From nonprofit innovation to personal growth and civic responsibility, this year’s TEDxUVA event brought together a diverse lineup of speakers to explore what it means to pursue the concept of “True North” in today’s world. Held in the Rotunda Dome Room, the two-hour, nearly sold-out event offered students, professors and community members a series of personal stories and big ideas grounded in purpose, growth and human connection.
TEDxUVA is a student-run organization — with approximately 25 members — that hosts independently organized TED-style events under official TED licensing. According to Reeya Verma, president of TEDxUVA and a third-year College student, prior to her presidency the organization had held events under TED branding but without a license — when she became aware of this, she worked to regain official licensing, allowing the conference to be held this year with official licensing.
With a dedicated student team and no faculty advisors, the group curates a diverse lineup of speakers, encourages meaningful community engagement and emphasizes spreading ideas.
For this year’s event, Verma said that connection to the University and celebrating alumni voices played a central role in shaping the event. Six out of the seven speakers at this year's conference were University alumni.
“When we think of U.Va. alum, we think of these decorated individuals who are just stellar in every single field you can think of,” Verma said. “The point of this event was to bring them back to Grounds, have them share the entire journey that they have been on, of struggle, of redirection, of relationships … and give a personal touch to what success can look like on paper.”
Greg Harrell-Edge, longtime nonprofit leader and Class of 2003 alumnus, opened the TEDxUVA conference by critiquing traditional inefficiencies in the nonprofit sector and advocating for a more results-driven, innovative approach to mission-driven work. In his talk, Harrell-Edge — founder of The Proimpact Project, a platform aimed at helping nonprofit leaders scale their work — urged students to reevaluate how nonprofit organizations are judged and funded.
“What we need is to create organizations that are built [to] and have the resources to be able to scale and create just as much positive impact as it feels like the rate at which those problems are growing,” Harrell-Edge said.
In an interview following his talk, Harrell-Edge acknowledged the concerns some students may have about entering mission-driven and non-profit careers during a period of shrinking government support.
“That fear, I totally understand. It’s justified,” Harrell-Edge said. “But if people don’t come along and help to develop these new models using these new tools, then where are we?”
Following Harrell-Edge’s speech, Maxine Clifford, boutique fitness entrepreneur and Class of 2019 alumna, delivered a talk focused on the idea that energy, both emotional and physical, is a vital yet often overlooked driver of success and personal growth. Clifford, who launched her career by opening the Athens, Georgia location of the cycling studio pūrvelo shortly after graduating, now oversees the brand’s flagship studio and headquarters in Charlottesville.
Reflecting on her journey from unpaid intern to CEO, Clifford emphasized the importance of intentionally cultivating environments where energy can be generated and shared.
“See, energy is not luck,” Clifford said. “It's practice. It’s a skill you can build. It starts with your thoughts. Because your thoughts shape your perception, they create your words, which become your actions. They influence your motivation and behaviors and largely determine how you interact with the world.”
She described energy as a renewable resource that can lead to improved productivity, deeper relationships and greater fulfillment. Clifford closed by encouraging the audience to evaluate how their spaces, habits and relationships influence their energy and to embrace authenticity in a world that often pushes people to conform.
Another speaker featured at the event, Wendy Wan-Long Shang, award-winning children’s book author and Class of 1994 alumna, used her TEDxUVA talk to explore the intersection of personal identity, storytelling and American history, particularly through the lens of the Chinese experience.
In her talk, Shang explained how she weaves moments of historical significance into accessible narratives that reflect both individual and collective experiences. She discussed her role as the author of the 2022 American Girl book series featuring Corinne, the first Chinese American “Girl of the Year.” The series, set in Aspen, Colorado, drew on little-known histories of Chinese American exclusion and strength in the American West and offered young readers both representation and historical context.
Shang concluded by underscoring her belief that literature’s power lies not only in presenting facts but in evoking feelings, and that stories can connect communities.
“For my books, the feelings they invoke are just as important as the facts that they present,” Shang said. “It's my hope as a writer [that] I'm doing both sides of that work that I'm letting them see … the incredible journey, the endurance story of Chinese [people] in America.”
To close the first half of the conference, Colonel Daniel Moy, a lecturer at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and a 27-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force, reflected on public service, moral courage and the responsibilities of citizenship. Drawing on his military career, which included leading a counterinsurgency team in Afghanistan and advising the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Moy traced how historic events like the Gulf War and the Sept. 11 attacks reshaped his understanding of what it meant to serve.
In a story from his deployment to a remote part of Afghanistan, which he described as transformational, Moy recounted visiting a village that had recently been attacked. There, two young boys, one carrying a wheelbarrow of water, the other a dusty bottle of Diet Coke, offered the soda to him after cleaning it in a nearby ditch.
“We didn’t need to use words,” Moy said. “The look in their eyes were very clear — we trust you to protect us … Public service is about using your talent and your resources to help those who can’t help themselves.”
Moy concluded his talk by urging the audience to reject cynicism and rediscover the values at the heart of American democracy. Referencing Theodore Roosevelt’s “Man in the Arena” speech, he challenged students to show bravery, embrace causes with moral conviction and speak out with purpose.
As the second half of the conference began, Dr. Erin Nance, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and founder of FeelBetr, spoke on the emotional and systemic toll of medical misdiagnosis. Known widely through her TikTok channel, Nance has used storytelling to educate and connect with patients navigating confusing and often painful medical journeys.
Nance introduced what she called the “Seven Stages of Misdiagnosis,” a framework inspired by the stages of grief. These included denial, self-doubt, anger, depression and apathy, feelings that she said many patients experience when they are not believed.
In an interview after her talk, Nance shared why she felt it was important to speak directly to a student audience, especially as they become advocates for their own health.
“I wanted to let people know first of all that being misdiagnosed is extremely common, and then the emotional journey that goes along with it is also very common,” Verma said. “I think [talking] more about the mental health aspect of having a physical condition is what I'm really trying to bring more awareness to.”
Bram Weinstein, the play-by-play voice of the Washington Commanders and longtime sportscaster, used his TEDxUVA talk to reflect on the emotional depth of sports and its power to unify communities. A veteran broadcaster with past roles at ESPN and across Washington, D.C. media, Weinstein centered his talk on a career-defining moment, calling the team's first-ever game-winning Hail Mary, which he said captured the unifying power of sports.
The story, centered on a single play, became a window into what makes sports so enduring. He described the tension of the moment, the improbability of the outcome and the surreal experience of seeing his own reaction, a raw, unscripted burst of joy, go viral.
In an era dominated by algorithm-driven media consumption, Weinstein argued that these rare, collective experiences offer something increasingly scarce — a shared emotional reality. For him, sports broadcasting is about more than relaying scores and stats.
“My job isn’t to just call the game,” he said. “My job is to connect to the fan base and to connect to our community.”
Geoffrey Blythe, senior managing director at Guggenheim Securities and Class of 1989 alumnus, closed out the conference by sharing lessons learned from decades of experience in finance, mentorship and personal growth. Grounding his talk in the theme of “True North,” Blythe encouraged students to prioritize learning, teamwork and long-term growth over short-term gains.
“Don’t try to fast-track life,” he said. “It goes by quick enough. Really enjoy what’s around you. Take it all in. Take in the wonderful experiences … you’re going to miss this. You’re going to want this back.”
In a post-event interview, he offered advice for students thinking about their next steps.
“There’s no right or wrong way to go,” Blythe said. “There are so many multiple paths to success, not just in your career, but in your life and what’s going to give you fulfillment. It’s not just about how much money you make … it’s a big world, it can be daunting, but take it, live in the moment, enjoy the day.”
Verma said she hopes that the conference could guide students as they prepare to graduate and enter the workforce.
“Hearing what guiding principles these accomplished individuals rely on can hopefully inspire students to think deeply and critically about what guides them forward,” Verma said. “Whatever that motivation is of utmost importance to move us forward, even in times of uncertainty.”
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