Seafood fuels Gulf Coast culture and economy, but trust in that seafood depends on what happens behind the scenes. Drawing from years as a food safety officer, Jessica Rankin explores how training, systems, and culture must be used together to ensure food systems remain safe. Her talk underscores why strong foundations in food safety are essential for protecting communities and sustaining the Blue Economy. Jessica Rankin is a food safety and regulatory expert with over 15 years of experience in compliance inspections, HACCP planning, and seafood safety systems. As the founder of The Safe Food Culture LLC and a former FDA-certified inspector for the State of Mississippi, she has conducted hundreds of federal audits and developed training programs that have certified over 500 professionals. Jessica is a certified ServSafe Instructor, Preventive Controls expert, and HACCP trainer. Her work emphasizes practical food safety solutions, regulatory alignment, and empowering teams through education and compliance-driven culture. 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

Blending science and poetry, Dr Leila Hamdan leads the audience through a vivid journey from the ocean’s deepest darkness to its sparkling surface. Her talk explores how curiosity, color, and wonder fuel scientific discovery and shape our relationship with the sea. She reminds us that the Blue Economy is a story of imagination, identity, and humanity. Dr. Leila Hamdan is Associate VP for Research at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) and Professor. She studies microbial ecology in the ocean. She received the NOPP Excellence in Partnering Award for a study of the Deepwater Horizon Spill. She is Past-President of the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation, principal investigator for the NOAA Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute and NSF Research Vessel Gilbert R. Mason, and served on the NASEM 2025-2035 Decadal Survey of Ocean Sciences committee. She previously worked at the Naval Research Laboratory, and holds a BS from Rowan University, and MS and PhD from George Mason 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

Shattering Illusions About Strength, Disability, and Self-WorthAfter a life-altering accident left his brother paralyzed from the waist down, Pankaj Goplani watched every illusion of “a perfect life” crumble success, control, certainty. But what rose from the ruins was a story of unimaginable resilience.In this deeply personal talk, Pankaj reveals how his brother’s journey from a hospital bed to IIM Calcutta, corporate leadership, and wheelchair sports shattered society’s assumptions about disability. He also shares his own battle with the illusion of “not being good enough” and how he eventually found his voice as a communication coach.A moving reminder that real strength isn’t standing tall , it’s moving forward, in whatever way you can. Pankaj Gopalani is a Public Speaking and Communication Coach, and the founder of Speaking With Pankaj, where he has trained over 5,000 professionals, students, and entrepreneurs to speak with confidence and clarity. With 14 years of corporate experience and a journey from stage fear to stage presence, Pankaj now coaches aspiring entrepreneurs at MIDAS School of Entrepreneurship. His story and platform inspire thousands to find their voice and speak with purpose. 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

A child’s earliest years shape lifelong skills, resilience, and the capacity to contribute to the community. Sarah Myers explains how early intervention builds strong neural pathways, empowers families, and strengthens the region’s future workforce. Her talk shows why investing in early childhood development is a powerful strategy for long-term stability and Blue Economy success. Sarah is a pediatric speech-language pathologist with over 15 years of experience supporting families with young children with disabilities in South MS. She specializes in family-centered practices including parent/caregiver coaching and total communication supports for children with complex communication needs. Sarah practices servant leadership with her team of interdisciplinary providers as the director of The Children’s Center for Communication and Development at The University of Southern Mississippi. She speaks at national and regional conferences on interdisciplinary collaboration for ideal child and family outcomes. 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

“人这一辈子一定要去一次石窟。”王凯以丝路文化与石窟艺术研究者的视角，讲述他走进四大石窟、把“敦煌沙、龙门石、云冈尘、麦积土”带回来的旅程，以及这段旅程如何让他触摸到跨越千年的信仰、美学与温情。他也借历史的伤痕追问：是什么精神，让一代代守护者在风沙与断壁之间坚持不退？ “What if a cave could hold a thousand years of faith, beauty, and human warmth?” In this TEDxWeixiuyuan Road talk, Wang Kai takes us into China’s great grottoes—Dunhuang and beyond—reflecting on what their scars reveal, and what the “grotto spirit” teaches us about protection, resilience, and cultural continuity. 文博作家、丝路文化学者、策展人、《凯爷聊艺术》主理人。 李可染画院研究员、国际绿色艺术委员会执行主席兼秘书长、2012伦敦奥林匹克美术大会委员、首届丝绸之路敦煌国际文博会主策展人，获意大利那不勒斯国际经典文化艺术节国际策展人奖。 著作有《中国造像之美：丝绸之路上的石窟艺术与文明流变》《乐舞之美：丝路石窟中的乐舞世界》《造像之美：从犍陀罗到龙兴寺的佛造像艺术》《画家的觉察：从达芬奇到徐悲鸿》《千年一窟看云冈》等。 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

如果拥有一项超能力，他想“改变大家对中国足球的认知”。从2002年世界杯首战因伤下场的遗憾，到今天投身青训的长期主义，孙继海用一个“更慢的路”回应焦虑：足球需要时间，更需要系统。他提出判断一项运动真实水平的四个维度——国家队、联赛、青训、群众基础——并强调这是一环扣一环的闭环工程：越急，越毁根基。 “If I had a superpower, I’d change how people see Chinese football.” In this TEDxWeixiuyuan Road talk, Sun Jihai reflects on his journey—from a painful World Cup moment to building youth training today—and explains why football must be treated as a long-term system: national team results, league quality, youth development, and grassroots participation all form one connected loop. 前中国国家队主力后卫，代表中国国家队出征2002年第17届世界杯和2004年亚洲杯。 在他的职业生涯中，夺得过4次甲A联赛的冠军，2次超霸杯冠军，2次足协杯冠军，1次中国足协超级杯冠军和1次英甲冠军。 他是首位在英超联赛进球并入选英格兰足球名人堂的中国球员，随曼城夺得英甲冠军并升入英超，英超出场达130场，是中国足球“留洋时代”的标志人物。 退役后，孙继海曾任中国国家男子足球队助理教练、现持续投身青训与公益事业，中国足球发展基金会理事、辽宁省足协副主席，新疆足协副主席。 他于2024年获评“中国足球年度公益榜样”，2025年入选国际足联“球员之声”小组，持续为中国足球的未来发声。 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