Theme: Driven by X

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized (subject to certain rules and regulations).

Porsche Financial Services
1 Porsche Drive
Atlanta, Georgia, 30354
United States

Ana Tardio Cabezas

Spaniard. Citizen of the World. Culture Apprentice.

Born in a small town near the Portuguese border, Ana has been exposed to different cultures since childhood. However, her passion for learning, navigating, and thriving in other cultures started when she left her small city in the South of Spain in 2000 to pursue her dreams. When in Rome, do as the Romans do, don’t you? Those are the learnings Ana has experienced in her 20+ years living and developing her career in different cities and countries. Her experience has taught her that speaking the same language and mimicking what natives do is not always enough to thrive in other cultures. She learned that we all have a culture (and an accent) and that it is a susceptible topic for each of us; she found out that living in a different culture teaches you more about your own than anything else. And the most important thing is that understanding other cultures provides individuals with the most powerful tools to create strong teams in our current global environment.

Carlos Agurs

Songwriter, Music Enthusiast

Carlos is a firm believer that Love is the one thing that unites us all and drives humans from a place of despair to healing and from trauma to triumph. Carlos has written music for various artists and assisted with music placement in many short films and small projects. He is a member of the Atlanta Chapter of the Recording Academy, and recently has had music recognized and placed on a playlist by the Grammy U program. Carlos has his master's degree in Entertainment business from Full Sail University, and a bachelor's in business administration with a focus in Human Resources and Management. His love for music is translated into the way he interacts with anyone being a nice “vibe” and treating everyone he encounters with a little bit of Love.

Chuck Elledge

Midwest Cultural Ambassador

Chuck believes that opportunity is not only a serendipitous happenstance of life, but rather something that can be created over time. After a lot of time replaying the moments that lead to some of his favorite memories, Chuck discovered a simple yet profound life lesson: you cannot tell the future, but you can fully prepare yourself for it. He believes opportunities are the outcomes of our past decisions and thus can drive our lives in ways that are not always obvious. He started his career with MHP as a management consultant where he had the chance to work with PFS before moving over full time to work as a Senior Analyst in Corporate Strategy. Outside of work Chuck spends his time traveling with his wife, Maddie, spoiling his two dogs, Finn and Murphy, and filling his home office with LEGOs.

Dennis Egel

Passionate About Collecting Emotional Souvenirs

Dennis believes that stepping out of our comfort zone through intercultural experiences teaches us to embrace uncertainty, adapt to change and be more empathetic. He is driven by constantly challenging himself and pushing beyond his perceived limitations to understand himself and his capabilities better. He believes that uncertainty is always an opportunity and adaptability is an attitude that needs to be cultivated. While he values a good fridge magnet, it’s the emotional souvenirs that are to be gathered from cross-cultural experiences that are truly valuable for him!

Emma Hasic

Future Director of the Bosnian Alliance of PFS

Emma’s first language was Bosnian, as her family knew no English when coming to the US. This didn’t hold them back, as both of her siblings went on to graduate college, her father went back to school for a 2nd degree, and Emma graduated from Georgia State University with a degree in Managerial Sciences. Emma has served in the PFS Remarketing Department since 2021, and is currently the Vehicle Remarketing Specialist. Emma is actively involved in the INVEST Mentorship Program.

Hans Hansen

Collegiate Athlete Turned E-sports Advocate.

Hans Hansen believes that the skills learned and practiced within video games and e-sports are applicable to the corporate landscape and should be considered similarly to the skills acquired by playing on a traditional sports team. He is passionate about sports, video games and their intersections with “real” life. Hans has been swinging a bat before he could reliably walk. He has also been playing video games since using his father’s computer to play in the early 2000s. He has made it to Diamond rank for competitive matchmaking in Warcraft 3, StarCraft 2 and League of Legends. In baseball, he has played at the collegiate and amateur levels of baseball playing for the Emory University Eagles and the Walla Walla Sweets. In addition to being named to multiple All-American teams, he is in the top 10 for multiple Emory pitching records. He also is the co-owner of the record for most consecutive scoreless innings thrown at 24.2.

Jillian Albertz

Heavy Metal Enthusiast and Former Snow Cone Merchant

Jillian commits her world to changing the lives of others with words of encouragement and praise. She understands what it means to live without healthy mentorship or support at a young age but found community in unexpected places. Despite Jillian’s unconventional upbringing, she achieved what some thought was unachievable. Jillian enjoys heavy metal and punk rock music, locally and nationally. She often travels with her husband’s female fronted touring band The Killakee House. When she is not travelling, Jillian can be found cross stitching or planning her next Disney vacation. She hasn’t had a snow cone since 1998.

Justin Reiss

Lifelong Student and Definitely not an Expert

Justin loves working on new and interesting challenges while actively avoiding becoming an expert at anything. He believes that becoming the “expert” in anything limits your growth and abilities. Instead of being the guru on the mountain top doling out past learned wisdom, always striving to be the student climbing the mountains over and over teaches us what we need and nurtures our imagination to use it. Justin enjoys reading science fiction novels, exploring game theory, and learning from his children. He has been accused of being an expert, but haven’t yet been found guilty of the charge.

Kat Sewell

Wife. Mother. Colleague. Master Gift-Wrapper.

A renowned perfectionist, Kat is known for her meticulous gift-wrapping skills as she believes the presentation and thought behind a gift matter more than the gift itself. She refined her skills by learning from experts in the field - her Korean mother and Slovak grandmother - who also shared these core beliefs. These women also instilled in her that some of life’s greatest gifts are things that cannot be wrapped. Prior to chasing children, Kat enjoyed traveling with her husband and performing in musical theatre where she could combine her love of music, theatre, and dance. These days you can often find her singing, acting, and dancing on the stage set in her daughter’s bedroom. Her recent role included that of “Kitten” in the play “House,” where she received a standing ovation from the resident stuffed animals. Kat was recently recognized as “Best Mom in the World” by her two children and was previously named “Zebra Warrior Princess” by her husband and best friend.

Michael S. Green

Techy. Problem Solver. Chess Enthusiast.

He has studied (go FAMU!) and worked (go PFS!) with some of the brightest minds during his career. He attributes his professional success to a desire to learn and being fortunate to have worked with some of the brightest minds in his field. He is an active father, husband and enjoys spending time with his wife and kids, watching his kids play sports, and playing chess. He is also active in his local community as a volunteer. Michael believes that even people who don't play chess can learn life lessons from the game he loves.

Nirha Music

Future Director of the Bosnian Alliance of PFS

America provided Nirha's family with the opportunity for a better life, including the chance to complete her education, graduate from college, and secure fulfilling employment. After her family arrived in the US with just one bag in hand in 2002, she spent several years in ESOL programs during elementary school to learn English, Nirha graduated from Georgia Tech with a degree in Information Technology Management and a Certificate in Accounting. Nirha has served in the PFS Accounting Department since 2020, and is currently the Staff Accountant. She is actively involved in the Vanguard/Ambassador Program.

Sara Heusel

Supervisor and Peace Advocate

“We all have the power to change the course of someone's life by providing little moments of peace to a person in chaos.” Sara Heusel is a mother of two and an avid video game enthusiast. She’s the Supervisor of the PFS Remarketing Department and spends her time helping to build up, encourage and support her team’s success. Through her experiences, Sara has learned that we all have the power to influence others’ lives positively by offering moments of tranquility and empathy. Her talk highlights how such gestures can significantly impact those who are navigating their own storms. She invites us all to recognize the profound effect our small acts of kindness can have on someone’s life, encouraging us to be vigilant and compassionate in our interactions with others.

Sonya Reid

Quality Ambassador. Happiness Guru.

Sonya is on a mission to promote healthy human interaction. She is a Remarketing Advisor Specialist (3 years) and a Customer Happiness Guru (20 years). Although she cannot grant wishes, she can fix your issues by turning your frowns upside down and your “Oh no!’ into ‘Oh wow!’ Sonya is a master of soft skills, transferring awkward silences into engaging conversations and chaos into organized brilliance with a PhD in Patience and a black belt in Empathy. She is known for her supernatural ability to listen like a therapist, negotiate like a representative, and motivate like a coach. Sonya is a full-time customer service rock star who loves people.

Stephani Serna

Mother. Writer. First Generation Immigrant. Leader.

Stephani believes that dreams can become a reality, regardless of obstacles by harvesting the power of integrity and perseverance. The slogan “si, se puede” has been a staple for optimism of collective struggles in the Hispanic community since Huerta once shouted the now famous quote calling for right of farmworkers. “Si se puede” has been instilled in Stephani’s heart from a very young age. Through her family’s hard work and sacrifice, Stephani has been able to add the title “first generation” to a lot of things, and has turned the “si se puede”, tu “si se pudo” in her own life. Since joining Porsche in 2022, Stephani has earned the status of quality ambassador for 2022 and 2023 and graduated from the INVEST Mentorship program in 2023. Stephani is also a co-editor for The CS department newsletter, a contributor to the CS Happy Hour Planning Committee, and a member of the BRG.