Theme: Journey into the Unknown

Please join us for a fun-filled day at TEDxYouth@DSA! Journey into the unknown with us with interesting speakers, creative performers, hands-on activities and lots of delicious food! This event is open to all high school students.

Downingtown STEM Academy
335 Manor Avenue
Downingtown, Pennsylvania, 19335
United States

Deven Ayambem

Student Dancer

Deven is 14 year old YouTuber Animation/Hip-Hop dancer inspired by BluPrint, Skitzo, Les Twins, Waydi, and many more from Dragon House and Criminalz.

Frederic Bertley

Senior Vice President, Franklin Institute

Dr. Bertley directs both science and educational programs for The Franklin Institute including overseeing TFI’s partnership with its magnet high school, Science Leadership Academy. Additionally, he directs the prestigious Franklin Awards Program, the long-running Journal of The Franklin Institute and the Institute’s international efforts including shepherding a USAID supported effort to build for 5 STEM platform high schools in Egypt. He holds a B.Sc. in Mathematics and Physiology and a Ph.D. in Immunology, both from McGill University. Prior to The Franklin Institute, he joined a Harvard Medical School HIV Vaccine Research Group, and managed multinational teams in Haiti and Sudan. Dr. Bertley has received numerous honors including the Harvard Medical School Dean’s Service Award, Merck Scholarship, The President’s Award (QBMA) and Philadelphia Business Journal 40 Under 40 Honoree and won a Mid-Atlantic Emmy™.

Glenn McMillen

Robotics, Engineer

Glenn McMillen grew the Vexmen into the largest Vex robotics club in the world. He has been mentoring robotics in the Downingtown area for six years and even finds time to have a day job as a software architect. He has a degree in mechanical engineering from Penn State University and is a Downingtown alumni from many years ago.

Grace Puy

Student

Grace Puy is a junior at the Downingtown STEM Academy. She has enjoyed public speaking for many years, and is a member of the district Speech and Debate team. Grace loves biology and psychology, and loves to sing.

Greg Corbin

Slam Poets

Greg Corbin is the founder and executive director of the Philadelphia Youth Poetry Movement. The Philly Youth Poetry Movement (PYPM) is a volunteer-run, non-profit organization that provides a safe space for Philadelphia teens to discover the power of their voices through spoken word and literary expression.

Jennifer McCurdy

Artist/Potter

Jennifer McCurdy received her Fine Arts degree from Michigan State University in 1978, and has worked as a potter ever since. Her work resides in the collections of museums and patrons around the world, including the Smithsonian Museum’s Renwick Gallery, and the Everson Museum of Art. She resides with her husband on the island of Martha’s Vineyard.

Katie Urban

LGBT+ Student

Katie Urban is an 18 year high school student attending her senior year at Downingtown STEM Academy. She a part of the LGBT+ community at STEM and hopes to become an advocate for LGBT+ rights in the future. Besides this, Katie likes to spend her free time writing, volunteering at a cat shelter, reading a good book, and editing fun little travel videos. Katie hopes to someday publish a book. She hopes to attend college for a major in film studies and a minor in psychology, aiming to have a career as either a film director or a therapist.

Wayne Kimmel

Venture Capitalist

Wayne Kimmel is an entrepreneur, venture capitalist, philanthropist, tireless networker, and the author of Six Degrees of Wayne Kimmel. Philadelphia Magazine named Wayne a Top Innovator. He is the Managing Partner of SeventySix Capital, the venture capital firm he founded in 1999, and has invested in over 40 startup technology and healthcare companies, including SeamlessWeb (now public as GrubHub), Take Care Health Systems and NutriSystem. Among the Fortune 500 companies that have acquired his portfolio companies are Aramark, Intel, IBM, Walgreens and Yahoo! He is on the Boards of Jewish Federations of North America, Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, Einstein Healthcare Network, and the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. Wayne is a graduate of the University of Maryland at College Park and the Delaware Law School. He is passionate about Philly’s pro sports teams, and making the world a better place through his nonprofit work.