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).

The Harker School
500 Saratoga Avenue
San Jose, California, 95129
United States

Cynthia Zhai

Cynthia is a Voice Coach, Speaker, and Author. She has helped business professionals and professional speakers from 46 countries across 5 continents with their voice to speak with impact and conviction, and she engages and inspires people to embrace change and take action. Cynthia has been a professional speaker and coach for the past 17 years and her engagement spans 4 continents in countries such as U.S., Finland, The Netherlands, Argentina, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Macau, mainland China, India, Brunei, Vietnam, and The Philippines. Cynthia has appeared in U.S.A Discover Your Talent Show, Singapore Radio Program 938Live 4 times, Hong Kong Radio 3, and Malaysia Business Radio Station BFM as a guest speaker on the subject of voice.

Dale Hitt

Dale Hitt is a Silicon Valley innovator who has brought to market disruptive products like the first Motorola Android phone and the first TiVo DVR. He is passionate about creating the future of ambient intelligent spaces that will symbiotically enhance everyone's quality of life.

Priti Hegde

Priti Hegde, Ph.D., joined Foundation Medicine as the Chief Scientific Officer in August 2019. Dr. Hegde oversees clinical product development, cancer genomics, and early-stage research, as well as regulatory and quality assurance, to accelerate advancement of the Company’s leading comprehensive genomic profiling portfolio. She is passionate about innovation in cancer research and translating innovations to precision medicine tools to advance care for patients. Dr. Hegde has spent nearly two decades in the biopharmaceutical industry, with a proven track record in drug development, registration, and commercialization of therapeutics with companion diagnostics in cancer immunotherapy. Prior to joining Foundation Medicine, Dr. Hegde spent 12 years at Genentech, a member of Roche Group, where she held roles of increasing responsibility. Most recently, Dr. Hegde served as senior director and principal scientist in oncology biomarker development at Genentech, during which she established and led the biomarker group accountable for translational science strategies in cancer immunotherapy. Dr. Hegde was instrumental in the approvals for atezolizumab in both the United States and European Union, as well as its forthcoming diagnostic filings. Before joining Genentech, Dr. Hegde was the manager of disease and biomarker transcriptomics at GlaxoSmithKline. Dr. Hegde completed her post-doctoral fellow at The Institute for Genomic Research and holds a Ph.D. in Biochemical Pharmacology from SUNY Buffalo, as well as a B. Pharmacy from Mumbai University, India.

Simar Bajaj

A senior at the Harker School, Simar Bajaj finds inspiration in the stereoscopic lens that studying history and medicine together affords. As a Near Family Scholar, he is researching the 1910 Flexner Report, a seminal paper in medical education, and its roles in creating current healthcare disparities. Furthermore, he currently works as a paid fellow in the Stanford Cardiothoracic Surgery Department, conducting surgical education research. In his TED talk, he will be speaking about his experience cutting his unshorn hair after 17 years and his perspective on visual biases as well as the disconnect between inherited identities and learned identities.