Meet our Speakers
TEDxNewRiver
David Popa
Artist
David Popa is an artist born and raised in NYC currently based in Finland. His current body of work uses all natural pigments mixed only with the source water to create site-specific, ephemeral earth-works captured through the eye of a drone. The large-scale work Popa paints, mostly on islands/islets in the nordic region, are documented and portrayed through photography,short films and most recently as NFT’s (Unique Digital Works of Art)
Ron Magill
Communications Director, Zoo Miami
Ronald Magill is an american wildlife expert and photographer; he is the communications director of the Miami-Dade Zoological Park and Gardens, and makes regular television appearances across local South Florida networks. Magill has won five Emmy Awards for his work on the nature documentary programs; Dreams of Alaska, The Amazon & Beyond, "Alligator Love," and Dreams of the Rain Forest
Stanley Jordan
American jazz guitarist
Guitarist, pianist, composer, teacher, music theorist, music therapy advocate, technology developer. Master guitar tapper. Multi-style musical innovator.
Caroline Lewis
CLEO Institute
Caroline Lewis founded CLEO Institute in 2010 to educate, engage and mobilize people to take climate action. Her programs build climate literacy and informed advocacy, aiming to spur urgent action from economic and political leaders. Lewis has served on multiple national and local boards and committees and has received numerous recognitions for her work, including being named a nationally recognized Climate Resilience Champion of Change by the White House in 2013. Her focus is on waking up more people to spur innovation and scale climate solutions. To get involved, Lewis encourages people to reach out and talk.
Mjaye Mazwi, MD
Critical Care Physician
Mjaye Mazwi is the Program Director of Translational Engineering at the Department of Critical Care Medicine, the Principal Investigator of Laussenlabs, and the Co-Chair of Artificial Intelligence Medicine at SickKids Research Institute. His research interests include improvement science, data visualization, physiological modeling and the application of complexity science principles to augment understanding of the critically ill patient.
Jim Rechtin
CEO, Envision Healthcare
Jim Rechtin became President and Chief Executive Officer of Envision Healthcare in February 2020. He has 22 years of healthcare experience, with a focus on the delivery of value-based care in various medical group settings.
Dr. Michael Marion
Educator and President of MarionEDU
Dr. Michael (Mike) Marion, Jr., is an educator. He has spent over 20 years in education. Dr. Marion earned his associate, bachelor and master’s degrees from San Diego State University and a doctorate from the University of Southern California. He was also accepted into the prestigious ASPEN Institute (Leadership, Values, and the Good Society) program, Stanford University’s (d.School) Designing for Social Change Program, and Harvard University’s (Institute for Educational Management) leadership program.
Catherine Parker Toms MD
Public Health Physician
Catherine Toms is a public health physician who is a senior advisor for climate and health at Health Care Without Harm, where she helps Florida's hospitals become more sustainable and resilient. As a member of Florida Clinicians for Climate Action, she educates others about the health effects of climate change and equitable solutions that promote clean energy and healthy communities. She previously designed programs to reduce maternal and infant mortality and now focuses on the impacts of extreme heat on vulnerable populations, including expectant mothers. She leads the Green Cars for Kids program, which provides free transportation to non-emergency healthcare for low-income expectant mothers and children using an all-electric fleet.
Jean-Paul Courchia MD
Artist & Physician
Jean-Paul Courchia is a well-known painter in Europe and America. His works have been displayed in Marseille in the famous gallery Jouvène, which Van Gogh and Cezanne called home for their artwork.. Her Highness Queen Paola of Belgium, Mr. and Mrs. Shinomiya, Consul General of Japan in Marseille, and Mr. Aldon James, President of the National Arts Club of New York, are avid collectors of his works. Being both a medical doctor and a world-renowned artist has allowed Jean-Paul Courchia to study and understand how people look at works of art. Using an Eye Tracker, he was able to analyze the eye movements of subjects in front of famous works of art. This work on the human mind has brought to light the special bond that forms between an artist and the viewer.
