TEDxGainesville

07/19/2026

Jess Mather is a strength and rehabilitation professional who helps people build strong, healthy, and resilient bodies through sustainable, evidence-based strategies. With over 14 years of experience supporting thousands of individuals from age 9 to 99, Jess has witnessed time and again the body’s incredible capacity to strengthen and heal, regardless of circumstance. For the past decade, she has operated a successful telehealth practice, working with clients in more than a dozen countries through private coaching, courses, and group programs. Jess is also an educational provider and founder of the Chronic Pain & Trauma Curriculum, which trains physicians, therapists, and other health professionals to approach chronic pain through a trauma-informed lens. Drawing from her background in physical therapy, trauma healing, and strength training, Jess blends science and compassion to help others experience less pain, fear, and limitation, and more trust, power, and connection in their bodies.

07/12/2026

There are roughly 300,000+ TEDx talks in existence.

55,000 get published every year.

Of those, 45 to 50 get selected by TED as Editor's Picks.

To date, of those 300,000+ talks, roughly 600 have earned this distinction.

For those calculating odds, that's a range between .07 and .09 percent annually, and .2 to .5 percent historically.

This week we learned that TEDxGainesville threaded this impossible needle.

Twice.

Congratulations to Jim Fielding and Rebecca Rolland on this incredible achievement. TED will be featuring their talks, and has not yet provided the release dates.

We will, of course, announce when those talks go live.

And congratulations to the entire TEDxGainesville team. This would be impossible without the dozens of volunteers who give of themselves and of their time. This is their win.

And, of course, thank you to all of our sponsors, throughout every year. Your support allows Gainesville to show it can stand with the largest, best, and brightest.

We look forward to what's coming next.

Stay tuned for upcoming announcements on the selected talks, our next event, and more.

07/12/2026

Dr. Kate Pratt, PT, DPT, CMLD is a doctor of physical therapy, educator, and integrative clinician specializing in complex and chronic pain. She is the founder of the Myofascial Release & Pain Resolution Center of Gainesville, where she works with individuals whose symptoms do not respond to conventional, isolated approaches. Dr. Pratt is a practitioner of John F. Barnes’ Myofascial Release®, a clinical framework that has strongly shaped her perspective on whole-body coordination and adaptation. Her work focuses on bridging conventional clinical medicine with fascia-informed care to better understand how pain develops, persists, and changes over time. Through education and clinical practice, she explores how viewing the body as a connected system can expand how pain, recovery, and resilience are understood. She is particularly interested in how earlier recognition of system-wide patterns may support more effective and integrative approaches to care.

NOTE FROM TED: Please do not look to this talk for medical advice. ...

07/06/2026

Faye Morrison trained and danced with American Ballet Theatre, where she learned that growth comes not from perfection, but from the disciplined practice of falling and rising again. She brought that same depth to Broadway, starring in Finian's Rainbow — but it was her journey into healing that would define her life's work. Certified in Hellerwork, the transformational practice of fascial reorganization that realigns the body while releasing stored emotional patterns, she began bridging physical mastery with deep human transformation. Today, Faye works in Post-Traumatic Growth, Life Coaching, Hellerwork, and yoga — and as a facilitator of equine-assisted therapy in the mountains of Northern New Mexico. Her work is grounded in neuroscience, lived experience, and the belief that every rupture carries the seed of something stronger.

NOTE FROM TED: This talk mentions sexual assault. Contents only rep...

06/20/2026

Emmanuel Garilus is an award-winning saxophonist and University of Florida alumnus who uses music as a language of connection, reflection, and hope. Raised in Haiti and now based in Florida, his sound blends Gospel, Jazz, and R&B into expressive performances that resonate across cultures and lived experience. In 2025, Emmanuel was crowned the Amateur Night at the Apollo Grand Finale Winner, becoming the first saxophonist in the competition’s history to earn the title. His work has been featured by The New York Times, NPR, and Broadway World, reaching millions and connecting with more than 100,000 listeners each month. Beyond the stage, Emmanuel serves on Gainesville’s Cultural Affairs Board and mentors young creatives as they develop their voice and artistic identity. Through every performance, he invites audiences to slow down, feel deeply, and experience music as something shared.

Music doesn’t wait for you to be ready. In this talk, musician and ...

06/14/2026

Amber is a woman who embodies transformation, resilience, and purpose. Once weighing nearly 300 pounds, Amber made the courageous decision to change her life — losing over 160 pounds and shedding not just weight, but every limit she once placed on herself. Today, she stands proudly as Mrs. Universe USA 2025 and a passionate advocate for swim safety and drowning prevention. A survivor of a non-fatal drowning at age five and the rescuer of a drowning child decades later, Amber turned her pain into purpose. Her advocacy led to the creation of legislation supporting free swim lessons for children in Florida. Through her movement, “Shedding Limits,” Amber inspires others to believe that it’s never too late to rewrite your story. Whether she’s volunteering in her community or raising her three children alongside her husband Jamison, Amber leads with courage and heart — reminding audiences everywhere that the greatest transformation begins the moment you decide you’re worthy of more.

We’re taught to avoid embarrassment at all costs—but what if cringe is actually the doorway to courage? In this talk, Amber Uhler shares how fear of judgment...

03/07/2026

A great vision needs a leader, a partnership needs a bridge, and a team needs a specialized force to bring it all home. Our next Co-Organizer has been the mission and critical partner who turned 'what if' into 'here it is.' With a talent for creativity and a heart for this community, David has truly architect of ex*****on.

03/06/2026

Building an event of this scale isn't a solo flight, it requires co-pilots who can navigate any storm and master every instrument on the dashboard. Whether it’s web designing or helping with the technical support of the show, Mike has been an essential partner in bringing this stage to life.

03/05/2026

They say it takes a village, but every village needs a leader. From the first brainstorming session to this very end, our Head Organizer Thomas (Tom) has steered the ship to bring these 'Ideas Worth Spreading' to life.

03/03/2026

Meet the Visionaries: The Team Behind TEDxGainesville 2026
Great ideas don’t just happen, they are built, curated, and shared by a dedicated team working tirelessly behind the scenes. We want to introduce the incredible people making it all possible.

From the initial spark of an idea to the final stage lights, this team has poured their passion into every detail:

The Curators: Hand-selecting the voices and stories that will challenge and inspire our community.

The Organizers: The logistical powerhouses ensuring every moving part fits perfectly into place.

The Marketing & Social Media Mavens: Building our digital home and ensuring the message of "Emergence" reaches every corner of Gainesville and beyond.

To the team: without your hard work and unwavering dedication, we would just be standing still, we wouldn't be growing. Your commitment to excellence is the reason we continue to improve year after year. You aren't just staff; you are the heartbeat of this event.

Join in the comments!
Drop a "Thank You" or a 🙌 to celebrate the team that brings big ideas to life.