2023 Joint Conference
dhruva mishra
PROFESSIONAL SPEAKER
Born and raised in Bhutan, Dhruva became a refugee at the age of 18 due to political instability and human rights violations in the country. Despite all odds, Dhruva pioneered an educational institution in his refugee camp and changed the lives of thousands of students. He resettled in the US in 2009 as a refugee immigrant.
ALEX CRUZ
STUDENT SPEAKER
A grad student at the School of Education and Human Development, Alex wants to tell the UVA community “Do not stop doing something you love because of who you are.” Come hear his speech on the issues the queer community experiences in the world of sports, with his outlook as a wrestler and fellow queer student.
SANJEEV KUMAR
STUDENT SPEAKER
A fourth year in the McIntire School of Commerce. His speech will provide insight into the planning and execution of the UVA Memorial Benches Initiative. While staring at the many statues of historical white men here at UVA, he recognized the need for higher representation among minority figures. Over the last 2.5 years, Sanjeev has worked tirelessly towards this project.
DOROTHY KELLY
professional speaker
Dorothy is a lecturer in Personal Finance at the McIntire School of Commerce, and will be sharing her knowledge with us at the conference.
Fun fact: Dorothy is a graduate of the Darden School of Business and the parent of a Double Hoo!
Dipisha Kckhatri
student speaker
Dipisha Kckhatri is a second-year student at UVA. As a Bhutanese refugee, she has dedicated her life to speaking about the experiences of herself and her family, being the voice of a generation that didn’t have this opportunity.
TRACY AGYEMANG
STUDENT SPEAKER
Tracy is a fourth year in the McIntire School of Commerce. Her TED Talk will focus on the power of vulnerability and fear, both things society often indicates people should tamp down.
“What are we, as humans, if not an amalgamation of fear, confusion and specious personas of bravery.”
ZACHARY TENTOR
student speaker
Meet Zachary Tentor! He is a third year student here at UVA looking to change how we see, collect, and store information in the digital age.
ALEX ZORYChTA
PROFESSIONAL SPEAKER
Alex helps university entrepreneurs grow their businesses through Amazon Web Services and teaches Intro to Entrepreneurship in the McIntire School of Commerce.
He will be providing the frameworks for success in this the domains of education, job search, and new business creation.
Eleanor thatcher
student speaker
Eleanor is a fourth year in the College of Arts and Sciences whose talk will dive into the systematic oppression and harsh conditions that migrant workers face. Come hear how she became introduced to the work of domestic migrant workers while studying in Jordan!
Vaishnavi punaji
STUDENT SPEAKER
Vaishnavi is a first year student who will be speaking about string theory (no, not that one). Rather, Vaishnavi has come up with her own theory where string acts as a representation of where all we have been, the relationships we form, and how we make our mark.