Theme: BRIDGE

TEDxBerklee Boston strives to recreate the unique experience found at TED and will provide a platform for inspiring guest speakers as well as for the Berklee community. This will include students and faculty/staff to share their unique insights and ideas revolving around this year's theme: BRIDGE.

Life’s journey is marked by transitions, with the bridge serving as a powerful symbol of connection and growth. Just as a physical bridge overcomes obstacles and links distinct points, we build emotional and intellectual bridges that help us navigate challenges and adapt to change. In both music and life, the right alignment and support are crucial for harmony and purpose. The bridge invites us to reflect on our paths, connect with others, and guide us forward as we architect (as best we can) our futures.

Our goal is to bring together bright minds and create a platform for people to let their thoughts inspire, their vision transform, and to provoke conversations within the Berklee community that matter.

David Friend Recital Hall at Berklee College of Music
921 Boylston St
Boston, Massachusetts, 02115
United States

Amal Irgashev

Music Production and Engineering Student at Berklee

Amal Irgashe is an ambitious Al engineer, software developer, and marketing specialist with a diverse background in music business, finance, marketing, and Al engineering. As an Al Operations Engineer and Automation Developer, he has improved efficiency for clients like Wasserman Music and Eventide Audio through custom Al-powered applications, including a tour booking solution that saves Wasserman 65% of time per week. Amal is also the founder of Audio Verse Lab, an educational platform at Berklee College of Music focused on generative Al and Web3 in the music industry. He led "The Bridge" marketing campaign, directing a video series that garnered over half a million views.

Anu Mendsaikhan

Music Business/Management Student at Berklee

Anu Mendsaikhan is a trailblazing student leader from Mongolia and an emerging professional in the music industry. Currently serving as the Student Government Association President at Berklee and a Sony Music Global Scholar, she was also named Berklee's Trailblazer of the Year. Her experience spans from teaching violin in Mongolia to interning at Sony Music Entertainment in Los Angeles. As the author of two children's music education books and a co-lead at Harvard Law School's Recording Artists Project, Anu showcases how bridging art, education, and leadership can create meaningful and lasting

Dan Callaway

Educator of Vocal Arts at Boston Conservatory & Musical Theatre Performer

Dan Callaway is a musical theatre voice and vocal pedagogy instructor at Boston Conservatory at Berklee, with previous faculty experience at Elon University. His performance credits include the Broadway National Tour of The Phantom of the Opera, Where's Charley? with City Center Encores!, and productions at renowned venues such as the Guthrie Theater, Mark Taper Forum, and Royal Opera House. He has also received an LA Ovation Award nomination for his work in Sweeney Todd. In addition to performing, Callaway has taught workshops and led a vocal studio in Los Angeles, with students appearing on Broadway and in national and international tours. He holds a B.F.A. in Music Theatre from Elon College and an M.M. in Vocal Performance/Pedagogy from UNC Greensboro.

Dana James

Alumni Affairs Team at Berklee

Dana James, part of Berklee's Alumni Affairs team and Community Architect for Community-Centric Fundraising (CCF), empowers individuals to create spaces of intersectional connection and belonging. Drawing from her unlearning journey, she is passionate about dismantling barriers to confidence, community, and self-expression. Recognized as an expert in workflow design and power dynamics, Dana has spoken at events like Dreamforce, We Give Summit, and Planned Parenthood's Development Officers Conference. Blending antiracism with arts and storytelling, she helps creative professionals overcome the constraints of mainstream U.S. culture to speak with their full voice. A proud data nerd and music-theater kid, Dana celebrates the bittersweet symphony of the human experience. As she says, "You make sense. You are enough. Be

Dr. Lenora Helm Hammonds

Dean of Professional Education Division at Berklee & Jazz Musician

Dr. Lenora Z. Helm Hammonds, a Chicago native and former U.S. Jazz Ambassador, is the new Dean of the Professional Education Division at Berklee College of Music. With over 20 years of academic leadership, she has authored award-winning programs and initiatives, including NEA-sponsored teaching artist certifications. A Berklee alumna, she holds advanced degrees in music from East Carolina University and Boston University. As a jazz recording artist with over four decades of experience, Dr. Hammonds, known as Lenora Zenzalai Helm, leads the Tribe Jazz Orchestra® and has released several acclaimed albums. Her work spans academia, digital humanities, and jazz, with numerous accolades including the 2022 Jazz Educator of Distinction award.

Isabeau Miller

Educator, Songwriter & Entrepreneur

Isabeau Miller is a songwriter, entrepreneur, and Assistant Professor in the Songwriting Department at Berklee College of Music. A multifaceted professional, she has made her mark as a Broadway producer, published writer, TV personality and CEO/Founder of multiple companies. Dedicated to creating opportunities and platforms that honor the human spirit, she focuses on making work that matters and leaving a meaningful impact through each project she undertakes. At Berklee, she inspires students to find their voice and navigate both the creative and business sides of the industry, helping them shape careers that sustain them artistically and financially. As a mother of three boys and a devoted wife, she believes in the power of human connection, creativity, and resilience.

Molly Neuman

President of CD Baby

Molly Neuman is an artist and music industry veteran who has spent nearly three decades empowering independent artists in all facets of their careers. Now, the four-time Billboard Women In Music honoree and Music Week's International Woman of the Year continues that mission as President of CD Baby - leading strategy and management of Downtown's self-service music distribution platform serving millions of independent artists daily. Prior to this, Molly was CMO of Downtown and President of Songtrust, overseeing more than 3 million copyrights from more than 350,000 writers in 145 countries. Her musical career began as a drummer in Bratmobile, a punk band who were in the first wave of the riot gril movement.

Tyson Velazquez

Africana Studies/Black Music and Culture Student at Berklee

Tyson Velazquez is an insatiably curious, aspiring scholar of ethnomusicology. Born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, they began their collegiate studies at the Boston Conservatory in 2020, receiving a full-tuition merit scholarship and majoring in Saxophone Performance. While at the Conservatory, Tyson served on the executive director's student advisory committee, where they authored a proposal to reform the music history curriculum, advocating for greater inclusion of BIPOC composers and musicians. In 2024, Tyson began their studies at Berklee College of Music, as the first student to major in Africana Studies. Tyson is currently pursuing a B.M in Black Music and Culture, with a minor in Music in Society: Gender

William Tenney

Founder and Managing Partner at SunPop

William Tenney is a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, music industry executive, entrepreneur, and multi-instrumentalist. He is the Managing Partner of SunPop, a New York-based label and management company he founded, representing artists like Quarters Of Change and PTS!. Under his leadership, SunPop has sold over 1 million records with artists such as Sara Bareilles, Lizzy McAlpine, and Stephen Dawes. For six years, Tenney was the Head of Streaming Strategy & Promotion at Crush Music, overseeing campaigns for stars like Lorde, Miley Cyrus, and Green Day. Prior to that, he worked as an analyst at Goldman Sachs. As a musician, he toured North America with artists like Lauv, Cash Cash, and Parachute, and currently plays in the band Exit, a RockSound Magazine Breakout Artist.

Zachary Lucia

Alumni Affairs Team at Berklee

Zack Lucia thrives on guiding the processes and mediums through which stories are told, whether composing music, defining engagement strategies, or managing creative teams, all while fostering community connections. He has contributed music to series like Outlander, Black Sails, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., The Walking Dead, and The Serpent Queen, and has produced hundreds of hours of recording sessions, collaborating with top Los Angeles musicians to bring legendary scores like God of War and The Cloverfield Paradox to life. Zack emphasizes the importance of community for creatives and advocates for composer assistants through the group Teammates, holding space for others to ignite their creative