Theme: Rewired

TEDxYouth@PHUHS presents Rewired: an event dedicated to highlighting local voices with ideas that challenge the status quo. Our mission is to amplify solutions that re-engineer our surroundings for the better. Through activism, the arts, technology, and more, TEDxYouth@PHUHS invites 11 local speakers to share what it means to Rewire our world.

PHU Auditorium
1900 Omaha Street
Palm Harbor, Florida, 34683
United States

Anisha Abraham

Health Activist

Anisha is a senior at Palm Harbor University High School whose passion lies in global health. After witnessing the harmful effects of health stigmatization and inequity first-hand, she has worked to address the social issues underlying our healthcare systems. Anisha launched a blog and charitable cause called Pink Power to advocate for female health and donate hygiene products to people in need. She currently assists research on teenage mental health intervention and hopes to make healthcare more accessible through public awareness and policy reform.

Damian Gold

Student

Damian Gold is a sophomore at Palm Harbor University High School’s IB program. He has experienced the ups and downs of friendships, and recently embarked on a journey of self-expression and empathy to improve the quality of his self-awareness, friendships, and other relationships. He is a member of the Speech & Debate club, among other clubs, where the practice of good communication helps him become a better speaker. Damian has lately taken an increased interest in learning the psychology of relationships, and specifically hopes to study how social interactions shape human connections and mental health in the context of public health as a physician-scientist.

Farimah Farahmandi

Computer Scientist

Farimah Farahmandi is an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at the University of Florida (UF). Her research interests include design automation of System-on-Chips and energy-efficient systems, formal verification, hardware security validation. Her research has resulted in three books, nine book chapters, and several publications in premier ACM/IEEE journals and conferences. Her research has been sponsored by SRC, DARPA, AFRL, DoD, Analog Devices, Ansys, and Cisco. Dr. Farahmandi currently is the associate director of Edaptive Computing Inc, Transition Center (ECI-TC) at the University of Florida.

John Hibbs

Student

John Hibbs is currently studying at the University of South Florida (USF) to acquire a masters degree in Library and Information Science. He graduated from USF with an undergraduate degree in History. He has experience both volunteering and working with the Pasco County School District as a tutor, library assistant, and more. In 2011 he was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease and later with Rheumatoid Arthritis; the treatment for these conditions causes him to be significantly immunocompromised. He wishes to share his thoughts about living through the COVID pandemic as a young person who is immunocompromised and extremely vulnerable to the virus.

Marvin Andujar

Computer Scientist

Dr. Marvin Andujar is an Assistant Professor and Lab Director of the Neuro-Machine Interaction research lab in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of South Florida. His areas of research are Affective Brain-Computer Interfaces and Brain-Controlled Drones. His research efforts have led towards multiple publications in journals and conferences. Dr. Andujar also co-founded the world’s first Brain-Drone Race. His research work along with the Brain-Drone Races have been showcased in more than 600 news outlets worldwide through online articles, documentaries, and news segments. Some new venues include the New York Times, Associated Press, Discovery Channel, the Verge, Engadget, and Star Wars Explained.

Melissa Kranias

Healthcare Manager

Melissa Kranias is currently the Cardiovascular Service Line Manager for BayCare. Melissa collaborates across the fifteen-hospital organization, working to improve quality and processes for patients, team members, and physicians in cardiology. If you met her today, you would never know that she experienced a Traumatic Brain injury from a car accident during the beginning of her junior year of high school. This single event shaped her life forever, from her passions to her career path. The numerous challenges and experiences she had to overcome over the next five years of her life to get to where she is today has led her to a compassionate career in healthcare, as well as a great appreciation for the most precious things in life.

Mitch Teckman

Tattoo Artist + Local Business Owner

Mitch Teckman is a professional tattoo artist of 18 years in the Tampa Bay area whose passion lies in Japanese and American traditional artwork. After many years of tattooing, he decided to open his own tattoo studio in 2009. He is the founder of Legendary Tattoos Tarpon Springs, Florida. Mitch is a subject matter expert in Tattooing where he worked with the National Institute of Cosmetology to create a standardized test for entry level Tattoo artists. In 2013, he started Legendary Screen Printing and Design where he provides custom T-shirt printing, embroidery services, and graphic design for local business and clothing brands.

Scott Applebaum

Educator

Dr. Applebaum has been an educator for years who has learned invaluable tips and tricks to navigating the standardized testing arena.

Scott Bradley

Educator

Scott Bradley has been teaching literature and language arts in Palm Harbor University High School's International Baccalaureate program for nineteen years. He is an alumnus of Florida State University and the University of South Florida and was a graphic designer in a past life. A scholar of all storytelling forms, he is fascinated by the concept of the archetype: the connections and patterns that we instinctively weave into our tales. His nonliterary hobbies include cooking, model building, and talking about himself in the third person.

Wil Glaser

Entrepreneur

Wil Glaser spends his time focusing on blending behavioral analysis focused treatment and emergent technologies. He founded LabX, a technology/entrepreneur launchpad. LabX pairs anyone that is interested in working with technology is either assigned to or create a project for purposes of launching. Wil believes that anyone has the opportunity for creating something successfully if given the opportunity. Since being founded in 2017, a total of 11 different startups have formed through LabX doors.

Zeena Khazendar

Health Activist

Zeena Khazendar is an undergraduate student at Stanford University majoring in Human Biology and minoring in Human Rights. She grew up in Jordan and her grandparents were Palestinian refugees, which led her to develop a fierce passion for serving underrepresented populations. Pursuing this passion, Zeena became Associate Director of BeAGoodDoctor, a nonprofit that serves the Emergency Department in Santa Clara Valley Medical Center by providing interpretation and volunteer services, largely for marginalized groups. Zeena is the founder of Virtual Mentorship for Students Abroad (VSMA), a program that connects high schoolers in impoverished villages who want to study in the US with mentors from top universities. She recently began working with Sana Relief, a nonprofit focused on Syrian refugee healthcare, and will be working both remotely and directly in Syrian refugee camps in Jordan.