Theme: Think Differently

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized (subject to certain rules and regulations).

Straz Center
1010 N Macinnes Pl
Tampa, Florida, 33602
United States

Arbaina Kawilan

Resilience & Emotional Well-being Advocate

Arbaina Kawilan is a speaker and resilience strategist who challenges how we think about rebuilding from the hardest places. Before speaking at a United Nations review conference, she stood in a motel room—unhoused, undocumented, and uncertain if she had made the biggest mistake of her life. That moment became the start of a transformation. Her TEDx talk introduces emotional alchemy—a framework for turning adversity into action and rebuilding a life from the inside out. Arbaina believes resilience isn’t just grit—it’s a process that can be practiced, lived, and shared. With clarity and heart, she invites audiences to think differently about survival, growth, and what it truly means to begin again.

Breanne Mertz

Assistant Professor of Marketing

Breanne A. Mertz is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at The University of Tampa. She earned her Doctorate in Marketing from Louisiana Tech University in 2022. Her research explores ways to enhance well-being and address consumer welfare issues within consumer behavior and service contexts, with a particular focus on social media wellness, workplace dignity, and modern slavery. She has published in the Journal of Macromarketing, Journal of Consumer Behavior, Journal of Service Theory and Practice, Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, among others. Bre teaches courses in social media marketing and buyer behavior. Before academia, she worked for several years in marketing and now continues as an entrepreneur, offering consulting and photography services, bringing unique, real-world insight into her pedagogy and research. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling and spending time with her husband, family, friends, and pup.

Jessica Dueñas

Residence Life Coordinator

Jessica Dueñas is a mother, writer, life coach, and Residence Life professional at the University of Tampa. Originally from Brooklyn, New York, and proud to call Louisville, Kentucky, a second home, Jessica has been in recovery from addiction since November 2020. A former classroom teacher, she was named the 2019 Kentucky State Teacher of the Year and recognized as a Kentucky Colonel in 2021 for her leadership in addiction awareness and mental health advocacy. Jessica has shared her story on national platforms such as NPR, Red Table Talk and CBS Evening News, inspiring others with her journey of resilience and hope. She holds degrees from Hunter College, Brooklyn College, and Bellarmine University. Today, she channels her passion into helping others heal. In December 2024, she celebrated one of her greatest milestones yet: welcoming her daughter, Amara.

Kait Richardson

Registered Dietitian

Kait Richardson is a Registered Dietitian, author, podcast host, and mom whose mission is to redefine the conversation around nutrition and self-worth. Drawing from thousands of hours spent counseling individuals in a private nutrition practice- as well as her own experience navigating the pressures of diet culture- Kait challenges the societal obsession with willpower and perfection around food. Her book, How to Eat Like a Normal Person, was her first public exploration of how restrictive dieting fuels anxiety, negative body image, and disordered eating patterns like bingeing and emotional eating. In her TEDx talk, Kait invites us to reconsider the beliefs that shape our eating habits and offers a more human, hopeful path forward. With warmth, vulnerability, and science-backed insight, she empowers audiences to stop blaming themselves and start building a relationship with food that’s rooted in respect, not restriction.