Leadership in action. Ideas worth spreading.
TEDxOU is an independently organized TED event hosted by the JCPenney Leadership Program at the University of Oklahoma. The event provides a unique opportunity for attendees to engage with bold ideas and diverse perspectives. Through a combination of live speakers and official TED Talks, the event creates a TED-style experience designed to spark meaningful discussion, connection, and curiosity within the University of Oklahoma and Norman communities.
Open to students and community members from all disciplines, TEDxOU emphasizes leadership development, critical thinking, and the power of ideas to drive real-world impact. Each event centers on a unifying theme that reflects current issues and evolving conversations, allowing speakers and attendees to explore ideas that challenge assumptions and inspire action.
While guided by TEDx standards, TEDxOU is fully self-organized, enabling the JCPenney Leadership Program to curate an experience that highlights emerging leaders and innovative thinkers. Overall, TEDxOU serves as a platform where leadership and ideas converge, encouraging participants to take what they learn beyond the stage and into their communities.
Hello,
My name is Elijah Watty, and I am honored to serve as the Director of the Parker Leadership Conference for the JCPenney Leadership Program here at the University of Oklahoma. This year brings new excitement to the annual conference with the introduction of TEDxOU, presented in collaboration with the Parker Leadership Conference. We are excite to host TEDxOU this year through the JCPenney Leadership Program and to share this experience with the OU community.
The Parker Leadership Conference has always focused on empowering students to become purpose-driven leaders who create positive change in business and beyond. The reintroduction of TEDxOU allows us to expand that mission by giving students, professionals, and community members a space to share ideas that challenge conventional thinking and inspire growth.
Our theme this year, Disrupt, captures that spirit. Disruption is about reimagining what is possible. Whether through innovation, leadership, or personal growth, disruption reminds us that meaningful change often begins when we have the courage to think differently.
What makes this event especially powerful is that every speaker on stage will be a student. We intentionally designed it this way to highlight that disruption often starts from within, driven by fresh perspectives, bold ideas, and the willingness to ask questions others might overlook. These talks represent the creativity, thoughtfulness, and courage of the next generation of leaders, and I could not be more excited to share their voices on a TEDx stage.
I hope you will join us on March 6 for TEDxOU to witness the incredible talent each of these speakers brings.
In the spirit of discovering and spreading ideas, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TED Talks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection. 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.)
TED is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to discovering, debating and spreading ideas that spark conversation, deepen understanding and drive meaningful change. Our organization is devoted to curiosity, reason, wonder and the pursuit of knowledge — without an agenda. We welcome people from every discipline and culture who seek a deeper understanding of the world and connection with others, and we invite everyone to engage with ideas and activate them in your community.
TED began in 1984 as a conference where Technology, Entertainment and Design converged, but today it spans a multitude of worldwide communities and initiatives exploring everything from science and business to education, arts and global issues. In addition to the TED Talks curated from our annual conferences and published on TED.com, we produce original podcasts, short video series, animated educational lessons (TED-Ed) and TV programs that are translated into more than 100 languages and distributed via partnerships around the world. Each year, thousands of independently run TEDx events. Through the Audacious Project, TED has helped catalyze $6.6 billion in funding for projects that support bold solutions to the world's most urgent challenges — working to make the world more beautiful, sustainable and just. In 2020, TED launched Countdown, an initiative to accelerate solutions to the climate crisis and mobilize a movement for a net-zero future, and in 2023 TED launched TED Democracy to spark a new kind of conversation focused on realistic pathways towards a more vibrant and equitable future. View a full list of TED’s many programs and initiatives.
Follow TED on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and X.
Aaron Lim is an undergraduate researcher in Chemical Biosciences at the University of Oklahoma and a research intern at HST Harvard–MIT Summer Institute in Biomedical Optics. His work focuses on photodynamic therapy and translational photomedicine. His work focuses on photodynamic cancer therapy and translational photomedicine. He conceived and is developing a novel light-activated nanoparticle platform for advanced cancer treatment and is concurrently spinning out a student-led startup, PhotoMedX.
Akshay Singh is a computer science honors student specializing in artificial intelligence and machine learning at the University of Oklahoma. His research in cardiometabolic disease and healthcare AI has been presented as both an oral and poster presenter at Stanford University National Research Conference and has been accepted for presentation at Yale University, Harvard affiliated research conferences, and Brown University, where he will speak with students affiliated with their medical schools. Akshay has also engaged with healthcare startup leaders and venture capital firms in Silicon Valley, including Y Combinator affiliated founders and Khosla Ventures, where his work inspired the creation of Circulyze, an AI healthcare startup focused on early detection and personalized prevention.
Alexandra Touliatos is a senior studying Finance and Energy Management with aspirations to work in the energy finance industry. Driven by a belief that excellence and inclusion can—and must—coexist, she has helped build supportive communities for women in finance, reflecting her conviction that intentional leadership can reshape traditional institutions. Through her academic and professional experiences, Alexandra has become passionate about the quiet, intentional forms of disruption that allow people to thrive in spaces not originally designed for them.
David Colindres is a dual graduate student in Industrial & Systems Engineering and Econometrics at The University of Oklahoma, where he anonymously ran OU Love Letters, one of the campus’ most engaged student platforms. He blends anonymity and community-building to examine how digital spaces and small actions shape genuine human connection.
Emily Flesher is an applied researcher with a background in psychology, sociology, and special education, examining how mental health and trauma show up in classrooms, clinics, and everyday life. She has presented her work at universities, regional and international conferences, and children’s hospitals, including St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. She also lives with PTSD.
Jhanvi Patel is a student leader at the University of Oklahoma, studying Business Management, Psychology, Legal Studies, and Human Resource Management on the Pre-Law track. She is a Civic Engagement Fellow with Oklahoma Votes and has previously interned with the Oklahoma Innocence Project and at the Oklahoma State Capitol. A first-generation college student heavily involved on campus, Jhanvi is passionate about civic participation, legal advocacy, and amplifying underrepresented voices.
Judah Anttila is the outstanding ISE senior, triple engineering president, and a 4.0 accelerated Masters student. He’s the founder of Pristine Pens, co-founder of PhantomFit, and founding president of OU Norman Next. In his free time, he likes hosting fun events for authentic people, supporting local businesses, and collaborating on meaningful goals together.
Katie Sparks, OU sophomore and CEO and Co-founder of technology start-up Wrist World, began her business career at the age of 13 by leveraging augmented reality technology to create and sell patented product lines around the world. Wrist World’s PR success has been recognized by the Public Relations Society of America with an Uppercase Award and by the International Licensing Excellence Awards with a finalist position in the category of Best Licensed Digital Product. Katie loves equipping others to succeed in business or otherwise and so serves as a motivational and talent-development speaker for various forums. If she’s not doing business, mentoring others, or keeping up with school work, you’ll likely find her advocating for Oklahomans on Capitol Hill.
Khushi Damani is a biomedical engineering major at the University of Oklahoma focused on creating practical solutions at the intersection of research, technology, and patient care. Through hands-on research and clinical experience, she has observed inefficiencies in healthcare delivery and the ways engineering can address them. Khushi is the president of Biomedical Engineering Society, Reform and Reach, and is the founder of PhantomFit, a medical device for amputees designed to improve pain management and enhance daily life.
Megan Austin is a senior undergraduate at The University of Oklahoma studying Vocal Music Education and Arts Management. She has held multiple leadership positions within the College of Fine Arts, including President of the Dean’s Student Advisory Council, Vice President of Membership for Sigma Alpha Iota, and Vice President of OU’s National Association for Music Educators. After graduation in May, Megan hopes to either teach music or pursue a Master’s in Business and Arts Administration.
Sabrina Cronauer is an Elementary Education major at the University of Oklahoma whose passion for teaching was shaped by her own experiences as a student. She is committed to becoming the kind of teacher who sees children as more than test scores and creates classrooms where students feel known, valued, and capable.
Tayvon Lewis is a dynamic professional and technologist focused on community transformation. As the founder of Cre8tive Change, he develops technology for social impact. Tayvon is an MBA candidate at the University of Oklahoma and has contributed to statewide and national initiatives focused on prevention and systems change.
Amateur skateboarder, DJ, jiu-jitsu competitor, chess player, and artist: Thea Massi loves exploring her interests and helping people discover who they want to be. She is a Management Information Systems student and the current President of the Entrepreneurship Club, with a background in sports broadcasting, entrepreneurship, venture capital, film, and tech. She is passionate about telling stories, starting meaningful conversations, and encouraging curiosity and authenticity.
Titus A. Rhodes is a writer, director, and producer from St. Louis is based in Oklahoma City. He’s completing an A.A. in Digital Cinema Production at Oklahoma City Community College and pursuing a B.B.A. in Finance at the University of Oklahoma’s Price College of Business, while running RAILRHODES, a production company developing films and brand content centered on flawed characters and emotional stakes. His credits span production branded work for FX, The CW, AT&T, Converse, ESPN, Cadillac, and American Express, along he directs his latest short, BETSY.
Zayda Penner is a student at the University of Oklahoma, majoring in psychology on the pre-med track. Coming from Antlers, OK, her passion for mental health and helping others is what drives her. By sharing her mental health story and the lessons she has learned through speaking and her nonprofit organization, she hopes to change lives and make a different.
