Theme: "AND"

Our theme is intentionally polysemic—the coexistence of many possible meanings for a word or phrase.

Some of the most innovative improvements have come from using multidisciplinary approaches to solve seemingly impossible problems. Whether it's using literature and math or architecture and biology, inclusion can lead to eye opening discoveries.

Join us in discussing these ideas and more on March 16th at the University of Pennsylvania.

Irvine Auditorium
4301 Spruce Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104
United States

Barbara Segal

While a student at Pratt Institute, NY, Barbara Segal resolved to spend both her junior and senior years at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris to study stone carving with teachers like René Collamarini with whom she later exhibited at the Musée Rodin. Segal returned to New York City with the ability to create carve in stone, and America’s evolving culture with its pop and fashion icons would prove a continuing source of inspi- ration. In 2001, Segal won a New York City Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) Arts for Transit commission and in 2004, two of her sculptures were installed on Metro North’s Yonkers station viaduct. Today, she teaches stone carving, and creates large sculptures, most well-known of which are her stone-carved Hermes Birkin Bags, which have gained much media attention in the past years. Her talk will follow her journey and discuss the symbolism behind carving such opulent accessories—like the Birkin Bag—and the weight with which our society holds them.

Elena Botelho

Partner at leadership advisory firm ghSMART and co-au- thor of New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller, “The CEO Next Door,” Elena Botelho advises CEOs of Fortune 500 corporations and leading investment firms. She co-leads The CEO Genome Project, investigating the surprising insights into the characteristics of successful (and unsuccessful) executives to debunk the myths about what it truly takes to make it to the top. Her findings will surprise you, and her cutting-edge research may have consequences for the CEO in all of us.

Gene Mele

Fresh off being named a winner of the 2019 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics, Penn Professor Gene Mele will speak about his revolutionary work in condensed matter physics at TEDxPenn 2019. His work alongside Professor Charles Kane led to the theoretical discovery of topological insulators, materials with conductive surfaces and insulative interiors that could usher in a wave of new, super-efficient electronics and potentially even ultra-fast, incredibly powerful quantum computers—one of the greatest technological challenges of the century. His TED talk will cover the history of conductors and two different applications of his work going forward: things unfolding in the current moment and things he predicts will unfold with great optimism for the future.

Joanne Lipman

Joanne Lipman is the author of That’s What She Said: What Men Need to Know (and Women Need to Tell Them) About Working Together. Until December 31, 2017, she was Chief Content Officer of publishing company Gannett, and Editor-in-Chief of USA TODAY and the USA TODAY Network, comprising the flagship title plus 109 local media organizations, including the Detroit Free Press. Lipmann’s talk will discuss much of what her own work has been based upon—sexism in the workplace. In her talk, she will discuss the importance of bringing men into the conversation of sexism and draw upon elements of her own research to reaffirm her ideas. She will also discuss simple ways men can try to work toward diminishing sexism in the workplace and can affirm their allyship to women.

Melissa Dahl

An expert on the awkward moments that make us human, Melissa Dahl will be exploring why and how we “cringe,” and what they can reveal about our priorities and personalities. Moreover, she will be discussing what we can learn from these inevitable moments of embarrassment, and new ways to approach them.

Mounir Ibrahim

Mounir Ibrahim spent years working in the State Department in Syria and saw first hand the chaos and political turmoil raging in the country. His time working in diplomacy made him aware of the prevalence of fake news and the tendencies of people in power to fabricate events. He now works at Truepic, a company that utilizes cloud computing and blockchain technology to provide photo authentication for a variety of industries, ranging from insurance to government accountability.

Peter Fader

Peter Fader, a professor at the Wharton School of Business, performed groundbreaking research on customer centricity that revolutionized the marketing landscape. He utilized the techniques he developed on understanding consumer segments and targeted marketing to found a predictive analytics firm Zodiac that was sold to Nike. He now does research on how customer lifetime value can provide better estimations of a company’s worth more so that traditional factors such as its current market value or corporate structure.

Peter Wang Hjemdahl

After graduating from Wharton this past spring as a recipient of the President’s Engagement Prize, Peter Wang Hjemdahl is currently in Mumbai launching rePurpose—a startup that aims to transform the Indian economy from linear to circular by empowering kabadiwalas, waste dealers who are the direct link between e-waste producers and the recycling industry. rePurpose will introduce a digital marketplace for kabadiwalas to more easily access and sell waste, and will additionally tackle education and environmental issues in Mumbai. Peter will share his ideas and experience creating a startup with the audience at TEDxPenn, covering sustainability, entrepreneurship, and global outreach.

Suzanne Carpenter

Suzanne Carpenter is a freshman at the University of Pennsylvania and resides in the Philadelphia region. A recent graduate of Archbishop John Carroll High School, Suzanne has performed piano and violin in multiple ensembles. She played violin in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s All-Catholic Orchestra, Delaware County Youth Orchestra, and PMEA’s District and Region Orchestras. She has also performed numerous times at the Kimmel Center where she was invited during her senior year to conduct a piece for the All-Catholic Orchestra. Outside of school, Suzanne has studied piano under Marcantonio Barone at the Bryn Mawr Conservatory of Music. She received first prize in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s piano competition on two separate occasions. An active liturgical musician, Suzanne has also served as a church music director, and is an instrumentalist at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul. At Penn, Suzanne participates in the Symphony Orchestra and a baroque chamber ensemble. She currently intends to major in music.

Vince Beiser

Award-winning journalist Vince Beiser will dive into the logistics behind the most abundant resource in the world, and why we’re running out of it. Author of “The World in a Grain: The Story of Sand and How it Transformed Civilization,” every audience member will leave with a newfound appreciation for the sand on our beaches, inside our smartphones, and in our lives.

Wren Weichman

As a crew member at Corridor, YouTube’s premier cinema quality channel, Wren Weichman has seen more than his fair share of visual effects. Since their inception, visual effects have constantly grown more prominent in film and other productions, to the point where we can’t stop notic- ing them. Backed by his years of real-world experience in the field, Wren will unpack how and why visual effects are ruining movies but also how the very best effects can be an art form that you may have never noticed.