TEDxUCSanDiego

Speakers

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

• Andre Lokuszta

  Andre Lokuszta studies Business Psychology at UC San Diego and founded Netcast Marketing at 17 to solve a problem most companies walk away from: deploying AI-powered growth infrastructure for industries where a single compliance misstep means an SEC examination. His firm works with independent financial advisors, building the systems that turn regulatory barriers into competitive advantages. Across his client portfolio, he has generated over $7 million in revenue and an average 5x return on investment. Andre serves as VP of Marketing for RAIN, UCSD's initiative connecting research, industry, and student ventures, and as President of the Thomistic Institute on campus, a philosophical society rooted in the thought of Thomas Aquinas. In May 2026, he took first place at the StartR pitch competition as its youngest presenter. His talk argues that the most dangerous kind of failure is the kind that doesn't look like failure at all. He lives and works between Los Angeles and San Diego.

• Brian LeDuc

  Brian LeDuc is a design strategist working at the intersection of education, workforce development, and innovation. With over a decade of experience using design in higher education and Fortune 500 companies, he helps institutions launch learner-centered experiences, programs, and strategies that align with industry needs and empower students for the future of work. He founded and leads the consulting practice of Learning, Designed. Brian specializes in human-centered design and community-driven change in education. He has guided university and corporate leaders, along with community and workforce organizations, in using design thinking to drive meaningful change in education. His work with institutions has led to increased student retention, new academic models, stronger learner and employer engagement, and pioneering, career relevant programs. His influence and impact has been featured in The Chronicle of Higher Education, Inside Higher Ed, and Higher Ed Dive.

• Desmond Hunt

  Desmond is a recent graduate of UCSD out of Thurgood Marshall College with a degree in Music Technology. Hailing from Los Angeles, Desmond brings a unique creative approach and energy to his work within the music industry and advocacy for arts and culture in the San Diego collegiate community. Naturally humorous and engaging, he opts to use his platform to inspire others in ways that limit pressure and emphasize self empowerment through expression.

• Dylan Sapong

  Dylan Sapong is an African-American college student attending the University of California - San Diego who challenges traditional ways of thinking and lifestyle. Studying neurobiology, Dylan has made it his mission to understand how our brains play significant roles in our perception, memory formation, and attitude, hoping to pursue medicine to assist people clinically. Dylan's circumstances growing up were far from the status quo; growing up in a small, predominantly white town in California, a brother diagnosed with low functioning Autism, immigrant parents trying to navigate the world are a few of many factors that shaped his life. He used his experiences to develop an optimistic lens of the world, taking every opportunity he could to better his community and positively influence those around him. In his TED talk, we explore Dylan's unique interdisciplinary background and personal experiences to understand how a simple, easy shift in your mentality can change your life forever.

• Enrico L. Del Rosario

  I am Enrico Del Rosario, a proud Filipino American multi-hyphenate creative from Fontana, CA. I graduated Cum Laude from UC San Diego with a Bachelor of Science in Cognitive Science: Design & Interaction and an Interdisciplinary Computing in the Arts-Music (ICAM) Minor. I currently work as a professional dancer, AI prompt engineer, and marketing & outreach coordinator. I am very passionate about anything relating to human interrelation & communication, my deep love for culture, and cultivating inclusivity in spaces I share with others! As a creative, I love exploring the plethora of ways I can practice self-expression. From capturing moments and memories, whether that be through short-form video, dance film, or photography, to dancing for an audience of 100,000 people, all the way to singing in the shower, I will always seek out the ways I can continue to unapologetically be myself. This is why I am proud of any and all identities I may hold, most especially my Filipino heritage.

• Lillian Victoria Ng

  Lillian Victoria Ng is a professional keynote speaker, leadership coach, and author of Own Your Path. She helps founders, entrepreneurs, and high-performing leaders strengthen their identity, elevate their leadership, and build high-performing teams from the inside out. Rooted in her Chinese-American bicultural background, Lillian’s work gives voice to the inner identity journey of AAPI leaders and high achievers, those navigating ambition, expectation, culture, silence, achievement, and the desire to become more than the roles they were handed. After a career setback reshaped her own path, she developed her signature “Break the Lotus Box” philosophy to help leaders break through invisible barriers and step into their next level of clarity, confidence, and impact. Through her keynotes, coaching, and leadership work, Lillian empowers executives, founders, and entrepreneurs to transform how they lead, decide, and show up. Because when identity shifts, everything changes.

• Rei Ishikawa

  Rei Ishikawa is a Japanese-British artist and videographer. He studied mechanical engineering at UCSD during the time of this speech but has since converted to a career in film.

• Tasha Faruqui

  Dr. Tasha Faruqui is a pediatrician, speaker, advocate, and author of Keep Your Head Up: A Mother’s Story of Chasing Joy in the Face of Grief (Jossey-Bass, 2025). Inspired by her father, a doctor to an underserved rural community, Tasha joined the National Health Service Corps after medical school. However, her focus shifted when her daughter Soraya was born with a rare genetic disorder. Tasha is now a passionate advocate for parents of medically complex children and those experiencing anticipatory grief, regularly sharing her message of hope at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Make-A-Wish events, and on Instagram (@thefaruqui5). She was named a top doctor by Cincinnati Magazine in 2022, 2024-2026. Connect and learn more at www.tashafaruqui.com.

• Victor Simmons

  Victor Simmons is a leadership speaker, executive advisor, and Human Resources practitioner with more than three decades of experience in hospitality and organizational leadership. Over the course of his career, he has led teams across major hotel brands and worked closely with executives and frontline staff to build cultures rooted in accountability, trust, and empowerment. Victor’s perspective on leadership was shaped early by watching his father serve in the U.S. Air Force supporting presidential airlift operations, where he learned that respect is earned through service and action, not titles. That lesson carried through his career as he moved from frontline operations into senior leadership. Today, Victor speaks and advises organizations on how to build stronger cultures by redefining what leadership really looks like. His message is simple but powerful: leadership is not reserved for those with authority; it begins wherever someone chooses to take responsibility and act.