Theme: AI, Startups & the Human Story — across science & math, education, tech, design, business & life

At TEDxCSTU 2025, we explored more than innovation — we explored the human story behind it. Under the theme "AI, Startups & the Human Story — across science, tech, design, business & life," this in-person event brought together a vibrant and diverse group of speakers to share ideas that challenge, inspire, and connect.

The event spanned six core areas — science & math, technology, education, design, business, and life — highlighting how artificial intelligence and entrepreneurial thinking are transforming not only how we work, but how we learn, create, heal, and grow.

From building businesses with free AI tools to unlocking the power of subconscious learning, from the psychology of persuasion to healing through heartbreak, TEDxCSTU 2025 featured a wide spectrum of voices, including:

🎓 Ph.D.s and postdoctoral researchers from Stanford, UCLA, UC Berkeley, and Princeton

🧠 Engineers from Google DeepMind and YouTube

📊 Data specialists from Adobe

🚀 Startup founders, bestselling authors, and CEOs

🏛️ Civic leaders including the Mayor of Cupertino

🎨 Educators, designers, and change-makers across disciplines

Talks like “AI for Everyone,” “Build the Tools You Need,” “The Brain Behind the Brain,” and “From Heartbreak to Hope” invited attendees to reimagine their relationship with technology — not as a replacement for human intelligence, but as a powerful partner in human progress.

TEDxCSTU 2025 reminded us that in the age of machines, meaning still matters — and the future belongs not just to those who build it, but to those who understand the stories that shape it.

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Adam Chen

General Manager, Analogix

Adam Chen is General Manager at Analogix, where he leads their display IC business. With over 30 years in the semiconductor industry, Adam has helped bring multiple startups to success, holds several patents, and has deep experience spanning engineering, marketing, and global strategy. An MIT-trained engineer, he’s passionate about making advanced tech—like AI—accessible to non-technical professionals.

Andreas Ramos

CSTU Professor，Author of 22+ books on digital marketing

Andreas Ramos came to Silion Valley in 1992. He has worked at many major corporation and many startups. He teaches now at CSTU. Visit him at andreas.com.

Bharathi Raja Ramachandra Bose

Vice President of Relanto AI, Author

Bharathi Raja Ramachandra Bose works as Vice President of Sales at Relanto AI, an AI-native advisory and consulting firm. He sells and delivers AI solutions to some of the best names in the Bay Area. Outside of work, he is an author, translator, lyricist, avid reader, book reviewer, and a public speaker.

Cecilia Shen

CEO and Co-Founder of Cybever

Cecilia Shen is the CEO and co-founder of Cybever, an AI-powered 3D world creation platform pioneering a new approach to video generation. By combining structured 3D environments with cutting-edge AI, Cybever enables creators across industries to generate production-ready content with unprecedented control, scalability, and visual precision—whether for games, film, or real-world simulations. With a career rooted in innovation, Cecilia previously served as an AI engineer at Google X, where she contributed to transformative projects like Mineral, an Alphabet initiative focused on advancing sustainability and robotics in agriculture. Her background combines deep technical expertise with a strong belief in using technology to solve meaningful, real-world challenges—a philosophy that defines her leadership at Cybever.

Dong Jiang

AI Founder, GPTDAO Partnerships & Ecosystem Growth Lead

Andreas Ramos came to Silion Valley in 1992. He has worked at many major corporation and many startups. He teaches now at CSTU. Visit him at andreas.com.

Glen Qin

CSTU (California Science and Technology University) President, UC Berkeley Ph.D. & M.Eng., Tsinghua B.S.

Dr. Glen Qin, President of California Science and Technology University, is an esteemed educator, engineer, and technical leader in Silicon Valley. Holding a PhD from UC Berkeley, Dr. Qin is an expert in AI and Data Science. As a visionary leader, he has been guiding CSTU since its inception, driving the university's success. His leadership has not only shaped CSTU’s achievements but has also inspired many graduates to become high achievers in their own right.

Jay Zhang

Software Engineer | YouTube, Google

Jay Zhang is a Software Engineer at YouTube (Google), He is a seasoned builder in Generative AI across infrastructure, models, and products. With impactful agentic product deliveries, he now focuses on content creation and Gen AI at YouTube. He holds degrees from Shanghai Jiao Tong University and UIUC.

Jinxing Li

Research Scientist at UCLA, Founder of FoxGlobe, and Director of the Creative AI Contest

Jinxing Li, Ph.D. Dr. Jinxing Li is a research scientist at UCLA specializing in space physics and AI for science. He leads a NASA-funded project focused on developing AI space environment model. Dr. Li is the founder of FoxGlobe, a company dedicated to AI education and consulting. He serves as the director of the Creative AI Contest (creati-ai.com), an international competition that promotes creativity in AI design.

John Jiang

CEO of VESS, Standford SLAC Postdoc

Dr. John Jiang is a pioneer in big data, AI, and digital transformation. As Chief Architect/CTO of Lockheed Martin IT after 9/11, he led anti-terrorism data systems and the virtual border for DHS (2002–2005). He built and led enterprise data practices at BearingPoint (2005–2009), and served as Executive Architect at IBM and Dell (2009–2012), advising Global 500 CIOs/CTOs on cloud and data strategy. At Hitachi America R&D (2012–2015), he drove IT/OT transformation via Industrial Internet. Since 2015, he has consulted as CTO, enterprise architect, and data scientist for Walmart, Boeing, Intel, FAA, Vanguard, and others. Dr. Jiang holds a PhD in particle physics from Stony Brook University and was a postdoc at Stanford SLAC, contributing to the discovery of the top quark. He also worked at Fermilab, NASA Ames, and NSLS. With 25+ years of leadership, he has bridged advanced science and enterprise tech across sectors.

Liangfang Chao

Cupertino Mayor; Sr. Software Engineer, JITX, Inc.

Dr. Liang Chao is a Silicon Valley technologist and civic leader who brings people together through innovation and storytelling. With a Ph.D. from Princeton and decades of experience in chip design software, she now works at a startup transforming circuit board design with AI and automation. As Mayor of Cupertino in 2025, she launched initiatives blending art, entrepreneurship, and technology to strengthen community bonds.

Mantin Lu

Success Spectrum, Founder & Lead Coach

Mantin Lu is a keynote speaker, coach, and founder of the Success Spectrum Movement who transforms the lives of parents raising neurodivergent children. With over 10 years of speaking and coaching experience, along with a strong foundation in business leadership and education, he combines his unique performing arts background with profound personal experience to deliver impactful presentations. As a father of an autistic child and former C-Suite executive who has navigated both professional success and personal challenges, Mantin offers authentic, evidence-based strategies that help parents move from surviving to thriving in their unique parenting journey.

Natalia Bielczyk

Founder & CEO of Ontology of Value®, Author

Natalia Bielczyk, PhD is a Career Strategist, Business Developer, and Computational Neuroscientist exploring the Future of Work. In the AI-first labor market, professional development has become "chess 5D,” and so she travels the world studying the rules of the game. She is building Ontology of Value®: an online career incubator helping professionals and teams self-navigate and subvert all expectations in AI era. Natalia and her team build tools and educational programs to help professionals self-navigate and craft their dream careers, as well as help businesses create synergistic, healthy, and happy teams in times of AI. She works as an academic teacher, researcher, advisor, startup mentor, speaker, author, podcaster, and blogger. Even though she chose to work in the open job market, Natalia remains a researcher at heart and believes in the compatibility of science and entrepreneurship. As a bootstrapping solopreneur, she also advocates for independent decision making in business.

Peter Danenberg

Software Engineer, Google DeepMind

Peter Danenberg is a senior software engineer at Google DeepMind, where he leads rapid prototyping for Gemini, creating high-visibility AI applications showcased to top executives.

Peter Dominick

CSTU Professor，VP of Marketing @ Sonablate Corp

Professor Peter Dominick, was Marketing Director at Medtronic(Billion$ Company), successfully led the commercial launch of a robotic surgery product. Previously, he worked as Director, Product Marketing Manager at Avingera and Product Manager at Intuitive Surgical. Dominick holds degrees from Santa Clara University and the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Ping Wu

CSTU Professor, Founder of PING-AI

Ping Wu is an AI literacy educator, certified hypnotist, and cloud-operations consultant who guides leaders and teams from uncertainty to confidence in an AI-driven world. With over a decade of experience optimizing cloud infrastructures at global enterprises, Ping has unraveled the hidden patterns that drive both machine learning breakthroughs and human insight. As a certified hypnotist and NLP practitioner, he weaves metaphors and mind-shift techniques into his teaching, helping audiences decode complex signals and design creative solutions. His practical workshops and keynote addresses have empowered executives, startup founders and educators to harness pattern recognition as a universal tool for innovation, connection and growth. In “The One Skill Behind Every Breakthrough,” Ping invites you to discover how spotting, decoding and transforming patterns can ignite fresh ideas, deepen relationships and reshape how we live and work.

Raymond Fu

CSTU Professor, Data Specialist of Adobe

Raymond Fu is a veteran technologist and serial entrepreneur with deep roots in the software industry. In this insightful talk, he tackles a critical question facing today’s workforce: How do we learn software engineering in the age of AI? With firsthand experience leading innovation across startups and tech companies, Raymond shares practical ideas on what students can do to become successful engineers and thrive in an AI-driven world.

Ricky Chan

CSTU Professor， CEO of Kudo Services

Ricky Chan is a seasoned professional with 30 years of experience living and working in the U.S., particularly in Silicon Valley. He is the Principal of Kudo Services Company, focusing on single-family rental property investments across high-yield U.S. markets. Ricky has 20 years of real estate experience and holds a California Real Estate Broker license. He previously led large-scale global M&A projects at Cisco (hi-tech, cybersecurity) and Johnson & Johnson (FDA-regulated pharma/medical devices). He also holds certifications including CCNA, MCSE, ITIL, and Stanford’s Advanced Program Management. Ricky is a graduate of San Jose State University and Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He actively serves as VP of the HKPU Alumni Association (Northern CA) and is a certified Disaster Response Volunteer. His strengths lie in program execution, cross-functional leadership, and aligning IT and M&A strategies to deliver results.

Rohan Marfatia

CEO at DataCRaiM, Inc

Rohan Marfatia has 20+ years of experience in sales, strategic partnerships, and business growth through innovative solutions. He has led digital transformation programs for global enterprises across Financial Services, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Travel, Telecom, and Insurance. With a strong track record in both startups and large-scale organizations, Rohan connects technology to measurable business outcomes and builds sustainable partner ecosystems. He holds an MBA from Olin Business School, Washington University in St. Louis, and a Bachelor's in Electronics & Communications Engineering from Sardar Patel University. At DataCRaiM, he focuses on integrating AI, data analytics, and CRM to deliver “Excellence with Intelligence” across industries. Outside of work, Rohan enjoys travel and sports, bringing a global mindset to solving business challenges.

Shalini Gopalkrishnan

CSTU Professor, AI Strategist

Dr. Shalini is the CSTU - California Science and Technology University Professor, a consummate traveller to all continents and over 100 countries, Speaker, author, researcher, serial entrepreneur in technology, leadership, and social impact

Shawn Flynn

Managing Director of SVH Capital (Silicon Valley Highpoint Capital), Host of The Silicon Valley Podcast, Investment Banker

Shawn Flynn is a seasoned mid-market investment banker and distinguished Podcast Host deeply immersed in Silicon Valley's vibrant ecosystem. Leveraging extensive experience across various business stages and sectors, Shawn currently serves as Managing Director at Silicon Valley Highpoint Capital (SVHCapital), a premier middle market investment bank specializing in mergers and acquisitions, growth capital raising, and secondary. Shawn Flynn is a Registered Representative of Finalis Securities LLC Member

Sophie Ren

Co-Founder, Chatslide.AI | Board Member, Stanford Entrepreneurs | Forbes 30 Under 30

Sophie Ren is a visionary founder, learning scientist, and AI-humanity explorer. As the Co-founder of ChatSlide.AI and board member of Stanford Entrepreneurs and Stanford Alumni WIN, she bridges neuroscience, AI, and product innovation to redesign how we learn. A Forbes 30 Under 30 and Hurun 30 Under 30 honoree, Sophie has pioneered breakthroughs in subconscious-driven learning, LLM emotional intelligence, and motivation design. Her ventures—including DouXing, used by millions across Asia—reflect her core belief: the future of learning lies not just in logic, but in unlocking the invisible forces of intention, memory, and emotion. A Stanford-affiliated investor at Velocity Capital and member of the Stanford AI Alignment community, Sophie now focuses on how large language models and the human brain can co-evolve.

Vivi Lin

Founder & CEO of VIVI Media Group | Award-Winning Media Personality & Tech Storyteller

Vivi Lin is a former Reuters TV journalist turned tech storyteller, bridging innovation with humanity. She is the founder of VIVI Media Group and creator of Vivi in the Valley (Tech with Soul Series), where she explores the intersection of AI, Web3, and purposeful design. Her mission is to champion mindful innovation—tech that serves the human spirit, not just the market. Vivi advises startups, builds platforms, and speaks globally on aligning emerging technologies with empathy, purpose, and connection—especially in times of disruption.

Wenshe (Binghe) Lou

CEO of Binghe AI Arts, Author

Binghe, born in 1973, holds a Bachelor's in Economics and Law from the China University of Political Science and Law. A professional writer, he authored bestsellers such as Homeless《无家》, The Damned War《狗日的战争》, and Dutycalls《使徒》. He has served as Director of Business Weekly, Producer at Tourism Satellite TV, and Chief Editor at Sohu.com and UK-based The Chinese Weekly. Binghe founded BingheAI Arts, which focuses on AI-generated content. In 2024, he launched a well-received AI storytelling course in North America and now works with Harvard CAMLab on global AI education. From 2025–2027, Chongqing Publishing Group will publish his upcoming novels, including AI Apocalypse, Shadowless, Blade Runner, Homeless, Dutycalls New Edition, Science Mystery, The Abyss, and Shark Game.

Xiaomei (Master Jiumei) Zhang

Founder of InLight Foundation

Master Jiumei is a pioneering voice in conscious leadership and spiritual awakening. Founder of inLight Foundation, and a long-time mindfulness teacher guiding CEOs and entrepreneurs seeking clarity and purpose. Once a celebrated business leader in China, she received the UNESCO Outstanding Young Entrepreneur Award, National March 8th Red-Banner Pacesetter, and was named among China’s Top Ten Economic and Brand Women, and Women of the Times. At the peak of success, she left public life for a four-year meditation retreat in the U.S., undergoing profound awakening. Today, she integrates business insight with spiritual wisdom to help others awaken awareness, reduce anxiety, and live with freedom. She has spoken at Stanford, UC Berkeley, and USC, and her speech is featured in World Journal. "The greatest contribution one can make to the universe is not material wealth, but the positive awareness they bring to themselves, others, and the world." — Master Jiumei

YK Sugi

Lead AI Developer Advocate of Sourcegraph

Developer Experience Manager at Sourcegraph. Also a creator of an open source coding assistant with 1200 stars on GitHub. Founder of CS Dojo, a programming education YouTube channel with 1.9M+ subscribers.

Yu (Yumi) Du

Regional Head of Sales & Business Development, FanTuan Delivery

Yu Du is the Regional Head of Business Development & Sales at FanTuan Delivery, where she has led partnerships with hundreds of restaurants and brands across the U.S. With a background in engineering and design, she brings a unique blend of strategic thinking, empathy, and storytelling to her work. Yu applies her knowledge of psychology and communication to create meaningful business outcomes and foster lasting relationships. Her core sales philosophy centers on authenticity and understanding the real reasons behind why people say yes.