TEDx SF State

Topic: Community Crisis Response Training

Narges Dhillon 
CEO & LMFT, Crisis Support Services of Alameda County

Narges Zohoury Dillon is the Executive Director of Crisis Support Services of Alameda County, where she leads one of the Bay Area’s most vital suicide prevention organizations, providing nearly 100,000 services annually. A Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Narges has dedicated over 15 years to expanding access to mental health care, suicide prevention, and crisis support—especially for historically underserved communities.

Her career began as a clinician with StarVista in San Mateo County, where she quickly advanced into leadership roles overseeing hotline services, crisis intervention programs, and child and family support initiatives. Before joining Crisis Support Services, she directed early childhood and family services programs, managing clinical and community-based services for more than 20,000 individuals annually.

At Crisis Support Services, Narges combines her clinical expertise with nonprofit leadership, guiding strategic planning, workforce development, and community partnerships. She is also the current President of 988 California: Crisis Center Consortium, as well as the Board President of the Bridge Rail Foundation, continuing her commitment to suicide prevention and public safety.

Narges holds a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Santa Clara University and a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from UCLA. Her work is recognized for blending compassion with innovation, ensuring that crisis services remain accessible, responsive, and inclusive for all.

Topic: Building Modular Homes with Inmates to Address the Housing Shortage and to Give Inmates Job Skills

Eric Johnsen 
CEO, R3 

Eric Johnsen is the CEO of R3 – Rehabilitation, Restoration & Respite, a faith-based nonprofit dedicated to developing attainable micro-housing solutions and providing construction skills training to individuals seeking a second chance. With over a decade of leadership at R3, Eric has helped drive the organization’s mission to build hope through housing and workforce development.

Previously, Eric served as CEO and Director of Community Homeless Solutions, one of Monterey County’s key homeless services provider, where he advanced programs that housed and supported more than 300 individuals nightly. His career spans nonprofit leadership, entrepreneurship, and consulting, with deep expertise in financial services, healthcare administration, and business strategy.

Beyond his executive roles, Eric is an active community leader—serving as a Rotary Club President and President of Marketplace Meets Mission. He also is a director on the board with the Salinas Regional Sports Authority where he has been engaged for over a decade on the development of youth sports facilities in partnership with local municipalities. He is married to his best friend Kathy and has two sons, Daniel and Steven.

Eric holds an MBA in Finance & Entrepreneurship from University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business and a Master of Divinity in Theology and Counseling from Fuller Theological Seminary. His work reflects a lifelong commitment to alleviating poverty, creating housing solutions, and empowering individuals to rebuild their lives.

Topic: The Aniti-Union Industry

John Logan  
Professor, Department Chair, Labor and Employment Studies at SFSU

John Logan, Ph.D., earned his Ph.D. in U.S. Labor History from the University of California, Davis, and is an expert on the anti-union industry, labor legislation in the United States, and comparative labor issues. His research focuses on how multinational companies treat employees and unions differently in the U.S. compared to Europe.

Professor Logan emphasizes the real-world value of studying labor issues, so students understand how the world of work is changing – which occupations are growing, and which are disappearing – and to know what rights and protections they and their colleagues have at work.

Topic: Lowering the Paywall to Academic Research

Katherine “Kitty” Luce 
Instruction and Web Services Librarian, Cal Poly Maritime Academy

Katherine (Kitty) Luce is an Instruction and Web Services Librarian at Cal Poly Maritime Academy, where she has taught since 2019. With over 15 years of experience in academic libraries, Kitty has built expertise in information literacy instruction, web design, collections, curriculum development, and open educational resources. She has previously served as a librarian and instructor at Solano Community College, Contra Costa College, and Diablo Valley College, as well as Assistant Librarian at the Book Club of California.

Kitty holds a Master’s in Library and Information Science from San José State University and an M.A. in English and American Literature from Mills College. She is also a published author and speaker, contributing to the Proceedings of the International Association of Maritime Universities Conference and co-authoring a chapter in Toxic Dynamics: Disrupting, Dismantling, and Transforming Academic Library Culture. Her research interests include copyright, open licenses and affordability; libraries as workplaces; and embodied information literacy.

Topic: Rebel Group Branding

Amy Skoll, Ph.D. 
Assistant Professor, International Strategy and Security Program, Cal Poly Maritime Academy

Amy Skoll Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the International Strategy and Security Program at the Cal Poly Maritime Academy. She brings deep expertise in international relations, security studies, and student development, shaped by over a decade of experience in higher education.

Amy earned her Ph.D. in Political Science with an emphasis in International Relations from the University of California, Davis, where she also served as a Graduate Student Researcher and Teaching Assistant. She also holds an MBA from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and previously worked as a Career Consultant at San Jose State University and as Coordinator of Student Development at Cal Poly.

Her scholarship and teaching are driven by a commitment to preparing future leaders for the complex security challenges of the 21st century. Her research explores topics including rebel group dynamics and external intervention in civil wars, migrant precarity and mobilization, and maritime foreign policy. While her intellectual interests are wide-ranging, she places teaching and mentorship at the center of her work. She is dedicated to equipping the next generation of leaders to confront global challenges with a foundation in self-reflection, leadership development, truth-seeking, and data-informed decision-making—all within an increasingly interconnected and nuanced world.

Mike Toy, (M.A. '11) 
Comedy Magician, Keynote Speaker, & Author at Mike Toy & Company

Mike Toy is a comedy magician, keynote speaker, corporate trainer, and author who has spent over 15 years captivating audiences worldwide. With a unique blend of humor, magic, and insight, he helps organizations strengthen sales, customer service, leadership, and company culture.

Mike has spoken for Fortune 500 companies, appeared on ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX, and even delivered a TEDx Talk that audiences still call one of the most unique they’ve seen. A highlight of his career was being invited to speak at The White House.

He holds a degree in Human Development from UC Davis, where he received the Community Service Award for his work with high school students, and a Master’s in English from San Francisco State University. Mike is also a graduate of Seth Godin’s altMBA and a certified Dale Carnegie trainer.

Author of It’s Not Magic: Secrets of Performing at Your Best, Mike empowers people to unlock their potential both on stage and in business. Born and raised in San Francisco, he enjoys traveling to Asia with his church to serve underprivileged communities, as well as playing beach volleyball and indulging in Korean BBQ.

Today, Mike brings his signature mix of entertainment and inspiration to help teams laugh, connect, and perform at their best.

Topic: Restorative Justice

Janet Wright 
Investigator, Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office 

Janet Wright is an Investigator with the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office and a proud veteran of the United States Navy. She brings a unique blend of discipline, integrity, and compassion to her role in public safety, with a strong commitment to serving vulnerable populations and building community trust in the justice system.

Janet is widely recognized for her trauma-informed work with K9 Bear, a professionally trained facility dog provided by Canine Companions. Since 2019, she has served as Bear’s handler, working alongside him to provide emotional support to child victims and other vulnerable individuals during forensic interviews, court proceedings, and child recoveries. Bear’s calming presence, combined with Janet’s skilled and sensitive approach, helps reduce the emotional burden of legal processes. Their partnership has been described as transformative, with many young victims finding the strength to speak only after first whispering their stories to Bear.

In addition to her work with victims, Janet leads the Neighborhood Restorative Partnership (NRP) Program, a forward-thinking, community-based restorative justice program within the District Attorney’s Office. As Program Director, she oversees the recruitment and training of volunteer safety panelists and manages daily operations. The initiative focuses on resolving low-level misdemeanor offenses through community dialogue, accountability, and healing—offering an alternative to traditional prosecution while centering the needs of victims and the community.

Through her dual roles, Janet exemplifies a thoughtful, people-centered approach to justice. Whether supporting a child in the courtroom or guiding a community conversation about accountability, she brings empathy, professionalism, and a deep understanding of the human side of the justice system. Her work continues to inspire trust, promote healing, and foster stronger community connections across Contra Costa County.

Topic: Risk Marketing

Gulnur Tumbat, Ph.D. 
Seven Summits and K2 Climber, and Professor of Marketing at SFSU

Gulnur Tumbat, Ph.D., has used her extraordinary experiences on the highest mountains in the world in her academic research and in her speaking engagements on topics such as risk taking, making decisions in dynamic contexts, managing uncertainty, and achieving ambitious goals through strategy, leadership, persistence, entrepreneurship, and passion. 

Gulnur has published her work in prestigious academic outlets such as the Journal of Marketing, Journal of Consumer Research, Marketing Theory, Consumption, Markets and Culture, Journal of Consumer Behavior, Advances in Consumer Research, European Advances in Consumer Research, and Handbook of Research on Digital Media and Advertising: User Generated Content Consumption. Her favorite area of teaching is consumer behavior. 

In addition to being a business behavioral scientist, Gulnur is an elite endurance athlete who climbed the Seven Summits — the highest mountains on each geographic continent — and is the first Turkish woman to do so. She recently (August 2025) reached the summit of K2 (again, as the  first Turkish woman).

As the Director of the Lam-Larsen Community Engagement Initiative, Gulnur spearheads its highly regarded flagship event, the Women’s Emerging Leadership Forum, which empowers women and fosters a vibrant learning community for both personal and professional growth.