Theme: Changing Our Landscape

Join us for an inspiring experience at TEDx Brewster Park Ed, where visionary thinkers and passionate changemakers will explore the theme "Changing Our Landscape." Through powerful talks and innovative ideas, this event will delve into reimagining education, leadership, and community growth.

Discover fresh perspectives and actionable insights that will inspire you to transform challenges into opportunities and foster sustainable change. Whether you're an educator, leader, or someone committed to making a difference, this event promises to ignite your imagination and empower you to drive impactful change.

Be part of the conversation. Be part of the movement. Let’s change our landscape together.

Meca @ TBH
333 S Jensen Dr.
Houston, Texas, 77003
United States

Cheri Dixon

Former Principal - Current Multilingual Specialist

Cheri Dixon is the owner of Cheri Dixon Consulting LLC, which she started after being an educator for 29 years. Cheri lives in Houston, Texas, transitioning there from a small town in Iowa after college. Cheri believes that the leader is crucial to any organization’s and supports leaders to develop their skills to strive for excellence in this global society, learning how to think with their head and lead with their heart. Cheri is an international best-selling author, podcast host, and has an award-winning online talk show. When she is not working on building her business, she loves spending time with her daughter, her chocolate lab-pitbull Oakley, and running as she prepares for her yearly half marathon!

Conrad Medrano

Teacher

Conrad Matthew Medrano is a STEM Educator who heard the call in 2014 and has not looked back since. He currently serves as the College-Ready Precalculus and AP Statistics teacher at YES Prep Fifth Ward Secondary. His primary focus in the classroom for most of his career has been in Mathematics and expanding Computer Science access to all students. He applied for and accepted an additional Multilingual Specialist role that deepened his commitment to serving special populations on a school-wide level. Later, he was blessed with a STEM administrator role for 2 years where he encountered many high-points and opportunities for growth that would shape his leadership philosophy that every employee of a school is a changemaker in their own right. He seeks an eventual return to leadership to implement the lessons learned and to continue serving the communities he lands in.

Eliseo Fernández Barrionuevo

Embassy of Spain Education Advisor Spanish Consulate at Houston

Eliseo Fernández Barrionuevo has held diverse roles as a teacher (pre-K to university), administrator, researcher, and education advisor, collaborating with schools in Spain, Finland, the USA, France, the UK, and Sweden to study the keys to success in each context. A pioneer in bilingual programs in Spain and the internationalization of education, his work has earned him several awards. With a doctorate focused on psycholinguistics and motivation, he has authored over 40 articles and book chapters. Currently, he directs the Spanish Resource Center at Rice University under the Spanish Ministry of Education and works with the Spanish Embassy in the U.S., managing educational programs promoting multilingualism and multicultural education. His efforts include overseeing the Visiting Teacher Program, with over 1,500 active teachers in the U.S., and the NALCAP program, enabling over 50,000 participants to teach millions of students in Spain.

Elisha McCardell-Staley

Leadership Coach

Elisha McCardell is a passionate Leadership Coach with over 20 years of experience in K-12 education and a decade in Educational Leadership. Renowned for her expertise in turning around failing schools, Elisha has led successful school improvement efforts across more than ten districts in Texas. As the founder of MAC Coaching & Consulting LLC, she specializes in leadership development, organizational health, and school turnaround, empowering teams to unlock their full potential and drive sustainable growth. Elisha is a staunch advocate for sustainable leadership practices, combining visionary thinking with practical strategies to create meaningful and lasting impact. A dynamic speaker and coach, Elisha inspires audiences to embrace bold ideas, lead with purpose, and achieve transformative results in education and beyond.

Irene Greaves

Lovescaper

Irene Greaves is the founder of Lovescaping, a philosophy of life and pedagogy of love dedicated to teaching human beings how to practice love in action. She believes that learning to love should be the primary purpose of education. With 18 years of global experience in education and community development, Irene has witnessed firsthand how love transcends all differences and serves as the foundation of our shared humanity. Based in Houston, TX, Irene teaches and leads the implementation of Lovescaping in public schools, intentionally building a culture of love. Through her work, Irene inspires individuals to embrace love as a transformative action in education and beyond.

Michael Ruiz

Senior Executive Director

Michael J Ruiz currently serves Houston ISD as the Senior Executive Director for Leadership and Strategic Initiatives (LSI). LSI is responsible for developing the capacity of every instructional leader in Houston ISD. In addition to this, LSI also oversees, strategic staffing initiatives as well as pipeline programs for future teachers, campus administrators and executive leaders. Michael brings 6 years of experience in technology sales and marketing and 15 years of in education to this role. During his 9 years as a dual-language teacher in Dallas ISD he was honored to be named the 2015 Dallas ISD Teacher of the Year. After serving as assistant principal and Woodrow Wilson High School and head of school for Geneva Heights IB World School, Michael was named Executive Director of STEM for Dallas ISD. He served in this role until June of 2023 where he left Dallas to move to Houston for his new role.

Sherry Sweet

Educator

Dr. Sherry Sweet is a visionary educator known for her commitment to student success and her innovative approach to teaching and learning. With over two decades of experience, she has served her students and school district as a classroom teacher, campus instructional coach, Response to Intervention (RTI) coordinator, 504 coordinator, and professional development presenter. Dr. Sweet is a passionate educator and speaker who thrives on change and refuses to settle for the status quo. She continually strives for professional growth and is always seeking unique ways to make learning fun, relevant, and meaningful. Dr. Sweet is a strong advocate for equity and inclusion in education, ensuring that all students have the opportunity to reach their full potential. She inspires educators to think outside the box and create engaging learning experiences that are both challenging and supportive.