Theme: TEDxBerkeley: HighwayX

Highways and roads take you from point A to B. To get to your final destination, or destination X, you can encounter obstacles, sidetracks, and going off ramp from your original plan. You may or may not plan where your final destination is, and sometimes you will never know your last stop until you are there.

So it’s understood highways can be used as a metaphor for life, relating to your personalized journey of how you got to where and who you are today. Each person's journey of life is unique, full of ups and downs, roundabouts, and stop signs, however in the end you will end up where you are destined to be no matter how long it takes.

Thus through HighwayX we aspire you to talk about the unconventional, planned, and unplanned avenues that guided you to where you are today. From your support systems, environments, challenges, and successes and many more factors, life can be crazy, guiding you down paths in your journey you didn’t know you would end up.

So we want you to take this opportunity to talk about your unique highway that allowed you to your current destination in life, and even speak on what your future destination X is. How and why did you go down the path you went, who helped you, what inspired you, and how did you persevere through the hard times and celebrate the good ones?

At TEDxBerkeley 2025: HighwayX, we invite you to map out your highway of life, pinpointing the monumental moments in your forever changing life. Join us on February 1st, 2025 at Zellerbach Hall to reflect on the big, small, and unknown paths–on your highway–that have shaped both your story and the world around us, and how your story and life continue to inspire others.

Zellerbach Auditorium
101 Zellerbach Hall # 4800
University of California
Berkeley, California, 94720-4800
United States

Brandon Leake

Spoken Word Poet

Brandon Leake hails from Stockton, where he grew up in a single parent household. Having battled through the emotional difficulty of abandonment, and inner city living Brandon found home in basketball and God, which landed him a collegiate scholarship to be the first graduate of his family. From there blazing a new trail Brandon pursued spoken word poetry as a profession traveling the world as a poet, speaker, and educator for several tours he's spearheaded. However, his most notable success came from winning the hit TV Show America's Got Talent season 15; and then in further commercial success by winning 7 Telly Awards, 1 SOVAS Award, and 1 Emmy Award. But for Brandon his greatest achievements are in his faith, family, and community. Honoring God being his priority, serving his family being his greatest calling, and reaching community through his art and teaching being the mission he pursues. This is Brandon Leake.

Kiliii Yuyan

Photographer

Photographer Kiliii Yuyan is committed to telling stories that help humanity understand itself and its relationship to mother earth. In 2023, Kiliii received one of National Geographic's highest honors, the Eliza Scidmore Award for Outstanding Storytelling. He contributes to publications including TIME, Vogue, WIRED, and has been honored by awards including Pictures of the Year International, Leica Oscar-Barnack, PDN and ASMP. Kiliii is currently on speaking tour with National Geographic Live. He is based out of traditional Duwamish lands (Seattle), but usually found beneath the sea or floating on Arctic ice.

Ky Polanco

Media entrepreneur

Ky Polanco is a visionary media entrepreneur and co-founder of FEMINIST, a groundbreaking nonprofit media company that reaches 25 million people globally. Drawing from her extensive background in luxury fashion, where she collaborated with prestigious brands like Balenciaga, Balmain, and Diane Von Furstenberg, Ky transformed FEMINIST into a powerful platform for social change and gender equity. Her leadership style, characterized by empathy and inclusivity, has been instrumental in shaping FEMINIST's visual identity and mission. Under her guidance, the organization has built a multi-channel platform and thriving global community of over 6 million members through innovative digital initiatives that merge content creation with social justice advocacy.

Olachi Tiffany Etoh

Entrepreneur and storyteller

Olachi Tiffany Etoh is an entrepreneur, and storyteller, and first-generation Nigerian-American committed to driving positive change through technology, mental health advocacy, and leadership. Her global outlook was shaped by visiting studies in Shanghai and Beijing, where she deepened her understanding of international markets and cultural perspectives. Olachi built a strong foundation in the finance industry as a licensed stockbroker and Client Relationship Manager at T. Rowe Price, where she honed skills in financial securities, resilience, and integrity under pressure. Currently, she is pursuing her MBA at UC Berkeley Haas, serving as Co-President of the Mobility and Aerospace Club and VP for the Artificial Intelligence and Data Science Club. Focused on technology entrepreneurship and product management, she is passionate about the transformative potential of responsible artificial intelligence to drive societal good.

Olivia Zhang

Global health leader

Olivia Zhang is a global health leader and the founder and CEO of Cancer Kids First, the world’s largest youth-led cancer nonprofit with 40,000 volunteers across 80 countries. Olivia believes passionately in youth leadership, sharing tips and her story on social media (@livviazhang) with 125,000+ followers and 50 schools to encourage other young people to engage in meaningful service work. She even launched a nonprofit mentorship network where she cultivated 187 leaders in 100 youth-led nonprofits to impact 15,000 individuals. Olivia's work has been featured in People, YahooNews, Business Insider, CBS News, Medium, and ThriveGlobal. She was named a 2023 Legacy Diana Award winner with recognition from Prince William and Prince Harry, a 2021 WEGO Health world's top patient leader (youngest in history), included in Girls’ Life Magazine 30 Under 30, and named Harvard’s First-Year Emerging Global Leader.

Robert Paylor

Author and speaker

Robert Paylor’s life changed forever when a catastrophic injury during the collegiate rugby championship left him paralyzed from the neck down while competing for the UC Berkeley men’s rugby team. Doctors delivered a devastating prognosis: he would never walk or move his hands again. Forced to relearn basic human functions—from feeding himself to getting dressed to brushing his teeth—Robert began a transformative journey of recovery. Today, Robert can stand and walk with assistance and inspires others to overcome life’s challenges. In 2020, Robert graduated from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and embarked on a career in inspirational speaking. His journey of perseverance has led him to deliver over 100 keynote presentations. As an author and speaker, Robert empowers others to overcome the “paralyzing” challenges in their own lives, whether physical, emotional, or mental. His message of resilience, positivity, and determination resonates with audiences worldwide.

Shawn Finnie

Entertainment executive

Shawn Finnie is an award-winning entertainment executive, speaker, and producer with over a decade of experience contributing to the Hollywood landscape. As Executive Vice President at CULTURAL AGENCY, in all areas including: Multicultural, PR, and Awards Strategies, driving impactful campaigns that resonate with diverse audiences. Previously, Finnie served as EVP at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, where he managed member relations, global outreach, and Academy Awards processes for over 11,000 filmmakers, artists, and executives. Finnie is also a creative force behind initiatives that spark meaningful dialogue. Recognized by Variety’s New Leaders list and honored with AdColor’s Advocate award, Finnie’s contributions to the entertainment industry go beyond strategy and execution. Driven by a passion for community, culture, and connectivity, Finnie is deeply committed to amplifying underrepresented voices and fostering inclusivity in entertainment.