TEDxBard College

Speakers

Speakers may not be confirmed. Check the event website for the latest lineup.

• Antonio Castillo

  Antonio Castillo, Bard MBA ’24, is the founder of Ceiba Coffee Solutions, a company that focuses on creating YouTube content that tells the stories of small coffee farmers and their sustainable farming practices. As a passionate coffee enthusiast, Antonio's journey began with a dream to open a coffee shop but soon evolved into a mission to understand the stark inequalities that exist in the coffee industry. Over the past three years, he has delved into the coffee value chain, uncovering how profits disproportionately benefit businesses in the Global North while small farmers in the Global South struggle with poverty and limited bargaining power. Antonio's research has taken him to coffee-growing regions in Chiapas, Oaxaca, and El Salvador, where he has connected directly with small-scale farmers. His fieldwork has deepened his understanding of the importance of shade-grown coffee practices, the local coffee terroir, and the social and economic challenges faced by small producers. Through his storytelling, Antonio offers a comprehensive view of the persistent inequities within the coffee commodity value chain. In his TEDx Talk, Antonio aims to shed light on the structural issues in the global coffee economy and critically examine how collective action across the value chain that connects the Global South and Global North is required to drive meaningful change. He seeks to provide a clear perspective on why these power imbalances endure and how they can be addressed. Through his advocacy, Antonio hopes to build bridges that connect all of us to seek for effective reforms, empowering producers and ensuring a fairer distribution of value throughout the coffee supply chain.

• Ashley Eugley

  Ashley Eugley is a proponent of uniting science, policy, and collaboration to build climate resilience. Originally from a close-knit fishing community in coastal Maine, Ashley earned a BA in Environmental and Urban Studies from Bard College in 2022. In 2022, Ashley was awarded a Watson Fellowship for her project “Community Science as Community Agency” wherein she spent a year solo-traveling across five continents to explore how community-based science may be leveraged to monitor the impacts of climate change, combat environmental injustice, and enhance community resilience. After returning to the United States, she supported mid-coast Maine communities with devising climate adaptation and resilience strategies. Ashley is currently a graduate student in Environmental Management at the Yale School of the Environment.

• Ifigeneia Gianne

  Ifigeneia Gianne, born and raised in Athens, Greece, is a rising senior at Bard College majoring in Anthropology and Theater. She is the co-founder of Creative Play, a Davis Projects for Peace Award-winning initiative that brings storytelling workshops to refugee communities in Malaysia through music, theater, and podcasting. Alongside this work, Ifigeneia explores the complexities of refugee resettlement in the United States for her senior thesis in Anthropology, examining the intersection of displacement, identity, and state policies. A passionate theater maker, Ifigeneia has directed Blood Wedding by Federico García Lorca, Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett, and co-directed and acted in The Ant Play, which she wrote herself. She was named the Stephen P. Snyder '62 Scholar for the 2024-2025 academic year and is committed to exploring the intersection of art and social studies, particularly through the lenses of activism and volunteering.

• Joseph Luzzi

  Joseph Luzzi received his PhD from Yale University and is the Asher B. Edelman Professor of Literature at Bard College, where he also teaches courses on film and Italian culture. He is the author of eight books, including Botticelli’s Secret: The Lost Drawings and the Rediscovery of the Renaissance (2022), a New Yorker Best Books of 2022 selection that was shortlisted for the Phi Beta Kappa Ralph Waldo Emerson Award. Other books include My Two Italies (2014), a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice; and In a Dark Wood: What Dante Taught Me About Grief, Healing, and the Mysteries of Love (2015), which has been translated into multiple languages. Joseph’s honors include a Wallace Fellowship from Villa I Tatti, the Harvard Center for Italian Renaissance Studies; a National Endowment for the Humanities Public Scholars Award; and fellowships from the National Humanities Center and Yale’s Whitney Humanities Center. Joseph was named Honorary Citizen of Acri, Calabria, the birthplace of his Italian parents, in 2017. A widely sought-after speaker, Joseph has presented worldwide on literature, art, film, and the power of the humanities.

• Raahim Waqas

  Raahim Waqas Khan is a sophomore studying political science and psychology at Bard College at Simon's Rock. Born and Raised in Lahore, Pakistan, Raahim is a member of the General Assembly of the Council for Equity and Inclusion at Bard College, as well as the student representative on the Academic Senate: Policy and Program committee. Raahim has an extensive background in debate, Model UN and student advocacy. His research interests lie in student movements and the anthropology of international conflicts. Raahim looks forward to bringing his experiences in student advocacy and community inclusion to bridge the gaps between generations and highlight the importance and effects of student led movements for the socioeconomic and political climate of the future.

• Richard Lopez

  Richard Lopez received his PhD in psychological and brain sciences from Dartmouth College. He was an assistant professor of psychology at Bard for three years and now teaches and conducts research at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Massachusetts. Dr. Lopez is trained in social neuroscience, a newer field of neuroscience that examines links between the mind, brain, and social behaviors. Recently, Dr. Lopez and his students have been studying how young people experience and regulate their emotions in online settings, and how some individuals may be at higher risk for developing anxiety and depression based on how they use social media. His talk at TEDx Bard 2025 focused on how we can reimagine social media platforms to promote digital wellness and nurture our shared humanity.

• Roger Berkowitz

  Roger Berkowitz is Founder and Academic Director of the Hannah Arendt Center for Politics and Humanities and Professor of Politics, Philosophy, and Human Rights at Bard College. His newest book, A World We Share: The Power of Friendship in Politics will appear from Yale University Press in 2026. He is the author The Gift of Science: Leibniz and the Modern Legal Tradition (Harvard, 2005, Fordham, 2010; Chinese Law Press 2011) and editor of On Civil Disobedience: Henry David Thoreau and Hannah Arendt (Library of America, 2024) and Perils of Invention: Lying, Technology and the Human Condition (Blackrose Books, 2022), amongst many titles. Berkowitz hosts the podcast, "Reading Hannah Arendt with Roger Berkowitz."

• Rolena Richardson

  Rolena Richardson (she/her) is an artist, designer, and nature advocate originally from the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, now residing in the Finger Lakes region of New York, on Haudenosaunee land. Since 2020, she has been exploring and practicing intentional circular living while advocating for slow and empathetic consumerism—a philosophy that prioritizes sustainability, quality, and human connection over low cost and convenience. Her dedication to these principles earned her a place in the Start.coop Business Incubator for Rural Entrepreneurs, where she deepened her focus on cooperative business models that foster economic empowerment, sustainability, and shared ownership. She is currently developing two cooperatives: Rolena is the Founder of Rooted Native Goods, a cooperative that empowers Indigenous artisans in the U.S. to achieve entrepreneurial success in the digital economy through market access, business education, and community-driven support; and she is also the Co-Founder of a cooperative consultancy powered by the Bard GPS community advancing net-positive business practices through affordable, high-quality services for mission-driven businesses. Rolena holds a BS in Applied Economics and Management from Cornell University and an MBA in Sustainability from Bard College. She is a dedicated volunteer for the Ganondagan White Corn Project, contributing to food sovereignty efforts for Indigenous communities in Western New York, and currently serves as a committee chair on the Bard MBA Alumni Board.

• TJ Kostecky

  TJ Kostecky is the lead innovator of Vision Training, a leadership development program that empowers individuals to discover their full potential and form meaningful connections through subtle shifts in perspective. His academic career spans three decades and six universities and has seen him in diverse roles, such as a coach, athletic director, professor, and entrepreneur, each contributing to his unique perspective on leadership. TJ published his self-help book Eyes Up! in 2024. Good Housekeeping released their list of the 26 Best Self-Help books that work, and Eyes UP! was #5. He is currently the Head Men’s Soccer Coach and Co-founder of the Bard Leadership program at Bard College. In 2020, he was inducted into the Ukrainian Sports Hall of Fame. TJ resides in Tivoli, NY, where he enjoys longboarding through the village streets, hiking the Catskill Mountains, and engaging everyone he meets in conversation.

• Zarlasht Sarmast

  Zarlasht Sarmast completed her undergraduate degree at the American University of Central Asia – Department of International and Comparative Politics in 2020. While studying at AUCA, Zar was working for the “The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH” (GIZ) in Bishkek as a communications specialist. Before starting her academic and professional journeys in Bishkek, Zar served as the spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross in Afghanistan. She has previously worked with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and was part of many different peacebuilding and Humanitarian projects. She finished her first Master’s degree at the Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE Academy), department of International Relations and Security. She recently finished her second Master’s degree again at AUCA - department of Applied Psychology. Her research on “Level of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and its impact on Prospective Memory among Afghan Students” is published on the OSUN-Vasa Website. Zar played an important role in the evacuation of over 370 Afghan students of AUCA and AUAF from Kabul to Bishkek which inspired her to author her first photo story book “A journey from Kabul to Bishkek” followed by a second story book titled “Our Journey to Bard”. She has spoken in many international meetings including the World Bank Spring Meetings on the importance of education for Afghan women. Currently Zar is based in New York City and works as the Business Manager for Bard NYC program. She also serves as the Civic Engagement Network Coordinator at the Open Society University Network and Bard Center for Civic Engagement.