Meet the Team | TEDxTorreyPines ELEVATE

TEDxTorrey Pines: Elevate

Curated with passion and purpose, this year’s event is made possible by a talented group whose skills, commitment, and collaboration ensure every detail shines. From planning and production to creating an unforgettable experience, their work elevates ideas worth spreading.

Scroll down to meet the people making ELEVATE happen.

TEDxTorreyPines Speaker Coaches

Billy Fallon

Speaking Coach / University Lecturer

Billy Fallon is an accomplished public speaker and speaking coach. He has coached thousands of speakers in university, corporate, and military arenas.

Claire Strong

Media & Communication Coach | Empowering Women to Speak with Confidence

Claire Strong is a former BBC anchor who now coaches women to speak with clarity, confidence, and connection. Through her company, StrongHER Media, Claire helps athletes, attorneys, and leaders step into their voice, share their story, and feel at home in the spotlight.

Jennifer Tokatyan

Leadership Consultant & Coach

Jennifer has a 20+ year track record of innovative and results-focused strategic people, culture and business leadership with global Fortune 500 companies and small to mid-size founder-led companies across multiple industries. She provides talent optimization, organizational development, leadership consulting, and coaching to organizations seeking to grow their people and business, to deliver on their brand promise and vision, and create the environment where its people flourish and achieve exceptional results. She is also an engaging, motivating speaker, presenter and trainer.

Jennifer Dean M.Ed

Executive Director | Speaker Coaches

Jennifer Dean is the Executive Director of our TEDx Torrey Pines Speaker Coaches. Jennifer has coached TEDx talks nationally and internationally with over 2 million views. Communication is where ideas are transformed into impact. Jennifer is the CEO of Orange Slice Consulting where her passion is elevating elite clients. Jennifer loves meeting new people and seeing them THRIVE!

TEDxTorreyPines Team

Amy Paul Pfleger

Organizer & Licensed TEDxTorreyPines Lead

Amy Paul-Pfleger is the licensed Organizer and Marketing Lead of TEDxTorreyPines, where she leads planning, sponsorship, and outreach while curating presenters whose work is making a real difference in the world. She is also Marketing Manager for Pacifica Host Hotels, where she combines her love for marketing with a passion for travel, creating lasting memories, and making a positive impact. With a background in hospitality marketing and digital strategy, Amy is dedicated to creating experiences that elevate ideas, inspire dialogue, and strengthen community impact.

Sela Salzman

Emcee & Co-Director of TEDxTorreyPines

Sela Fallon-Salzman is a researcher positioned within UC San Diego Athletics, working to bridge the gap between science and real-world impact. She is passionate about reshaping how female athletes are supported and inspiring the next generation of women. She also seeks ideas that spark change, serving as Co-Director of TEDxTorreyPines to bring powerful local stories to the stage.

Amber Silva

Lead Content Curator

She is a people-focused professional with experience as a makeup artist and recruitment specialist. Skilled in outreach, relationship management, and full-cycle placement, she values efficiency, clear communication, and long-term connections. Known for her organizational skills and problem-solving, she thrives in fast-paced environments while consistently delivering results.

Sharon McIntyre Smith

Operations Lead

Sharon works in a large multinational organization where she partners with project managers to drive continuous improvement and organizational excellence. She focuses on streamlining processes, organizing complex schedules, and developing systems that enhance operational efficiency and quality outcomes. Sharon is committed to helping others approach challenges with a mindset that values diverse contributions, introducing practical strategies that empower leaders to build effective teams and navigate complex situations successfully.

Jillian Collins

Executive Director | Nonprofit Leadership

Jillian Collins has worked to support various local nonprofits over the past 20 years, and has dedicated her career to expanding resources, services, and opportunities through strategic partnerships and charitable initiatives. Jillian is a versatile and results-driven leader with a distinguished career spanning nonprofit leadership, business development, event production, special education, leading multi-million dollar startups, and project management across both the public and private sectors.

Samuel Smith

Stage Manager

Samuel Smith works at a biotech startup in San Diego, where he isolates and purifies small molecules from specialized biofactory cells. He aims to create workflows and processes that are efficient, effective, and repeatable. With previous involvement in youth theater, he is excited to bring his behind-the-scenes skills to a platform that prides itself on the sharing of knowledge, ideas, and stories.

Darius West

Tech Director

Darius West is a Tech Director, author, and filmmaker working at the intersection of faith, storytelling, and modern media. As a Tech Director, he designs and leads worship, production, and streaming environments, integrating sound, visuals, lighting, and digital platforms to create clear, intentional, and distraction-free experiences. As an author, he wrote The Greater the Purpose, the Longer the Process, which explores perseverance, calling, and the discipline required to sustain long-term vision, challenging audiences to view process as essential to purpose. As a filmmaker, Darius directed Mic Drop: The Culture of Christian Hip Hop, a groundbreaking documentary examining the faith, artistry, and cultural impact of Christian hip-hop, which received official distribution through Warner Music Group. Across technology, writing, and film, Darius is committed to excellence, authenticity, and creating work that informs, inspires, and endures.

Volunteer with TEDxTorreyPines

Help Bring Ideas to Life

TEDxTorreyPines is seeking volunteers to help bring this event to life. Volunteers play a vital role in supporting event operations, guest experience, and behind-the-scenes logistics throughout the evening. Whether assisting with registration, stage support, or audience flow, volunteers help ensure a smooth, welcoming, and inspiring experience for everyone. If you enjoy collaboration, live events, and supporting the sharing of ideas and stories, we invite you to join our volunteer team.

Get in Touch

Have questions or want to get involved? Reach out to us today!

Email: tedxtorreypines@gmail.com

Join Us for TEDxTorreyPines

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.

become a sponsor