Theme: Ethel Walker Women in the World

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).

TEDxEthel Walker School Women
230 Bushy Hill Rd
Simsbury, Connecticut, 06070
United States

Brooke Redmond

Special Gifts Officer for a Nonprofit

Brooke Redmond ’90 is the Special Gifts Officer at Shelburne Farms, an education nonprofit located on a historic 1,400-acres on the banks of Lake Champlain in Vermont. Shelburne’s mission is to inspire and cultivate learning for a sustainable future and is the home to the Institute for Sustainable Schools. Brooke’s career spans roles in broadcast journalism, education, environmental stewardship, sustainable agriculture, community partnership development, and communications and marketing. She has held positions at ABC News, Lifetime Television, SitesAlive! K-12 Adventure Education, a food and wellness think tank, and Radish Road, a consulting business she started in 2006. Brooke received a B.A. from Skidmore College and an M.A. from Lesley University where she developed a farm-based education program for a 1,000-acre historic working farm as part of her thesis, “A Return to the Farm: Educational Theory and Program Development in Learning Environments Beyond the Classroom”

Dr. Julia Sheldon

Ethel Walker Science Faculty

Dr. Julia Sheldon P’20, ’23 has taught science at Walker’s since 1998. She has a degree in chemistry from UC-San Diego and a Ph.D. in bioorganic chemistry from Yale University. At Walker’s, her students learn how science can help them understand and improve their world. She was named a National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellow, and traveled on an expedition to the Arctic. This led her to develop and teach an interdisciplinary elective course on Climate Change. She also co-developed and co-teaches Honors Scientific Research in Antibiotic Discovery, and has held several administrative roles at Walker’s including science department chair, co-dean of faculty, and dean of studies. Julia has embarked on two visits to the Galapagos Islands with National Geographic, a safari in Tanzania, and an expedition to Antarctica with a cohort of female and nonbinary leaders in STEM. She uses these experiences in the classroom to help her students become engaged and informed citizens of the world.

Katie Russell

Political Activist

Katie Russell is a junior at Ethel Walker. She is an active member of the theater program and the head of SunDial Press, the student run newspaper. Katie is currently the head of She Leads Justice, a community partnership that helps immerse women in politics. Outside of school, she works with the CT DEMS where she works on various political candidates campaigns.

Meredythe Goethe

Vice President of Operations at FinMkt

Meredythe is currently the Vice President of Operations at FinMkt, a leading fintech company based out of New York City. She earned her MBA from Harvard Business School with a minor in Organizational Behavior. After graduating from EWS, Meredythe received a BFA and BA from The School of the Museum of Fine Arts and Tufts University. She then spent a year in South East Asia integrating an arts therapy NPO into local schools before starting her MFA at Pratt Institute. Leveraged a part-time bakery job, Meredythe began cooking full-time for Thomas Keller, Daniel Boulud and others before launching her blog, The Salty Piece. Meredythe lives in Brooklyn, NY with her partner and two children. In 2026, she will run her fourth New York City Marathon as a member of The Human Rights Campaign team raising awareness and resources for the LGBTQIA+ community. Meredythe still considers her roles as Head of Dials and the first Wally the Wildcat among her proudest achievements.