Dr. Bryant is a professor of psychology at Pepperdine University, the president-elect of the American Psychological Association, and an ordained elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. A member of the Association of Black Psychologists, she incorporates culturally based interventions in her teaching, research, and practice, including sacred dance and spoken word, and will explain on the TEDxNashville stage why we need to decolonize psychology.

Drew is a comedian and actor who first rose to national fame for his Golden Buzzer performance and second place finish on Season 10 of America’s Got Talent. Since then he has created the podcast “Did I Stutter,” and has now over two million subscribers to his YouTube channel. Drew will walk the TEDxNashville audience through why curiosity gets you farther than ambition..

Danielle is an author, curator, artist, and podcaster, who is a regular guest speaker at companies like Pixar and Google on the subject of conquering self-doubt. She will take the TEDxNashville stage to talk about all the great techniques people have for preventing themselves from trying anything creative.

Alex was born in Tehran, Iran, in 1978, six months before the Iranian revolution overthrew the Shah and installed the Islamic republic. His family emigrated to the United States when he was in high school, and Alex is now a professor, trauma surgeon, the executive medical director of Vanderbilt’s Trauma, Burn, and Emergency Surgery Patient Care Center, and also the Head of Metro Nashville’s Covid Task Force. At TEDxNashville, ALex will explain how leaders can build trust quickly in a trauma situation.

Chris is a Vanderbilt Law professor and the director of their Criminal Justice Program. He has authored over 200 articles, books, and chapters on criminal law, as well as mental health law and evidence. He has appeared on Good Morning America, Nightline, the Today Show, National Public Radio, and many other media outlets, and has been cited in almost 5,000 law review articles and treatises and more than 200 judicial opinions, including five U.S. Supreme Court decisions. And on the TEDxNashville stage, Chris will talk about why parole hearings should be determined by algorithms.