TEDx Returns to LMU to Create Conversations

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TEDx, an independently organized TED event, returned to the Loyola Marymount University campus on Saturday, October 27 to create conversations for students, faculty, staff and the local community. Over 100 attendees got to hear motivational stories and personal messages from nine speakers from a wide variety of backgrounds all “in the spirit of ideas worth spreading.”

Several of the speakers were LMU alumni, faculty and staff including:

TEDx Talks ranged from encouragement to explore opportunities not just to go abroad, but places within the United States to experience different cultures and diversity, how taking the position of a learner can help open you up to new experiences and how music can define moments in our lives that impact our future.

This event would not have been possible without the leadership and support of those students who took part in the TEDx Registered Student Organization (RSO) to help plan and successfully execute it. For Cynthia Orduna ‘19, leading this RSO was a life lesson and one that she would carry with her into her professional future.

Cynthia Orduna ‘19
Major: Studio Arts with an emphasis in Multimedia
Hometown: Santa Monica, CA

Orduna wanted to give students the opportunity to speak and share their experiences with the LMU community. At a networking event, she was introduced to someone from TED and later on break got to visit the TED headquarters in New York. Staff at the headquarters recommended partnering with a school to help with resources and coordinate partnerships with others. Orduna moved forward with partnering with LMU and obtaining a TEDx license to hold an event on campus.

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To start the process of forming ideas for the TEDx event, Orduna gathered students to help plan and execute the event by registering the TEDx Event as an RSO. “Once we had a team in place, I started contacting speakers to get involved with the event. All of the speakers were very excited to be a part of it,” says Orduna. “I did not want speakers to just tell their stories. I wanted their stories to be heard and for people to start having conversations about these topics.”

I did not want speakers to just tell their stories. I wanted their stories to be heard and for people to start having conversations about these topics.  “

The idea of taking what one learned at the event and walking away with opportunities for the LMU community to work on “Creating Conversations,” became the theme for the event.

For Orduna, this experience gave her the unique opportunity to build a team, lead an organization and felt like running a startup business. “It was a difficult experience and tested me to balance between my academics and organizing this event,” Orduna said. “I’ve gained experience in event planning, public speaking and leading a team. At many times, I was the youngest person in the room helping to led speakers and manage a team of undergraduate students. Working on this event has made me so much stronger as a person.”

When time allows her to pursue passions outside of academics, Orduna works as a peer advisor and as an undergraduate research fellow and is currently researching ageism in the workforce. She’s also working to bring TED Ed to the K-12 school environment by working with Playa Vista Elementary School to create a TED Talks Club.

In the future, Orduna hopes to become a venture capitalist with her long-term goal being to invest in economic, empowering and sustainable companies. “I want to start my own independent consulting for companies to focus on creating flexible programs, diversity and inclusion,” says Orduna. “Additionally, I want to work in consulting for creative companies and be able to help them create and show more multicultural perspectives and stories.

I made a lot of connections through my work on TEDx and gained a lot of valuable experience and exposure for how to connect with clients.”