Theme: Leap Forward

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).

Chandler Downtown Library
22 S Delaware St
Chandler, Arizona, 85225
United States

Brooke Kirk

Activist

Brooke Kirk is an incoming freshman at UCLA, where she will be studying Public Affairs and Economics. Initially getting involved with women empowerment through substantially growing her school’s Herstory club, Brooke is now the Director of Finance for the Arizona branch of Girl Up, wherein 2020 she was able to raise $1000 towards education in underserved communities, and hosted many different online events to promote female empowerment amidst the pandemic. She is also the treasurer of the Tempe Mayors Youth Advisory Commission, where she has worked closely with the city and mayor to navigate police and youth engagement, being the youngest representative to sit on a panel to select an Assistant Chief for the Tempe Police Department. She is passionate about growing every community she enters and making a positive change.

Isabella Santoni

Student and Artist

Isabella Santoni is a queer spoken word poet and theatre artist working at the intersection of gender, sexuality, and faith. She was recognized as a YoungArts Finalist in Writing, and her selected poems were published in the 2021 YoungArts Anthology. In January, she performed at National YoungArts Week+, with her work garnering over 1.2 thousand views. For her excellence in poetry and community service, she was named a 2021 US Presidential Scholar in the Arts Semifinalist. She will continue her work in activism, performance, and poetry as an incoming freshman at the University of Arizona earning her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting.

Mostafa Afr

Nonprofit Founder and Director

Mostafa Afr is a recent high school graduate and a rising freshman at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where he will be pursuing a dual degree in business and engineering. He is the Volunteer Coordinator at ICNA Relief (Islamic Circle of North America). He is also the founder and current director of Healing Helpers, an Arizona-based nonprofit that aims to assist Muslim refugees throughout the valley through free translation services. His nonprofit currently has eight members and helps over 3000 people annually. In his free time, Mostafa likes to play video games competitively, practice Japanese, and study.

Nikhil Suresh

Researcher

Nikhil Suresh is an incoming freshman at Stanford University. He is conducting research in semiconductor nano-bonding and low-volume blood diagnostics at Arizona State University, having reduced the volume of blood needed for testing by over 1000x. His work has been published and presented at several scientific conferences and at ISEF, and featured on the news. Nikhil launched MicroDrop Diagnostics with his fellow researchers in 2018 to commercialize their findings and revolutionize how we look at medical procedures.

Raajvi Singh

Student

Raajvi Singh is a rising high school senior and wants to specialize in fashion business and communication. She wholeheartedly believes in the joy of giving and has worked for several non-profit organizations where she continues to advocate for underprivileged families, mental health and more. She is the Editorial Head of Sakshi NGO working towards the education and rehabilitation of children in slums through which she helped in providing underprivileged children with basic education amidst the pandemic, and helped around a thousand underprivileged menstruators to get access to proper menstrual hygiene products. She was also the Director of a Rotary International club where she supervised various social projects like tree plantation drives and blood donation camps. Furthermore, as the Fashion Director for a clothing brand, she helped create sustainable and ethical collections.

Srivatsan Swaminathan

Researcher

Srivatsan Swaminathan is a freshman at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. He is an avid STEM researcher and is currently pursuing a biological sciences degree on the Pre-Med track. He is a licensed EMT in the state of Arizona and has even created a start-up to organize and fund an original research project related to Emergency Medicine. In his free time, he enjoys watching sports and listening to hip-hop and pop music.