Making an impact on the world starts with bold ideas, and at Fordham, those ideas come from a diverse mix of voices, from a reality television star to a philosophy professor with an eye on AI to a biologist uncovering connections between mental health and menopause.
Those are just a few of the thought leaders who will take the stage on March 26 at TEDxFordhamUniversity: For What Matters, where faculty and alumni will explore how breakthrough research, entrepreneurship, and lived experience can help us turn visionary thinking into collective progress.
The immersive in-person experience will take place from 6 – 8 p.m. at the Lincoln Center Campus and will feature seven speakers sharing provocative ideas across disciplines.
Tickets are available on the event webpage.
This will mark the University’s second TEDx event, following TEDxFordhamUniversity: Propelling Humanity Forward, held in April 2025.
Personal Stories Meet World-Changing Ideas
The evening’s speakers will take on some of the most urgent and resonant questions of our time—from how we endure pressure and build purpose, to how we think, heal, and lead.
Notable Fordham alumni will share innovative thinking gleaned from their successes—and their challenges. Natalie Anderson, a 2008 graduate who won Survivor in 2014 and starred in the hit reality competition The Traitors, will reveal her formula for thriving under extreme pressure. Brandon Kim, a 2015 graduate who co-founded the backpack brand Brevitē, will explain how he built a successful business by avoiding “the Trap” of distractions that pull you off course. And 1974 graduate Michael Dowling, a former CEO of Northwell Health who has taken a stand on societal issues that many health care leaders shy away from, will highlight what he believes is the next big health epidemic.
They’ll be joined by several faculty members, including philosophy professor Sam McGrath, PhD, who argues that large language models like Claude and ChatGPT don’t just mimic human thinking—rather, they reveal surprising aspects about how we think in the first place. Marija Kundakovic, PhD, a professor of biology, is also interested in the workings of the mind, specifically the importance of new research into connections between mental health and perimenopause.
AI In the Spotlight
In addition to the TEDx talks, the evening will include two “On the Spot” Q&A sessions. Each session will feature three experts sharing their hot takes on how AI is reshaping fields such as the environment, economics, and education.
The evening will conclude with an exclusive after-party, giving attendees a chance to continue the conversation with speakers and fellow guests.
