TEDxMiddlebury returned to the Mahaney Arts Center Concert Hall last Saturday, April 5 with a series of thought-provoking talks guided by this year’s theme: “Testing the Waters.” The event featured five speakers whose stories explored personal identity, creative reinvention, language, leadership and resilience. Topics ranged from pastry schools to the halls of Congress, and the speakers invited the audience to consider what it means to take risks and embrace change.
TEDx events are independently organized under the license of the TED organization and follow the format of a TED conference, where speakers deliver speeches related to a central theme. This year’s event was led by a 10-student board who have worked on planning, promoting and then executing the event since the fall.
The event opened with Akshata Nayak, founder of the publishing company Little Patakha, who explored the lack of diversity in children’s literature. She discussed how children are more likely to see animals than ethnically diverse human characters in books, and that boys are usually portrayed as physically capable while girls rely on magic to save the day. Nayak’s company aims to change that narrative.
Next, Caroline Corrente, founder of Haymaker Bun Company, shared her journey of persistence through multiple professional pivots. Having walked away from careers in global development and affordable housing to pursue a passion for pastry, Caroline spoke candidly about the highs and lows of entrepreneurship while caring for a family.
“My husband is still asking [me] the same question: What do I want? The only answer I know is this — I’ll keep fighting until I can’t, and then I’ll pivot,” Corrente said in her talk.
Jenna Tang, a Taiwanese-American translator, reflected on how learning languages shaped her understanding of home, identity and belonging. Initially forced to study languages as a child because of her uncommon dialect, she later found joy and connection through learning German, Spanish and French. She also spoke to how colonial histories intertwine with language and how multilingualism can offer new ways of seeing the world. Her presentation resonated with Middlebury students who are passionate about language learning.
In a deeply personal talk, Brooke Mumbi ’26 recalled her experience with religious expression and identity. Growing up in Kenya, Mumbi struggled with maintaining her sense of self in school at United World Colleges (UWC), where wearing her head wrap was not allowed. She eventually reclaimed her autonomy through self-discovery and exposure to new communities.
The event concluded with Rep. Becca Balint, Vermont’s first woman and openly gay person elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Balint spoke on the concept of moral courage — the kind of bravery that shows up when standing up for what's right is hard, risky or uncomfortable.
“Democracy doesn’t survive on autopilot,” she told the crowd. “It depends on each of us holding it together. That takes courage — and it’s not rewarded nearly enough.”
Balint’s talk was equal parts personal and political. She shared the story of comforting a grieving mother during Covid-19 and reminded the audience that vulnerability and bravery are inseparable.
Shea Brams ’26, a member of the student board organizing the event, commented on the organizing team’s cohesion this year.
“In a year where most of the board were new to TEDx, it was really moving to watch how the board came together, learned quickly, and made something special happen,” Brams said.
Heather Neuwirth Lovejoy ’08, director of the Innovation Hub, which oversees TEDxMiddlebury, echoed Brams’s statement.
“[The student board] supported each other through every challenge — from choosing the theme to recruiting speakers, managing travel logistics, and bringing everything to life,” Neuwirth Lovejoy wrote in an email to The Campus. “We don’t script anything for them. They choose the theme, the speakers, the branding, the messaging — everything. Our job is to support their vision, not direct it.”
After several years of disruption to TedXMiddlebury due to the Covid-19 pandemic — which restricted seating and necessitated virtual formats and alternative venues — this year marked its return to Robinson Hall, where the event could once again be held in front of a large audience with professional-grade production.
“This was a big comeback moment,” Ziying Jian ’27, another student board member, said in an interview with The Campus. “The theme, ‘Testing the Waters,’ really resonated not just with our speakers, but with us as planners too — it captured the vulnerability, the courage and the experimentation behind every story told that day.”
Looking back on TEDxMiddlebury 2025, the theme captured more than a collection of talks — it represented an ethos of trying, risking and transforming. Whether facing questions of identity, redefining home, launching a business or stepping into public office, each speaker asked the audience to consider: What happens when you wade into uncertainty with curiosity, hope and courage?
