Theme: Revolutions

TEDxYouth@Shadyside is an independent TEDxYouth conference organized by local students, but it is also more than that. It is a stage to share innovative ideas; a platform to host big thoughts. Focusing around the revolutions right here in Pittsburgh, this TEDx event will bring bright minds of many different fields together, generating discussions, prompting questions, and capturing the spirit of our city as it continues its metamorphosis.

Help us celebrate the renaissance of Pittsburgh and the boom of innovation in technology, business, medicine, education, culture, research and sustainability. Apply today to speak, volunteer, or attend this event. Our tentative date is December 5, 2015.

August Wilson Center
980 Liberty Ave
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15222
United States

Alan Russell

Dr. Alan Russell is the Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer of the Allegheny Health Network. Dr. Russell has founded multiple biotechnology companies, including the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society. He has received numerous prestigious awards and wide recognition for his research in biotechnology and regenerative medicine. He is currently the longest serving member of the Science Advisory Board to the FDA. During his tenure of service to the FDA, Dr. Russell chaired the ten year review committee of the Center for Devices and Radiologic Health. Dr. Russell also spoke at the international TED2006 conference.

Dervla McDonnell

Dervla McDonnell is a graduate student at Carnegie Mellon’s Heinz College of Public Policy & Management pursuing a Master’s degree in Arts Management. She is also the Community Development Manager at Future Tenant, a space for art located in Pittsburgh’s Cultural District. Future Tenant is led by Arts Management students and features a variety of performing and visual arts exhibitions focusing on the Pittsburgh emerging arts community. At Future Tenant, Dervla leads all community events and programming for this season, and is also planning Future Tenant’s Education Program, which will materialize in Spring 2016.

Harish Saluja

Harish Saluja is a filmmaker, painter, film festival director, engineer, publisher, writer, radio host and music aficionado. He is the long-standing co-host of the radio program “Music From India” and founder of film company New Ray Films. Mr. Saluja recently launched Silk Screen, an arts and cultural exchange program in Pittsburgh. The Silk Screen Festival endeavors to bring various art forms, including dance, music, and visual arts, from Asia to Pittsburgh.

Heather Arnet

Heather Arnet currently serves as the CEO of the Women and Girls Foundation. Her career has spanned over twenty years in film, television, activism, and politics. Ms. Arnet is a regular contributor to Huffington Post and the Daily Beast, and she has appeared on NBC’s Today Show, CNN, Huffington Post Live, Fox News, MSNBC, NPR and more. Her diverse resume includes having been the Assistant Associate Producer of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood to more recently running for State Senate. Heather currently serves as the CEO of the Women & Girls Foundation. Her award winning documentary, "Madame Presidenta: Why Not U.S.?" debuted on WQED in 2013 and continues to tour the country.

Henry Thorne

Henry Thorne is the CTO and co-founder of 4moms, a company which utilizes robotic technology to create innovative baby products that ease life for parents. At 4moms, he leads product development and designs complex product systems. Mr. Thorne previously invented Cye, a revolutionary home robot, and founded Aethon, a leading provider of automated robots for hosipitals.

Jacquelyn Core

Dr. Jacquelyn Core is Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost of Waynesburg University, where she improves the student experience, academic system and mentoring program. She is committed to improving educational standards within the University. Dr. Core previously worked in the legal field, focusing on education, employment and medical negligence cases.

Lani Lazzari

Lani Lazzari is the CEO and founder of skincare company Simple Sugars, which manufactures and sells all-natural sugar scrubs especially formulated for sensitive skin. Ms. Lazzari created Simple Sugars at just eleven years old, and she appeared on ABC’s “Shark Tank” at eighteen and secured a large investment that allowed the company to take off. Since graduating from The Ellis School in Pittsburgh in 2012, Lani has been the full-time CEO of the now multimillion-dollar company. Lani has a firm belief that no one should have to choose between a job that they love and a life that they love and her mission is to make Simple Sugars the best company in America for women to work for.

Matthew Stanton

Matthew Stanton is the CEO and co-founder of SolePower, a start-up that delivers a new and more reliable off-grid personal energy solution. With support from Carnegie Mellon’s Project Olympus, AlphaLab, and Kickstarter crowdfunding, Stanton launched SolePower in 2013. SolePower insoles generate on-the-go, renewable power that will serve as an innovative, mobile energy solution for people around the world. He will be speaking on technology revolutions and the way they have shaped and will continue to shape our world. Drawing from his experiences creating SolePower he will present a unique take on where technology is leading us.

Priya Narasimhan

Priya Narasimhan is the CEO and founder of YinzCam, Inc., a company focused on mobile live replays, scalable algorithms and technologies to provide mobile apps for 140+ professional sports teams and venues around the world. Ms. Narasimhan is also a Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, with research interests in the fields of distributed systems, fault-tolerance, embedded systems, sensors, and cloud computing.

Rick Bullotta

Rick Bullotta is the CTO and co-founder of ThingWorx (acquired but PTC in 2013), provider of an innovative application software platform for the “Internet of Things,” Mr. Bullotta was previously a vice president with SAP Research, responsible for research activities in the future manufacturing area. Mr. Bullotta was also the co-founder and CTO of Lighthammer Software Development (acquired by SAP in 2005), where he was responsible for the conceptualization and development of innovative Web-based and service-enabled software products targeted at the manufacturing industry. He has been involved in the industrial sector in diverse roles, including factory operations, systems integration, marketing, and industrial engineering.

Rob Furman

Dr. Robert Furman is an educator, leader, principal, student, speaker, and published author, but most notably, Furman is a champion of education. As a former teacher and now principal of local South Park Elementary, Dr. Furman serves in the foreground of everyday education. He is a contributing blogger for the Huffington Post and is widely recognized for his work in education. In his 10th year as principal at South Park Elementary, he has served as an educator for 20 years and a principal for a total of 13 years. Dr. Furman was honored as a "20 To Watch" in the field of educational technology by the National School Board Association and was named a Tribune Review News maker of the Year for the City of Pittsburgh.

Srinivasan Suresh

Dr. Srinivasan Suresh is a pediatric emergency physician and an informaticist. He currently serves as the Chief Information Officer at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC. At Children’s, he oversees operations, budgeting and strategy as they relate to the information technology functions of the hospital. Dr. Suresh focuses on areas of interests in the application of business intelligence tools and advanced data analytics to improve child health, patient and provider satisfaction, and mobile health.