Theme: Fill in the Blank

The TEDxYouth@WSHS location is now the White Station High School LIBRARY, not auditorium.

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).

TEDxYouth@WSHS is organized by students of White Station High School who seek to engage youth from their school and surrounding community in exploring big ideas.

White Station High School auditorium
514 South Perkins Road
Memphis, Tennessee, 38117
United States

Ellen Barnes

Youth activist

Ellen began to take interest in poverty after attending a camp called "collide" which was located in Nashville, where she quickly learned about how poverty affects all people and why it is important to address the problem because it is the elephant in the room. The camp inspired her goals in life and she hopes to change the way people think of poverty and the people who experience it.

Hannah Hornsey

Co-executive director of The Bridge street newspaper

Hannah Hornsey is a Senior at Rhodes College in Memphis who will graduate in May with a BA in English Creative Writing with a concentration in Poetry and a minor in French Language. She is the Co-Executive Director of The Bridge Street Newspaper, a monthly publication that works to ameliorate the lives of those suffering from homelessness in Memphis. The Bridge has allowed vendors to afford groceries, rent, and even buy cars; it has also shaped Hannah's own experience at Rhodes by providing her with valuable time management, organization, and leadership skills. She hopes to continue to help the organization expand and gain more of a positive presence in the Memphis community.

Marissa Pittman

Founder of Pumps and Politics 901

Marissa Pittman is a sophomore at White Station High School and the Executive Director and Founder of Pumps and Politics 901, an organization aimed at amplifying the voice of young women of color in politics. Recognizing her achievements, Memphis City Council presented her with a certificate of appreciation. Additionally, she serves her class as the Sophomore Class Vice President. Representing Let’s Innovate through Education, Pittman is an active member of the Innovation Fellows Advisory Council. In her local Future Business Leaders of America chapter, she holds the position of Vice President of the Membership and Sponsorship committees. Through her community work, she was nominated for the SPARK Awards. Also, Pittman has been in numerous publications, ranging from The Memphis 100 to The Scroll.

Meka Egwuekwe

Executive director of CodeCrew

Meka Egwuekwe is Executive Director of CodeCrew, an innovative, mentorship-based youth coding initiative guiding young people in Memphis to be tech producers. Since founding CodeCrew with Petya Grady and Audrey Jones, Meka has worked tirelessly to make computer science education available to kids across the city. Meka has been a local leader in the youth coding movement since founding the Memphis Chapter of Black Girls Code in late 2012. Under his guidance, the chapter became one of the country’s most active, hosting more than a dozen workshops teaching hundreds of girls how to build mobile applications, web pages, video games, and robots. Meka is also a longtime mentor in StartCo’s business and technology accelerators, where he has mentored various companies in tech. Meka has a B.S. and M.S. in Computer Science from Morehouse College and Duke University, respectively. He resides in Memphis with his wife, Pamela, and their two daughters.