Theme: Independence

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).

Gala Hispanic Theatre
3333 14th St NW
Washington, District of Columbia, 20010
United States

Ana Alanis

Ana Alanis is a global youth activist, human rights advocate, and student at American University in Washington D.C. Through advocacy work at the United Nations and various humanitarian development projects, Ana’s mission is to increase smiles around the world. Growing up in Venezuela, Switzerland, and Mexico City, Ana identifies as a global citizen. Ana has been working towards global development since she was a sophomore in high school. As Youth Representative for an HIV/AIDS-oriented NGO, she has advocated for human rights and youth involvement at recognized United Nations forums, such as the Annual Youth Assembly, the 59th Commission on the Status of Women, and the Sustainable Development Summit. Despite her working towards the goal of international development, Ana refuses to grow up too quickly. She embraces the perks of childhood/youth, strongly believing the enthusiasm and drive of young adults is the key to making a global change.

Gabriel "Asheru" Benn

International Hip Hop Artist Gabriel “Asheru” Benn, M.Ed. is an international Hip-Hop artist, veteran educator, and arts advocate. He has served as a teacher/administrator in DC public, private, and charter Schools for 17 years. For the past nine years Benn has served as Founding Director of Guerilla Arts Ink, LLC, an arts and educational consulting organization that recruits, trains, and engages the local arts community to become teaching artists and servant leaders in schools, afterschool and summer programs, in and around the Washington, DC area.

Isvari Mohan

Isvari Mohan (www.isvari.com) is a Global Law Scholar at Georgetown Law, a columnist, an author, a speaker, a composer, and a singer/song-writer. She's traveled around the world and worked overseas in politics, physics, and law. She speaks six languages, none of which is Klingon, one of which she wishes was Wookie. She has never started her own business at the age of two that became a multi-million-dollar tech giant. :) Please don't stereotype her. Whatever you think, you're probably wrong.

Kirk Francis

Founder, Captain Cookie Kirk grew up in Oklahoma, where he climbed trees, enjoyed thunderstorms, caught some frogs, made cookies, flipped houses, and acted in a local improv troupe. He made his first cookie at four years old, loved them, and has been obsessed with them ever since. Kirk attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, double majoring in English and Mandarin Chinese, plus a minor in Creative Writing. He worked his way through college with jobs at a gift shop and a bakery cafe, plus some legendary (and profitable) parties.

Mariam Adil

Mariam Adil is an Economist (consultant) at the World Bank and the Founder of a social venture called GRID – Gaming Revolution for International Development. She has five years of human development experience across Africa and South Asia. Mariam holds two Masters Degrees, an MA in International Development Studies from George Washington University, USA and an MSc in Economics from Lahore University of Management Sciences, Pakistan. Under GRID, Mariam is working towards mainstreaming video games as a medium for behavior change. Mariam presented GRID on stage at a session moderated by President Clinton at the CGIU Meeting 2015. She is also the recipient of the 2015 Andrew E. Rice Award for “Leadership & Innovation” by the Society of International Development, the GWU Knapp Fellowship and the GWU Public-Service Grant Commission Award.

Megan Leftwich

Megan Leftwich is an assistant professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the George Washington University. She received her BSE from Duke University and her Ph.D from Princeton University in 2010. Following this, she served as the Angew National Security Postdoctoral Fellow at Los Alamos National Lab. She joined the faculty at GWU in 2012. Her research, as an experimental fluid dynamists, focuses primarily on biologically inspired fluid flows: from the human body to swimming fish and mammals to wind blowing through a forest.

Michael Lai

Michael Lai is the North American Student Outreach Lead for the Minerva Schools at KGI, a new accredited university program designed by a Harvard Dean and Silicon Valley entrepreneur to prepare students to solve complex global problems. Minerva students live in seven of the world’s greatest cities during their four years of college, studying exclusively in small active learning seminars. Prior to Minerva Michael worked at Google DotOrg and education startup Noodle, focused on using technology to increase access to education. Michael graduated from Harvard College, where he studied government and education and taught civics to 4th, 5th, and 8th graders.

Nancy Searby

Ph.D., NASA Nancy Nearby serves as the Capacity Building Program Manager for NASA's Applied Sciences Program in the Earth Science Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC. The Applied Sciences Program discovers and demonstrates innovative and practical uses of Earth observations in organizations' policy, business, and management decisions. She is leading the Program's efforts to build skills in use of Earth observations to make decision in the US and developing countries. Nancy oversees three NASA Center-based projects - DEVELOP, SERVIR, and Applied Remote Sensing Training - that aim to improve the ability of local, regional, state, national, and multinational stakeholders to make decisions informed by Earth science observations and models.

Ruchit Patel

Ruchit is a high school senior from New Jersey who has always been passionate about science. When he was a young boy, he had an endless hunger to try to find out more about the world around him. As he got older, he heard that if he did research, he could further his interest in science while being able to solve real world problems. However, he struggled to find people that would listen to him, consider him for their programs, and take him into their labs. Eventually, he was able to secure two research internships with Rutgers University, conducting work on zeranols and bisphenol analogues, which might lead to publications in the coming months. He also pursued an independent investigation into melanoma, winning 2nd place and a $10,000 scholarship in the National Academy Medical School Scholarship Challenge. Engaging in research also helped him to get into a prestigious high school summer program, the NJ Governor’s School. He was able to go from disappointment to finding success.

TJ Jacobs

Founder Pace Setters Dance TJ Jacobs is a true product of love and passion fordance. As a commercial dancer, he has trained in the styles of Hip Hop, Fosse, Street Jazz and Ballet. His versatility in various genres of dance has helped open many doors for performance opportunities domestically and overseas. Despite his training, Jacobs did not decide to pursue a career in dance until he graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a B.S degree in Criminal Justice.

Willie Witte

Director, Roadtrip Nation TV Series Willie Witte's business card reads "Professional Roadtripper." Seriously, it does. With over 60,000 miles clocked in Roadtrip Nation's Green RV, he has now set foot in 49 of the 50 United States (someday he'll make it to North Dakota!). More important, as Director of the Roadtrip Nation television series he's been behind the lens for nearly 200 interviews with inspiring people from all walks of life. He also recently co-authored the New York Times best-selling book "Roadmap: The Get-It-Together Guide for Figuring Out What To Do with Your Life."