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).

Cohen Auditorium, Tufts University
40 Talbot Ave.
Medford, Massachusetts, 02155
United States

Alyssa Rose

As a junior at Tufts studying data science and mathematics, Alyssa (she/her/hers) is thrilled to talk about her ideas on using data science for radical positive social change on this year’s TEDx stage. She spends most of her free time working on projects through the Tufts’ Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS) chapter, leading a data science group, and working for the Smithsonian’s Culture Heritage Rescue Initiative as a data science intern developing databases and a visualization website.

Andrew Seligson

Andrew Seligson (he/him/his) is a 1st year MALD student at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. Before joining the Tufts community, he worked in humanitarian response to the Syrian crisis in Jordan, as well as at the United Nations in New York. Andrew is also an avid composer and guitarist, having written and produced three operas, a symphony about Lord of the Rings, and numerous pieces for chamber ensembles. As a guitarist, he has performed in master classes with Tommy Emmanuel, John Knowles, and Guthrie Govan. Most recently, he produced and performed an original opera at the Juilliard School of Music. He very much looks forward to presenting on the art of storytelling through music on the TEDx stage!

Athena Nair

Athena (she/her/hers) is a freshman at Tufts, coming from the San Francisco Bay Area. She has been passionate about social activism for as long as she can remember. In addition to focusing on racial, gender, sexual orientation, and class identities, Athena devotes herself to body positivity and body liberation. The body positive and body liberation movement is dedicated to dismantling the fatphobic diet culture that we find ourselves entrenched in–a culture that allows us to ignore and marginalize certain kinds of bodies. Athena aims to serve as a body positive role model, and to spread awareness about the intersectionality of body oppression.

Ben Ballard

Ben Ballard (he/him/his) is a second-year MALD with a focus on International Information & Communication, and Development. He is currently conducting work in ICT4D, International digital privacy and security, and digital governance. His work with the Electronic Frontier Foundation as a Google Public Policy Fellow covered digital surveillance, online censorship, data privacy, and cross-border data flows. This summer he will be joining The Citizen Lab as a Cybersecurity Fellow.

Devang Shah

Devang’s (he/him/his) penchant for exploring different mediums of storytelling led him to begin his career as journalist and documentary filmmaker for the Kashmir Observer. He then worked as broadcast journalist in Ghana for a national media house called Metro TV. He is most proud of producing a first-of-its-kind report on the LGBTQ+ community of Ghana, which was broadcasted nationally. He has also served at the Parliamentary Monitoring Group, as a Monitor for the Parliament of South Africa, Cape Town. In his time at the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy, he has taken a deep dive into international policies and innovative mediums to explore them. He spent the first half of his summer on a fellowship with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Ethiopia and the second half working for Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmakers at Transform Films in NYC. He is excited to share his latest project, which uses geospatial technology to bring these worlds closer than ever.

Jo Michael Rezes

Jo (they/them/theirs) is a second year M.A./Ph.D. student in Theatre and Performance Studies at Tufts University currently writing an auto-ethnographic thesis which explores queer time ruptures and the disintegration of bodies in Camp performance spaces. Since beginning their career as a theatremaker at Vassar College, Jo has worked to disrupt the gender binary on and off the stage as an actor, director, and educator in the Greater Boston Area. Most recently, they’ve had the irreverent joys of playing Dr. Frank N. Furter in Entropy Theatre Company’s New England Tour of The Rocky Horror Show, assistant directing The Nora Theatre Company’s Cloud 9, teaching workshops on gender-bending at Somerville Arts for Youth, and instructing Introduction to Acting in the Department of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies at Tufts. Jo cannot wait to play with gender at TEDxTufts! Learn more: www.jmrezes.com

Jose Avila

Jose (he/him/his) is a senior at Tufts studying Biology and Child Studies & Human Development. He has been passionate about changing the lives of children ever since he became the older brother and essentially third parent to his two brothers, Jovannie and Angel. While at Tufts he has combined his passions for children and health by volunteering as a Team Leader for Jumpstart at Tufts and working as an EMT at Cataldo Ambulance Services near campus. Jose wants to share his experiences with you and how it led him to his passion for change. He is extremely excited to talk to you about the health effects of social disparities in early childhood and how we can all contribute towards change through the education system!

LaWhore Vagistan

LaWhore Vagistan/Kareem Khubchandani (all pronouns) is the Mellon Bridge assistant professor in the department of theatre, dance, and performance studies, and the program in women’s, gender, and sexuality studies at Tufts University. He is developing several book projects include: Ishtyle: Accenting Gay Indian Nightlife; Decolonize Drag!; Queer Nightlife (co-edited with Kemi Adeyemi and Ramón Rivera-Servera); and Auntologies: Queer Aesthetics and South Asian Aunties. LaWhore Vagistan/Kareem is also a performance artist working in drag, storytelling, body art, theater, and digital media. He holds a Ph.D. in performance studies from Northwestern University.

Lily Pisano

Lily Pisano (she/her/hers) is a fourth-year student in the five-year Combined Degree Program. Her main studies at Tufts are Japanese (she spent last year abroad at Kanazawa University) and Gender/Sexuality Studies; at SMFA, her BFA is focused on welding, fiber arts, and painting. As a freshman, Lily was a co-founder and is currently an editor of Currents magazine, an arts-focused publication exhibiting the artwork of both Medford and Fenway artists (@currentsmag). She is a Creative, a Maker, and the source of a viral Internet meme based on a picture taken of her as a child.

Madeline Weir

Madeline Weir (she/her/hers) is a senior double majoring in International Relations - Economics, and Film & Media studies. She’s excited to discuss the collision of art and science and to talk about how we need to embrace interdisciplinary collaborations. This past summer, she worked at CERN, the European Center for Nuclear and Particle Physics Research. Her work there was to see how their artists-in-residence and scientists engage with one another and inspire each other’s work. Currently, she is working for NOVA with PBS-WGBH producing documentary style media for scientific communication.

Samantha Karlin

Samantha Karlin (she/her/hers) is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Empower Global. She consults organizations on how to better recruit, retain, and advance women, create male allies, and foster inclusive environments that enable people from all backgrounds to thrive. She is currently also advising on Apollo, a community building app for men. Her background spans the public and private sectors, from tech to politics to foreign affairs. Her most recent role was the Director of Global Community at a venture backed tech startup in Silicon Valley, CommonGenius. Before that, Ms. Karlin was the Director of Global Engagement & Gender Equality at Ashoka, where she focused on accelerating Ashoka’s female entrepreneurs. Ms. Karlin speaks around the world and does workshops around gender issues.

TJ Robins

TJ Robins (she/her/hers) is a Tufts senior double- majoring in biology and anthropology. Next year, she’ll be attending the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine where she plans on studying zoological/conservation medicine. TJ is really excited to discuss her experience interning at a chimpanzee sanctuary where she was able to care for and study chimps retired from cross-fostering research, biomedical research, and zoos. In working with the chimps, TJ became increasingly aware of the ethical problems associated with keeping and/or interacting with captive primates and captive animals in general. She’s inspired to give a TEDx talk on the ethics of “captive wild animal encounters” to spread awareness about the issue.