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TEDxApex 2026
All of Us 

Group Embracing Together

Join us for an amazing event.

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TEDxApex Curator 

Eraina Ferguson MAR, M.Ed

Eraina Ferguson is a special needs advocate, journalist, and TEDx curator. Along with her full time role as a Senior Product Marketing Manager, she enjoys building technology solutions for families of special needs children.  Her recent monologue, Listen to Her, was read by actress Marla Gibbs and featured at the WACO Theatre’s 50in50 event. Her writing has been featured on NBC Universal, Red Tricycle, LA Parents Magazine, and the LA Times.

Our Team.

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Eraina Ferguson

TEDxApex Curator

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Alan Hoffer 

TEDxApex Speaker Coach 

About

What is a TEDx Event? 

Think of TEDx as hosting an awesome party, with great food, inspirational videos, brilliant speakers and mind-blowing conversation. By organizing a TEDx event, Eraina Ferguson, our curator, has an opportunity to create a truly unique event that will unleash new ideas, inspire and inform. 

A TEDx event is a local gathering where live TED-like talks and performances are shared with the community. TEDx events are fully planned and coordinated independently, on a community-by-community basis. The content and design of each TEDx event is unique and developed independently, but all of them have features in common.

TED's Format

A suite of short, carefully prepared talks, demonstrations and performances that are idea-focused, and cover a wide range of subjects to foster learning, inspiration and wonder – and provoke conversations that matter.

Diversity of Topics

All TEDx events present multiple issues and a diversity of voices from many disciplines. After all, what’s the fun without a little variety?

Community-driven and bias-free content

A TEDx event is organized by volunteers from the local community, and just like TED events, it lacks any commercial, religious or political agenda. Its goal is to spark conversation, connection and community.

Meet the Team

This is your Team section. Briefly introduce the team then add their bios below. Click here to edit.

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Author and Speaker 

Eli Bowman

Eli Bowman is an international speaker, NLP expert, national best-selling author, and creator of 75 Mind. After building a portfolio of seven-figure companies while quietly losing himself in the process, Eli hit rock bottom and rebuilt his life using neuroscience, neuro-linguistic programming, and a framework he calls the Path of Purpose. He now helps people identify the unconscious programs running their lives and replace them with ones aligned with their authentic purpose. His work matters because most people are living someone else's life, and they don't yet know it.

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CEO

Everett Harper 

Everett Harper is a Fellow at Stanford’s Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (CASBS), Board Director at CARE, author of Move to the Edge, Declare It Center (Wiley), and former 15-yr CEO. He is a rare combination of a Black Silicon Valley software entrepreneur, NCAA National Champion, and student of AI infrastructure for community wisdom. Everett’s TEDx challenges people to rethink the urgent challenge of today’s polycrisis with his framework: Connected Resilience. Using Maori astronomy, network science, and pre-mortems, the framework helps organizations and communities build sustainable practices to create better solutions that benefit all of us.

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Global Head of ZCX Technology 

Brandon Knight 

Brandon Knight is an author, keynote speaker, leadership subject-matter expert, thought leader, culture advocate, board member, and podcast host. He is the founder and chief executive for FREIDDD®, a decision-making model built for today’s AI world. And the Global Head of CX Technology Evangelism at ZOOM. Across 35+ years of leadership, Brandon has served Fortune 1000 companies and held CX leadership roles with major brands and channel organizations. In addition to holding a Master's Degree, his background spans Zoom, Humana, Travelers, Sprint, Intelisys, Telarus, CX-Sherpa, Exceptional Contact Centers, and more. His book “FREIDDD YOUR MIND” is the blueprint for making Financially Responsible, Emotionally Intelligent, Data-Driven-Decisions in our AI world. This talk focuses on the ONE point good leaders must master to become great.

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President at Arts Consulting Group

Nagham Wehbe

Nagham Wehbe is a strategic leader, researcher, storyteller, and arts industry expert with a deep track record of promoting creativity, diversity, and cultural impact across media and nonprofit sectors.

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Founder at Reflect 

Shane Pope

Shane Pope is the founder of Reflect Technology, an AI company building tools to help people process their inner world with clarity and deep self-reflection. 

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Speaker and Consultant 

April Martini

April Martini is an Army veteran, speaker, and identity strategist who believes that true connection starts with self-awareness. As the creator of The Martini Method™, a seven-part framework for rebuilding self-trust and redefining identity,

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Strategic Leader and Engineer 

John Kundly

John Kundly is a dynamic strategic leader and engineer who blends operational excellence with human-centered leadership to help organizations and individuals realize their greatest potential. 

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BioTech Executive 

Zhenghong Gao

Strong track-record scientist, inventor, drug developer, strategic passionate leader with experience in early-stage discovery research, preclinical development, translational medicine

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Naturopathic Physician, Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Dr. Diana Joy Ostroff

Dr. Diana Joy Ostroff has been practicing naturopathic and traditional Chinese medicine on Oahu since 1989.

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Engineer 

Camilo Zambrano is a Chilean-born, U.S.-based software engineer and the writer behind Self Disciplined. His work demystifies traditional discipline and reframes it as deliberate practice: noticing when your actions drift from your values, then returning with clarity faster each time

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Executive Leader

With over three decades of global leadership in the technology sector, award-winning author and podcaster Ajai now helps NGOs, organizations, and individuals achieve purposeful success and growth.

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Fractional CMO | Founder, SG INK

A Florida native with more than 24 years of experience spanning print manufacturing, brand strategy, and marketing systems, Sam Ghanem has built a career around helping growth-minded organizations bring clarity, congruence, and scale to their brands.

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Executive Coach & Keynote Speaker 

Tammie Ross

Tammie Ross is a leadership practitioner, nationally published author, and construction company founder whose work bridges bold leadership with real-world building. Her career spans corporate leadership, risk and compliance, and entrepreneurship, where she has led teams and navigated high-stakes environments that demand trust, accountability, and consistency.

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Founder of Imagine More 

Sara Cowan Conner was born in Kingston, Jamaica. She currently resides in the Dallas Fort Worth area, Texas. She is a known speaker, business owner, author of several books, courses and devotionals. Sara has been a guest on Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), Good Morning Erica, Joel Osteen SiriusXM, Nicole Crank Show, Smile Jamaica, The Kellie & Jerri Show, The Word Network among others.

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CEO of Fit2order 

She is a transformational speaker, leadership strategist, and innovator on a mission to help organizations redefine how they lead, work, and thrive in today’s evolving landscape. As the CEO of FIT2order and the creator of the vidaBALL™️, she equips leaders with tangible strategies to reduce workplace inflammation, boost performance, and cultivate environments where employees feel deeply connected, engaged, and valued.

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CMO and Author 

Doug Zarkin is an award-winning marketing leader who turns everyday brands into cultural forces. He scaled Victoria’s Secret PINK into a $400+ million phenomenon, co-founded Grey Advertising’s G-WHiZ! to pioneer youth marketing before influencers existed, and led Pearle Vision to eight consecutive years of growth by repositioning it as a trusted healthcare brand — work that became a Harvard Business School case study. 
 

Grounded in his “Thinking Human” belief that emotion drives decisions first, Doug blends creativity with data to build brands people love. Author of “Moving Your Brand Out of the Friend Zone,” he now serves as CMO of Take 5 Oil Change.

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Licensed Professional Counselor

Madhuri Govindu is a licensed professional counselor, award-winning author, and Counseling Today contributor focused on trauma, veterans advocacy, and amplifying veterans’ voices. Through her clinical work and advocacy, she has helped thousands of veterans recover from PTSD, MST, CPTSD, and moral injury while working to bridge the civilian-veteran gap. Her work explores the emotional impact of military service, transition, and the invisible struggles many veterans face after leaving the military. In her TEDx talk, Madhuri challenges society’s understanding of gratitude and service, reframing what meaningful support and healing should look like beyond “thank you for your service.

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Author, TEDx Speaker, and Business Leader

Richard Greene is an unrepentant humanist, TEDx Speaker, and CEO fo Clarus Advisors, where he helps mission-driven organizations strengthen culture, clarify strategy, and build effective leaders. With four decades of experience across business, nonprofits, and the executive suite, he brings strategic clarity and emotional intelligence to the stage and the boardroom. He is author of Building Value: The Five Keys for Achieving Success and Finding the Eye of the Storm -- books that address the outer architecture of great organizations and the personal foundation every leader builds from.

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Business Owner

Partner With Us 

Join us as a partner and sponsor the event to empower small business owners in our community. Your support will make a significant impact on their growth and success. Together, we can create opportunities for entrepreneurs to thrive and achieve their dreams. Be a part of TEDxApex and make a difference today.

Thankful for our  2025 Sponsors 

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