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).

THE RIO THEATER
1205 Soquel Ave
Santa Cruz, California, 95062
United States

Aryan Dawra

Aryan Dawra is a rising senior who enjoys taking on big challenges like global warming. He designed and engineered the Particulate Emissions Tailpipe, also known as the PET Tailpipe. PET is a device that captures the particulate matter that comes out of your car’s tailpipe.

Bob Reid

Bob Reid has been writing and performing in schools, concerts and festivals across the country for over 40 years. Recognized for his work in music for children, as well as adults, Bob has become nationally recognized. His songs are sung and recorded by Pete Seeger, Bill Harley, Pat Humphries and many others. Bob has appeared and his songs have been performed on the Today Show, at the White House, and at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

Bob Reid and Judi Jaeger

Judi Jaeger played guitar and sang as a teen, and then put it aside for 25 years while going to law school, becoming a practicing attorney and then raising two children. She picked up her guitar again and began writing songs in response to her mother’s early death of dementia, and continues as a serious student of songwriting and performing.Bob Reid has been writing and performing in schools, concerts and festivals across the country for over 40 years. Recognized for his work in music for children, as well as adults, Bob has become nationally recognized. His songs are sung and recorded by Pete Seeger, Bill Harley, Pat Humphries and many others. Bob has appeared and his songs have been performed on the Today Show, at the White House, and at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

Eshika Nellore

Eshika is a high school senior who is interested in studying medicine and public health. She founded Get Your Shots!, wrote a song and created a whiteboard video to prevent the return of eradicated diseases because there is a rise of people who are not getting immunized. As a volunteer in the Philippines, Eshika saw firsthand the recurrence of many diseases due to lack of vaccinations. While there, she educated indigenous people (Aeta communities) about a eating a high protein diet and washing your hands after using the restroom or before eating. In high school, Eshika was a speech and debate captain for expository speech and assisted a cardiologist. She is also a singer who has been vocally trained in musical theatre and opera for five years and has received awards in singing competitions.

Ethan Hsiao

A high school senior, Ethan is passionate about nanoscience and materials science and by the interdisciplinary component that they encompass. He researched the synthesis of a 2D material that had a variety of applications in nanotech. Ethan hopes to give a glimpse of what makes nanotech exciting.

Eva Prakash

Eva Prakash is a rising senior and an advocate of diversity in artificial intelligence. She is the founder and CEO of Girl 2.0, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization in California that is dedicated to closing the gender gap in technology by providing free computer science education to girls and other underrepresented minorities in STEM. The organization is focused on debunking the myth that coding is only for “white guys in hoodies” by rebranding what it means to be a computer scientist. Currently, Eva is a student researcher in computational biology at Stanford University, where she works on the interpretability of machine learning models for genomics.

Joel Bullard

Joel just completed his undergraduate college career majoring in Biology at Oakwood University. During undergraduate college, Joel worked as an anatomy and physiology lab assistant and as a dental assistant with a general dentist, an orthodontist, and an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. Joel is preparing to enter dental school and looks forward to a career in dentistry.

Judi Jaeger

Judi Jaeger played guitar and sang as a teen, and then put it aside for 25 years while going to law school, becoming a practicing attorney and then raising two children. She picked up her guitar again and began writing songs in response to her mother’s early death of dementia, and continues as a serious student of songwriting and performing.