TEDxGeorgiaTech, which will be held on April 17, will feature prominent figures from the Atlanta area whose talks will reflect the conference’s theme: “Raise Your Ideas to the Next Power.” Additionally, the second annual TEDxDouglasville will be held on April 9.

Students in the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts are serving on the organizing teams for both events. Mahdi Al Husseini, a third-year biomedical engineering and public policy major, is a co-organizer of TEDxDouglasville, and first-year Computational Media major Chloe Belangia is on the marketing team for TEDxGeorgiaTech.

Husseini was inspired to begin a TEDx event in Douglasville to give back to his hometown. Last year’s event sparked more than half a million YouTube views and engaged local organizations such as the Douglas Youth Department and Progressive Action Towards the Health of Douglasville.   

“With each new event, our team rediscovers the fulfillment of public service and sets a precedent for even younger members to make tangible changes in their communities,” Husseini said.

The TEDx program was created to continue TED’s mission of “Ideas Worth Spreading.” Through TEDx, organizers hold events to spark intellectual conversations and connect people from within their community. The events are planned independently with a free license granted by TED, enabling anyone to host a TED-like event in his or her own area.

Husseini encourages other students to host their own TEDx events. Organizing TEDxDouglasville simply began with him applying for a license online at TED’s website.

“Many Georgia Tech students have a burning desire to change the world,” he said. “You can start here in Atlanta’s backyard.”