TEDxLittle Armenia Debuts at USC

On January 23, 2026, before a packed audience at USC Bing Theatre, the USC Dornsife Institute of Armenian Studies debuted TEDxLittle Armenia, a transformative program that highlighted diverse voices and cultural intersections.

Born of a collaboration between the Institute and TEDxYerevan, the event featured talks from seven extraordinary speakers of different professional backgrounds, all united by their Armenian heritage.

Centered on the theme of Hybrid Identities, the program was experimental both in content and form, blending traditional speeches with multimedia elements, music, and dance.

In her introductory remarks, Institute Director Dr. Shushan Karapetian situated the evening within the larger landscape of contemporary Armenian Studies.

“TEDxLittleArmenia is the opportunity to tell our story: a space to explore how multiple identities can coexist within one person, and how those layers, when embraced, become a source of creativity, resilience, and innovation,” Karapetian said. “It is a celebration of a dynamic community whose strength comes not from uniformity or homogeneity, but from diversity and heterogeneity.”

Ani Adjemian, Lecturer in Law at USC Gould School of Law, kicked off the program with a talk about the power of greetings. She explained how a simple hello––in Armenian, barev––can create a sense of inclusion for those seeking belonging.

Following Adjemian’s heartwarming message, Ashot Arzumanyan, Partner at SmartGate VC, offered practical tools for identifying and seizing one’s potential.

Drawing from his experience in building and advising startups, he presented a three-part matrix that invited viewers to identify their superpower and position it ahead of a wave. Arzumanyan showed how this formula of “superpower, position, wave,” could be applied to myriad personal and professional scenarios.

In a thought-provoking talk that considered humans’ relationship to the natural world, Aroussiak Gabrielian, Institute Leadership Council Member and Director of the Landscape Futures Lab at USC, challenged the audience to consider the future of design.

To maintain the potency and impact of the talks, the program offered brief interludes from words. In an evocative contemporary dance performance, Ludvig Ispiryan and Natalie Palmgren embodied the evening’s theme through movement.

Leaning into hybridity from all angles, Karen Khachikyan, Founder of Robin the Robot, brought the emotionally intelligent invention onstage as part of a speech about the importance of practicing kindness. He explained how kindness is not an innate quality, but a skill that must be learned and applied.

Marie Lou Papazian, founding CEO of the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies, described the new identities that emerge among youth when the right conditions of creativity and freedom are fostered.

Armen Derkevorkian, Co-Founder and President of Signal7, reflected on his life as a polymath, and the pressures to choose between his identity as an engineer and classically trained violinist. His contribution showed that one need not decide between seemingly disparate passions––a unique power can be unlocked from embracing multiple disciplines.

Following his speech, Derkevorkian captivated the room with a breathtaking performance of Kreisler’s Liebeslind (Love’s Sorrow).

Producer and Founder of Proximity Media Sev Ohanian––nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture with Sinners––closed the show with an inspirational tale about chasing one’s dream. While seeking to break into Hollywood, Ohanian initially viewed his heritage as an Achilles’ heel, due to the lack of Armenian representation in the industry. Years later, he realized how wrong his initial assessment was.

“If your community is outside the mainstream, it isn’t a weakness at all. It’s actually a massive strength,” he said. “Because you start building with people who already know you, trust you, and want you to win. And if you do succeed, it’s not just about you. Your community succeeds with you.”

The program mirrored the breadth of its audience, attracting a large cross-section of guests from across Los Angeles, including local elected officials. Los Angeles City Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez, who represents Little Armenia, presented a certificate of recognition honoring TEDxLittle Armenia. He said the event’s theme encapsulated “the diverse intersections of culture and experience that are emblematic of our district and city.”

Through an immersive, genre-bending program, TEDxLittle Armenia demonstrated the Institute’s position as a leader in educational events that invite viewers to experience Armenian stories in new and profound ways.