TEDxOcala announces 2026 speaker's passing, new documentary film ahead of September event

One of the featured speakers, Norene Thomas-Davoren of New York, recently passed away. OCALA, FL (352today.com) – TEDxOcala will return for its 12th annual event on Saturday, September 26, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Reilly Arts Center, bringing together 13 speakers and a community of curious minds for a day devoted to ideas worth spreading. This year's theme, 'Rhythm & Intersections,' explores the rhythms that shape our lives, and what happens when they intersect with new people, experiences, perspectives, and ideas. 'We each move through life with our own rhythm, shaped by our habits, experiences, relationships, beliefs, and dreams,' said Dr. Manal Fakhoury, TEDxOcala licensee and curator. 'Then someone enters our life, a conversation challenges us, or an idea reaches us at precisely the right moment. Sometimes, an intersection changes our rhythm.' The 2026 program will feature Lauren Debick, Dr. Ariana Fontenot, Dr. Natacha Pierre, Shannon Polly, Dr. Maya Assi, Sarah Kassem Elyaman, Chelsea Kennedy, Julius Bryant, Damon West, Anya Bradford, Dr. Erin Tjam, Musa Ghanayem, and Richard Reyes. Together, their talks explore a wide range of ideas touching on human behavior, health, identity, authenticity, emotional well-being, personal transformation, financial empowerment, storytelling, and the ways our choices can influence both ourselves and others. This year, audiences will also get a glimpse into something they rarely see: what happens before a speaker ever steps into the TEDx red circle. Behind the scenes, a documentary team (Royal Crown Enterprises, LLC) has been following the TEDxOcala journey—from speaker selection and coaching to rehearsals, preparation, production, and the countless details required to transform an idea into a talk ready for the TEDx stage. The documentary will explore not only what it takes to step into the red circle, but the people and process behind creating the TEDxOcala experience itself. 'People see the finished talk, but they rarely see the journey that came before it,' Fakhoury said. 'There are months of preparation, coaching, rewriting, vulnerability, teamwork, and sometimes transformation before those few minutes on stage. We want to capture that story.' Rather than a traditional conference built around a single subject, TEDxOcala is intentionally curated to create unexpected connections among seemingly different ideas. 'That's part of the magic of TEDx,' Fakhoury said. 'You may come expecting one particular talk to speak to you and discover that the idea you needed most came from a subject you never would have chosen for yourself.' TEDxOcala first brought the TEDx experience to the Ocala community in November 2015. Twelve annual events later, it continues to provide a stage for ideas and voices capable of reaching far beyond Central Florida. TED began in 1984 as a conference bringing together Technology, Entertainment and Design and has since grown into a global platform devoted to ideas worth spreading. TEDx events are independently organized under license from TED, allowing communities around the world to create their own locally curated TED-like experiences. This year's event will also carry special meaning for the TEDxOcala family. Norene Thomas-Davoren, who had been selected as one of the 14 members of the 2026 speaker class , passed away just weeks before the event. TEDxOcala will honor her memory during the program and recognize her as a member of the 2026 speaker class. 'Thirteen speakers will step into the red circle this year, but 14 voices were chosen,' Fakhoury said. 'Norene will always have a place in our TEDxOcala family and in the story of this year's event.' TEDxOcala is produced through the efforts of volunteers, speaker coaches, community partners, sponsors, and supporters who share a belief in the power of ideas to inspire conversation and meaningful change. Tickets for TEDxOcala 2026: Rhythm & Intersections are on sale now .