Speakers 2021
On April 21, 2021 five strong women leaders from the Chicagoland area shared their vision for our community, with a renewed sense of importance on the theme of “CONNECT”. Talks from the TEDxWilmette2021 event can be viewed on the videos page.
TEDxWilmette 2021 Speaker Bios
SUSAN ABRAMS
Susan Abrams is CEO of Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center. Under Susan’s leadership, the Museum was awarded the National Medal by the Institute of Museum & Library Services, the highest honor for a museum. . Susan believes that storytelling combined with interactive technology turns the lessons of history into experiences that build empathy, a quality vital to standing up against injustice.
LAKSHMI HALASYAMANI, MD
Dr. Halasyamani is the Chief Medical Officer of NorthShore University Health Systems. Throughout her career, she has led patient-centered, team-based, and data-driven initiatives to improve the quality of care within hospitals and across hospital systems. She will talk about big data and how communities have the power to reimagine the purpose of data to create a greater good for all who participate.
KIM HOLSTEIN
Kim Oster-Holstein is the Co-Founder and Chief Alchemy Officer of Twisted Alchemy, with a mission to elevate spirits. Previously, Kim was the Co-Founder and Chief Inspiration Officer of Kim & Scott’s Pretzels. A passionate serial entrepreneur, she will share how to discover your personal alchemy and impact your community and world in the process.
SHARON KRISTJANSON
Sharon Kristjanson is the founder and owner of SVK Intercultural, a consulting firm that helps clients foster more collaborative and productive discussions — particularly when different perspectives are involved. Clients gain new skills for mining difference as a building block rather than seeing it as an obstacle to overcome.
DORRI MCWHORTER
Dorri McWhorter is the CEO of the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago, transforming the organization into a 21st-century social enterprise. Dorri prides herself on being a socially-conscious business leader and is committed to creating an inclusive marketplace by leveraging a multi-sector approach across business, civic and community organizations.