LEILA MAKARECHI is Chief Operating Officer & Executive VP of Program Management at Microclinic International (MCI). She oversees MCI's projects around the world, managing HQs staff, working with teams on the ground, and serving as a liaison between local partners, donors, and researchers. Leila also co-founded 180 Degrees, an NGO working with marginalized communities in the Dominican Republic. She has a B.A. in political science and in social welfare from the University of California, Berkeley, an MPA from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, and an MPA from Sciences Po Paris.

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)