For Corey Fleischer, founder of the #erasinghate movement, giving a TEDx Talk was a bucket list item, and an accomplishment he is extremely proud of.

In grade school, Corey was diagnosed with a language-processing problem. “With my learning disability, I absorb a lot of information visually, and TED and TEDx Talks have long been a major source of inspiration for me,” Fleischer says. “I believe it is the most reputable platform out there for people to share ideas and stories, and inspire others.”

Indeed, giving his own TEDx Talk was a major milestone for Corey. In his talk, he opens up about his struggles in school, being the designated fighter in his hockey team, looking for his calling, thinking “out-of-the-box”, and dedicating his life to erasing hate, one graffiti at a time. The Erasing Hate movement began about eight years ago when Fleischer came across hate graffiti in Montreal and felt compelled to erase it. It has now spread beyond the city and even the country, with people reporting and erasing hateful graffiti all over the world. He has been in the public spotlight for about three years, and his videos have been viewed by thousands.

But his ultimate mission is initiating social change. “I envision a future where everyone will no longer be content to walk by, but will be compelled to act on hate,” Fleischer says. “It takes just one person to say, ‘No, this is wrong.’ If I’ve managed to pave the way for others to believe in their own ideas, especially those who have disabilities like me, then I can say ‘mission accomplished.’” Despite others trying to discourage him, he persisted and succeeded in proving people wrong, and in making erasing hate “cool”.

His experience with TEDxLaval has not only given him a great sense of accomplishment but he has walked away with a newfound family. “The speakers were such a close-knit bunch, and the coaching was just phenomenal.”

A big part of Fleischer’s mission is bringing awareness to the movement, especially when it comes to educating youth. “The TEDxLaval experience has helped me tremendously in getting the message across. I feel it took me from a raw to a more polished speaker, especially thanks to my coaching.”

Having said that, Fleischer will continue baring his raw emotions. And don’t be fooled by his imposing stature. His talk revealed a sensitive, kind-hearted guy, who touched the audience not only with his story, but also with his gesture of offering a bouquet of flowers to his coach, Marie, right after his talk.

You can watch Fleischer’s TEDxLaval talk, among others, on TEDxLaval.com.