Meet the Speakers at TEDxLittle Armenia

On January 23, 2026, TEDxLittle Armenia will debut at USC Bing Theatre, marking a historic event that highlights the diverse experiences and unexpected intersections across the global Armenian diaspora.

TED––which stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design––is a global nonprofit dedicated to spreading ideas that spark conversation, deepen understanding, and drive meaningful change. Some of the world’s most inspiring thinkers have graced the TED stage, establishing it as a preeminent, internationally recognized conference series.

TEDx brings this mission to local communities––the “x” means the event is independently organized to highlight the voices, stories, and ideas within the area.

The launch of TEDxLittle Armenia is the result of a collaboration between the USC Dornsife Institute of Armenian Studies and TEDxYerevan, grounded in a shared belief in the importance of ideas, education, and open dialogue. The event creates a space for exchanging ideas shaped by diverse cultural and personal experiences across communities and borders.

The global Armenian experience has long been defined by hybridity––the ongoing negotiation between various geographies, histories, and cultural identities. The event’s theme, Hybrid Identities, aims to capture the multi-dimensionality of the Armenian story across time and place, as embodied by powerful voices from different perspectives. The event’s name, TEDxLittle Armenia, is a nod to the Los Angeles neighborhood of Little Armenia, a district that has experienced its own transformation over the decades.

Exemplary speakers from various backgrounds and professions, united by their Armenian heritage, will come together at USC to deliver insights at the crossroads of industry and the academy.

Speakers will include Lecturer at USC Gould School of Law Ani Adjemian, Partner at SmartGate VC Ashot Arzumanyan, Co-Founder and President of Signal7 Armen Derkevorkian,Director of the Landscape Futures Lab at USC Aroussiak Gabrielian, Co-Founder and CEO of Robin the Robot Karen Khachikyan, Golden Globe-winning Producer and Founder of Proximity Media Sev Ohanian, and founding CEO of TUMO Center for Creative Technologies Marie Lou Papazian.