We are a group of students who love TED and are passionate about bringing innovative speakers and leaders to Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon. We’re so excited to make this year’s TEDxCMU even better than the last.

James Pan

President

James is a visionary thinker. There are never any limits, and every challenge is an opportunity. He is passionate about pushing his limits, making odd ends meet, and rising to new challenges. Studying biological sciences at Carnegie Mellon, James hopes to become a surgeon one day. Upon graduation, James will spend two years on a research fellowship at the National Human Genome Research Institute before perusing medical school. In his spare time, he is involved in graphic design, his fraternity and public speaking.

Matt Katase

VP of Finance

Matt is a Junior Math major from the Big Island of Hawaii. His main interests lie in personal finance, craft beer, and entrepreneurship. When he gets a break from the academic world Matt loves to read, cook, and power through his Netflix queue. He also enjoys playing water polo in his Tartan plaid CMU speedo. One day Matt will own his own brewery and restaurant— you heard it here first.

Brian Rangell

VP of Logistics

Brian feels a little silly talking about himself in the third person.  Although earning a BFA in Drama tends to be his classwork, extra-curriculars and fraternity all rolled into one, Brian spends his free time keeping up with podcasts, webcomics and alternate reality games (think The Game.  And no, not that “The Game”, the one with Michael Douglas in it.)  After stage managing last year’s TEDxCMU, Brian is ready to pick up the reigns for another celebration of interdisciplinary thought and “Ideas Worth Spreading”.  You can follow his Twitter at @frontrowcenter5.

Bin Yang

VP of Publicity

Bin Yang is a senior business and statistics major with a huge passion for music, movies,  eating, and working out. If he’s not training for his next triathlon (tribiny.tumblr.com) and rocking out with his band, he might just be researching the next best cheap eat spot in the city. Bin believes that passion could shatter all barriers and always pushes hard for the things he’s passionate about. After all, go hard, or go home right?

Jeesoo Sohn

Publicity Team

To summarise Jeesoo, you could probably use three words: music, passion, and energy.  As an undergraduate triple music major, music is her life, but apart from that she enjoys good food, yoga, photography, and meeting interesting people.  Fun fact: she speaks English, Korean, Spanish, and a little French.  You can follow her regularly on twitter: @xoxojeesoo. 

Todd Medema

VP of Recruitment

Todd is an all-around guy, playing Clarinet and composing music, experimenting in art and photography, writing poetry and short stories (even a novel once!) and, most importantly, programming and doing business-y things. He is currently a student at Tepper minoring in CS, and besides management and entrepreneurship Todd is also considering video game design. Essentially, Todd’s a dreamer, and he doesn’t take “that’s silly” or “you can’t do that!” for an answer . 

Eunice Chung

Designer

Eunice is a sophomore studying Communication Design. She’s into delivering information in compelling ways and enriching people’s experiences through design. She enjoys textures of food, she dislikes stuffed dolls, and she wishes that she could play the upright bass. You can find her and her work here.

Mia Wang

Finance Team

Mia is a sophomore Information Systems major from New Jersey. She is probably best described as eclectic – eclectic taste in music, food, movies, etc. Some may call it contradictory, but this eclectiveness is what keeps her entertained and her life interesting. While she still has more than 2 years left at Carnegie Mellon, she hopes to spend her post-CMU years in technology playing with super cool things.?

Heidi Yang

Data Guru

Heidi  is a deviant. As a freshman Business Administration major who seems to be on more Redbull than she really is, her life is actually centered around pursuing everything she’s passionate about, from fractals to dance to Greek life. Twenty-four hours is not enough time in a day. Heidi enjoys candid photography, speaking foreign languages, and being musically elitist. Wherever her impulses and passions may take her, she would like to be good enough at whatever she does to be a speaker at a TEDtalk event.

Meet the team from 2010.