Roots and recipes of love: Mayda del Valle at TEDxOlympicBlvdWomen

Mayda Del Valle has been described by the Chicago Sun Times as having "a way with words. Sometimes they seem to flutter and roll off her lips. Other times they burst forth like a comet streaking across a nighttime sky." A proud native of the South Side of Chicago, she has appeared on 6 episodes of Russell Simmons Def Poetry Jam on HBO and was a contributing writer and original cast member of the Tony Award winning Def Poetry Jam on Broadway. She also toured with Norman Lear's Declare Yourself Spoken Word Tour , a non-profit, non-partisan project created to encourage young voter registration for the 2004 presidential elections. She has appeared in Urban Latino, Latina Magazine, Mass Appeal, The Source, and The New York Times. Smithsonian Magazine chose her as one of "America's Young Innovators in the Arts and Sciences" and Oprah's O Magazine named her as one of 20 women for the first ever "O Power List." In May of 2009 she was invited to perform at The White House for the President and First Lady. About TEDx, x = independently organized event 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)