Convinced that being a successful entrepreneur was incongruous with being a full time student, Jefferson Noel dropped out to pursue business. But he soon learned that making time for education taught him valuable skills that took not only his business life but his personal development to the next level. Jefferson Noel is a Haitian-American community educator raised in Miami.. He is a three-time published author. Jefferson founded Barbershop Speaks-an organization dedicated to engaging in intelligent discussions inside Barbershops and Beauty Salons to enlighten, educate, and empower the community. Jefferson has been featured on MSNBC, NBC News Now, NPR,, the Miami Times, and more. His efforts in the community led him to receive Legacy Miami’s Top Leader of Today and Tomorrow 2022, Miami’s Top Black Educator Distinction of 2021, Outstanding Service Award by FIU, the Young Professional Haitian- American Top 20 Under 40 distinction, the Raul Moncarz Award of Excellence, and many more awards and recognitions. He is a distinguished World’s Ahead graduate from Florida International University with a Bachelors in Communications and a Master’s degree in Global Strategic Communication with a certificate in Conflict Resolution. Jefferson is currently a professor at Florida Memorial University. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx