Ani Latoyan

Activist, Brainstormer, Consultant, Designer, Educator/Teacher, Event planner, Idea generator, Parent, Photographer, Promoter, Student, Writer/Editor

I am passionate about public speaking, storytelling, and the power of communication to connect people and inspire change. I recently graduated with honors from Los Angeles Valley College with a degree in Communication Studies. During my time at LAVC, I joined the Speech & Debate Team, an experience that strengthened not only my public speaking skills but also my confidence in using my voice. I competed in collegiate speech tournaments and became a finalist in persuasive speaking, an achievement that made me even more passionate about communication and the impact a powerful message can have. My journey with TED began long before my college journey in the United States. I joined the TED community in 2012 as a volunteer translator, later volunteered with the first TED event in Yerevan, Armenia, and continued my involvement as a TED volunteer in Zurich in 2017. Today, I am continuing my education at UCLA, studying Communication and exploring the intersection of public speaking, storytelling, media, and education. My journey has taught me that finding your voice is not something that happens once. Sometimes we have to find it again, in a new language, a new country, a new classroom, and a new chapter of life. And once we do, our voice can become a way to help others find theirs.

I’m passionate about public speaking, storytelling, education, and the kind of conversations that make people see something differently. Outside of communication, I love horseback riding, discovering new places, and creating meaningful experiences with my family. I’m endlessly curious about people, their stories, cultures, dreams, and the different paths that bring us to where we are. Most of all, I’m passionate about growth. Having the courage to keep learning, exploring, and becoming, no matter where in life you begin.

Starting over is not starting from zero. When people begin again, in a new country, a new language, a new school, a new career, or a new stage of life, they carry with them everything they have already learned, survived, built, and become. We often celebrate traditional success stories, but there is extraordinary courage in beginning again when the path is uncertain. I believe we should change the way we talk about starting over: not as evidence that someone has fallen behind, but as evidence of adaptability, courage, and possibility. Sometimes the chapter that looks like a step backward becomes the beginning of the greatest leap forward.

Digital Media, Marketing & Branding, Public Speaking, Storytelling, Strategic Communication

English is my third language, and TED has been one of my Teachers for more than a decade. At first, I came to TED because I wanted to improve my English. I would listen carefully, learn new words, and try to understand how people expressed complicated ideas so simply and powerfully. But somewhere along the way, I realized I wasn't just learning a language. I was learning about life. TED introduced me to science, psychology, communication, education, cultures, and ideas I might never have discovered on my own. One talk would lead me to a question, that question to another idea, and suddenly learning English became a way of learning about the world, and about myself. In 2012, I became part of the TED community as a volunteer translator. Later, I volunteered with the first TED event in Yerevan, Armenia, and in 2017, I had another opportunity to volunteer with TED in Zurich. Years later, my relationship with TED feels beautifully full circle. The person who once watched TED Talks to learn how to speak English is now studying Communication at UCLA, passionate about public speaking and storytelling, and dreaming of one day standing on a TED or TEDx stage herself. I came to TED looking for a language. I found a world of ideas. And, somewhere along the way, I found my own voice.

I have a secret superpower... Oh, yes, I do... Motherhood. I’m raising a 2-year-old “Sunshine” daughter and a 5-year-old “Braveheart” son while studying, working, creating, and chasing some pretty big dreams. I’ve become surprisingly good at turning chaos into a plan, finding energy when I thought I had none left, and switching from bedtime stories to deadlines in record time. My children are also my greatest teachers. They remind me to stay curious, laugh often, celebrate small victories, and see possibility everywhere.