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).

Cohen Auditorium
40 Talbot Avenue
Medford, Massachusetts, 02155
United States

Bryan Berkowitz

Breaking spaghetti. Ordering a well-done Bistecca alla Fiorentina. Drinking a cappuccino in the afternoon. Few things piss Italians off more—but why? Bryan Berkowitz has devoted his Tufts undergraduate career and a year abroad in Italy deliberating the intricacies of this question, exploring the intersection of food, culture, and society through his self-designed major, Culinary Heritage, Innovation, and Food Systems. Now a pastry cook at Oleana in Cambridge, he’s continued to dedicate his life to understanding all things food. In his TED Talk, Bryan unpacks the unspoken rules of Italian cuisine, using them as a lens to inspire curiosity, promote cross- cultural understanding, and foster open-minded conversations.

Cristoph Börgers

Christoph Börgers grew up in Germany. At age 24, he came to the United States as a Ph.D. student at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University. Following some years on the faculty at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, he came to Tufts in 1994, where he is a professor in the Mathematics Department. He has written articles and books on a range of topics in applied mathematics, including computational radiation therapy treatment planning, mathematical neuroscience, and the mathematical theory of voting methods. He won the Leibner Award for Excellence in Teaching and Advising in 2022. He is a lifelong amateur pianist. In recent years, he has also enjoyed gardening.

Gautam Kapur

Gautam Kapur has spent his career pushing boundaries in the sports and entertainment industry. He’s worked across the global sports ecosystem, most recently launching Brown Ballers, a nonprofit dedicated to uplifting South Asian athletes–who make up 25% of the world’s population–on the biggest stages. A Tufts graduate, Gautam is blending his industry expertise with his passion for rewriting the playbook for the next generation of underdogs.

Jane Schmelkin

Jane Schmelkin is a current senior at Tufts University studying Engineering Psychology and Computer Science. Jane has worked for the past nine months at Warner Bros. Games Boston as a product manager developing the Game of Thrones: Conquest live mobile game. In her free time she enjoys skiing, hiking, and trying new restaurants.

Kentel Weaver

Kentel Weaver is a Tufts University Civic Studies major who started his journey of higher education in MCI Concord in 2019 through the Tufts University Prison Initiative of Tisch College degree program. He went to prison when he was 16, was sentenced to life in prison at the age of 18, and spent the next 19 years of his life in prison until he was released in November of 2022 at the age of 35. He’s been home for two years and is now finishing completing his bachelors degree in Civic Studies at Tufts. He works for the Transformational Prison Project which is grounded in Restorative Justice practices. As a full time circle keeper he goes inside DYS facilities to hold restorative justice circles with the inner city youth.

Maggie Beiser

Maggie Beiser (class of ’03, history and community health) is an adult nurse practitioner at Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program, where she provides primary and specialized HIV, hepatitis C, substance use, and gender care for people experiencing homelessness. The BHCHP hep C treatment program she founded in 2014 has treated over 1500 individuals and was recognized by the International Network on Hepatitis and Health in Substance Users in 2021 as the most innovative HCV program for people who use drugs in North America. In 2023 Maggie was appointed to the CDC/HRSA Advisory Committee on HIV, HCV and STD Prevention and Treatment. Day to day she sees patients and leads the HCV team’s educational, research, and advocacy efforts focused on eliminating hepatitis C among people experiencing homelessness in Boston.

Sarah Lotsoff

Sarah is a senior at Tufts, majoring in Philosophy and minoring in Italian. She is the head writer for The Institute Sketch Comedy group on campus and works with the Tufts Harm Reduction Department for Alcohol and Drugs (THREAD). This past October, Sarah moderated a discussion with Nic Sheff (author, self-identified recovering addict, and subject of the film Beautiful Boy) as a part of the Tisch College Solomont Speaker Series after proposing and planning the event since February. She’s also working with SAFE Project as a fellow for their Collegiate Recovery Leadership Academy this year in an effort to support the harm reduction effort at Tufts.

Srivalleesha Mallidi

Dr. Srivalleesha Mallidi is a Tiampo Family Assistant Professor at the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Tufts University, and she directs the integrated Biofunctional imaging lab that focuses on developing ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging for personalized treatment strategies. She received her Masters and PhD Degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. Her graduate work was on molecular specific photoacoustic imaging to understand nano-molecular interactions. She received the New Investigator Award from the Central Texas Clinical Research Forum for this work. After graduation, she joined Wellman Center for Photomedicine (WCP) at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Harvard Medical School with a goal to translate the imaging techniques to clinic, and was a NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein postdoctoral fellow. She won several awards during her postdoctoral tenure at MGH including the Young Investigator award at the Frontiers in Biomedical Imaging Science Symposium held at Vanderbilt University. She was also awarded the American Society of Lasers in Medicine and Surgery Research Award for junior faculty. At Tufts School of Engineering, she received the Sunrise Award that honors junior faculty for their scholarly accomplishments award and Best faculty mentor award in the year 2024.