THE TEAM
Janya Sundar
Co-Executive Director
Bay Area, California | Journalism & Economics
I'm Janya, a senior studying journalism, economics, and data science. I am passionate about the intersection of journalism, business, and technology. Outside of TEDx, I love picnics on the lakefill, drinking too much Philz coffee, and thrifting.
Ari Bernick
Co-Executive Director
Boca Raton, Florida | Journalism, Legal Studies, & History
I’m Ari Bernick, a senior studying Journalism, Legal Studies, and History. I'm honored to serve as the Co-Executive Director after three years with the curation team and TEDx involvement. Outside TEDx, I report for WNUR News, work as a tour guide at the Undergraduate Admission Office, and lead as the Head TikTok coordinator. Excited about this year’s event!
Alex Tobias
Media/Marketing Co-Chair
Boston, Massachusetts | Economics, Psychology, & Integrated Marketing Communications
I'm Alex, a third-year majoring in Economics and Psychology, and obtaining a certificate in integrated marketing communications. This is my third year with TEDx, my first as the marketing co-chair, and it has been amazing to witness the club's growth and evolution these past few years. Outside of TED, I am a sports fanatic and amateur photographer, and can be found playing IM sports or venturing around campus looking for new photoshoot spots!
Sarine Meguerditchian
Media/Marketing Co-Chair
Boston, Massachusetts | Political Science & Economics
I'm Sarine, a third-year majoring in Economics and Political Science. Outside of TedxNU, I am the President of Northwestern’s Armenian Students’ Association and am involved with other organizations around campus such as the Global Engagement Summit and Northwestern Choir Ensembles. I’m so excited for another great conference this year and am grateful to be a part of this team!
Izabella Kulczycka
Curation Co-Chair
Birmingham, Alabama | Statistics & Data Science
I’m Bella Kulczycka, a second-year studying Statistics and Data Science with a minor in French. This is my first year as Co-Chair of Curation, and my second year being part of TEDxNorthwestern. Outside of TEDx, I love to watch and play soccer and love to explore all of Chicago. I am so thankful to be part of the team and excited for this year’s conference!
Joyin Akinola
Curation Co-Chair
Seattle, Washington | Political Science & Global Health
I’m Joyin Akinola, a second-year studying Political Science and Global Health Studies with a minor in Data Science. This is my second year with TEDx and my first as the Co-Chair of Curation. Outside of TEDx, I love being creative and working on my photography skills through Blackboard magazine. I am so excited to be back and to share more stories through TED.
Lauren Ryoo
Logistics Chair
Mt. Prospect, Illinois | Economics, Data Science, & Spanish
I’m Lauren, a sophomore studying Economics and Data Science with a minor in Spanish. Outside of TEDx, I’m a part of the Northwestern University Marching Band (NUMB) and the Minority Business Association at ISBE (Institute for Students in Business Education). I’m a huge fan of Northwestern basketball and I love spending time in Chicago. I’m looking forward to this year’s conference!
Yejin Sohn
Treasurer
Chandler, Arizona | Economics & Psychology
Hi, I’m a senior from Chandler, Arizona studying Economics and Psychology. In addition to Tedx, I am a part of NU TKD and also work for the City of Evanston! When I’m not busy, I can be found at one of the local coffee shops drinking tea instead of coffee.
Mia Cheng
Curation
Bay Area, California | Computer Science Engineering
I’m Mia Cheng, a senior studying Computer Science, and I'm excited to apply my passion for software engineering and product development in my final year. I joined TEDxNorthwestern 3 years ago to help bring impactful stories to life, and I have been a part of the curation team ever since. Outside of Tedx, I love cooking and baking, ice skating, and watching movies (my favorite is The Princess Bride!).
Nayeli Rey
Curation
Los Angeles, California | Psychology
I’m Nayeli, a third year majoring in Cognitive Science and minoring in Black Studies and Music Cognition. This is my third year on the TEDx curation team, I love collaborating with speakers on their talks! Outside of TEDx I am a Pilates instructor as well as a lifeguard, and I enjoy thrifting and trying new foods in my free time. I’m also a part of the Posse scholarship program. I am looking forward to another exciting year with TEDx!
Lane Ruble
Curation
Brooklyn, New York | Theatre & Cognitive Science
I'm Lane, a sophomore studying Theatre and Cognitive Science. This is my second year on the TEDx curation team. I love getting to work one-on-one with speakers to refine their talks!
Ronit Mehta
Media/Marketing
Beaverton, Oregon | Computer Science & Integrated Marketing Communications
My name is Ronit, and I’m a third year student majoring in Computer Science and obtaining a certificate in Integrated Marketing Communications. This is my second year as part of the Media and Marketing team for TED, and I’m so excited to help put on another great conference here on campus. Besides TED, I’m a basketball and golf player, fan of all things Pacific Northwest, and always looking to try new experiences.
Vrinda Gupta
Media/Marketing
Mumbai, India | Psychology & South Asian Studies
I’m Vrinda, a sophomore majoring in psychology and South Asian Studies. I’m passionate about studying cultural impacts on human behavior. Aside from Tedx, you can find me doing photography for WNUR and SWAN or working on psychology research.
Sara Wu
Media/Marketing
Jakarta, Indonesia | Biological Sciences
I’m a first-year student from Jakarta, Indonesia, currently studying biological sciences. I’m excited to be part of the marketing committee this year, especially with the opportunity to help promote TEDx events and share powerful ideas worth spreading!
_JPG.jpg)
Winnie Chen
Logistics
Los Angeles, California | Mechanical Engineering
Hello! I am Winnie, a first-year student majoring in Mechanical Engineering. I am passionate about this field, especially in CAD (computer-aided design) and aerospace. This is my first year with TEDx, and I look forward to seeing where it will take me. Outside of TEDx, I enjoy playing basketball and digital drawing.
Zahid Syed
Logistics
Hyderabad, India | Computer Science
I'm Zahid Syed, a transfer student studying Computer Science. I joined TED because I love organizing events and seeing what new ideas and perspectives speakers bring and because I was involved with TED at my previous university. I was born in San Jose, CA but I've lived most of my life in Hyderabad, India.