our mission…
TEDxUCIrvine is a non-profit organization that produces independently organized events curated and executed by passionate UC Irvine students. It was founded on the belief that sharing the knowledge on campus can inspire action throughout the community. Once a year TEDxUCIrvine gives our campus the opportunity to showcase our talents, achievements and ideas on TED’s worldwide platform. We strive to ignite the curiosity, passion and wonder in the interaction amongst the different disciplines on campus. In the spirit of TED, we aim to find “ideas worth spreading” within UC Irvine and to stimulate dialogue in the greater Irvine community. We are laying the foundation for a collaborative space for UC Irvine’s thinkers and doers. A place where these individuals can utilize their diversity, come together, and bring light to new ideas that foster a different way of thinking.
MEET OUR TEAM
Directors
Hanna Franchi
Executive Director
International Studies | Political Science Minor
Formerly our Director of External Affairs, she’s stepping up to the plate with her long term experiences and awareness of global issues. Hanna’s in charge of the general oversight of the organization, this being her 4th year at UCI.
Her favorite talk is “How to Tap Into Your Awareness”, in which speaker Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche walks viewers through the process of meditation and developing their focus.
Sophia Tong
Executive Producer
Public Health Sciences
Also a 4th year, she’s a head officer by day and member of dance team MCIA by night. Previously our Director of Project Management last year, she now organizes event production and curation, assists in overall team planning, and places executive goals into action.
Her favorite talk is “Why I’m done trying to be ‘man enough’” by Justin Baldoni, who sits down men to discuss masculinity—what it’s thought to be, what it should be, and what can be different.
Nghia Pham
Director of Project Management
English & Political Science
The mind behind our planning and team logistics. Now his third year at UCI, his role encompasses timelines, event itineraries, and negotiation of venues and other bookings.
His favorite talk is "How to Use One Paper Towel", where speaker Joe Smith instructs viewers on how to effectively dry your hands—just as the title says—and save 571,230,000 tons of paper in the process.
Louis Kabe
Director of External Affairs
Mechanical Engineering
Collaborations are his middle name. In addition to acquiring sponsorships, he's responsible for coordinating joint events and maintaining relations with external parties.
His favorite talk is "The Super Mario Effect - Tricking Your Brain Into Learning More", where Mark Rober discusses concepts from our favorite video games to re-contextualize how we learn—or perhaps should be learning—about the world.
Sam Alphonso
Director of Internal Operations
Exercise Sciences
A 3rd year student, this makes her 2nd in the organization. She’s dedicated herself to team growth throughout her executive role, organizing icebreaker activities, bonding events, and retreats for our CORE members.
Check out her favorite talk, “The Power of Introverts”, where Susan Cain discusses the ways in which introverts are underestimated, but can also highly contribute.
Lana Cruz
Director of Social Media & Content Media
Business Administration | Marketing
Head of all marketing affairs. Manages social media handles, supervises content creation on team, and engages in design-related projects for graphics and merchandise.
Her favorite talk is “Selling Your Trauma to Buy An Education,” where Tina Yong discusses the rise (and concern) of the use of trauma-dumping and overly personal detail in essays submitted for the judgment of college admissions.
Brittanie Yukimtiao
Director of Finance
Biological Sciences
A 4th year continuing her executive role from last year. She handles all of our financial aspects, from quarterly budgets to food sale fundraisers and sponsorship donations.
Check our her favorite talk, "My Year of Saying Yes to Everything" by Shonda Rhimes—a story of how she was able to embrace her vulnerability by choosing to go beyond her comfort zone.
CORE TEAM
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Octavio Partida
Morgan Rajala
Kaitlin Gonzalez
Jordan Hum
Hazel Jolly Kurien
Gautam Rohit Khosla
Javin Chung
Marilyn Stephen
SOCIAL MEDIA & CONTENT MEDIA
Chloe Orrick
Rascal Zhao
Ally Avidan
Ashlyn Wong
Julie Tran
Natalia Villareal
EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Tracy Njuguna
Janaki Nair
Lele Maker
Valeria Laguna
Emily Dibene
INTERNAL OPERATIONS
Ananya Amaram
Amber Huynh
Ralph Zepeda
Lana Smith
Helen Du
Grace Marshall
Tristan Rallos
FINANCE
Ryan Jih
Mihika Guntur
Aras Vakilimafakheri
Shayan Halder
Christian Pan
Ethan Tung
Marcos Lorigo