Crossroads
Twelve voices from the Marianas and beyond took the TEDxTumon stage on October 10, 2026. Meet the speakers who brought their ideas to the crossroads.
Lawrence “Naturel” Atoigue
Artist + Creative Director
A multidisciplinary artist in fine art, fashion and design, Naturel has collaborated with Puma, Mountain Dew and Sesame Street. Back home and reconnecting with his CHamoru roots, he co-founded Heirs To Islands and is Artist in Residence at Dusit Thani Guam.
Talk: Made in the Marianas
Dr. Michael Lujan Bevacqua
Scholar + CHamoru Language Advocate
A scholar and advocate for the CHamoru language, Michael draws on his own journey to make the case for Indigenous language as identity, inheritance and future. His talk asks why learning a native tongue matters more now than ever.
Talk: Why Should You Learn Your Native Language: A Chamoru Journey
Kylon Eckert
Educator + Vexillologist
An educator with a passion for vexillology, the study of flags, Kylon takes a fond but critical look at the symbols that define us. He starts with the one flying over the island and asks what makes a design worth loving.
Talk: The Guam Flag is Bad… But Man I Love It!
Dr. Fabi Cariño
Leadership + Culture
Fabi works at the intersection of leadership and culture. She names the three anxieties shaping modern life, about our planet, our machines and our minds, and offers a clear-eyed way to lead ourselves and our communities through all three.
Talk: The Triple Anxiety: Planet, Machine, Mind
Prashasth Baliga
Cybersecurity Leader
A cybersecurity leader, Prashasth charts the hidden threats moving through our digital world, from data theft to deepfakes. He shows how island communities can spot the pirates of the digital ocean and protect what matters most online.
Talk: Pirates of the Digital Ocean
Amit Sachdev
Entrepreneur + Digital Strategist
Amit founded Stroll, Guam’s first ride-hailing platform, which was acquired in 2024. A former DJ and music producer, he now leads INTL.SOLUTIONS, advising founders and creatives on AI, automation and digital strategy across Asia and North America.
Talk: The Confidence to Begin, the Humility to Change
Asia Hilario
Self-Love Coach + Mental Health Advocate
Asia is a self-love coach and the founder of Sagan Flores, the CNMI’s first holistic mental health nonprofit, which blends Indigenous healing with modern psychology. A 2026 Young Pacific Leader, she explores why we return to the pain we know.
Talk: Why We Keep Choosing Familiar Pain
Stevie Merino
Birthworker + Doula Trainer + Community Organizer
An anthropologist, IBCLC and doula trainer, Stevie built the Birthworkers of Color Collective into a community of hundreds. After Typhoon Mawar, she returned to Guåhan and trained the island’s first doula cohort, reviving village care for families.
Talk: How Doulas Are Bringing Back Village Care
Dr. Alvin Sanga
Mathematics Professor
A mathematics professor with the University of Maryland Global Campus Asia and a TEDxOkinawa speaker, Alvin uses the language of vectors to explain how talent that leaves the island can find its way back to the village.
Talk: The Homecoming Equation: Turning Our Vectors Back to the Village
Eva Aguon Cruz
Artist + Storyteller
An artist and storyteller, Eva shares what it means to carry an ancestral legacy forward. Through personal story, she honors those who came before and reflects on what it takes to live the dreams they held for us.
Talk: Living My Ancestors’ Dream
Farron Taijeron
Conservationist + Science Content Creator
A conservationist and science content creator, Farron asks whether modern science could bring back Guam’s lost native birds. He weighs the promise and the questions behind de-extinction, and what their return would mean for CHamoru culture.
Talk: Should We “Jurassic Park” Guam’s Lost Birds for Cultural Conservation?
Livia Marati
Founder + Wellness Practitioner
The founder of Ina Wellness Collective, Livia guides people toward balance in body and mind. She invites us to reconnect with ancient wisdom, the night sky and the natural rhythms we lost touch with when we stopped looking up.
Talk: The Wisdom We Lost When We Stopped Looking Up
