What if aging wasn’t something to fear but something to celebrate?In this insightful and refreshingly honest talk, Melody Martinez, one of the youngest speakers on the TEDxInglewood stage, explores how society’s obsession with youth is shaping how even teenagers view themselves. From ancient beauty rituals to modern-day “anti-aging” trends fueled by 13-year-olds on social media, Melody uncovers how deep our fear of time really runs.With humor, curiosity, and wisdom beyond her years, she challenges us to rethink what it means to grow older. Aging, she reminds us, isn’t a flaw it’s a privilege. Each wrinkle, scar, and laugh line tells a story of life lived fully.Watch this talk to be reminded that the most beautiful thing we can become is ourselves, at every age. Melody Martinez is a determined and Driven student at STEAM Virtual
Academy. She is passionate about Creativity and innovation, she also thrives in artistic and storytelling domains in which she tries to blend these two passions to inspire herself and others.
As a tech ambassador for the South LA Best Buy Teen Tech Center, Melody helps to build the community; she motivates and empower her peers to get active in the tech world and try new things. In her capacity, she has assisted community projects such as food drives and giveaways to the community's needs, showcasing the talent of her community and empowering others.
Melody believes that collaboration is key; she strives for teamwork and wants to build an environment where all people can reach their potential. Besides her community work, she is an advocate for the inclusion of diverse voices in tech. She speaks at community events , encouraging her peers to engage in the technology and art fields.
As a next-generation change-maker, she aims to practice her skills and passions for the benefit of her community by helping them reach their creative aspirations and goals. She sees a future where creativity and community engagement can be put together, she is determined to be a person for positive change within her community. Through workshops, mentorship programs, and collaborative projects, she looks forward to inspiring others to recognize their potential, and ultimately make a supportive environment that encourages
personal growth. 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
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- 9:45How to Become Someone You’re Proud Of | Tom Kelly | TEDxColumbianaThis TED talk challenges the conventional idea of legacy as something that exists only after you're gone. Instead, it redefines legacy as a living, breathing impact you create every day. By sharing stories and insights, the talk reveals how you can design your legacy through daily actions, mindset shifts, and intentional decisions. It highlights that waiting to be remembered is a mistake -true legacy is about becoming the person you are proud of while you're still alive. Tom Kelly is an author, speaker, and entrepreneur who helps mission-driven leaders scale their impact with systems—not stress. He founded CharityAuctionsToday, a platform that’s helped over 50,000 nonprofits raise $1B+. As host of The Million Dollar Nonprofit podcast and author of the book by the same name, Tom teaches nonprofits and entrepreneurs how to leverage automation, AI, and bold action to grow without burning out. 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
- 10:09Clues in Our Senses: Smell Loss and Brain Health | Dr. Paule Valery Joseph | TEDxCincinnatiWhat if a change in taste or smell could be the first sign of something much bigger? In this talk, Dr. Paule Joseph shares the personal story of her mother-in-law’s legendary cooking and how subtle shifts in flavor revealed early signs of dementia—showing how our senses hold powerful clues about brain health. Blending science and story, she reveals why paying attention to smell loss can help us protect memory, health, and connection.? Website: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paule_Valery_Joseph ? Instagram: @Dr_PauleJoseph ? LinkedIn: Dr. Paule Valery Joseph ? X/Twitter: @Dr_paulevj #BrainHealth #SmellLoss #DementiaAwareness #SensoryScience #TEDx #TEDxCincinnati #TEDxtalk Dr. Paule Valery Joseph is a nurse scientist, Guggenheim Fellow, and 2025 Presidential Leadership Scholar whose work explores how smell and taste shape health, disease memory, and human connection. A 2024 TED Fellow, her TED fellows film/talk Why Smell Matters More Than You Think introduced global audiences to the overlooked power of scent. She has since expanded that vision in her TEDx talk, Clues in Our Senses: Smell Loss and Brain Health, where she shares the story of her mother-in-law’s cooking and how subtle changes in taste and smell signaled the early stages of dementia. A nurse practitioner and leading chemosensory researcher, Dr. Joseph has led studies on how sensory changes are linked to obesity, alcohol use, and neurological disease. She holds a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania, where she trained at the Monell Chemical Senses Center. https://www.ted.com/speakers/paule_joseph 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
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- 11:53Theodore Roosevelt & the Secret Power of Sisters | Ed O'Keefe | TEDxFargoIn his recent book, The Loves of Theodore Roosevelt: The Women Who Created a President, Edward F. O’Keefe contends that perhaps the most masculine president in the American memory is actually the product of unsung and extraordinary women. O’Keefe, who serves as the CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation, reintroduces five women lost to history who were critical to TR’s success: his mother, two sisters, and two wives. In his TEDx Fargo talk, O’Keefe focuses on Bamie and Conie, respectively TR’s elder and younger sister. One, according to her contemporaries, could have been president were she born a man. The other was essentially TR’s co-governor of New York State — yet neither is broadly known today. Come to hear about Theodore Roosevelt and the secret power of sisters — and think about how the thread of family, those who have picked you up and pushed you forward, have changed the trajectory of your life. Edward F. O’Keefe was born and raised in Grand Forks, North Dakota (go Rough Riders!) He is currently the CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation. Previously, he spent two decades in broadcast and digital media at ABC News, CNN, and NowThis, during which time he received a Primetime Emmy Award for his work with Anthony Bourdain, two Webby Awards, the Edward R. Murrow Award, and a George Foster Peabody Award for ABC’s coverage of 9/11. A former fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, he graduated with honors from Georgetown University. 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
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