Speakers Line-up

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Owen Banks was born in New York City to a Chinese mother and an American father. He has moved multiple times in his life, living in NYC, Shanghai, and Hawaii. He enjoys running and is a part of ‘Iolani’s cross country and track teams. He loves mathematics as well, participating as a member of the school’s math team. Owen loves being a part of the ‘Iolani community, and is grateful for how welcoming it has been to him since he moved to Hawaii. 

Griffin Gadre has moved from place to place around the United States, giving a diverse perspective to life, he has moved around California, Washington, Idaho, and most recently O’ahu where he is a boarding student. These diverse experiences have provided Griffin with a massive interest with American history, this interest has inspired Griffin to explore the idea of joining TEDx community to talk about his experiences, and what he has learned about the modern technology in America and the connections to humans it brings. 

Raine Kamilova is an Uyghur and Uzbek individual who now calls Hawaii their fifth home. Raised in Kazakhstan but spending multiple years in Uzbekistan, Armenia and Russia, Raine has developed a love for travel and seeking out new experiences. At ‘Iolani, they have discovered their love for Speech and Debate, as well as their passion for working on and off the stage for ‘Iolani Dramatic Players. Raine joined TEDx due to their love for public speaking and desire to make an impact in people’s perspectives regarding various underrepresented topics.  

Hannah Kwak in Seongnam, South Korea, yet spent all of her childhood on the island of Oahu while attending Punahou School. Hannah has traveled to several countries around the world and hopes to continue seeing and experiencing foreign lands. She enjoys playing viola in the ‘Iolani Orchestra program, as well as in the Hawaii Youth Symphony program. The TEDxYouth@IolaniSchool event is an incredible opportunity for Hannah to express her observations and opinions to a larger audience and learn from the performances of her fellow speakers. 

Yana Lahoda born and raised in Enerhodar, Ukraine, she honed her love for breakdance and hip-hop through teaching dance after her journey on the TV show So You Think You Can Dance. However, arriving at ‘Iolani community was her turning point: she never expected to fall head over heels with Film Production, specifically directing and cinematography. Yana's passion was ignited working alongside her talented cast and crew, solidifying her love of visual and performing arts which she combined with cultural background from Ukraine to create impactful films. Yana's TEDx speech aims to humbly inspire others to pursue their multiple passions, no matter how many they may have. 

Ania Lavrenchuk grew up and spent her whole life in Ukraine. Before coming to Hawai’i, she led a non-profit organization, where, along with her team, she organized clean-up days and lectures about sustainability to raise awareness about the climate crisis all over Ukraine. After the Russian full-scale invasion in Ukraine, she started researching the effects of wars on the environment. Currently, Ania continues to follow her interests in art, graphic design, environmental and animal rights activism. She joined TEDx to uncover present issues through her perspective. 

 Raised on stories, Tamzen Lim, learned from a young age that only with an adventure to tell did she have a voice at her dinner table. She realized that this meant saying “yes” to every opportunity that came her way. As a result, she has gotten to see the world, meet new people, and gain valuable skills. She has been a part of at least eight different sports teams, the theater department, numerous clubs, and has spent her junior year abroad. Up for anything, she joined TEDx program because of her love of stories and desire to enable others to live life to the fullest. 

Kea Nakayama was born and raised in Honolulu. She is active in her school’s community and holds leadership roles in various clubs and committees while also playing on the golf team and performing violin in the orchestra. From a young age, Kea was passionate about expressing herself through writing. She joined the TEDx community to share her experiences,

solutions, and subsequent opinions on topics that have impacted her life in hopes to inspire those going through similar issues.

Sei Smith has been a resident of the big island of Hawaii all of his life, being embraced by one of the most culturally diverse and accepting places in the world. He takes a great interest in learning concepts especially those related to the economic conditions that envelop so many of our lives. Both of his parents moved from diverse backgrounds to be enamored with Hawaii's amazing qualities. Seeking out new opportunities he moved to O’ahu, an island in Hawaii, in order to broaden his horizons and to be exposed to the problem that plagues so many, especially in city landscapes. 

Chisato has lived in Minnesota and Tokyo temporarily, but for the most part she was born and raised here in Honolulu. Her parents are both from Tokyo, so Japanese is her second language and Tokyo a second home. Chisato is a member of Model UN, the Economics Club, ‘Imua Newsroom, the student Community & Civic Engagement Committee, and most important, the Karaoke Club. Her passion for community engagement and economics, combined with her experience in climate advocacy under the Citizens’ Climate Lobby is what inspired her to participate in TEDx. Through TEDx, Chisato hopes to spread awareness around important topics and inspire others to engage in their community and their democracy.