Ted Speaker (he/him) is a project manager at Lumos Transforms. He stewards projects of varying complexity from inception to completion in collaboration with Lumos partner organizations.

Ted’s career path started in cultural anthropology and archaeology with a focus on the indigenous Creek nation of south Alabama. His senior thesis in ethnomusicology and love for music led him to Berklee College of Music and a seven year stint in the music business in Nashville where he co-managed a recording studio. There, he created and coordinated an internship program and implemented systems as the studio grew into the largest in the southeastern US. While in Nashville he attended his first film festival–this reignited his passion for movies and led to a transition to independent film. In the last fifteen years he has produced over twenty films in various capacities with an emphasis on documentaries. As a producer, he has managed a wide range of projects, personnel, and budgets–from scrappy micro-budget films to features and specials for HBO, A24, NEON, public television, and many more. 

From 2020 to 2021 Ted was a volunteer on the (US based) National Sexual Assault Hotline, providing crisis intervention services for survivors of sexual violence. This work, especially in his interactions with children on the hotline, inspired him to become a Court Appointed Special Advocate for CASA of Los Angeles. He has been a CASA for the last two years, working with youth navigating the dependency system in LA County. Ted’s volunteer work greatly informed his awareness and understanding of trauma and its impact on individuals and systems. Working within the framework of Lumos to help individuals and systems “get free” has been a serendipitous and exciting new trajectory.