Speakers
Below are the speakers who will share their ideas and insights at TEDxBuffalo's 2025 event. These visionary individuals represent a diverse range of backgrounds and disciplines, united by their passion for sparking change and shaping the future.
Kendra Brim
Kendra Brim is an author and changemaker committed to helping others unlock their full potential through stories of resilience, leadership, and transformation. As the founder of K. Savannah Consulting and creator of “Out of Bounds,” she equips student-athletes and leaders with the tools to navigate life transitions and embrace their power. With over a decade of experience in equity-focused leadership and community building, Kendra inspires action through authenticity and purpose.
Ashley Falletta
Ashley Falletta is a writer, content strategist, and the founder of Prose Creative Writing Studio. She partners with entrepreneurs, visionaries, and thought leaders to transform their ideas and concepts into powerful, purpose-driven words that inspire action and leave a lasting impact.
Ashley’s experience in dramatic play and character development has sparked a love for role-playing games and “nerd culture”, which she incorporates into her life’s work as a writer, creative and business owner.
Aitina Fareed-Cooke
Aitina Fareed-Cooke was born and raised in Buffalo NY and earned a BA in English and an MA in Education from Buffalo State University. She is a multifaceted artist—wife, mother, creative arts strategist, national recording artist, and Buffalo's current poet laureate. An exhibiting artist, published photographer, and digital storyteller, Aitina founded Get Fokus'd Productions, an award-winning digital media arts company dedicated to collaborating with emerging and professional artists to produce "human-first" narratives. Among her awards are 43 North's Ignite Buffalo People’s Choice Award, Buffalo State University’s Young Alumnus Achievement Award, a Citizens Bank Community Champion Award, and the Arts Services Inc. Trailblazer of the Arts Award.
Megan McElfresh
Megan McElfresh is a nationally recognized speaker, writer, community advocate, and
dedicated artisan with deep roots at the intersection of preservation trades, architectural glass
art, and community service. Growing up in stained glass studios instilled in her a passion for
hands-on creative trades education, while her relentless curiosity about glass as a material and
her research into community economic systems drive her to build innovative, collaborative
solutions that strengthen community connections.
Megan thrives where glass artistry meets social impact, pushing boundaries to ensure that art
and preservation remain vibrant, inclusive forces for positive change. Her ongoing research
investigates how preservation practices impact the trades ecosystem and how thoughtful
preservation can sustainably maintain our built environment, enhancing community resilience
and economic development.
As the Executive Director of the Stained Glass Association of America (SGAA), she is
committed to breaking down barriers to craftsmanship education, recognizing that our history is
not merely a relic but a living, evolving story that must be nurtured through collaboration and
inclusive innovation.
Joseph Thomas
Joseph S. Thomas, MD, FHM is a hospitalist physician in Buffalo, NY who, in addition to working clinically for the last six years since finishing residency, also has the privilege of serving as a clinical instructor to medical residents and students. He also serves as one of the Digital Media Editors for the Journal of Hospital Medicine. Since spring of 2020, he has written the blog Managing Health Expectations, and with over 20,000 followers between TikTok, Instagram and Substack, uses social media for education and advocacy in public health, reproductive justice, and fighting misinformation. He has guested on the podcasts Diversify in Path, The Physician’s Guide to Doctoring, and The Black Doctors Podcast discussing these issues, and has published op-eds on MedPage Today and in the Buffalo News about how he combats misinformation and encourages others to do the same.
Stephanie Vito
Stephanie is a tireless advocate for improving patients’ and people’s lives through design. Her work as a healthcare architect and planner elevates mental healthcare across communities, specific populations and society. Stephanie’s professional goals are rooted in human empathy – seeking to eliminate mental health stigmas by pushing back against society’s preconceived notions.