Preview of TEDx’s 2020 annual speaker event

At+last+years+TEDx+event%2C+cancer+immunotherapy+researcher+Priti+Hegde+talked+to+attendees+about+her+work+in+cancer+genomics.

Alysa Suleiman

At last year’s TEDx event, cancer immunotherapy researcher Priti Hegde talked to attendees about her work in cancer genomics.

by Alysa Suleiman, A&E Editor

TEDxHarkerSchool will be virtually hosting a weeklong speaker event for its 2020 TEDx event. Starting on Nov. 4 and ending on Nov. 7, each day will feature one speaker. The speaker videos will be released through the daily Activity Guides email sent by Eric Kallbrier, Director of Student Organizations and Assistant Upper School Activities Coordinator.

This year’s theme is Ikigai, a Japanese concept relating to finding the balance of one’s passions, goals, talents, and purpose. TEDx has also released a trailer for this year’s event as well as a form to purchase Ikigai-themed shirts available for curbside pick-up in December. 

“The mission for TED is to act as a source of inspiration to spread ideas worth sharing, and I think in this global pandemic setting everyone can take some more inspiration to find their reason for being,” TEDx co-curator Helen Li (12) said. “I’m definitely most looking forward to seeing TEDx week 2020 play a role in inspiring more people to find their Ikigai.”

The 2020 TEDx speakers are:

Nisha Talagala, CEO and founder of Pyxeda AI, who will be speaking on “AI Literacy: What Is It and Why Do We Need It?”

Tania Safi, an Arabic-Australian video journalist and rights activist, who will be speaking on “A Reason for Being and the Judgement for Reason.” 

Chinmayi Balusu, an undergraduate sophomore studying neuroscience and medical humanities at Columbia University, who will be speaking on “Pick your Brain: Neuroscience for All.”

Sophia Gottfried (12), Philosophy Club president, HELM co-editor and Writer’s Advocate Club treasurer, who will be speaking on “Vita Activa: Bringing Work to Life.”

Additional reporting by Varsha Rammohan.