Theme: DeepDive with me

TEDxDesignTechHS is the overall TEDx name for the student-run and student-led program we are running at our high school (Design Tech High School). The name and theme of our TEDx event is Deep Dive.

Our theme this year is Deep Dive. Deep Dive is all about embracing the change that makes us who we are. We need to dive deep into our minds to become the best version of ourselves. Diving deep into who we are and how we want to make a difference in our lives is the first step in becoming an innovator. We are diving deep into the stories that surround us, giving them a stage to shine on. This show will be Savannah and Aiden’s legacy to Design Tech High School. They want to continue being changemakers at d.tech and within the communities around them. This is how they will be following d.tech’s and TED’s mission of spreading ideas and changing the world one step at a time. They wish people to leave this event with the inspiration to start making a difference in the world, whether small or big, because both matters.

Background: We are TEDxDesignTechHS, a Student-Run Student-Led TED Event-based out of the Bay Area. In December of 2017, four students from the class of 2020 started TEDxDesignTechHS. They noted a need for student voices to be heard in d. Tech’s ever-shifting culture while finding that d.Tech’s mission statement and the TED mission went hand in hand, forming our first TEDx at d.Tech. They saw a possibility to bring the community together for one night at the Oracle Conference Center, connecting our attendees with amazing speakers from both d.tech and across the US. This is our fourth year running, and we are tremendously excited to continue the legacy which those four students once started. As part of the community effort to make d.tech the best high school globally, we connect our fellow students with hands-on opportunities to put on a groundbreaking event.

Our mission is to run this event to allow communities to come together and spend a night celebrating the people around us changing the world.

Our goal is to host a TEDx event that highlights speakers’ passions and skills to portray powerful messages and lessons. We want to have a lasting impact on everyone in the community. We want people to leave this event with the inspiration to start making a difference in the world, whether small or big, because both matter.

Grindstone HQ
1825 S Grant Street
Ninth Floor
San Mateo, California, 94402
United States

Frances Wong

Frances Wong is a senior at Design Tech High School who will be attending UC Berkeley in the fall. She is highly involved in interdisciplinary studies and entrepreneurship with experience in ventures, healthcare and startups. Frances is also an avid musician and hopes to one day take on gastronomy.

Jadell Lee

Preparing dancers for the center stage of life, Mental Health Advocate Jadell Lee is a professional dance educator, touring adjudicator, published author and speaker who brings a fresh perspective of life to audiences across the country. Featured in Yahoo Finance, FOX, CBS, NBC, Authority Magazine, Influencive, Thrive Global & more, Jadell is an Adjunct Professor of Dance for Seton Hill University, represented by Go 2 Talent Agency, Assistant Director of CRU Dance Competition, touring faculty with Thrive Dance Experience, and guest master instructor for Abby Lee Dance Company. He is the author of Your First Position: A Simple Guide to Self-Discovery, Activation & Breakthrough, a book written to help his readers become the person their dreams demand them to be through social-emotional learning. Jadell Lee holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance with an emphasis in experimental and unconventional choreography from the University of California, Riverside.

Jeremy Rossman

Jeremy Rossmann dropped out of MIT to found Y-Combinator backed Make School, a new college in San Francisco teaching digital product development and entrepreneurship. He has mentored hundreds of students - aspiring software engineers and entrepreneurs who have gone on to raise millions in venture capital and land jobs at top tech employers.

John Maclean

John Maclean is a world-renowned athlete and Australia’s most sought after corporate speaker. In 1998, John was hit by an 8-tonne truck as he rode his bike. It took astonishing courage and determination, but somehow this near-fatal accident was the making of him. His life is a journey in progress, and he continues to set and achieve extraordinary goals as he further improves his mobility.

Lauren Wu

Lauren Wu is a junior at Design Tech High School. In her free time, she enjoys playing volleyball, basketball, and softball, running the d.tech Philanthropy club, and is currently planning and designing a mural in Pacifica, CA, that aims to protect the native environment. As a junior, she has been spending a lot of time thinking and talking with friends about college, and will be sharing her take on how we need to change the narrative the media pushes on young kids about college admissions.

Lena Kalotihos

Lena is a San Francisco native, coffee aficionado, semi-professional photographer, and a first-year psychology student at Sarah Lawrence College in the greater NYC area. They are passionate about mental health reform, public transit equality, and having authentic conversations with open individuals. Lena also dabbles in web design and is an avid runner.

Lesley Martin

Dr. Lesley Martin is a passionate advocate for mental health, children’s welfare, and education. Her work as the Founding Director of a teen-led mental health non-profit called SafeSpace alongside her ongoing support for children’s welfare and education has given her a powerful voice when it comes to the well-being of all.

Ryan Yee

Ryan Yee is a senior at Design Tech High School and will be attending Northeastern University in the Fall. His interviews with many artists, designers, and activists, have acted as a way to not only bridge the gap between the creators and their audiences but to spread awareness of the social injustices that plague America. His talk will inspire you to use your voice and your platform to create change in your community.