In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized (subject to certain rules and regulations).

Chavis Community Center
505 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd
Raleigh, North Carolina, 27601
United States

Aditi Ediga

Aditi Ediga is a sophomore at Panther Creek High School in Cary, North Carolina. With a passion for mental health and cultural arts advocacy she hosts a mental health podcast to encourage open conversations on mental wellness and serves on her town's Cultural Arts Committee. Aditi is also a classically trained Bharatanatyam dancer, promoting cultural awareness and exploring the intersection of culture and mental health stigma.

Alpha Omega Step Team

Alpha Omega Step Team is based out of Sanderson's HIgh School with members from Enloe, Rolesville, Wakefield, and Southeast Raleigh high schools. They are a competition team that travel all over to compete.

Anandhi Selvaraju

Anandhi Selvaraju, a junior at Green Hope High, is a passionate advocate for mental health along with classical Indian dance and music. As secretary of the North Carolina Youth Health Council and founder of Nurture Foundation, she blends creativity with purpose, championing awareness and breaking stigma to empower youth and foster positive change.

Ankit Dhurba

Ankit Durbha is a freshman at Enloe Magnet High School. He enjoys turning seemingly mundane moments in life into opportunities to learn science, technology, or engineering, and maybe even have some fun along the way. If he's not building a robot or tinkering with some tech, he's probably making music on his flute or saxophone.

Brandon Estevez

Brandon Estevez is a high school junior and the Eastern U.S. Director for the National 4-H Geospatial Team, where he leads innovative initiatives at the intersection of technology, community service, and leadership. Passionate about empowering youth to solve global challenges, Brandon uses Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to tackle issues like food insecurity and urban development. When he’s not leading workshops or developing partnerships, Brandon is planning his future in civil engineering and urban planning, aiming to create sustainable solutions for communities everywhere.

Camille Vereen

Camille Vereen, a junior at JD Clement Early College High School, is a passionate environmental advocate. She manages a native plant garden, serves on the Museum of Life and Science’s Youth Advisory Board, and the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council. In her free time, she enjoys baking, biking, and playing the piano.

Christelle Espinosa

Christelle Espinosa is a Business Transfer Student at Wake Technical Community College and a first generation Hispanic-American. She blends creativity and leadership in her roles as Social Media Representative for Cosmetology club and Wake Review Magazine. As a proud advocate for education and opportunity, she is a member of DECA and works with Juntos, an organization that promotes Latino youth entering higher education. Christelle is committed to fostering connections and inspiring growth, both in her community and beyond.

Devanshree Jampala

Devanshree Jampala, a high school freshman at AFHS, is passionate about Neuroscience and Technology. As a member of her school’s Academy of Engineering, she is committed to exploring innovative solutions in health and science. An active participant in the speech and debate team at her school. Devanshree also plays the flute outside of school, further developing her communication and creative thinking skills. In addition to her academic pursuits, she has achieved excellence in Bharatnatyam, completing her Arangetram and earning recognition in National Competitions. Devanshree holds diplomas from SPMV University in India, demonstrating her dedication to both intellectual and physical disciplines.

Jiayin Sun

Jiayin Sun is an 11th grade student at East Chapel Hill High School (ECHHS). She has been learning Chinese martial arts and Tai Chi since she was six years old with her father, who is a Chinese martial arts professor. She has a strong interest and love for Chinese culture, traditional Chinese sports and dance, and has performed at the Ohio State Government, Ohio Asian Festival, Ohio Chinese Festival, etc. She established a Chinese cultural organization with ECHHS as its first base, holding the annual community event Spring Festival Gala in Chapel Hill Community, promoting positive cultural and spiritual exchanges, and inspiring the community and more members of society.

Mackenzie Fennell

Mackenzie Fennell is a student at Southeast Raleigh High School. She is passionate about bringing light and positivity into the lives of others. Through her involvement in a girls' group and as an ambassador for her community, she learned the importance of surrounding yourself with the right people and advocating for individuality.

Neuse River Middle School Students

Karla Gomez, Stephanie Abigail Muñoz Moyeda, and Zulma Reyes are middle school students who enjoy sports, fashion, and dance.

Shailen Fofaria

Shailen Fofaria, a junior at Enloe High School, participates in numerous academic and extracurricular activities. Shailen is Junior Class President, President of Enloe’s Academy of Creative Design, and runs varsity Cross Country. His passion is service, which he fosters through work with numerous nonprofits and the startup he co-founded.

Shreeya Pande

Shreeya Pande is an 8th grader at Mills Park Middle School who uses her passion for public speaking to address real world issues. She aspires to promote the growth of her peers through leadership roles, and believes that communication is key to advocate for herself and others. When she’s not fiddling with her piano and violin, you’ll see her walking her goldendoodle, reading, and daydreaming about the next dish she’ll cook.

Solange Niyonyishu

Solange Niyonyishu is a 12th grader at Sanderson High School. She is from Tanzania. She speaks Swahili, English, and Kirudi. One of her favorite places to be is the Refugee Hope Partners Community Center where she gets to do her homework and also play games with her friends whenever they have Teen Night. She loves cooking, cleaning, and teaching Sunday School. She also enjoys spending time with family and friends. She is the second oldest in a family of 10, and the oldest daughter. Lately, she has been working hard to make sure she gets all her grades up and she is looking forward to her graduation.

Sonia Daptardar

Sonia Daptardar, a sophomore at Panther Creek High School, is a passionate advocate for literacy, leadership, and empowerment. Founder of Seeds of Reading, she collaborates internationally to advance literacy efforts. A proud 3 time recipient of the Presidential Volunteer Service Award, she hopes to continue making an impact.

Zara Miller

Zara Miller is a senior at Durham Academy, passionate about the intersection between environmental policy and diplomacy. She’s a civic intern with a Durham-based organization called Kids Voting Durham, working to engage youth in local, state, and national elections. Zara hopes to become a future US diplomat, and she’s worked in the United States and India on agro-research and food insecurity.