TEDxBrushy Creek Youth

Speakers

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

• Ananya Makineedi

  Ananya Makineedi is a 14-year-old student at McNeil High School with a deep passion for early childhood literacy. After joining a buddy reading program in fifth grade, she saw firsthand how reading support can change lives, especially for kids struggling with reading differences or learning English as a second language. Ananya now advocates for joyful, accessible reading for all. She’s especially excited about how AI can support young readers in new ways. Outside of school, Ananya is a volleyball player, a viola musician, and a taekwondo medalist.

• Arjun Jetty

  Arjun Jetty is a curious and driven individual with a deep passion for science, technology, and martial arts. A national karate medalist and black belt, Arjun combines discipline and focus in both his academic and athletic pursuits. He enjoys exploring nature, playing basketball, and is currently working toward achieving the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout.

• Arjun Siddhaiyan

  Arjun Siddhaiyan is a 14-year-old public speaker and technology enthusiast attending Round Rock High School. With two years of experience flying drones, Arjun’s passion for agricultural technology has earned him Public Speaking Champion in Ag Tech at the State Fair of Texas. He has also shared his insights at countless other rodeos and fairs in Texas, like the Houston Livestock and Show Rodeo, where he won $300. Outside of speaking, Arjun enjoys basketball, football, photography, and spending time with friends.

• Aryan Sharma

  Aryan Sharma is a 14-year-old 9th grader at Round Rock High School. For years, he visited a local farm stand with his grandpa, until it was suddenly removed due to urban development. That moment sparked his passion to speak up about the struggles farmers face as cities expand. His message resonated, earning him 1st place in major public speaking contests across Texas, including the Houston Rodeo Fair for Public Speaking, one of the biggest public speaking competitions in the nation. Aryan uses his voice to defend rural communities and honor agricultural heritage. In his free time, he enjoys building engineering project and coding.

• Durga Sahil Thota

  Durga Sahil Thota, a young artist with a deep love for drawing, discovered that creating art brought him a sense of peace and calm. He began to see drawing as a mindful alternative to the endless scrolling that filled much of his time. Through this quiet practice, Sahil changed the way he viewed art: not just as a product, but as a calming process.

• Kanishk Lalith

  Kanishk Lalith is a 15-year-old sophomore at Round Rock High School. From a young age he’s always enjoyed speaking and has attended a public speaking club for many years. He especially loves impromptu speaking, for which he has earned many awards. His passions include fishing, biking, running, art, and being with his dog.

• Kayal Lalith

  Kayal Lalith is a freshman at Round Rock High School. She grew up noticing the stark differences between the quality of schools and always wanted to change that system. Kayal’s an avid reader and loves baking and playing instruments.

• Neer Luthra

  Neer Luthra is a 14-year-old student who’s passionate about rethinking success beyond wealth and status. After spending time at a boarding school, he developed a deep interest in how different environments shape values, identity, and ambition. In his TEDx talk, Neer shared personal stories that challenge materialism and invite people to value meaning, empathy, and connection. Outside of school, he enjoys basketball, building creative projects, and questioning everything around him.

• Sisira Bikumala

  Sisira Bikumala is a 15-year-old student at Rouse High school who's passionate about uncovering the overlaps in culture, identity, and social change. She’s dedicated to continue creating conversations that challenge bias and uplift voices that are often ignored. From sharing, speaking, or even just listening, she’s always seeking ways to bridge understandings across differences. In the future, she’s excited to pursue a career in business and law and will continue to advocate for diversity in media, marketing, and in our everyday lives.

• Soham Shah

  Soham Shah is a curious high schooler is always looking to learn new things. When Red 40 came across his mind, he immediately dove into deep research. Soon, he found many potential consequences of this dye and felt it worth sharing. When TEDx provided him the stage to speak to a larger audience, he saw it as a golden opportunity to enhance the knowledge of his community. He is so grateful for the chance he got to enlighten his audience. Outside of this, Soham engages in various activities including chess, cricket, and coding and has always found a strong passion with science. He is hopeful to get his audience to look beyond current perspectives and to build a new horizon for everyone to live in!

• Sridarsh Sankara

  Sridarsh Sankara is a car enthusiast with a sharp mind for business. He's pursuing corporate law to merge legal strategy with industry passion and he's always ready to shift gears—from fast cars to fast deals.

• Varsha Amirthraj

  Varsha Amirthraj is a 15-year-old student from Round Rock High school who aspires to go into the engineering field. Inspired by the ways that technology can benefit people across the world, she decided to make a speech to inform people of the power of BCI. She loves combining theoretical knowledge with creativity to produce new and inspiring ideas. Along with her passion for math and the sciences, Varsha enjoys playing guitar, drawing, reading, and going on hikes.