TEDxVCU is thrilled to announce the theme of our 2025 event: BLOOM!
To bloom is to flourish, and the RAMily flourishes by improving both themselves and their community. New ideas are blossoming this spring. Experience a selection of Talks aiming to highlight our creativity, unity, and growth.
Missed the event? Watch the recorded livestream on YouTube!
Sirena Pearl is a junior at VCUarts, pursuing a BFA in Painting and Printmaking with a minor in Animation. She merges digital and traditional media, incorporating 3D modeling, projection mapping, and augmented reality into her painting practice.
Her research on the urban heat island effect in Richmond—visualized through a mural atop the Bowe Street parking deck—utilizes thermal infrared imagery and interactive data visualization to make environmental issues more accessible. Passionate about art as a tool for advocacy, Sirena uses visual storytelling to foster communication, challenge perceptions, and spark critical dialogue.
Photo Credit: McNair Evans / VCUarts
Jae Lange is a passionate advocate and social worker dedicated to addressing homelessness and supporting marginalized communities, particularly LGBTQ+ youth and families. Drawing from their own experiences with housing instability between the ages of 19 and 22, Jae has committed their career to empowering others and improving systems of care.
Jae is currently pursuing a degree in Social Work at Virginia Commonwealth University, where they are also recognized for their advocacy and community work. They serve as a direct service specialist at Marsha and Marian’s Neighbors, a program supporting young adults who are pregnant, parenting, and/or LGBTQ+, providing holistic care and promoting autonomy. Jae emphasizes listening to and uplifting individuals to help them navigate challenges and build stability.
Their leadership extends to co-founding the B.A.S.E. Foundation (Building A Safe Environment), which connects individuals with resources to foster long-term stability and focuses on community empowerment through outreach and events. Recognized as an Emerging Leader by the Virginia Housing Alliance, Jae’s contributions have also included developing educational initiatives and participating in the BIPOC Leadership Institute, further solidifying their impact on policy and practice.
Jae’s work highlights their belief in the power of lived experience and the necessity of centering the voices of those most affected by homelessness. They remain committed to fighting for systemic change while fostering inclusive and compassionate communities.
Tom Illmensee is cofounder of Orbital Music Park, an inclusive creative space for music-making in Richmond, Virginia. As a musician for more than 30 years, Tom has performed at venues in the US and Europe, and has hosted hundreds of jam sessions and workshops from funk to blues to singing meditation. Before starting OMP in 2017, Tom led product design and user experience research teams at software companies. At VCU he earned a bachelor’s degree in history (2000) and an interdisciplinary master’s degree (2007). Tom is a practicing stoic and runs every day.
Omri Morris is a black queer cis woman and mother in recovery from Substance Use Disorder and living with co-occuring mental health disorders. She chose abstinence as her main pathway to recovery, which means that she has chosen to abstain from using illicit drug and alcohol use for the last 11 years, and to take medications to help her maintain recovery as prescribed by her doctors.
As a faculty member at VCU, she chooses to Recover Out Loud by working as a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist and Peer Recovery Support Coordinator for Rams in Recovery, a collegiate recovery program that helps support students who identify as being in recovery. She is recovery made visible, and invites you to recover out loud, together!
Sathwik Nag is a Decision Scientist passionate about leveraging data and innovation to solve complex challenges. Currently pursuing a Master’s in Decision Analytics (Data Science track) at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), he combines technical expertise with a strategic mindset to drive meaningful change. With four years as an aerospace engineer, Sathwik has optimized aircraft design and operations. He has also worked with startup strategy teams, shaping data-driven market insights to fuel business growth. His contributions to technology and innovation have earned him the Excellence in Technical Solutions award and a Silver Medal in the All-India Student Design Competition.
Sathwik is committed to sustainability, having led energy-efficient vehicle projects and published research on advanced materials. A motorsports enthusiast, particularly passionate about Formula 1, he thrives on exploration—whether it’s meeting new people, discovering diverse cuisines, or embracing new perspectives. Guided by the timeless wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita, he seeks to bridge data, sustainability, and human impact in all that he does.
Amy Tudor holds a PhD in Interdisciplinary Humanities (focus in Thanatology) and an MFA in Creative Writing, as well as a certification as an End-of-Life Doula. Her research includes death and photography, end-of-life ritual practices, and identity issues in facial injury patients, the latter of which she studied as a Visiting Academic Fellow at The University of Oxford. Dr. Tudor is the author of two collections of poetry – A Book of Birds (2008) and Studies in Extinction (2016) – and is also a published essayist, short story writer, and lyricist. She teaches in the Department of Focused Inquiry at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Shayla Kyle (AYLA) is a junior at VCUarts pursuing a BFA in Graphic Design. Outside of her design practices, her creative pursuits span far and wide, often delving into various mediums including fashion, music and performance.
