Decreasing stigma saves lives. Mental health needs to be a key part of supporting our troops in the military. William Rodriguez, MSW, was inspired to dedicate his life to helping Veterans and all of those affected by trauma after serving in the US Army from 2000-2006. During this time, he participated in 3 combat deployments in the Middle East as a reconnaissance squad leader with both the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment and the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) in support of Operation Enduring Freedom /Operation Iraqi Freedom. Following his separation from the military, William began studying psychology & graduated with a Master’s Degree in Military Social Work from USC in 2012.

Whales should no longer have to perform for their supper and for our entertainment. Captive whales have raised millions of dollars for their owners and entertained millions of people – don’t we owe them something? It is time to retire these magnificent animals to natural seaside sanctuaries. A member of the Whale Sanctuary Project Board of Directors since mid-2016, Charles is no stranger to ambitious, visionary, ocean-related projects.

Single-use plastics like cups, bags, bottles and straws contribute to the eight million tons of non-biodegradable plastic that we send to the ocean each year, where it works its way up the food chain and onto our plates. Recent studies have found microplastics in fish, sea salt, and drinking water, and some chemicals in these plastics have been linked to obesity, infertility and even cancer. Is better recycling or using compostable plastics the solution? Not exactly. Learn the simple steps you can take to break your single-use plastic habit and change the world. Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff is the Executive Director of 5 Gyres Institute, the ocean conservation non-profit that first discovered plastic microbeads in 2012 and campaigned for a successful federal ban in 2015.

Sex Trafficking of underage girls is happening right in our own backyards, small towns and big cities across America. These kids are our kids, profoundly vulnerable to the lure of traffickers because of childhood abuse and trauma. Ms. Rheinschild graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She received her degree in Sociology and Spanish from University of California of Santa Barbara.

Is our current idea of activism inspiring people to do nothing? Lea Ann Mallett’s trajectory as a lifelong activist, from direct action civil disobedience protestor to charity executive director, led her to wonder just that. Lea Ann shares her new definition of activism which will shift the way you see your world, and open your eyes to the power you have to change it. Lea Ann Mallett is a lifelong activist, writer, photographer and a passionate storyteller. The trajectory of Lea Ann’s story has arced through her work as a direct-action wilderness activist for almost two decades as a non-profit executive director. She has engaged media around the world, from the CBC to the BBC, on issues from ancient forest preservation to the protection of monarch butterflies.

Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness in the world. Most of that blindness is concentrated among the world’s poorest people who are unable to afford curative surgery. This talk tells the story of how innovative doctors have creatively deconstructed and reinvented cataract surgery making it faster, much less expensive, and finally accessible to the world’s poor and blind. Jeffrey H Levenson MD is the Chief Medical Officer of SEE International (www.SEEIntl.org), a Santa Barbara nonprofit dedicated to the elimination of preventable blindness in the world.

In this engaging performance Collins Key breaks down learning the surprising secret that solves your problems quickly by using the art form of magic and explains that the answer to every problem is hiding in plain sight. The only question left to learn in this TED talk is, do you see it?

Have you ever wondered how stem cells work? Let’s explore the past two decades of scientific breakthroughs and what researchers are doing now. Learn about how making stem cells from skin is allowing us to study degenerative diseases in a whole new way.

We have all taken safety to such a degree that we have stopped using our safety and risk muscles. We rely on everyone else around us and rules and regulations to maintain our safety. If we follow the 3 Mission-Critical Elements described in the talk, our families, our workplaces and our communities will all be safer.

Carroll explores actual correspondence, dating from the American Revolution to Iraq and Afghanistan, to emphasize the searing impact war has on those who serve and on their loved ones on the home front. Andrew Carroll is the editor of several New York Times bestsellers, including War Letters and Behind the Lines. Andrew also edited, on a pro bono basis, Operation Homecoming: Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Home Front, in the Words of U.S. Troops and Their Families, which inspired the Emmy award-winning film of the same name. His play “If All the Sky Were Paper” has been performed nationwide, including at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

Shelli Varela is a trailblazer and pioneer in the hyper-competitive world of firefighting.

What often blocks people from feeling capable in life and from having greater success with finances, health or relationships is how they handle unpleasant feelings. Psychologist Joan Rosenberg unveils the innovative strategy and surprising keys for experiencing the challenging emotions that lie at the heart of confidence, emotional strength and resilience.

Bullying is an epidemic. Chloe asks the question, “Can someone truly accept the differences in another, without first accepting the differences in themselves?” When we love and accept ourselves, we are less likely to bully others. What would this mean for the bullied, the bullies, and our world?

Fashion designer Carrie Hammer was shocked to discover the techniques the fashion and beauty industries employ to sell products. She fills us in on the real harm that these do to our psyches and proposes some smart solutions.