TEDxOcala set for Nov. 8

Tiffany Edith gestures as she speaks during TEDxOcala in the Dassance Fine Arts Center at the College of Central Florida in Ocala on Nov. 9, 2024. This year’s event will take place on Nov. 8. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette file photo]

Get ready to pivot, Ocala and Marion County.

That’s the theme of this year’s TEDxOcala event, which will take place Nov. 8 at the College of Central Florida

TEDxOcala, an independently organized TED event, has announced that its 11th annual event theme, “Pivot,” will explore how shifts in thinking, identity, community and industry can create powerful change, both personal and collective.

“Each year, TEDxOcala challenges us to grow and evolve. As we celebrate our 11th year with the theme ‘Pivot,’ we’re reminded that progress often begins with a single courageous shift. We strive to make every event better than the last — more inspiring, more impactful and more connected to our community,” said Manal Fakhoury, licensee and curator of the event.

TED is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or less). TED began in 1984 as a conference where technology, entertainment and design converged and today covers almost all topics — from science to business to global issues — in more than 100 languages. Independently run TEDx events like the one in Ocala help share ideas in communities around the world.

At TEDxOcala 2025, guests will hear from thinkers, creators and changemakers who’ve embraced the art of the pivot — those who dared to shift course and discovered something extraordinary on the other side. Together, we’ll explore how pivots can disrupt industries, heal communities, ignite movements and transform lives, because sometimes, the most powerful step forward begins with a turn, notes the event website.

​From a pool of more than 200 applicants from across the United States and internationally, TEDxOcala selected this lineup of speakers and topics:

* Ibrahim Awad – Unchosen Identity

* Chad Carden – Perception to Perspective

* Mitchel Roth – Pivoting of Inmate/Staff Roles

* Ike Anderson – Unmasking Effect

* Madinah Wilson-Anton – Authenticity/Clean Humor

* Richard Corey – Legal Reasoning for Life Changes

* Matt Parr – Understanding Stem Cells

* Allen Simmons – Soft Skills

* Melanie Klein – Antifragility

* Yasmine Shahwan – Community as a Healing Model

* Lee Pepper – Business Strategy vs. Hustle

* Poornima Srinivasan – Blockchain Bartering

* Dennis Gonzalez – Assumptions and Consequences

* Jean Lowery – Power of Pivot

* John Berry – Carrying Unsubstantiated Guilt

* DeLon Canterbury – Deprescribing

TEDxOcala will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the CF campus at 3001 SW College Road, Ocala. Tickets include lunch and snacks. Parking is complimentary.

To learn more, go to tedxocala.com

Emily “Cali” Callahan speaks during TEDxOcala at the College of Central Florida on Nov. 9, 2024. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette file photo]