Theme: Journey of Self-Discovery

In our rapidly globalizing world, self-discovery and self-reflection are more important now than ever. Join high school students and business professionals as they explore the big ideas, personal shifts, and transformative experiences that shape their paths to self-awareness. From overcoming personal obstacles to challenging ingrained beliefs, discover how these individual journeys contribute to personal growth and resilience. Discover the transformative power of resilience and gratitude as we share stories that will uplift and motivate you to embrace life’s challenges with courage and optimism.

This multi-speaker event will feature both student speakers and industry speakers. There will be a 20-minute intermission between the event, where you can interact with our business sponsors, including 1001 Lives, Leadways Edible Garden, SVYEP, iClear, and Second Harvest Food Bank.

Leadways School
20900 McClellan Rd
Cupertino, California, 95014
United States

Anissa Li

Student at California Connections Academy

Anissa Li is a rising junior at California Connections Academy, passionate about AI and linguistics. She was the winner of the 2023 Virtual Science Fair hosted by the American Statistical Association. Outside the classroom, Anissa is a competitive figure skater on the National Excel Track, ranking in the top 3 in the Pacific region and the top 10 nationally in the Silver division. She serves as Vice President of the Peninsula Skating Club (PSC) Junior Board and the President of her school linguistics club. Anissa is also an accomplished artist with an Instagram account that has reached more than 1 million accounts. In her spare time, she enjoys solving linguistics puzzles, baking, drawing, and playing with her cat, Domi.

Avery Cheng

Student at The Nueva School

Avery Cheng is a passionate figure skater, competing in showcase events and skating with San Francisco Theatre on Ice and Tremors Synchronized Skating. A freshman at The Nueva School, she balances academics with her love for the ice. Outside of skating and school, Avery enjoys baking, which allows her to express her creativity in the kitchen. Through TEDxLeadways, Avery hopes to share her stories and inspire others.

Eric Cheung

Student at Crystal Springs Uplands School

Eric Cheung is a current Freshman at Crystal Springs Uplands School. He lives in Millbrae with his parents, younger sister, and dog. Outside of school, he is a golfer of multiple years, and enjoys music as well as news. When it comes to public speaking, Eric has done debate in 2 different styles, for a combined 7 years.

Jun Liu

Founder & CEO at 7EDU

Jun has 20 years of experience in K-12 education counseling and college planning. She has helped thousands of students worldwide to improve their academic standing, and 95% of her students have been admitted into Top 30 U.S. universities. She is also a NACAC & WACAC member and Wharton alumna.

Nathan Zhang

Student at The Harker School

Nathan Zhang, a 11-year-old rising 7th grader at the Harker School, discovered his passion for speech and debate at age 10. Since then, he has deepened his interest through elective courses in speech, active participation in the school's debate and speech club, and competing in various tournaments. Nathan now concentrates on original oratory and impromptu speech, enjoying the process of selecting topics that captivate him and sharing his perspectives, personal experiences, and values with his audience. Inspired by TED talks, Nathan is eager to contribute to the TEDx event, viewing it as a dynamic platform to express his ideas and innovations. His goal is to share his creative thoughts and gain unique problem-solving insights from others at the TEDx event.

Nelson Gou

Student at The Harker School

Nelson is a senior at The Harker School and the chief organizer for TEDxLeadways school. His main interests are technology and entrepreneurship, and he wants to use his skills to make a positive impact on the world and society. In his free time, Nelson loves to run, go to the gym, code apps, and sing.