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).

Power Center
121 Fletcher Street
Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48103
United States

Amy Tseng

Amy is a passionate speaker who works at Walt Disney as a Technical Director, which acts as the bridge between the art and technical sides of animations such as the water in Moana. She grew up in a small town in Port Huron, MI and was always involved with many different activities such as sports, theater, music, and academics. At first, she worked for Nordstrom, but really wanted to do some creative work, which is why she decided to apply for Walt Disney. So far, she has worked on Zootopia+, Strange World, and is working on a film that comes out in 2024. She is currently based in Los Angeles, CA.

Amy Tseng

Amy Tseng is a Technical Director at Walt Disney Animation Studios and a 2018 graduate from the University of Michigan. Growing up in a household of theater, music, and movie-lovers, she found her passion for stories early on. While studying computer science in university, she also took an interest in courses outside of her major like screenwriting, graphic design, stop-motion animation, and live performance. However, she struggled to connect the dots between her love of art and storytelling with her interest in engineering and technology. She went on to pursue a career as a software engineer before finding her way to the animation industry, her ideal balance of art and technology. While at Disney Animation, Amy has contributed to the making of Zootopia+ the series, Strange World, and is currently working on the unannounced feature for 2024.

Annie Rauwerda

Annie Rauwerda is a writer, Wikipedian, and digital archives enthusiast. She maintains social media accounts called "Depths of Wikipedia" which have been featured in the New York Times, The New Yorker, and more. Annie hosts Wikipedia editing workshops and Wikipedia-themed comedy shows across the country and was named Media Wikipedian of the Year 2022 by the Wikimedia Foundation. She graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Neuroscience in 2022.

David Siev

Midwest-born and raised, David Siev is a first-generation Cambodian-Mexican-American filmmaker. Before directing Bad Axe, his SXSW award-winning feature debut based on his family’s restaurant in rural Michigan, David spent his early career learning guerilla filmmaking under director Jeff Tremaine. This experience prepared David to make his directorial debut with his award-winning narrative short, Year Zero, based on his father’s experience of escaping Cambodia. David’s work on Bad Axe has been celebrated with numerous accolades, including the Critic’s Choice Award for Best First Feature Documentary. David now lives in NYC, focusing on developing narrative and documentary projects.

Elizabeth Trinh

Elizabeth Trinh is a PhD candidate in Management and Organizations at the University of Michigan, Ross School of Business. She earned her B.A. in International Relations, B.S.H. in Science, Technology, and Society, and M.A. in Sociology from Stanford University. Elizabeth was granted the Predoctoral Research Fellowship with the Stanford Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society (PACS). Her scholarly work focuses on meaningful connections. She believes in the importance of mentorship, as she has had influential mentors who have helped her along her journey, and she hopes to encourage others to actively and agentically seek out mentors in their professional and personal lives.

Feranmi Okanlami

Dr. Oluwaferanmi Okanlami is an Assistant Professor of Family Medicine, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, and Urology at Michigan Medicine, and the Director of Student Accessibility and Accommodation Services at the University of Michigan. He is the Disability Issues representative on the Steering Committee for the Group on Diversity and Inclusion at the AAMC and was given the “A Teacher’s Teacher Award'' by the Academy of Medical Educators. He speaks around the country on topics related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, including, but not limited to creating a health system that is accessible to and inclusive of both patients and providers with disabilities, and providing reasonable and appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities in higher education. He is passionate about adaptive sports and fitness, striving to provide access to physical fitness and inclusive recreational and competitive sports for all

Ji Hye Kim

Ji Hye Kim is the award-winning chef/owner of Miss Kim in Ann Arbor, MI. Named one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs of 2021 and a James Beard Award Best Chef semifinalist, Ji Hye aims to broaden the understanding of Korean cuisine through her cooking. At her acclaimed restaurant Miss Kim — named one of Ann Arbor’s “Most Essential Restaurants” by Eater — her seasonal menu is inspired by ancient Korean culinary traditions, and adapted with local Midwestern ingredients.

Nicole Auerbach

Nicole Auerbach is an award-winning sports writer, television analyst and podcast host. Previously, she spent six years as a national college sports reporter for USA TODAY and headed its swimming coverage at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. She now covers these sports as a senior writer for The Athletic, a popular subscription-based sports website.In 2020, Nicole was named the National Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association, making her the youngest in the organization’s 61-year history to receive that honor.

Thomas Searle

Tommy is the founder of Wellnest, a studio building consumer social apps in San Francisco. Their most successful app, Cutouts, recently hit #10 on the App Store and has been downloaded more than 120,000 times. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor’s of Science in Engineering in Computer Science in 2020.