The Future of Fashion – Made from Mushrooms | EB TEDxYouth Panel
David Breslauer (’97), CTO and Co-Founder, Bolt Threads
David leads innovation and R&D at Bolt, creating, incubating, and optimizing biomaterials for improved consumer products. His obsession with biomaterials began with graduate research on silk during his Bioengineering Ph.D. at UC Berkeley and UCSF. David has an orange belt in Krav Maga and is a great admirer of stencil graffiti.
Dan Widmaier (EB Parent), CEO and Founder, Bolt Threads
Dan Widmaier is the Founder and CEO of Bolt Threads. Dan earned his PhD in Chemistry and Chemical Biology from UC San Francisco, where his graduate research involved designing genetic circuits to control microbial organelles. In 2009, he and his two co-founders founded Bolt Threads, which is creating the next generation of materials using biotechnology. Harnessing his experience in both science, and business development, Dan has grown Bolt Threads from an incubator start-up to a biomaterials platform company with 75 employees. He has led BoltThreads through multiple fundraising rounds, created lasting partnerships with iconic global brands like Stella McCartney, and launched commercially available materials including MyloTM – a mycelium-based leather alternative – with a select group of partners including adidas, Kering ,lululemon, and Stella McCartney.
Student Speakers
My Anxiety (And Maybe, Yours): An Animation | Josephine Chacon
Josephine Chacon, an eighth grader, is a talented visual artist.
Wakanda, Our Utopia | Emmanuel Ezeba
Emmanuel Ezeba, International Track eighth grader, invites us to explore the influence of Wakanda and help us imagine what it would be like if it were a real place.
The World is My Stage | Monique Hightower-Gaskin
Monique Hightower-Gaskin, eighth grader, talks about what it means to be a young thespian, “On the stage is where I feel most at home,” she says. Black entertainers on America stages did not always feel welcome. Many Black American artists left the U.S, and went specifically to Paris, France in response to the racism and discrimination they were facing in America. Through their stories we can see how discrimination affected Black artists and how finding a place where you belong can help you feel more at home.
The Importance of Compassion for Immigrants | Max LaGatta
Max LaGatta, eighth grader, delves into the complicated and nebulous world of immigration, and how it affects specifically immigrants coming to the United States. He speaks about being curious and compassionate towards immigrants and their stories.
The Implications of Surrendering our Pets | Noémie Lassalle & Charlotte Dison
A lot of us love animals, and many of us adopt them for companionship and comfort, and unfortunately, some of us end up giving them away. Grade seven students, Charlotte Dison and Noemie Lassalle, seventh graders, will talk about the importance of loving your pets, properly taking care of them, and in the extreme cases of giving up your pet, how to do it in the best possible way.
Bi-culturalism for Belonging in the World | Valentin Robert & Joseph Ross
What is bi-culturalism, and why is this competency important in the world now? Valentin and Joseph, who were both raised French American, explore the many advantages to growing up in bi-cultural and bilingual families and schools.
Small Kitchen Gardens as a Solution for the Future | Luca Waugh
Luca Waugh, seventh grader, explores the potential of small scale farming and its place in the world of the future.
Being the Younger Sister | Sophia Garcia-Becerra
Sophia Garcia-Becerra, seventh grade student, invites us to explore how it feels to be in the shadow of an older sibling, and what we can do to find a sense of self.
Adult Speakers
Belonging with my Conservation Detection Dog | Collette Yee
From forest to sea, Collette will take you out of the city and into the wilderness to share about the powerful partnership between her and Jack, the detection dog that changed the way she saw the world. A Detection Dog Methodologist with expertise in wildlife conservation and the growing application of detection dogs for multidisciplinary problem solving. A Bay Area native, and Cal Berkeley graduate, Collette left the bustling city in pursuit of a quieter life working in conservation. From forest to sea, Collette will take you out of the city and into the wilderness to share about the powerful partnership between her and Jack, the detection dog that changed the way she saw the world.
Why We Shouldn’t Need Heroes | Maya Guzdar
Maya Guzdar is a scholar of global affairs. She studied international relations at Stanford University and is fascinated by the intersection of U.S. politics and foreign policy—particularly in relation to issues of social justice and democratic resilience. She interned at the Department of Defense and has published pieces advocating for policy reform and increased diversity within the national security space. She is currently living in Beijing working on her masters in U.S.-China relations as a part of the Schwarzman Scholarship.
TEDx Youth at EB 