TEDx Hagerstown Women

What if the very things we’ve been taught to hide—our quirks, culture, and complexity—are the key to redefining leadership? Human performance doesn’t thrive through perfection, but through presence. When women lead from their full, unfiltered selves, we don’t just succeed; we transform what power looks like. 

Some keys unlock new adventure, and some keys lock you out and in. Through teaching, Jessica learned how to be authentic, bold, brave, and unafraid. Her idea seeks to inspire other women to embrace the unique and eventful journey of life, with gusto!  When you are being yourself, completely, there is no limit to how fulfilling your adventure can be.

Can you celebrate life even when it is imperfect? Do it anyway. Find ways to thrive when you find yourself in a state of survival and take time for those moments of embracing life especially when life is hard. Celebrating who you are, even when it may be imperfect and feel impossible, is self care that enables sur-thrival (survive + thrive). 

Dyslexia is a language-based learning disability without a cure.  Taylor Shay encourages those with dyslexia to see their view of the world as a gift. By taking the DIS out of disability and focusing on ABILITY, as a community, we can uplift dyslexic achievers who see the world in a unique way. 

Ever made a decision that you regret? Truth cuts through shame and opens doors to freedom. This story of survival, strength, and purpose is a living testimony to rise, rebuild, and lead with the idea that the scars you carry will light another’s path. 

In the mist of chaos you can change your life for the better. During the pandemic, when most of the world was falling apart, was your world falling into place? This new idea brings encouragement to set aside fear, doubt, and apprehension and consider revisiting a previous no and turn it into a yes. 

AI is transforming research into an open and accessible space—allowing anyone with curiosity, not just experts, to contribute to academia. Open-source machine learning models and accessible datasets have unlocked opportunities for anyone, regardless of age, formal education, or institutional backing, to contribute to research. The barriers to entry into academia are lower than ever before, and anyone with the drive to explore can make a meaningful impact. 

How do you make an Impact? Why Does it Matter?  Regardless of your occupation, you can make your community a better place. While many people often associate law enforcement with enforcing traffic laws and responding to calls for service, the role goes far beyond that. The core idea that one should strive to serve one's community led Carly into service. In her talk she shares the great fulfillment from taking positive actions in a place you care about daring others to positively contribute to their community's betterment. Identify how you can give back to your community in your current role and then do it! 

Self Exploration is a vulnerable journey that develops leadership. No matter our differences or where we come from we all have one thing in common, being different has been weaponized. Leading in chaos requires a posture of hope. In sharing this idea, Kristin digs into "different" confronting culture and chaos, concluding that Self Exploration is constant and the only way to accept others is to accept yourself.  What if we all applied self-acceptance to our journeys?

Have you ever noticed—when someone is asked, “What is your talent?” they answer you with a skill. And when someone asks, “What is your skill?” they answer you with a talent. Is there any difference, or are they the same? At age 4, Ellie discovered a love for singing and began a journey to uncover her talent by developing the necessary skills to entertain the world around her. Exploring the differences between talent and skill, and obstacles sure to come against you, she argues that natural gifts and learned ability are a power that can never be lost. And the world needs you to share your power.  

When individuals share personal stories, especially those that are highly emotional, meaningful, or painful, they are choosing to be both vulnerable and trusting.  Experienced together, vulnerability and trust have the power to forge positive social connections that can improve physical health and emotional wellbeing. Bernadette shares the idea that through stories, we are able to connect with those who are different from us and that has the power to heal our world and mobilize humankind to act for the common good.

Imagine the entire course of your life being changed by something no bigger than the size of a poppyseed. Ashley Baker is a pioneer in the space of Lyme and Tickborne disease awareness—one of the most controversial diagnoses in medicine today: Neurological Lyme disease, also known as Persistent or Chronic Lyme. After going unheard, dismissed, and sick Ashley learned from other Advocates and Trail Blazers out in the world who stood up for themselves and their health and is on a mission to change the narrative and inspire hope, reminding anyone silently suffering—you’re worth going to bat for too!

Taking a closer look at the construction industry, women constitute a mere 10.9% of its workforce. It's not gender that dictates ability, but rather the gender gap prevalent in fields like science, technology, engineering and mathematics  – that is responsible for this severe underrepresentation. As a business owner and the CEO of a major construction company, Melissa believes that when we stop nurturing self-doubt and start fostering self-confidence, we will witness greater equality in nontraditional roles.

Each day, we generate a staggering 120 zettabytes of data globally, and this figure is projected to grow exponentially year after year. In 2023, the Pew Research Center revealed that 44% of Americans do not believe they regularly engage with Artificial Intelligence (AI). In reality, AI is already deeply embedded in nearly every aspect of our daily lives, whether we are aware of it or not. Women, driven by their curiosity and willingness to explore, play a crucial role in shaping how AI impacts our world. As we adapt to this evolving landscape, it becomes increasingly clear that women's resilience is positioning them as a formidable force within the AI sector. 

Esther Bonney has a revolutionary idea that merges youth mental health and climate action through horticulture. Integrating horticulture exposure into educational curriculum and mental health programs is essential for empowering today’s youth to confront the mental health and climate crises. In her talk she illustrates how connecting with nature is more than a movement, but a return to who we are and can create profound change. In nurturing the land, we nurture ourselves. Esther offers a compelling discussion to advocate for youth programs to spark a new wave of youth-led climate action.

Perhaps you have an area of your life that, from the outside, everything appears to be going well—you are achieving some goal or living some journey that you thought was right for you—but you still have the sense that something is missing. Feelings of unfulfillment can be powerful indicators that it’s time for a change. Drawing from her own career journey, Stephanie discovered that achievement is not fulfillment and shares how she recognized key signs and found the courage to make pivotal changes which led to a fulfilling career. Her talk provides practical guidance on how to assess your current situation and boldly challenges viewers to take the first step.

We learn more about ourselves and our problem solving skills from our failures than our successes. Every failure is an opportunity to learn and grow. It provides valuable insights that can inform your future actions and strategies. In sharing personal failure, Cherish shares pivotal life lessons for success. Through resilience and shifting our perspective of failure, we can have a better relationship and improve based on failure we have experienced. Focus, commitment, and resilience are ways that we can change the perspective of failure as we’re on the path to achieving success.

Fire is one of the most important technological innovations in humankind. Similar to elemental fire, we all have a metaphorical fire that burns within us. In her TEDx Talk, Nitzalis Rivera asks: what is the fire inside of you, how do you use it to inspire others, and how do you fuel the fire within when its embers are burning low? 

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders in the United States, beginning in childhood and oftentimes lasting into adulthood. Amber Mowery was diagnosed with ADHD and high functioning anxiety as an adult. After embracing her diagnosis, she examined her daily routine and developed new strategies for "unhacking" her brain while living with "focus follies". 

One out of every four girls in the United States will have experienced abuse before reaching the age of 18. Moreover, due to fear, a staggering 96% of these women or girls will not report the incident until they reach the age of 18, if ever. This issue knows no boundaries and affects all communities, regardless of economic status, race, or religion, according to the Center for Disease Control. Dr. Hill-Murray explores the effects of abuse and offers guidance for communities to support women who bear the scars of abuse. By sharing her own journey of healing a broken heart and breaking free from generational cycles of lack, addiction, and abuse, she offers an empowering message that the way you started, is not the way you have to finish.

We all have ingredients for life, whether we bought them ourselves or inherited a legacy that we carry with us. Former Maryland State Delegate Brenda Thiam shares how a southern meal became a touchstone for storytelling and generational blessings in her family. 

Healthy achievement can promote positive mental health-it improves our self perception, increases our sense of self worth, and gives us the confidence to tackle future challenges. But when does achievement become unhealthy and how can we regain balance when we've gone too far? In her TEDx Talk, Eden Teodorovici dissects the myth that high performance leads to true happiness and shares a new philosophy named "B.R.I.T." (Balance, River, Independence, Telescope)

Trauma. Forgiveness. Healing. These three words are an intrinsic part of our human experience. In her TEDx Talk, Tekesha Martinez weaves poetry and metaphor to share her life story of overcoming trauma, forgiving herself and others, and embracing healing. 

Words have the power to heal, but they also have the power to kill. Authentic support, which balances optimism with space for genuine emotions, is far more valuable than empty reassurances during difficult times. Often, well-meaning friends and family inadvertently cloud a person's challenging experiences with empty words and gestures, failing to acknowledge the genuine pain involved. In her talk, Candice emphasizes the value of genuine emotional support and provides a new approach which challenges the pervasive culture of forced positivity.

Even before she comprehends her place in the world, a seed is being planted. An innocent and loving gesture, in the form of a gift, is gently placed in her arms before she possesses the dexterity to grasp it. She receives a baby doll, and with it comes an indoctrination, an imprint, the beginning of an identity taking shape. A blueprint of what it means to be a woman is handed to her, and over time, she learns that caregiving is a role expected of her. But what happens when women are unable to bear children? In her talk, Naimah challenges the conventional definition of motherhood and confronts the very essence of womanhood. She offers the audience a profound insight into the complexities of childlessness. 

Why does it seem like some people find recovery and others struggle? Recovery is not a one-size-fits all solution; there is no quick fix. Chekesha battled opiod addiction for nine years rendering her deaf. A year after embarking on her path to recovery, she was confronted with an unexpected pregnancy, giving birth to her son prematurely at just 24 weeks, he weighed a mere 1 lb 10 oz. Recently celebrating 13 years of recovery, she recovers out loud every day and argues that asking for help is the first step in a lifelong journey.