TEDxRVA Youth

Speakers

Speakers may not be confirmed. Check the event website for the latest lineup.

• Aarya Karmarkar

  Student

  Aarya Karmarkar is a student at Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School for Government and International Studies, with interests in health, neuroscience, and sleeping. Since conducting a study on circadian rhythms in 8th grade, she has developed an interest in sleep medicine, which, combined with her growing personal experience with sleeplessness, inspired her talk. Some of Aarya’s previous works have included addressing issues of youth and public health as a speaker for a national Youth-Nex Conference at UVA, a former leader and advisor for the VDH Youth Advisory Council, and a writer published in the Pulitzer Center. Aarya enjoys researching topics such as neurodegenerative diseases and expanding scientific research with a program she started at her school. She is also part of clubs such as the newspaper and Model UN, hoping to combine communication with youth advocacy, and in her free time, enjoys doing speech and debate, running, and playing badminton.

• Bezawit Mulatu

  Healthcare Advocate

  Bezawit Mulatu is a first responder and recent University of Richmond graduate from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She explores ways to make healthcare spaces and medical information more accessible for patients with blindness or low vision. She works closely with healthcare institutions to perform ADA audits and develop practical tools and solutions that support patient care and design.

• Brendan Dwyer

  Director of Research, Center for Sports Leadership

  Brendan Dwyer is a professor and director of research at the Center for Sport Leadership at Virginia Commonwealth University. His primary focus is on the business and marketing of sport. Dwyer’s research interests center on sport consumer behavior, fantasy sports participation, and sports gambling. He has articles published in Journal of Gambling Studies, Sport Marketing Quarterly, Computers in Human Behavior, Journal of Sport Management, Sport Management Review, among others. Dwyer has won a number of research related awards including the Sport Marketing Association’s (SMA) Sutton Award and the SMA Best Professional Paper six times. His industry work includes the U.S. Olympic Committee, the Washington Commanders, Virginia State Golf Association, Richmond Raceway, Qatar Olympic Committee, and Special Olympics of Virginia.

• Disco Bunny

  Artist

  Aary/Disco Bunny is the creative force behind Disco Bunny Studio, turning ordinary vending machines into portals of possibility for artists and art lovers alike. By lowering the barrier to entry—no galleries, gatekeepers, or velvet ropes—Aary’s playful machines give local creators a stage and everyday people a way to collect affordable, surprising art. With equal parts curiosity and mission, she’s proving that when art is as easy to grab as a snack, the whole community gets fed.

• Erin Lunsford

  Singer-Songwriter

  Erin Lunsford is an award-winning singer/songwriter from Fincastle, VA, now based in Richmond, VA. Her Americana/Folk/Pop compositions include self-styled guitar, banjo, and keyboard melodies. She's an accomplished writer - just last year, she was a semi-finalist in the Songwriters Guild of America Country Song Contest for her song “Rhinestones.” And she's a titan of voice - her vocals have been described as soulful, expressive, and downright heavenly. Her effortless versatility has been compared to Chris Stapleton, YEBBA, and Susan Tedeschi.

• Hope Ward

  Actor and Director

  Hope Ward is an actor, writer, director, and academic from Providence, RI. She holds bachelor’s degrees in theater and Black studies from Randolph-Macon College, an MFA in theater from Columbia, and a PhD in Media Art + Text from VCU. She defines herself as an artist emphasizing the synonymic role of Black feminism and universal humanity. Her recent acting credits include “Camae” in Florida Repertory Theater’s The Mountaintop, “Antigone” in Baltimore Center Stage’s Antigone, and “Tyree” in the Off-Broadway production of Bundle of Sticks at Intar Theater. She has appeared in Love My Roomie and Hawk’s Ridge, season 4 of Evil, and season 3 of HBO’s Succession. As a playwright, her play To All the Black Girls Who’ve Waited premiered at New York Theater Festival, where it won Best Production at the 2022 Winterfest and later had its Off-Broadway debut at Ars Nova’s 2023 ANTFEST. Most recently, her play A U G U S T 28th debuted at The Tank’s 2025 LimeFest.

• Isaac Friend

  Singer-Songwriter

  Based in Richmond, Virginia, Isaac Friend is a songwriter whose music is rooted in folk, rock and Americana. His cinematic sound surrounds the vivid imagery of his lyrics carried by a gripping voice and infectious melodies. Isaac has quickly gained a fan base from his performances on RadioWV as well as from his social media presence. His first single, 'Arrival' was released in the Fall of 2024, followed by an acoustic release titled 'Slow Moments', reflecting on the burden of self doubt and addiction. In July of 2025, he released a love song called 'Olivia' to the acclaim of fans and new listeners alike. His long anticipated debut acoustic EP will be released in the Fall of 2025.

• Jonathan Richardson

  Biologist

  Jonathan Richardson is a biologist whose research is focused on urban ecology, mostly solving the mysteries of rats these days. He uses tools from ecology, genetics, and epidemiology to (1) identify the urban environmental factors that support rats, (2) estimate how fast rat numbers are increasing in cities around the world, (3) measure rates of zoonotic disease infection in rats and risk to people, and (4) understand how rats are impacted by lethal control efforts. Jonathan works in and with cities around the world, including New York, Helsinki, Tokyo, Chicago, New Orleans, and Richmond.

• Kelly Lambert

  Behaviorial Neuroscientist

  Kelly Lambert is the Trawick Professor of Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Richmond, where she investigates experience-based neuroplasticity and teaches neuroscience. She has about 85 scholarly publications and has written 2 neuroscience textbooks and 3 popular books, including Lifting Depression, The Lab Rat Chronicles, and Well-Grounded. She is currently writing Wild Brains: Translating Adaptive Mental Health Strategies from the Bush to the Bedside. Lambert received the 2008 Virginia Professor of the Year award, the 2018 Career Achievement Award from the International Behavioral Neuroscience Society, and the 2024 Science Educator Award from the Society for Neuroscience. Her research on links between physical effort and emotional resilience has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning, and her rat-driving studies have appeared in over 1,500 news stories worldwide, including Netflix’s The Hidden Lives of Pets and CBC’s Rat City.

• Shep Roeper

  Nonprofit Leader

  Shep grew up in Hanover VA, graduated from Radford University, then moved out to California where he started his career in outdoor and accessible recreation. After California, he moved back to Richmond. He hopped around a few different jobs while co-founding Beyond Boundaries (BB). After four years of co-running BB on the side of his other jobs, Shep finally was able to take his passion and make it a full time job! When not working, he spends all his time with his family. Whether it's fishing, paddleboarding, or swimming, the family loves to play together!

• William Song

  Medical Physicist

  Dr. Song received his PhD in Medical Biophysics from the University of Western Ontario, Canada, in 2006, and completed CAMPEP-accredited medical physics residency training at the University of Florida in 2008. He joined Virginia Commonwealth University in 2017 as the Director of Medical Physics Graduate Program and a Therapeutic Medical Physicist for the VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, Richmond, VA. His research interests include medical devices, artificial intelligence, image guided therapeutics, and education.