Growth isn’t just about moving forward it’s about growing forward with intention. In this talk, Nyerere shares his personal journey of reinvention—challenging the idea of success as a straight line and offering a framework for embracing change, overcoming setbacks, and growing into your fullest potential. Nyerere Billups is a seasoned educator, speaker, and community builder with more than 30 years of experience helping individuals and organizations grow through change and purpose. Rooted in a lifelong commitment to social impact and personal transformation, his work spans from grassroots organizing to global leadership coaching. Nyerere brings a powerful mix of lived experience and deep insight to topics like healing, identity, and self-actualization. Through his speaking and mentorship, he challenges people to move beyond limitation and step fully into their potential—with clarity, courage, and intention. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

Great leaders aren’t just defined by their titles they're remembered for the ideas they champion. In this talk, Shamilya explores how bold, visionary thinking fuels meaningful change—in schools, workplaces, and communities. Drawing from her own leadership journey, she shares how championing ideas can transform student success, family engagement, and school culture. Shamilya Woods-Pettis is a Chicago-born educator, speaker, and community leader dedicated to youth empowerment and mental wellness. She brings with her a deep passion to help young people realize their worth and potential. With over a decade of experience teaching in Chicago schools and as a doctoral candidate in Educational Leadership, she combines academic insight with lived experience to inspire both students and educators. Shamilya believes that when young people know their worth, they don’t just survive, they thrive, and she’s committed to creating spaces where they can do exactly that. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx