Imagine a day filled with brilliant speakers, thought-provoking videos, and mind-blowing conversations. This TEDxWomen event is a local grassroots initiative led by volunteers, created in the spirit of TED's overall mission.

Amy Aldridge Sanford’s passion for public speaking began at an early age and was cultivated through her participation in Girl Scouts, the church, and student clubs. She competed in her first speech contest in the 8^th grade, and by the end of the year, won a national title with perfect scores. She held many local, district, and state leadership positions in high school and frequently gave keynote addresses, leadership workshops, and banquet speeches across her home state of Oklahoma. Amy received enough scholarship money that she graduated debt-free with a bachelor’s degree in communication education in 1999 and was the first in her family to earn a college degree. She went on to receive two master’s degrees and a Ph.D. in communication studies from the University of Iowa in 2006. She has spent her entire career as a university educator and administrator, and in 2020, added the title of book author with the publication of “From Thought to Action: Developing a Social Justice Orientation” – appearing often on Amazon’s list of Top 100 Political Advocacy Books. Amy is the past president of the Central States Communication Association, a former TEDx speaker, and has been honored with many local, state, and national awards, including Outstanding College Forensics Coach in Oklahoma and University Communication Educator of the Year in both Texas and Oklahoma.