Cheryl Heller is a communication designer, writer and creative business strategist who has helped multi-national corporations, start ups and non-profit organizations grow. She is a Partner at CommonWise, founding Chair of the new MFA Program in Design for Social Innovation at the School of Visual Arts in New York and Board Chair of PopTech, a laboratory for disruptive innovation focused on technology and social change. Cheryl has been profiled through articles in the New York Times, the Boston Globe, BusinessWeek, Graphis, and Communication Arts, is the recipient of countless awards from national and international creative competitions. Her work is included in the Library of Congress permanent collection, and has been published in numerous books on design and creativity. Cheryl is also the recipient of a Matrix Award for Women in Communication.

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)