TEDx Event Featuring Thought Leaders and Innovators

Syracuse University will host an exciting TEDx event on the theme “Changing the Narrative.” The free event is open to students, faculty, alumni and members of the community and will feature thinkers, doers and innovators from a variety of fields who will share groundbreaking ideas and inspiring stories. Those interested in attending are encouraged to register in advance.

The theme of this year’s TEDx Syracuse University event invites both speakers and attendees to challenge conventional stories and reshape the way we think about the world. In a time where narratives — whether personal, cultural, or global — often influence perceptions and drive actions, the power to change the narrative holds the potential to unlock transformative change. At its core, changing the narrative is about creating spaces for voices to be heard and sharing stories that shape our lives, our communities and our futures. Five featured speakers will delve into their personal journeys and inspire attendees to take ownership of their own stories as they think critically about how they, too, can be part of changing the narrative in meaningful and positive ways. Attendees can also network, share ideas and engage with Syracuse University’s TEDx community.

Co-sponsored by Syracuse University Libraries and the Office of Strategic Initiatives and Innovation, the event is being coordinated by Ryan Nkongnyu ’25 (College of Visual and Performing Arts), who is majoring in Communications and Rhetorical Studies. Nkongnyu is an Our Time Has Come Scholar, as well as finance board member of the Syracuse Student Association, vice president of the Black Student Union, Mentor for JUMP Nation, and event coordinator for the Black Honors Society. He is also a writer for the Daily Orange and reporter for Citrus TV.

Featured speakers and talk titles include:

• Sonia Issa, G’25 and ’24 “Breaking Cycles, Not Ourselves””
• Alie Sarvane, ’25 “Redefine Your Life”
• Melissa Martinez, faculty, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, “Be A Creator”
• Jordan Pierre, ’24 “The Danger of A Single Narrative Story”
• Clare Frattarola, ’10, “How Teaching Kids Emotional Intelligence Can Change the World”