TEDxUVA Spring Professional Speakers Conference

Join us for our annual Professional Speakers Conference! Get ready to be inspired by a lineup of amazing speakers who will share their insights on a variety of topics, and how their guiding principles have led them to a True North. Visit our website, www.tedxuva.org to learn more about our team and speakers! For now, you can find information about our speakers below!

Colonel Daniel Moy:

A 27-year U.S. Air Force veteran, Colonel Dan Moy is a lecturer at UVA’s Batten School, specializing in national security, counterterrorism, and crisis decision-making. He previously served as deputy military advisor to the U.S. Ambassador to the UN and commanded a counterinsurgency team in Afghanistan. He is a recipient of the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star and is the author of a forthcoming book on the ideological origins of the American founding.

Professor John Lukens:

John Lukens is a neuroscientist and immunologist at UVA, leading research on how immune signaling impacts neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders, including Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, and autism. His lab explores the connections between inflammation, brain injuries, and the immune system. A UVA PhD graduate, he previously conducted postdoctoral research at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Bram Weinstein:

Bram Weinstein is the play-by-play voice of the Washington Commanders and Washington Spirit, the owner of Ampire Media, and host of a daily ESPN show. With three decades in broadcasting, including seven years at ESPN, Bram has become a key figure in sports media. He lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife, two children, and their dog, Marty.

Dr. Erin Nance:

Dr. Erin Nance is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and hand surgeon, TikTok’s “medical storyteller” (@littlemissdiagnosed), and co-host of The Medical Detectives podcast. She is the founder of FeelBetr, a health literacy platform, and the author of Little Miss Diagnosed (HarperCollins, June 2025). Based in NYC, she lives with her husband and daughter.

Maxine Clifford:

Maxine Clifford is the owner of pūrvelo cycle’s flagship studio and headquarters in Charlottesville, VA, overseeing 60+ employees and multiple locations. A UVA graduate, she turned her passion for community-driven fitness into a thriving boutique fitness franchise. She embraces a mindset of innovation and resilience as a young female entrepreneur.

Wendy Wan-Long Shang:

A double Hoo (CLAS ’90, LAW ’94), Wendy Wan-Long Shang is an award-winning author of books featuring Chinese-American characters, including The Great Wall of Lucy Wu and The Secret Battle of Evan Pao. She also wrote the 2022 American Girl books for the first Chinese-American Girl of the Year. Her work has been featured in collaborations with Netflix and Disney.

Geoff Blythe:

Geoff Blythe (COMM ’89) is a managing director at Guggenheim Securities, leading its Industrial practice. With decades in investment banking, he has advised on multi-billion-dollar mergers and acquisitions across industrial, technology, and healthcare sectors. He lectures annually at UVA’s McIntire School of Commerce and actively recruits UVA students into finance.

Greg Harrell-Edge:

A nonprofit innovator, Greg Harrell-Edge is the founder of The Proimpact Project, a platform for executive directors to share modern growth strategies. As Executive Director of CoachArt, he launched a tech-driven expansion that quintupled the organization’s impact. A UVA alum, he was a walk-on for the 2003 basketball team and previously worked for Jimmy Kimmel Live and Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign.

Host or Publisher TEDxUVA