TEDxDesign Tech HS

Speakers

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

• Abigail Joseph

  The Innovation Doctor | Architect of Joyful Results | TEDx Speaker

  You're a master of your craft. A successful professional who knows how to execute. But there's a part of you that remembers creating for the joy of it—and you miss it. You feel the tension between "The Strategist" and "The Studio." My work is dedicated to building a bridge between those two worlds. My name is Dr. Abigail Joseph, and I am the Architect of Joyful Results. After a 7-year PhD path in computer science and 15 years in K-12 schools, I took a "teacher gap year" to escape burnout, finding sanctuary in a makerspace. There, I rediscovered the joy I first felt as a kid making duct-taped storybooks. I remembered my creativity wasn't a distraction; it was my greatest asset. As an innovation strategist and 2x TEDx speaker, I've dedicated my career to fusing the rigor of The Lab with the soul of The Studio, helping brilliant minds like yours build a structured process to bring your best ideas to life.

• Alex Kotran

  Founder & CEO of aiEDU

  Working at the nexus of artificial intelligence, education and the future of work. First generation American. Been in the AI space since 2015. Proud son of a 20+ year educator. Ohioan at heart.

• Betsy Corcoran

  Strategist. Writer. Entrepreneur.

  Betsy Corcoran brings education's best ideas to life. She advises organizations at the intersection of technology and learning on the strategies and tactics for catalyzing innovation. She also consults with C-level executives on how to foster vibrant teams that stress authenticity and transparency. She draws on decades of experience in leading teams and in analyzing industry’s top leaders. In 2011, Betsy cofounded and served as CEO of EdSurge, which became the leading information hub for teachers, entrepreneurs and school leaders with a commitment to edtech. She was named a “Rock Star of Education.” EdSurge created a vibrant community of entrepreneurs, educators and others. It received awards for its journalism as well as for its impact in education from groups including NewSchools Venture Fund and the ASU-GSV Summit. In 2019, she negotiated its successful acquisition by ISTE, the International Society for Technology Education.

• Brittany Ritter

  Production & Design

  use design thinking to craft stories that people love. My foundational experience in design spans financial services, sustainability, and social impact, including: creating a digital inventory system for a university's food bank, enhancing the public transit experience in Metro Atlanta, and designing accessible ticket kiosks. 🚀 Now, I leverage that strategic problem-solving to produce commercials for innovative tech companies around the world. 🎬

• Cristian Mitreanu

  Ofmos Universe — The Human Strategist Platform™

  I am building and bringing to market Ofmos Universe — The Human Strategist Platform™ — to develop the strategic thinking that professionals, students, and lifelong learners need in a world where AI is absorbing an expanding range of cognitive tasks. *** Ofmos Universe — The Human Strategist Platform™: OFMOS®, Spointra™, BizBigPic™, RedefiningStrategy™ | Ex- Instructor @Stanford, Founder @TEDxUIUC, Speaker @TEDxDesignTechHS, Author @MIT-SMR *** The platform is built on two first-principles theories (the One-Need Theory of Behavior and the Ofmos Theory of Business) and organized by the Five Business Big Pictures, a strategy framework that identifies five levels at which strategic thinking is deployed, from the individual decision to the economy. The framework produces a new definition of strategy, connects established tools like Porter's Five Forces and the BCG matrix to a single generating logic, and provides a unified reference system — the Ofmos Map — that applies at every level.

• Freya Schecter

  Business & Sales Focused | TEDx Club Co-President | Honors + College Coursework | Public Speaking | Leadership & Volunteer Experience

  Junior at Design Tech High School

• Leena Agarwal

  Technical Program Manager (TPM) | Agentic AI, Physical AI, Cloud Infrastructure

  I'm a Technical Program Manager who takes complex AI and cloud systems from 0→1 to production. 20 years in tech: 8 as a hands-on hardware/software engineer, then 12+ years as TPM leading programs at Meta, Amazon, Block, Cruise, and Woven by Toyota across cloud infrastructure, AI, physical AI, autonomous systems, and consumer hardware. My sweet spot is where technical complexity meets execution: getting engineering, product, safety, finance, vendors, and executives aligned on what ships, when, and what has to be true for it to be production-ready.

• Luciana OrRico Gomes

  Building and scaling things that help people.

  I’m a high school student passionate about creativity, community impact, and designing meaningful experiences. Whether I’m leading a project, building a game concept, developing an app, or running a kindness-centered club, I care about solving real problems in innovative, human-centered ways. I’m the founder of Bracelet Making Connection: Givers Get Club, an initiative focused on combating loneliness and exclusion at my school by anonymously creating bracelets for every student. Through this project, I’ve built skills in project management, organization, team leadership, and community engagement. I've collaborated with National Geographic on a youth innovation challenge, designing a narrative survival game that teaches an explorer mindset through interactive storytelling. I also work in my school’s PR team, creating visual campaigns and managing creative direction for student-facing events.

• Nathan Tam

  Harvard University ’30 | Human Biology | Student Researcher | Interests in Cardiology, Neuroscience & Public Health

  First-year student at Harvard University studying Human Biology, with interests in cardiology, neuroscience, psychology, and public health. Research interests include mental health, aging, and health disparities, with previous work examining the impact of COVID-19 and anti-Asian hate on older Chinese adults in San Francisco. Interested in exploring the connections between human biology, medicine, and public health through research and interdisciplinary study.

• Sarah Barash

  High School Student | Concurrent Enrollment + Honors Coursework | Leadership + Volunteer Experience

  Junior at Design Tech High School

• Smita Madam

  Head of Product @ AI Demand Pro | TEDx Speaker | ex-Amazon | AI & GenAI Products | B2B SaaS | Product Strategy | 0→1, Platform & Scale | Mentor | MBA

  Strategic Product Leader with extensive experience driving innovation and building AI-powered enterprise and consumer products from concept to scale. Passionate about translating emerging technologies into customer-centric solutions that deliver measurable business impact. Experienced in defining product vision, leading go-to-market strategy, and building high-performing cross-functional teams. I began my career as a software engineer, building enterprise-grade applications and large-scale platforms. That technical foundation enables me to bridge business and engineering, make informed product trade-offs, and deliver scalable solutions across SaaS, APIs, cloud platforms, and AI/ML technologies.