Students and members of the TEDxUCDavis team spoke on their experiences and stories to be shared
By EVELYN SANCHEZ — features@theaggie.org
TEDxUCDavis has been a student-run organization hosting TEDx conferences since 2012 and has played an important role in delivering inspiring stories to the community at Davis. This year’s theme, UncharTED, offers the chance to hear stories from a variety of speakers from different backgrounds, like Leigh Bardugo and Sonya Hassan-Carey, to deliver unique perspectives on facing uncertainty and the unknown.
Shriya Nagulapally, a fourth-year astrophysics and music double major and the current director of the speaker’s team, spoke on her experience in organizing the event.
“As the speaker’s director, I essentially onboard seven speakers for the conference and work with them to develop their talk into a 10- to 12-minute speech,” Nagulapally said. “We finalize it, make sure they’re getting their visuals and essentially prepare them to give a Ted talk.”
After reviewing 133 applications and narrowing the pool down to 10 interviews, the final lineup of speakers this year ranges from musicians to writers, medical students and company founders.
AJ Bleyer, a speaker for the conference, is a founder and executive producer of his own commercial production company, Advent Films. Bleyer has filmed commercials for brands like Red Bull, Riot Games, Ferrari and Porsche and is also one of the youngest directors to be accepted into the Director’s Guild of America.
“I’m sharing how the collapse of my dream career ended up being the best thing that ever happened to me,” Bleyer said. “Sometimes the detour is the path, and what feels like a failure might actually be the beginning of something better than you ever planned.”
As Bleyer reflected on the road that led him to such success, TEDx offered him the chance to share his insight with students in a similar position.
“Being selected to give a TEDx talk is a huge honor for any speaker, but getting to do it at UC Davis means a lot to me,” Bleyer said. “College students carry so much pressure to have everything figured out, and this talk is the one I wish I could’ve heard during a time when I felt directionless. I’m proud to now be in a position to offer that perspective, and I’m especially excited to connect with students who might really need to hear it.”
Another event speaker, Hassan-Carey, founder of The Animation Lounge, will be speaking on how the advent of Artificial Intelligence has impacted her career growth and her own secret ingredients for resilience in an ever-changing world. Hassan-Carey has done notable work as a lead animator on beloved classics like “Princess and the Frog,” “The Emperor’s New Groove,” “Winnie the Pooh” and “Looney Tunes.”
In addition, Leigh Bardugo, author of the young adult fantasy series “Shadow and Bone” and “Six of Crows,” as well as adult fantasy series “Ninth House” and novel “The Familiar,” also spoke on her creative process and how worthwhile work isn’t effortless and how discomfort is a key part of the artistic process.
Jae’da Clark, a second-year art studio and design double major, shared their experience working on the marketing and design team.
“It’s been very inclusive,” Clark said. “I have worked on stickers and the logo for the shirt. I’d say that the teamwork aspect, especially in the design part of the club, has been very rewarding.”
Last year’s TEDxUCDavis conference’s theme was WholehearTED, following messages of gratitude and wholeheartedness. This year’s theme focuses on exploring and reaching uncharted territory, with the iconography of the event featuring maps, compasses and navigation symbols.
“The sponsorship team has worked on securing all the money for the club and the event,” Helen Aguirre, a fourth-year economics major and member of the sponsorship team, said. “That means securing grants and any sponsors that we have.”
So far, the TEDx sponsorship team has secured sponsors like Poppi, Good Molecules, Hoppy, Red Bull, Vinyl Disorder, Visit Davis, Visit Yolo County and more.
“We have a very diverse range of speakers,” Aguirre said. “So I feel like any person from any background can identify with the speakers. It’s going to be a lot of fun because we are going to have free food, free stuff and a raffle.”
Being held at California Hall on Saturday, April 26, 2025, the event began promptly at 10 a.m. and had a series of speakers and performances cycling through until 4 p.m.
“TEDx isn’t just a lecture series — each session is short, to the point and deeply intentional,” Bleyer said. “If you’ve never been to one, this is your chance to walk away with at least one new insight that could genuinely shift your thinking — or even your life direction.”
If you missed out on the chance to secure tickets for UncharTED, more information on future events can be found on TEDxUCDavis’ Instagram page, @tedxucdavis.
Written by: Evelyn Sanchez — features@theaggie.org
