ensure the quality of their sound systems and livestreams. As an entrepreneur, Eric started Dadds Production, Inc in 1985 and has worked on countless projects, including mastering the United We Funk Allstars Album, mixing the live performance of S.O.S. Band and Chaka Khan for the Sinbad Comedy Special that aired on HBO, and mixing the play back tracks for the Gullah scene for The Patriot film, featuring Mel Gibson.

The post InnerG appeared first on TEDxSavannah.

Founded in 2017 by Savannah native Mark Spradley, the Savannah Trombone Choir is comprised of high school students from the greater Savannah area. This ensemble provides an opportunity for younger generations to perform in a chamber music setting. They rehearse on Monday evenings at Wesley Monumental United Methodist Church and perform frequently around Savannah.

The post The Sound of Convergence appeared first on TEDxSavannah.

A ceramic-based sculptor who lives and works in Savannah, Georgia, Nina Samuels uses wild clay and other natural materials she has foraged across the Southeast to create original work inspired by the land, sea and fauna of the natural world. Her work has been exhibited in more than 30 art galleries across the United States. Her most recent project was a collaborative research project with the biology and fine arts departments at Georgia Southern University and was supported by the Georgia Sea Grant and the Henry David Thoreau Foundation.

The post How Art Can Heal Our Oceans appeared first on TEDxSavannah.

Rev. Guillermo A. Arboleda serves as the Rector of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, Savannah, and as the Missioner for Racial Justice in the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia. In addition to his pastoral duties, his work includes community organizing, political advocacy, training others in antiracist leadership and researching criminal justice policy from a theological perspective. A grandchild of Ecuadorian, Dominican and Puerto Rican immigrants, Guillermo is married to the Rev. Kelly Steele and enjoys watching sports, creating music, teaching CrossFit and doing yoga.

Kim Michael Polote is a vocalist, recording artist, educator and a former TEDxSavannah speaker. An American Traditions Gold medalist, Kim has shared the stage with Al Green, Harry Connick, Jr., Charlie Daniels and more. At the request of acclaimed singer Otis Redding’s family, Kim works with the Otis Music Camp in Macon, Georgia to provide guidance and instruction in songwriting and stage presence as well as recording studio coaching.

Kim is an artist in residence at Thomas Heyward Academy in South Carolina, engaging and teaching Pre-K through 12th grade students. She also assists with performance and vocal technique in the music department at St. Vincent’s Academy in Savannah, Georgia.

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