Theme: Fast Forward: A Different Future

TEDxNortheasternU was created in the spirit of TED’s mission of Ideas Worth Spreading. The student led organization has always aimed to inspire individuals to become better versions of themselves and intends to continue to do so through its 2020 flagship event and theme - Fast Forward: A Different Future.

This year, the TEDxNortheasternU team invites you to envision the future and to inspire innovation while instilling the significance of reflection and evaluation throughout their journey. Our event aspires to curate an interdisciplinary experience that encourages you to step out of their comfort zone while interacting with the Northeastern community. The reaction we seek to draw from you? Simply put, “wow”.

Our event theme, Fast Forward: A Different Future, strives to spark ideas and innovative creations that inspire change in the future. From personal experiences, challenges and successes, our event aims to bring different visions together through inspiring you to take action and make an impact.

Northeastern University
360 Huntington Ave.
Boston, Massachusetts, 02115
United States

Ashley Keeney

Lecturer at Northeastern University

Ashley Keeney has enjoyed a career dealing with consumer goods. After starting her career with Procter & Gamble, she moved to Reckitt Benckiser and together spent 15 years studying the retail landscape and understanding the tactics, patterns, and motivations of consumer purchasing. Now, as a lecturer at Northeastern University, she combines her real world experience with the foundations of consumer study.

Claire Williams

Conservation Biology Researcher

Northeastern alumna and researcher, Claire Williams has always grown up surrounded by nature. Watching the ecosystems she loved throughout the United States fall victim to environmental degradation drove her interest in conservation biology. However, Claire's interest in microbiomes has resulted in a unique lens through which she views these issues. Focusing on the interconnectedness of species and their microbial symbionts, Claire has completed research in arctic microbial ecology, climate change, and pesticide exposure. She is also the co-founder of a scientific research program which inspires STEM literacy and confidence in elementary age kids in Boston. Claire's easily distracted nature has resulted in a slew of mismatched hobbies, most recently quilting, birding, and painting -- but only portraits of dogs.

Darin Detwiler

Assistant Dean & Associate Teaching Professor of the College of Professional Studies

Assistant Dean and an Associate Teaching Professor of food policy at Northeastern University’s College of Professional Studies, Dr. Darin Detwiler D.LP., Northeastern University) is regarded as “One of the most well-known, respected, and accomplished people in the food safety industry.” The International Association for Food Protection presented him with their 2018 “Distinguished Service Award.” Detwiler is the author of two books: “Food Safety: Past, Present, and Predictions” and “Building the Future of Food Safety Technology: Blockchain and Beyond.” Darin loves to travel and to cook. He is a US Navy Nuclear Submarine Veteran.

Harshad Sathaye

PhD Candidate and Researcher

Harshad Sathaye is a Ph.D. candidate at Northeastern University and a soon-to-be student pilot. He is a cybersecurity enthusiast with research interests around wireless systems security, specifically navigation systems and the development of secure cyber-physical systems like smart things and autonomous vehicles. He is currently working on aviation security and developing countermeasures against severe GPS vulnerabilities with his advisors Prof. Guevara Noubir and Prof. Aanjhan Ranganathan. He has presented his work on security issues associated with aircraft landing systems and satellite navigation systems at USENIX Security Symposium and Aerospace Village at DEFCON 27/28.

Klevis Xharda

Founder of Work the Polls

Northeastern alumni Laura Mueller-Soppart and Klevis Xharda are founders of Work the Polls, a grassroots initiative to engage a new poll worker corps across the US. In reaction to thousands of closed polling sites in the 2020 primaries, Work the Polls is focused on recruiting, training and reform advocacy. Klevis is a political strategist with a variety of tech, media, and political clients on government related initiatives and special projects. He previously worked for First Lady Michelle Obama before joining Google's Government Affairs and Public Policy team in San Francisco.

Laura Mueller-Soppart

Founder of Work the Polls

Northeastern alumni Laura Mueller-Soppart and Klevis Xharda are founders of Work the Polls, a grassroots initiative to engage a new poll worker corps across the country. In reaction to thousands of closed polling sites in the 2020 primaries, Work the Polls is focused on recruiting, training and reform advocacy. Laura is the founder of Built Interest, a real estate consultancy with a mission to create built environments grounded in the power of people and place. Her projects range from Toronto's first food hall to dozens of co-living units in Los Angeles. Yet, they are all bound by introducing user centric principles to our cityscapes. After not receiving a ballot in the NY Primary, she started Work the Polls focused on how to better design the process and outreach around the user, the poll worker.

Rachel Cossar

Founder, Choreography for Business

Rachel Cossar is a former nationally ranked rhythmic gymnast and professional ballet dancer. She first competed internationally on the Canadian Rhythmic Gymnastics team and then joined the Boston Ballet, performing lead roles in front of audiences at the Boston Opera House, and stages across the globe over the course of a decade. In 2016, Rachel retired from her dancing career due to an ankle injury. On the tails of her dancing career, Rachel brought her unique expertise as a performer into a variety of different industries. As founder of Choreography For Business, Rachel focuses on the physical parameters of communication, presence and leadership in virtual and in-person settings. Blending her skills as a high-level athlete, professional ballet dancer and major gift fundraiser, Rachel is a champion of unique and a-typical transitions.

Riddhi Samtani

Alumni, International Affairs

For many, climate change is an imminent threat, but for Riddhi Samtani, her family and all small island developing nations, sea level rise, extreme heat and destructive super storms are an everyday reality. Having been born and raised on the 37 square-mile island of Sint Maarten, Riddhi has drawn on this narrative to study, understand and solve the challenges third world countries face in terms of climate resilience, policy implementation and community engagement. Riddhi has acquired fulltime professional experiences across public and private sectors of the economy working in policy analysis, corporate sustainability and climate resilience namely at the EPA under the Obama Administration and Boston Consulting Group. Her experiences have not only solidified Riddhi’s passion but affirmed her commitment to be a champion for her country and all small islands nations and most importantly in addressing her generation’s most pressing challenge: climate change.

Sajni Vederey

Founder of STEM All Stars

Sajni Vederey is sophomore at Northeastern University majoring in finance. Sajni has been dedicated to serving her community, both within school and out of school. Outside of school, Sajni found her own international nonprofit organization called STEM All Stars after she noticed that many girls in India were dropping out of school since they did not have the opportunities or money to continue their education. The mission of STEM All Stars is to eliminate stereotypes and open access to education for women. For her work, she became UN Youth Delegate of 2017 and ambassador for organizations including SGAP, AAT Project, and She Rocks the World. She also enjoys participating in her school's Women in Finance Club, writing blogs, and cooking.

Shadi Emam

PhD Candidate and Researcher

Shadi Emam is a PhD candidate at Advanced Material and Microsystems Laboratory at Northeastern. Prior to joining Northeastern University, she was working on magnetic levitation control at American University of Sharjah. She received her second M.S. degree in mechanical engineering from Northeastern University working on piezoelectric energy harvesting. Her research interests include electrochemical gas sensors, molecular imprinting polymers, and RF/microwave devices. She has not only focused on an instant test for COVID-19, but also for some terminal illnesses. Shadi is exploring the possibility of using gas sensors for a variety of disease diagnosis. Her most recent work explores the breathalyzer to detect COVID-19, all while getting results in 1 minute. While the exhaled breath may just simply be an afterthought for most, Shadi maintains that it contains very useful information, as it is the fingerprint unique to each individual person.

Sri Krishnamurthy

CEO of Quant University

Sri Krishnamurthy is the founder of QuantUniversity, a data and quantitative analysis company, specializing in large-scale Machine Learning and AI solutions. Prior to starting QuantUniversity, Sri has worked at companies like L&T-Komatsu, Citigroup, MathWorks and with more than 50 customers in the financial services and energy industries. He has trained more than 10,000 students in quantitative methods, analytics and big data in the industry and at Northeastern University, Babson College and Hult International Business School. Sri earned his Masters of Science in Computer Systems Engineering and in Computer Science, both from Northeastern University and an MBA with a focus on Investments from Babson College. He is an avid traveler, an aspiring poet and is also an author for his upcoming book “Unconventional”.

Steven Braun

Visiting Assistant Professor

Steven Braun is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the College of Arts, Media and Design at Northeastern, where he teaches courses in data visualization and programming for the web. As a research-practitioner whose academic background is rooted in biophysics and Asian studies, he studies the design and visualization of information through applied practice across the arts and humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. His work has used visualization to explore topics ranging from comparison of how U.S. and Japanese history textbooks talk about the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, to the cyclical structure of the film The Big Lebowski; these projects have spanned collaborations with many organizations beyond Northeastern, including Project Information Literacy, Partnering Lab, the Environmental Data and Governance Initiative, and the lab of Hidenori Watanabe at the University of Tokyo.

Vanita Fitzwater

Politics, Philosophy, and Economics student

Vanita Fitzwater is a second-year student at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. As a Politics, Philosophy, and Economics major, she works to explore and create the connections between real-world experience and its potential applications. With experience as a 3D Printing Technician, Social Enterprise Investment Analyst, and Economic Development Intern, Vanita was eager to use her experiences to help others. Though only 19, she raised enough to start a small initiative to supply her community in Boyle County, Kentucky with over 200 3D-printed face shields to establish the necessary PPE to protect local healthcare professionals to the COVID-19 pandemic. With only her first year of college completed, Vanita looks forward to navigating through the numerous adventures ahead.

Vidhan Bhaiya

Founder of Dr. Brinsley

Vidhan Bhaiya is a 5th-year University Scholar at Northeastern University studying Chemical Engineering. He’s currently building Dr. Brinsley, a brand which makes performance footwear for people with diabetes. Every 20 seconds, one foot is lost due to diabetes in the world today. Over half of these could be prevented if people wore correct footwear. Dr. Brinsley makes a range of performance footwear for people with diabetes so you don't have to choose between looking good and saving your foot. Dr. Brinsley has been featured on Forbes, DTNext and more and Vidhan was recently inducted into Bostinno’s 25 Under 25 for his work with the company.