TEDxSan Joaquin Hills Youth

Speakers

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

• Johanna Richter

  Johanna Richter is a high school student, researcher, and eating disorder awareness advocate. After recovering from anorexia, she became passionate about understanding the factors contributing to the rise of eating disorders among adolescents. Her work explores the role of attachment, family relationships, and modern social influences on teen mental health. Johanna has conducted independent research in healthcare settings and plans to pursue a career in medicine. Through her TEDx talk, she hopes to encourage a deeper conversation about prevention and the importance of connection in supporting young people's well-being.

• Lilly Boman

  Lily Boman creates youth-led initiatives where students turn environmental learning into real-world action through science, creativity, and civic engagement. As the founder of a school environmental club and student-led nonprofit, she designs accessible programs connecting ocean and land stewardship through restoration projects and bilingual educational tools.

• Mia Lerner

  Mia Lerner is the founder of Project Unlaced, a youth-led movement dedicated to supporting young women's mental health and self-worth in a world that pressures them to shrink. After her own experience with an eating disorder, she recognized a gap that nobody was filling: honest, preventative conversations before crisis hits. Since founding Project Unlaced, she has delivered workshops at high schools across California, built a peer-led coalition of young women, and been featured across podcasts and speaking panels. Her work centers a simple but urgent belief: that culture shapes girls long before any system notices something is wrong, and that one honest conversation can change everything.

• Nir Solomon Mate

  Nir Solomon Mate is a UX Research Lead at JPMorgan Chase & Co., where he drives research and strategy for digital experiences used by millions of customers. Previously, he conducted research at Apple and Meta, contributing to products spanning wearables, audio, and virtual reality. Across his career, he has led mixed-methods studies, leveraged AI to uncover insights from large-scale customer data, and championed accessibility and experimentation practices. Outside of work, Nir is pursuing his Executive MBA at Columbia Business School. He is passionate about the intersection of human behavior, emerging technologies, and AI, and enjoys teaching dance, meditation, and mindfulness practices that foster connection and well-being.

• Rachel Zhang

  Rachel Zhang is a rising junior at Sage Hill School and a dancer who has trained since age three. Starting in ballet and later finding her passion in hip-hop through GRaVY Babies, Rachel experienced firsthand how dance can build confidence, creativity, and self-expression. That background inspired her to found Rhythm to Reach, an arts outreach organization that helps elementary students tap into their own creativity through dance and singing.

• Simar Singh

  Simar Singh is a student researcher, author, and STEM advocate from Bakersfield, California. Her research spans both healthcare and society, using artificial intelligence to address challenges in medicine as well as bias and toxicity in media. Her work includes developing AI models for medical imaging and for analyzing breast cancer brain metastasis, investigating solutions to antibiotic resistance, and studying how machine learning can detect bias and harmful content in journalism. Simar is a two-time award winner at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair, making her the first girl in Kern County history to receive an award at the competition. She is the founder of Girls Got STEM and Bakersfield Biology Circle, organizations dedicated to expanding STEM opportunities for underserved students. Simar is also the author of two books and hopes to pursue an MD-PhD, combining scientific research and medicine to improve human health and society.