Theme: Shifting Equilibrium: A Journey Into The Unknown

TEDxYouth@VictoriaPark is currently the only youth-based TEDx organization in the Calgary area, aimed towards serving youth between the ages of 13-22. The purpose of TEDxYouth@VictoriaPark is to explore the issues, ideas and questions that are central to young people today, and we firmly believe in providing an opportunity and platform for local youth to share their novel and innovative ideas to their local and global communities.

Mount Royal University
4825 Mount Royal Gate SW
Calgary, Alberta, T3E 6K6
Canada

Aishwarya Khanduja

Aishwarya is a socially focused interdisciplinary artist, student, innovator, and entrepreneur. She is a recent graduate of the health sciences program from the University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine. She strives to be a multifaceted individual, and is a firm believer in being able to pursue all her passions to their fullest extent.

Catharine Bowman

Catharine Bowman is a medical researcher, public speaker, and healthcare advocate with a profound interest in utilizing innovative thinking to approach societal healthcare challenges. In 2008, Catharine’s mother was diagnosed with stage-three metastatic cancer and shortly after treatment, developed lymphedema, an incurable and lifelong disease affecting the lymphatic system. At the age of 14, Catharine set out to create the first pharmacological treatment for lymphedema. Almost seven years later, Catharine is now a well-established lymphatic researcher, implementing novel research techniques and methods to further explore her original pharmacological therapeutic. Through her speaking campaign, “Let’s Talk Lymphedema”, Catharine has had the opportunity to share her research and advocacy journey at venues across North America and the UK. Reflecting on her life journey, Catharine’s resulting message is simple: “Know and utilize the foundation you stand upon when you journey into the unknown”.

Claire Du

Passionate about technology since she was young, Claire founded AI4Youth Canada at the age of 15. AI4Youth Canada is a federally incorporated non-profit organization, which focuses on connecting high school students across Canada with professors and influential industry leaders in Artificial Intelligence and promotes AI related experiential learning opportunities. She organized Canada’s first nationwide conference about AI specifically for high school students in 2018, and AI4Youth Canada has directly impacted over 350 youth in Alberta, Ontario and British Columbia. Claire has been recognized by Startup Canada as a Prairies Region Nominee for the 2019 Young Entrepreneur Award, and has also received the Silver Achievement of Duke of Edinburgh International Award, and an Immigrants of Distinction Awards in 2018. Claire firmly believes that empowering youth in the field of artificial intelligence is necessary to better prepare them to be the change-makers of the future.

Jesse Lee

Jesse Lee is currently an 11th grade high school student at Western Canada High School, a student researcher at both the University of Calgary and the University of Alberta, and a notebook enthusiast. He is working on numerous projects, including research into the science of ice nucleation, as well as one of the world’s very first reliable marijuana impairment detection devices. Jesse enjoys the simple things in life, and many of his ideas for projects are inspired by nature and the world around him. He regards nature as the world’s “oldest and best engineer”, and he has dedicated himself to learning all that he can from this unconventional mentor.

Madison Savilow

Madison carries her strong passion for entrepreneurialism, business, and the sciences into every aspect of her life. She currently coordinates business development at a clean tech, carbon utilization company called Carbon Upcycling Technologies. Madison is in her final year at the University of Calgary working towards a BComm in Accounting (Co-op) and a BA in Sociology (Hons) with a dissertation exploring the consequences of water insecurity on Canadian First Nations reserves. She is a strong advocate for water resource management as well as for climate change mitigation.

Muna Adam

Muna is currently a University of Calgary student in a combined Psychology and Chemistry degree. Muna is a strong active advocate towards youth-directed science outreach, and she is currently involved with various organizations and initiatives that help establish and increase the presence of women and minorities in STEM-related fields. Muna has worked and volunteered for numerous organizations to help promote STEM education and raise awareness towards its increasing importance in modern education. Muna ultimately desires to pursue a career in the medical field, so that she can help support and enforce the attainment of the highest possible level of health, for every individual.

Nisha John

Nisha John completed a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences with a minor in Social and Cultural Anthropology at the University of Calgary in April 2019. Nisha combines her passion of people-centered work with her interests in healthcare and education to positively impact local and global communities. On campus at the University of Calgary, she has been highly involved with the Sophomore Leaders Program and various other clubs to continually improve the student experience for others via mentorship and leadership development programming. She is a two-time competitor in the World’s Challenge in 2018 and 2019 (heading to the world finals in June!), as well as in the Hult Prize in March 2019. She also works with the Sterile Processing Education Charitable Trust and Fullsoul, consulting for an engineering team to improve the sterilization process of medical instruments in low and middle income countries, specifically in maternal health in Uganda. She loves crafting, making music, and has a new-found love of powerlifting!

Zeel Patel

An energetic technological thinker and systems designer, Zeel Patel is an undergraduate at Harvard fascinated of the intersection between neuroscience and computer science, and the applications of human-computer interaction. Zeel is an activist for scientific research and developed a novel diagnostic for heart disease at the age of 16. Outside of his work, Zeel is passionate about traveling the world and exploring new cultures and worldviews.