Theme: Ignited Minds

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).

Rancho Bernardo High School Performing Arts Center
13010 Paseo Lucido
San Diego, California, 92128
United States

Jonah Matranga

Singer, Songwriter, Guitarist

Matranga began his music career after graduating from Pitzer College in 1991 forming the band Far. The band split up in 1998 after releasing four albums, allowing Matranga to focus on a solo career releasing music under the moniker, ‘onelinedrawing’, an anagram of a previous band, New End Original. However, he has since retired ‘onelinedrawing’, in favor of releasing all new solo music under his own name. Matranga’s music is often classified as independent or alternative rock, with influences from emo and punk. Matranga has released over 20 solo recordings throughout his career, plus an additional thirteen releases as a member of bands, not including his vocals in other artists’ tracks. He co-wrote “Where’d You Go” a side project for Linkin Park co-lead Mike Shinoda, starring in the corresponding video which reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. A twenty five year veteran of the music industry, Matranga currently lives with his daughter in San Francisco when he isn't touring.

Manali Joshi

Teen Entrepreneur

Manali Joshi is a junior at The Bishop's School and is excited to be a TEDx speaker. Manali's hobbies include dancing, practicing yoga, and golfing. Outside of school, she is a student at Whatever It Takes (WIT), a social entrepreneur and leadership course that equips teens with tools to launch social impact projects around the community. With an interest in Personal Finance and Economics, she created her project, Banking on Teens, a 6-week program, in which 8th graders become financially literate and financially prepared for high school and college. Once a week, Manali teaches an important financial concept to a group of teens and designs and facilitates activities that simulate real life experiences. She is running this program at Bishop's right now and plans to run it at another middle school in San Diego later this year.

Natasha Tayebi

Teen Entrepreneur

Natasha Tayebi is a junior at The Bishop’s School in La Jolla, California. She is also a student at WIT, Whatever It Takes, a college credit course that teaches teens in high school how to be young entrepreneurs and leaders. As a result she has created her own enterprise, Silent Stories, which aims to capture people’s stories through art. Two to three times a month, she goes to the Gary and Mary West Wellness center downtown to bring art supplies and project ideas to seniors who do not have any family, struggle to make a living, or have mental disabilities. In her free time, Natasha loves to go on hikes, eat at Urban Plates, listen to music, and spend time with her family and friends. She loves sports and she is an avid Liverpool fan (go reds!).

Omid Rooholfada

Violinist, Beatboxer

Believing that every moment should be taken advantage of, Omid fills his time with such diverse activities as Math Team, Orchestra, Science Olympiad, and Speech and Debate. Omid loves combining disciplines, striving to find the internal links that connect seemingly disparate fields like the humanities and the sciences. With this interdisciplinary mindset, Omid has worked hard to unite his classical skills on the violin with his love for beatboxing, creating a new sound. He has broadened his project further by incorporating techniques of mathematical symmetry and the physics of sound waves into his violin-beatbox compositions.

Quinn Lozar

Spoken Word Performer

Quinn Lozar is a versatile actor, speech and debater, and performer with experience in Kung Fu, NHS, Internship Academy, and Academic League. He has been in several plays, performing in both principle and ensemble roles, and has won numerous Speech & Debate awards at both regional and state level. He has been nationally recognized for his spoken word poetry and has co-founded a Spoken Word Poetry Club at his school. He is also excited to be apart of San Diego's Emerging Fringe Festival and La Paloma's Full Moon Poets this year. As a public speaker, Quinn is passionate about inspiring others to explore their creative side, to take chances, and foster a nonjudgmental attitude toward others. He is grateful to his teachers, parents, and to all those who have created opportunities for him to express his thoughts and learn from others.

Saloua Saidane

Chemistry Professor, Fulbright Scholar

From international studies in France such as a pre-doctoral fellowship at the University of Paris and the Institute of Catalysis to a Fulbright fellowship at UC Davis and CIT, and Geraldine R. Doge Fellowship for outstanding teachers, no challenge has been too great for this brilliant science mind. Dr. Saidane is the founder and director of EYE, Empowering Youths and Educators, an organization promoting a combination of value based education and collaborative engagement throughout the Tunisian society. Courses are offered for students along with training for educators who receive a certificate of attendance cosigned by the AMIDEAST, whose mission is to expand opportunity through education and training. By creating awareness within youths and educators, they are able to see a correlation between success, paradigms, and attitudes. Empowering educators by helping them create an environment that fosters growth allows this system to leave students with lifelong skills.

Sarah Hernholm

Founder of WIT, entrepreneur

After majoring in film, Sarah earned her master's in education before teaching in the Poway Unified school district for 5 years. Despite truly loving her career, she wanted the ability to further the impact of her influence. The result was WIT (Whatever It Takes), an organization that coalesces all her passions into one incredible business model: it empowers and facilitates teenangers in becoming social entrepreneurs through hands on experience in designing, launching, managing, and measuring social enterprises. Additionally, Sarah also founded 360 Self, Inc.which focuses on self empowerment through workshops. She shares her successes and failures and forms personal connections with her audience in her quest to help them take their adventure to the next level by emphasizing authentic self-expression and entrepreneurial spirit with other teens. Ultimately, boosting teenage confidence and catalyzing individuals in their pursuit for success genuinely bring Sarah happiness.

Steve Barr

Educational Innovator

Victoria Mahdion

Choreographer, Yoga Instructor

As a strong advocate for vibrant raw living, Victoria started her first business, Ultimate Produce Organic Co-op, delivering the best Californian produce to her members to helping them nourish themselves. Victoria is a multi-faceted entrepreneur who is currently a raw food vegan chef, established performing arts instructor & choreographer, and yogi. The key ingredient to her recipe for success, of course, is her passion for health and wellbeing. One of her biggest values involves serving as a strong role model for her students and peers, which she does by placing importance on confidence and self-acceptance into everything she does. Her goal is to improve people’s health and wellbeing which she reaches through workshops, choreography, and masterclasses.