Theme: The Digital Age

TEDxCherryCreekHS 2024
It's our second event. TEDxCherryCreekHS 2023 was a great success. We're excited to welcome TED enthusiasts to join us for another carefully orchestrated TEDx experience.

The Schoolhouse
19650 Mainstreet
Parker, Colorado, 80138
United States

Ashrita Gandhari

Student

Ashrita Gandhari is a high school junior. A four-time Scripps National Spelling Bee finalist and top-seven national finisher, Ashrita first captured public attention when she was featured in the Netflix documentary “Spelling the Dream” at age 9. She received the distinction of New England’s 20 under 20 for her exceptional talents. Ashrita is a national finalist at the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS) and won two first-place titles at the Virginia state science fair. Her impactful contributions have also earned her Washington Academy of Sciences Student Achievement Award. She is a two-time recipient of the Mark Licata Biotechnology Award from the Virginia Biotechnology Association. Ashrita is deeply committed to social impact. She founded ‘Sahaya,’ a non-profit organization dedicated to uplifting underprivileged girls in India and the USA by providing access to STEM educational resources.

Brandon Raycraft

English Teacher

I am an English teacher at Cherry Creek High School. I’ve been a teacher for a bit more than 10 years. I’ve spent a lot of time traveling abroad and talking with others and have a passion for interesting conversation in which I get to learn something. I’d much rather spend my time in quality conversation than at a party. I think it’s absolutely imperative that we work to break down our divides and begin actually having critical discussions with people outside our social circles.I am an English teacher at Cherry Creek High School. I’ve been a teacher for a bit more than 10 years. I’ve spent a lot of time traveling abroad and talking with others and have a passion for interesting conversation in which I get to learn something. I’d much rather spend my time in quality conversation than at a party. I think it’s absolutely imperative that we work to break down our divides and begin actually having critical discussions with people outside our social circles. Coming soon

Claire Xu

Student

I am enthusiastic about the fast-paced tech world used for larger impact, particularly in areas such as ANN, CNN, transformer, attention, CRISPR in biomedical science, attention models in cancer treatment, etc. The macro and micro perspectives of the world inspire me to devise solutions for various situations. In 2024, I developed a system to enhance socio-emotional skills using mental health digital twin and computer vision. After implementing this training among the neurodivergent population, I was amazed by substantial improvements and positive feedback. In 2023, I created biodegradable vegan leather for sustainable fashion, capable of turning 119 billion pounds of food waste into 79 billion sheets of leather. I advocate for transforming research breakthroughs into products to address real-world challenges. I was honored to join the Thermo Fisher JIC community with my research, and I am looking forward to be part of the Tedx community.

Deeksha Amarala

Student

Deeksha Amarala is a student at Cherry Creek High School. She is actively involved in her school community and holds several leadership positions, including President of the South Asian Student Association, Executive Board Member of the National Honor Society, and Board of Captains Member of Model United Nations. She is involved in Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) and DECA, where she achieved second place internationally, showcasing her exceptional skills and competitive spirit. Deeksha has been trained in an Indian classical dance and completed her “Rangapravesam” (dance graduation) in 2023. She is proud to be recognized as a professional Kuchipudi dancer. A survivor of the STEM School shooting, Deeksha has emerged stronger, using her experiences to fuel her determination and inspire others. She is passionate about sharing her story, hoping to inspire others to see failure not as a dead end but as a detour towards growth, emerging stronger from these difficulties.

Macy Baxi

Podcast Host & Coach

At years old, Macy Baxi launched her groundbreaking podcast, “What Would You Say to Your Younger Self?” In 2023, she introduced another podcast, “Why I Love Flagler County,” which spotlights over 150 local business owners, highlights the vibrant community and entrepreneurial spirit, promotes local gems, and generates a sense of unity and pride. Macy is writing a book titled “7 Critical Career Skills They Don’t Teach in School.” Aimed at bridging the gap between traditional education and real-world skills, she hopes to provide an invaluable resource for parents and children. Macy’s journey from a curious teenager to a respected podcaster and author is a testament to her passion, dedication, and powerful influence in creating a space for meaningful conversations. These feats speak to her unquenchable thirst for knowledge and experience and remind her of the impact young voices can have on the world.

Maria Riegger

Corporate Attorney & Author

Maria Riegger is a corporate and banking attorney based in Washington, DC. She is a best-selling author, speaker, and trauma-informed parenting expert. Maria’s rocky childhood became the impetus for her self-improvement. She was then raised by a single narcissistic parent. Maria learned to be a better parent, working on herself rather than controlling her child. She found the key to a healthy parent-child relationship centers on more laughs, positive connections, and less dictating and criticizing. In helping adults reparent themselves, Maria discovered a great deal of crossover with themes of procrastination, people pleasing, and defensiveness, which held individuals back from achieving success. Maria draws on her legal and corporate background and trauma-informed knowledge to speak on optimizing productivity, encouraging self-championing, defeating procrastination, and eliminating defensive behaviors to help professionals improve their parenting and achieve their goals.

Morgan Massie

Leadership Expert & Author

Morgan is the CEO and Founder of the Leadership and Training Concierge. Her award-winning work empowers individuals to achieve genuine success and alignment in their personal and professional lives. Her expertise spans psychology, resilience, and strengths-focused leadership. Morgan’s contributions have transformed personal lives and teams and made her a sought-after speaker, facilitator, and coach across industries. Notable engagements include speaking at Columbia University and being featured on Forbes and the NYC NASDAQ billboard. Maria's influential books include “The Five Coaching Conversations” and “Change RHYTHM” and additional collaborations with Anthony Trucks and the late Bob Proctor. Rooted in the philosophy of “Do what you love in service of those who love what you do,” Morgan inspires individuals to embrace their strengths and stories, fostering resilience and thriving in all facets of life.

Sarah Huo

Student

Sarah Huo is a junior at Cherry Creek High School. She is very passionate about computer science, technology, and mathematics. She has been actively involved in multiple technology and computer science-related extracurricular pursuits and has made amazing achievements. In 2022, Sarah won the President’s Education Award. She is a 2024 NCWIT Aspirations in Computing High School Award Colorado Affiliate Winner. She is also the 2023 State Runner-Up in the Intro to Information Technology event in the Future Business Leaders of America Organization, qualifying for the National Conference. Throughout both middle and high school, she has had the opportunity to spend lots of time analyzing the optimization of such productivity through the combination of tools of technology and the discovery of several tricks and systems to allow for maximum productivity.

Thomas Eckschmidt

Engineer

Former farmer, with an engineering degree and Executive MBA in Finance, Thomas worked in 15 different countries. Thomas had a corporate career for 10 years, migrated to another decade of consulting work before launching himself as a serial entrepreneur. As an entrepreneur, Thomas received 12 awards (innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainability), filed 4 patents and published 20 books. As an entrepreneur, Thomas discovered that he was an “unconscious conscious capitalist” and connected with this global movement. Thomas has launched the Conscious Capitalism movement in Latin America, he helps chapters all around the world, he has certified over 1,200 consultants in 23 countries and runs the largest network of consultants to accelerate the UPGRADE of leaders and their organizations, to create a more conscious business ecosystem.

Tresor dokloh

Student

Hello, I’m Tresor Dokloh, a high school student and aspiring software engineer driven by a passion for innovation. My journey into the world of coding has ignited a fire within me to explore uncharted territories and create solutions that push the boundaries of what’s possible. As I navigate through the educational system, I’m constantly inspired by the potential of technology to revolutionize our world. Through my TED talk, I aim to showcase the immense scope of how technology can not only aid us but also pave the way for a brighter future.