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).

Studio Theater (Lone Mountain) at University of San Francisco
2800 Turk Street
San Francisco, California, 94118
United States

Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati

Spiritual leader, humanitarian and social activist

Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati, PhD is originally from Hollywood, California. At the age of twenty-five, after graduating from Stanford and in the midst of getting her PhD, she traveled to India with a backpack, on a short adventure. The unexpected spiritual awakening she had on the banks of the Ganges river transformed her life. She has lived in Rishikesh, India for the past 20 years and is a renowned spiritual leader, speaker, writer and social activist. She is the President of Divine Shakti Foundation, Secretary-General of the Global Interfaith WASH Alliance and Director of the annual International Yoga Festival at Parmarth Niketan, Rishikesh, India.

Steve Kraus

SVP & Chief Insights Officer, Ipsos

Stephen Kraus is Chief of Insights for SimilarWeb, and author of three books about success and affluence in America. Currently Steve helps lead the design, analysis and interpretation of the Ipsos Affluent Survey USA, a 38-year study tracking Affluent lives, lifestyles, media habits and purchasing patterns. Steve writes monthly columns on media, social trends and affluence for Ad Age and MediaPost. He co-authored The New Elite: Inside the Minds of the Truly Wealthy, which Publisher’s Weekly called “indispensable to marketers.” His next book – Selling to the New Elite – earned excellent reviews for its exploration of passion as the fundamental principle underlying sales excellence, wealth accumulation, and the world’s most elite luxury brands. Stephen Kraus received his Ph.D. in social psychology from Harvard University, and twice won Harvard's award for teaching excellence.

Thomas Nazario

Author, Speaker, Attorney, Law Professor, Child Advocate, Nonprofit Foundation President

Thomas A. Nazario grew up in New York City, attended its public schools and did both his undergraduate and graduate studies at the City University of New York. In 1975, he received his law degree from the University of San Francisco where he teaches Law. Over his 35-year career, he has taught courses in Family Law, Children's Rights, Education Law, Race Discrimination, Human Rights and Economic Justice and has also worked extensively with inner-city kids in the San Francisco Bay Area. Mr. Nazario's expertise lies in the area of Children's Rights as well as issues related to global poverty. As such, and after the publication of his book entitled In Defense of Children, he has testified before Congress and appeared on many national television and radio shows, including CNN, Oprah Winfrey and the Larry King Show.

Valter Tucci

Senior Team Leader of the Neurobehavioural Genetics

Dr. Valter Tucci is a neuroscientist and leader of the laboratory of Genetics and Epigenetics of Behavior at the Italian Institute of Technology (Italy). Previously, he has worked in some of the most important research institutes around the world including Boston University, MIT and Oxford. Tucci’s recent work is focused on the effects of maternal and paternal genes on sleep and brain functions.