TEDxPurdueU

Speakers

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

• Aastha Patel

  A senior physics student at Purdue, Aastha Patel bridges scientific inquiry and social impact. Her passion for making knowledge accessible drove her to develop a unique language-learning tool that meets learners where they are. Aastha's work reflects her belief that understanding the universe is only half the journey. The other half is understanding each other. Outside the lab, she can be found reading, solving puzzles, or exploring nature, always curious about what is next.

• Bo Parfet

  Bo Parfet is Managing Principal and Head of Growth at DLP Capital, a $5+ billion company. Beyond the boardroom, he's a 3X author, explorer, speaker, and ski mountaineer. A 2026 Ski Hall of Fame nominee, Bo is among a small group to have climbed Mount Everest from both the Nepal and Tibet sides, in addition to completing the Seven Summits and climbing K2. His most recent expedition helped restore eyesight to more than 50,000 people. As a member of The Explorers Club, his fieldwork has contributed to the discovery of 29 new species. Bo holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a master’s degree in economics from the University of Michigan. He lives in Boulder, Colorado, with his wife and two sons.

• Chase Boehringer

  Chase Boehringer is a pioneering explorer and experience creator who builds bold projects at the edge of culture, adventure, and human potential. From a small farming town to leading expeditions across six continents, he's engineered some of the most extraordinary experiences on Earth. As founder of The Bucketlist Experiences and member of The Explorers Club, he is known for extreme World Records and making the impossible happen. Chase is driven by one question: what's possible when we stop living as who we are and start becoming who we're meant to be?

• Nicole Johnston

  Nicole Johnston is a speaker, best-selling author, and executive and leadership coach who specializes in helping career and executive-track women rise with clarity and confidence. She brings more than 30 years of global sales and marketing leadership experience at companies including Procter & Gamble, Hershey, and Kimberly-Clark. As founder and president of innatePOWER LLC, she coaches women navigating the real pressures of senior leadership. A certified coach and University of Iowa Alumni of the Year, Nicole is also a world traveler, avid reader, and cat-lover. Learn more at www.innate-power.com.

• Prady Modukuru

  Prady Modukuru is the co-founder and CEO of sync., an AI research lab rewriting how the world experiences stories across language, culture, and borders. Backed by Google Ventures and trusted by major studios and top agencies worldwide, sync. has pioneered visual dubbing — translating performances to look and feel native in any language. Previously, Prady worked in applied research at Microsoft, graduated Y Combinator (W24), and won the AI Grant from Nat Friedman and Daniel Gross. A Purdue computer engineering alumnus and a builder at heart, he's obsessed with solving hard problems and helping the world tell more great stories.

• Sid Thatham

  Sid Thatham is an Energy Engineer in the Department of Utilities and an Asst. Professor (Adj.) in the College of Engg. & Applied Sciences at the University of Cincinnati (UC). He is originally from India and moved to Cincinnati to go to grad school for a Master's in Chemical Engineering and an MBA. Memes, AI, energy, photography, technology, and the outer space are among his various interests. He also loves chatting about movies and tv shows from all over the world.