TEDxAtlanta has announced the speaker lineup for its inaugural TEDxAtlanta Youth conference, set to take place on the afternoon of Oct. 3 at Atlanta International School in Sandy Springs. The event is part of TEDxAtlanta 2026's Bold. Brave. Unbreakable. season and will feature speakers aged 16 to 23, along with an intergenerational On the Spot conversation. The program is divided into two parts: Seen and Unleashed, moving from recognition to agency.
"Young people hear constantly that they are the future. We were much more interested in what they have to say about the present," said Jacqui Chew, TEDxAtlanta licensee and organizer. "These speakers are asking questions that affect all of us: Whose ideas get taken seriously? What gets lost when technology doesn't understand culture? And what becomes possible when young people have the opportunity to build rather than wait?"
The Seen portion explores what changes when young people's experiences and perspectives are taken seriously. Temple Lester, a STEM advocate, will discuss what happens when young people are told to wait their turn. Nidhi Madam, a language and culture explorer, will share how her journey from K-dramas to learning Korean and Telugu revealed that AI can translate words but not cultural nuances. Additionally, Zoe Oli, a young entrepreneur, and her mother, Evana Oli, will engage in an On the Spot conversation about the dynamics of a child's idea becoming a real enterprise.
The Unleashed portion focuses on young innovators questioning existing systems and building alternatives. Kanushi Dua, a circular systems designer, will address why children's clothing is treated as disposable and how AI can play a role in sustainability. Ian Sun, a community-centered technologist, will ask who gets a say in how AI is built. Akos Vida, an accessibility innovator, will challenge assumptions about designing for versus designing with people with disabilities. Ethan Benater, a possibility engineer, will share his experience creating a vaping-cessation solution, raising questions about what young people can achieve when they tackle entrenched problems.
TEDxAtlanta Youth follows the main TEDxAtlanta conference and is part of the organization's year-round platform for ideas. Since its first conference in 2009, TEDxAtlanta has featured more than two dozen speakers on TED. The event is organized by volunteers led by Jacqui Chew and is an initiative of nonprofit Ideas into Action. Back-to-school ticket prices for TEDxAtlanta, TEDxAtlanta Youth, and complete passes are available now at TEDxAtlanta.com.
