Theme: Innovation Within

Franklin's first event of its kind, TEDxFranklinHighSchool presents Innovation Within. Featuring 14 TEDx and TED talks, 11 live and 3 pre-recorded, this event will dive into the driving forces behind innovation in our own lives, and the world around us. Local speakers, most of which who have risen to become experts in their respective fields, will be featured at this event, hosted at your own Franklin High School Auditorium. We invite you to join us for an afternoon of engaging talks and fruitful discussion. Why not take the chance and realize the Innovation Within?

Franklin High School
500 Elizabeth Avenue
Somerset, New Jersey, 08873
United States

Alexa Curtis

Young Adult Entrepreneur

Alexa Curtis is a 20 year old teen influencer and blogger. She runs the full-time site for young adults called A Life in the Fashion Lane, and founded a nonprofit called Media Impact and Navigation for Teens in 2016 on social media and mental health. She has been featured on the Today Show, Good Morning America, and in People Magazine. She is a passionate entrepreneur.

Andrew Zwicker

State Assemblymen and Physicist

Andrew Zwicker is a New Jersey State Assemblymen, who has also served as a physicist at the Princeton University Plasma Physics Laboratory, where he has done fusion energy research and worked to inspire the next generation. He been named a leading contributor to physics education in the United States. He applies his unique background as State Assemblyman and serves as chairman of the Science, Innovation and Technology committees to his talk: "Science Literacy and Democracy."

Joe Porter

Professional Athlete and History Teacher

Joe Porter is a product of the Franklin Township Public Schools. A former standout athlete at Franklin High in Football and Track and Field, Joe played for the Rutgers University football team. He later played cornerback in the NFL for The Oakland Raiders and Green Bay Packers. He is now giving back to his community as a history teacher at Franklin High School. His talk is titled "Overcoming the Odds"

Nate Sankary

Nate Sankary

Nate is a talented musician, having received his Masters from Rutgers University. He is passionate about the arts and has worked with the Franklin High School Marching Band in the past. Aside from music Nate dabbles in fields such as web design and writing.

Remy Salloum

Student

Remy is a senior at Franklin High who is passionate about medicine, biology, and oratory. He has been involved with FHS's Science Research program, in addition to Model United Nations and Academic League, for the past four years. On top of this, Remy has attended several oratorical festivals, and hopes to use his skill in public speaking to bring his passion for medicine to the stage with his TEDx talk titled: One Medicine to Change the World.

Ron Richter

Finance Professor

Ron Richter is professor at Rutgers Business School. He has experience in the financial sector and taught economics and personal finance at Franklin High School for nearly a decade. He is passionate about empowering youth and serves as State Chair of the NJ Future Business Leaders of America, an organization dedicated to developing the leaders of tomorrow. The topic of his talk is "The importance of mentorship."

Saffie Kallon

Community Leader

Saffie is a community leader who has been working with the Franklin community for over a decade. First as an advisor to the Franklin Township Youth Council, and now as the Special Projects Manager for the Township. Saffie aims to use her experience with community outreach to empower individuals with her talk titled P^3: Positive, Personal, Presentation

Shravan Venkatesan

Student

Shravan is a senior at Franklin High School who is passionate about humanity, oratory, and engineering. Throughout his high school career Shravan has been an accomplished student, being accepted into the NJ Governor's School this past summer, as well as leading the robotics team to multiple victories. With his talk Shravan hopes to bring to the viewers a new perspective on "Why you should never be professional"

Sohin Shah

Entrepreneur and Angel Investor

Sohin Shah is an entrepreneur, angel investor and mentor to startups. Currently, he is working on a project called InstaLend, meant to provide investors secure access to lending opportunities. He has been featured in and written about his experiences as an entrepreneur in Forbes and Entrepreneur magazines. His talk is titled "The Power of Discomfort".

Timothy Walton

Theater Professional

Timothy Walton is a Franklin High School Drama, Choir and Piano teacher. He has had a passion for the arts from a young age, and has directed numerous recent Franklin High School plays and musicals. His award winning productions, including this year's Harvey and Into the Woods, have gained recognition in the community and beyond. He is a mentor and role model to many students at FHS.