Theme: Under Construction

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).

Mudd Hall
3400 N Charles st.
Baltimore, Maryland, 21218
United States

Braphus Kaalund

Braphus Kaalund is a former music performance student from the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University. He currently serves as a Policy Coordinator at the U.S. Department of State, specializing in political and economic affairs. He is currently focusing on promoting communication and information technology policies, especially internet connectivity and cybersecurity from a global perspective.

Joshua Sharfstein

Dr. Joshua Sharfstein is an Associate Dean at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and oversees the Office of Public Health Practice and Training. Previously, he was the Secretary of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in which he led efforts to modernize Maryland's all-payer system for hospital payment. He has also served as the principal deputy commissioner of the FDA in the past.

Michelle Geiss

Michelle Geiss is an alumna of Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and the Co-Founder & Executive Director of the Impact Hub Baltimore, an innovative lab and business incubator that connects a community of entrepreneurs, activists, creatives, and professionals to take collaborative action and drive positive change in Baltimore. From improving city planning and transit, to programs encouraging education for the youth, those involved in the Impact Hub desire to create a stronger community in Baltimore.

Natalia Trayanova

Dr. Natalia Trayanova is the Murray B. Sachs Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Johns Hopkins and directs the Computational Cardiology Laboratory. She is at the forefront of cardiac research, working to meld computers and the heart together in order to make cardiac care more personalized and effective than it ever has been before. Her research is supported by grants from the NIH, NSF, and the American Heart Foundation, and the ideas that she is pursuing may change medicine as we know it.

Nicola Fox

Dr. Nicola Fox is the principal Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory space scientist leading NASA's extraordinary and historic Solar Probe Plus Project. The spacecraft's mission? To touch the sun. Dr. Fox's illustrious career in space and solar physics spans over three decades.

Seal Bin-Han

Seal-Bin Han studies electrical engineering at Johns Hopkins and is the founder and CEO of FitMango. In addition, Seal sits on the board of several national non-profit organizations, such as the J. Luce Foundation and Orphans International Worldwide. The unique mixture of his eclectic background, charismatic persona, and highly driven approach to life are sure to make for a scintillating talk, one that will particularly resonate with the students of Johns Hopkins.

Shilpa Alva

Shilpa Alva is a Johns Hopkins University alumna and the Co-Founder of Surge For Water, a non-profit organization that brings life-sustaining water and sanitation solutions to communities around the world, including areas in Haiti, India, the Dominican Republic, the Philippines, Nepal and Cambodia. From personally building structures for sanitizing water, to providing educational programs about improving local health, Shilpa and her Surge team work closely with leaders in each community to ensure long term success and sustainability.