Theme: The Ripple Effect

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).

Knight Auditorium
Babson College
231 Forest Street
Babson Park, Massachusetts, 02457
United States

Alexander Sica

Undergraduate Student

With a vision to redefine how technology and well-being intersect, Alexander Sica is forging innovative paths at Babson College. As a student lead for The Generator—Babson’s interdisciplinary AI lab—he aids in transformative initiatives, including a Build-a-thon that drew over 150 participants. Professionally, he channels this forward-thinking ethos into Genetic Fit Lab—a biotech venture merging wellness, fitness, genetics, and AI to create personalized, data-driven health solutions. Managing six health and fitness studios further enriches his industry experience, refining the operational and leadership skills essential for turning these innovations into reality. By uniting ethical innovation, entrepreneurial action, and human optimization, he offers a compelling model for how technology can catalyze positive change—transforming industries, improving individual lives, and inspiring us to realize our full potential.

Beth Goldstein

Educator

Educator, author, researcher, and coach, Dr. Beth Goldstein sees learning as a path to transform minds and create agency. She holds a doctorate in entrepreneurial leadership in education from Johns Hopkins University, where she researched the role educators play in increasing their students’ entrepreneurial self-efficacy, confidence, grit, growth mindset, and resilience. Beth is the Senior Academic Director for the Babson Academy Youth Impact Lab, a member of the entrepreneurship faculty, and a business coach for Babson’s Summer Venture Program. Beth currently teaches entrepreneurship at a women’s prison in Massachusetts and previously taught at Boston University, Brandeis University, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico, and the Isenberg School at UMass, Amherst. Beth engages adults and youth learners across the globe, helping them see themselves as changemakers and entrepreneurial leaders, to empower them to design the world they want to live in.

Ed Brzychcy

Professor of Practice

Ed Brzychcy is a consultant, executive coach, and speaker specializing in leadership development, organizational design, and strategic implementations, working with middle-market-sized companies across various industries. He retired from the U.S. Army in 2011as a staff sergeant and infantry squad leader after serving for twelve years, spending three years deployed in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He received his MBA from Babson College in2016, where he now serves as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Practice in Organizational Behavior. He lives in Waltham, MA, and enjoys traveling and flying UAVs.

Harvey Castro

Physician

Dr. Harvey Castro is an accomplished emergency room physician, healthcare entrepreneur, and passionate advocate for proactive medicine. With 20 years of experience in the this field, he has dedicated his career to improving patient care by integrating technology and innovation into healthcare. As a physician, author, and speaker, Dr. Castro focuses on how artificial intelligence (AI) and edge technology can transform healthcare delivery. His mission is to empower individuals to take charge of their health through early intervention, personalized insights, and accessible tools.; Dr. Castro’s work has been featured in many publications, and he is recognized for his leadership in pioneering AI solutions in medicine. He combines his clinical expertise with an understanding of technology to advocate for a future where prevention is the standard. In his spare time, he enjoys mentoring medical professionals, writing, and sharing insights on the intersection of healthcare and technology.

Ken Frownfelter

Police Officer

Ken Frownfelter is a proud U.S. Marine Corps veteran, dedicated husband, father, grandfather, and a man of many pursuits. With nearly 18 years of service as a law enforcement officer, Ken has honed discipline, resilience, and calm under pressure—qualities he now shares through teaching and coaching. A 4th Dan black belt in Saito-Ha Shito-Ryu Karate-Do, Ken has spent years as a sensei,instilling these values in his students. His passion for wellness extends to personal training and hiscurrent journey as a certified life coach. As an ordained minister, Ken also finds fulfillment in offeringspiritual guidance. Ken is the host of What’s a Hero Podcast, where he celebrates stories of courage and heroism that inspire and uplift. A member of the Man of War Society, he lives by principles of honor, integrity, and leadership. Committed to leaving a legacy of purpose and strength, Ken strives to honor those who came before him while inspiring others to live with gratitude and resolve.

Lakshya Daga

CEO and Founder of TruLeague

My passion for business early on led me to join EY and later as the CEO of Avani Group, where I led a team of 200 talented individuals. Building on these experiences, I pursued an MBA in Entrepreneurship at Babson College, a decision that transformed my perspective on leadership and innovation. While at Babson, I founded TruLeague, a platform that fosters authentic connections between prospective and current students at colleges and universities, empowering students and higher education. I had the opportunity to participate in the transformative Techstars Boston accelerator program, which honed my skills and expanded my vision. Outside of entrepreneurship, I’ve been a national-level golfer and enjoy traveling to immerse myself in diverse cultures and ideas and embracing challenges that inspire personal and professional growth. I firmly believe that combining vision, discipline, and teamwork is key to achieving remarkable outcomes whether in business, sports, or life.

Marie-Elena Gerety

Entrepreneur

Trichotillomania is a compulsive hair pulling condition, often characterized by eyebrow pulling, eyelash pulling, and/or scalp hair pulling. For Marie-Elena Gerety, the founder of The Pluck App, trichotillomania was also her biggest secret. She dealt with trichotillomania since the age of 8, hiding gaps from eyebrow and eyelash pulling with makeup everyday. But after years of hiding her biggest secret, Marie-Elena received the inspiration to take action. She launched The Pluck App, an AI hair pulling detector for laptops. Designed to detect eyebrow, eyelash, and scalp hair pulling, The Pluck App uses the laptop webcam to interrupt pulling with a pop-up screen and replacement behavior. When Marie-Elena shared her idea and secret publicly, several of her videos went viral, reaching millions on Instagram and Facebook. This video will show you how one woman got 3 powers from her biggest secret: Inspiration, Self-Acceptance and Change.

Martha Niño

Senior Leader and Speaker

Martha Niño’s journey began in the humblest of circumstances, born into poverty in Mexico. She crossed into the United States as an undocumented child, passing as a stranger's child. Struggling through a lack of educational guidance and even being expelled from high school, the odds seemed insurmountable. Over the next 25 years, she forged an incredible career in Silicon Valley, breaking barriers in hardware, software, and mobile. Today, as a senior leader at Adobe for two decades, she stands among the rare 2% of Latinas in tech. Her success is not just her own; it is the result of mentors, supporters, and those who saw the potential within her she calls these amazing people BELIEVERS. A published author, speaker, and advocate, Martha now shares her story “The Other Side: From a Shack to Silicon Valley” inspiring others with the proof that the impossible is possible. Her journey is a dream that can rise from the most unlikely places. She is living proof that nothing is impossible.

Nicholas Wood

Non-profit Leader

Originally from Baltimore, Nick Wood moved to Vermont in 2013 to lead school climate improvement and leadership development programming in Vermont. For the next 10 years he worked with schools, non-profits, and small businesses to improve each organization's culture. In 2022, Nick left the Aloha Foundation and the Hulbert Outdoor Center to pursue his MBA at Babson.

Sadie Higgins

Certified in Music and Wellness

Sadie Higgins is a writer, public speaker, and wellness advocate who helps others harness the transformative power of music to navigate life's challenges. As an entrepreneur Certified in Music and Wellness from Berklee College of Music, Sadie combines personal experience with research to inspire audiences to use music and sound as a tool for emotional regulation, healing, and connection. A mother of three, she is passionate about fostering connection and emotional growth through the magic of music and sound. Through he talks, courses, and writing, Sadie empowers caregivers, women, and anyone on a journey of self-discovery to process their emotions and reclaim their inner strength. When she’s not speaking or writing, she’s creating playlists for every mood, dancing, or working on her transformational memoir, Newly Released, which explores healing and finding your true voice in the midst of life’s noise.

Vitor Ungari

Graduate Student

Vitor Ungari is a dynamic leader and passionate advocate for sustainability and innovation, focused on empowering changemakers through education, entrepreneurship, and technology. A former professional soccer player turned engineer, he transitioned into social entrepreneurship, co-founding Aurica to deliver cutting-edge sustainability consulting and SaaS solutions that drive impact. Currently pursuing an MBA at Babson College with concentrations in Entrepreneurship and Business Analytics/Machine Learning, he leverages his diverse expertise to tackle global challenges. Vitor’s transformative leadership has scaled initiatives at Enactus Brazil and different organizations, empowering over 3,000 students and positively impacting more than 100,000 lives. His journey showcases the power of adaptability, purpose, and green talent to build a more sustainable and equitable future.

Yves Salomon-Fernandez

College President

Dr. Yves Salomon-Fernandez is the president of Urban College of Boston. In 2024, the Boston Business Journal named her one of the city’s Power 50 leaders influencing their local communities for good. In March 2018, Diverse Issues in Higher Education named Salomon-Fernandez one of the Top 25 Women in Higher Education. Beyond credentials and accomplishments, Yves believes in the power of human connection and in challenging stereotypes, norms, and expectations that limit people’s ability to achieve their full human potential. As an educator, she believes her role is to help others unlock the power of their own agency and build community. Yves uses her personal narrative to up lift others and to demonstrate that leaders are ordinary people who take risks. She has failed, learned, grown, and succeeded with the help of the community. n her spare time, she enjoys road trips with her daughter and underwater adventures with her son. Her TEDx talk focuses on taking risks, failure, and community.