2025
2025 Speakers
In 2025, TEDx New Haven is proud to once again bring together a bold lineup of speakers whose voices and visions are shaping the conversations of our time. This year’s speakers will challenge assumptions, spark dialogue, and inspire new ways of thinking about the greatest issues facing our communities and our world. Their ideas don’t just live on the stage—they ripple outward, building the momentum for change that begins right here in New Haven.
N. Chineye (Chi) Anako
N. Chineye (Chi) Anako, MPH, CHES, is the
Vice President of Health Equity and Human Impact at Trinity Health, where she leads initiatives that advance inclusive care and
equitable health outcomes. She
spearheaded Trinity’s Sexual Orientation and
Gender Identity (SO/GI) Initiative and
oversees the Communication and Language
Assistance program, expanding access for
underserved patients. Chi also teaches as an
adjunct instructor at Sacred Heart University
and the University of Houston-Down.
Kwadwo Adae
Kwadwo Adae is a Ghanaian-American visual & muralist based in New Haven, CT. He is the Founder & Director of Adae Fine Art Academy, an independent art school specializing in the individualized instruction of drawing and painting to children, teenagers, and adults. He is an award-winning, collaborative muralist responsible for the installation of over thirty works of public art since 2014.
Johnnie Bird III
Johnnie Bird III, also known as Introverted JB, is an author, business owner, and proud introvert committed to shifting the way the world sees quiet strength. A first-generation college graduate of both the University of Connecticut and Yale University, JB first proved his persistence as a walk-on to UConn’s Men’s Basketball national championship program.
Earl Bloodworth
Earl Bloodworth is the Executive Director of Connecticut Against Gun Violence (CAGV), an advocacy and educational organization. In his first legislative session, he successfully led the effort to pass HB 7042, making Connecticut the first New England state and the tenth in the nation to enact a law that allows residents to hold firearm manufacturers and dealers accountable for illegally selling weapons that cause harm.
Yexandra Diaz
Yexandra Díaz is a professional storyteller, educator, and full-spectrum doula whose work bridges art, culture, and advocacy. A lifelong New Haven resident, Yex has established herself as a community leader with deep roots in youth development and civic engagement. Her intersectional approach is evident in her current strategic development roles with Hang Time CT and the Arts Council of Greater New Haven, where she advances initiatives at the crossroads of community, creativity, and justice.
Stuart DeCew
Stuart moved to New Haven as a joint degree student at the Yale School of the Environment (YSE) and the Yale School of Management (SOM) in 2008. Since 2011, he has led the Yale Center for Business and the Environment, a joint initiative of YSE and SOM, where an interdisciplinary team of students, staff and faculty connect Yale’s expertise with partners tackling urgent environmental challenges, from accelerating climate tech innovation here in New Haven to advancing sustainability solutions with impact around the globe.
Dr. Kelly Hope
Dr. Kelly K. Hope is an educator, author, trainer, motivational speaker, and curator of brave
spaces. She is a proud product of the New Haven Public School System and the owner of Kelly Koren Unlimited Education and Leadership Consulting Group. She has over 20 years of
experience in secondary and post-secondary education. She has served as an adjunct faculty at both community colleges and 4-year institutions, taught high school English, developed curriculum around African American and Latino Studies, and facilitated workshops for the State of CT Education Resource Center on cultural humility in the classroom
Anne-Marie Knight
Anne-Marie Knight, MBA, is a visionary leader, strategist, and speaker whose journey bridges engineering, ministry, and more than 40 years of nonprofit and entrepreneurial leadership. Trained in engineering and serving for several years as a design draftsman, she developed a systems mindset and a love for building. She later pursued ministry training, which deepened her commitment to human flourishing and gave her a unique ability to connect purpose with practice.
Rebekah Sookdeo
Rebekah Sookdeo is a communications and
development professional whose work bridges
storytelling, health equity, and community
research. Based in Connecticut, she leads
programs that connect refugee and immigrant
women with language and health resources
through the nonprofit Elena’s Light. Drawing on
her background in marketing and an MBA from
Cumberland University, Rebekah has helped
shape regional relationships and uplift
community leadership.
Jessica Sager
Jessica Sager, co-founder and CEO of All Our Kin, is an unwavering advocate of child care reform, focused on uplifting family child care, which stands at the nexus of equity, education, and the economy.
Address
496 Newhall St,
Hamden, CT 06517
Phone
Mercy A. Quaye
Chair, Lead Organizer
203.913.5008
