Theme: Connect and Create

For our 3rd flagship event, this year's theme is, "Connect and Create," which truly encompasses Dublin as a whole. The talks will focus on the arts, diversity, education, health, and technology, as these topics are paramount in the Dublin Community. Our line-up will bring the soul of Dublin to life. These 9 talks and performances will have you reimagining your limits while making you laugh, or even shed a tear.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, this year's event will be held in the same form as the drive-in movies that you may have seen around Dublin (it's actually in the same location). This means that you will have the luxury of experiencing our event from your own car, which will be socially-distanced from other vehicles.

Coffman Park
5200 Emerald Parkway
Dublin, Ohio, 43017
United States

Annika Sunkara

Annika Sunkara is a junior at Dublin Jerome High School. She is a varsity track and field athlete and 2020 State Semifinalist and National Qualifier in speech and debate. She also takes great interest in sociology and journalism. Passionate about politics and social justice, Annika champions youth civic engagement. As a competitive persuasive speaker, she has come to recognize how much power teenagers’ voices hold. She believes education and open discussion should start young, so her generation’s impact on the world can happen now. She hopes her talk inspires kids to believe they can make a difference regardless of their age, and encourages adults to help make that a reality.

Bhuvana Ramaswamy

Dr. Bhuvana Ramaswamy is a breast cancer oncologist, physician-scientist and Professor at the James. She leads the breast medical oncology section and is also the Chair of the Clinical Scientific Review Committee for the James. She completed her medical degree at Chennai, India and obtained her Membership at Royal College of Physicians at Edinburg, UK. She completed her fellowship in medical oncology at OSU and has been a faculty there since 2006. Her research interests are in drug-resistance and racial disparities in cancer outcomes. Her lab focuses on finding the molecular link between breastfeeding and risk of breast cancer. She has NCI funding supporting her work in the lab. She leads multiple clinical trials and has published widely. She was named as one the “top 27 breast medical oncologists” in the nation by Forbes in 2017 and has been named as a “top doctor” by Castle Connolly.

Bhuvava Ramaswamy

Oncologist

Dr. Bhuvana Ramaswamy is a breast cancer oncologist, physician-scientist and Professor at the James. She leads the breast medical oncology section and is also the Chair of the Clinical Scientific Review Committee for the James. She completed her medical degree at Chennai, India and obtained her Membership at Royal College of Physicians at Edinburg, UK. She completed her fellowship in medical oncology at OSU and has been a faculty there since 2006. Her research interests are in drug-resistance and racial disparities in cancer outcomes. Her lab focuses on finding the molecular link between breastfeeding and risk of breast cancer. She has NCI funding supporting her work in the lab. She leads multiple clinical trials and has published widely. She was named as one the “top 27 breast medical oncologists” in the nation by Forbes in 2017 and has been named as a “top doctor” by Castle Connolly.

Dhaarini Sudha

Dhaarini Prasad Sudha is a senior at Dublin Coffman High School. She is the Co-president of Science Olympiad and the Secretary of Student Council. She is an International Baccalaureate Diploma candidate, competitive dancer, musician, avid community service leader, and a highschool science tutor. As a passionate learner, she believes that there are better ways of learning that can help curious minds be more successful. By sharing her message, she hopes to help others adopt a flexible learning style. She wants to inspire people to increase their ability to learn efficiently, becoming lifelong learners.

Ethan Briggs

Social Worker

Ethan Briggs is a licensed Independent Social Worker Supervisor licensed by the state of Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, Marriage & Family Therapist Board. Ethan earned his BSW from Mount Vernon Nazarene University where he majored in Social Work with a minor in Psychology. Ethan earned his MSW from The Ohio State University. Currently, Ethan is the School Services Coordinator in Olentangy Local Schools with Syntero, Inc.

Tati Demas

Tati Demas is a senior at Dublin Coffman High School. She is an artist, active drama club member, co-leader for Black Sisters United, an officer for Greek Orthodox Youth of America, and an International Baccalaureate Diploma candidate. She’s incredibly enthusiastic about American black history, many forms of art, plant biology, and public speaking. Her dedication to social justice issues and equality go back to her researching the nuances of different cultures and beliefs. Her talk is an exploration of the connections between identity, art, and history through her own personal experiences as a passionate black girl. She hopes to empower black people to find their own identity; she also aims to educate others on the complex impact of racism.

Yashas Appaji

Yashas Appaji is a senior at Dublin Jerome High School. He is currently the national Student Youth Director of PURE Youth, a nonprofit organization that works with underprivileged schools in the U.S., India, Nepal, Ethiopia, and Uganda to ensure that their students receive the education they deserve. Through PURE Youth, Yashas had the opportunity to teach underprivileged students from rural high schools in India virtually. This experience has helped him gain a new perspective on culture and the cultural divide. He hopes to inspire others to explore their culture and connect with people of cultures in order to further unite as a community.