TEDx Palo Alto presents
Cabinet of Curiosities
Event Overview:
TEDx Palo Alto 2026 invites you into a modern Cabinet of Curiosities, a contemporary reimagining of the 16th-century concept, a collection of objects, ideas, and discoveries to challenge prevailing worldviews and spark wonder.
In that same spirit, this year’s event brings together visionary thinkers and creators who are reshaping how we understand the world today. Through a tightly curated 75-minute program, speakers from medicine, quantum science, fusion, longevity, artificial intelligence, art, mindfulness, and frontier research will present bold ideas that illuminate the unknown and redefine the boundaries of human knowledge.
Each talk is designed not only to inform, but to provoke curiosity: What assumptions are no longer valid? What questions should we now be asking? And how might today’s breakthroughs shape the future we are collectively building?
Following the talks, guests are invited to a reception and networking gathering for meaningful conversation, deeper connection, and direct engagement with speakers, performers, and fellow attendees.
Let the inspiration begin!
Schedule:
March 28, 2026
Doors Open: 2:00 PM
Program Begins: 2:30 PM
Program: 75 minutes of TED Talks, followed by a reception and networking
Computer History Museum, Mountain View (map)
MORE SPEAKERS’ LISTINGS COMING SOON!
Speaker: Adam Woodworth
Adam Woodworth is the CEO of Wing. He served as Wing’s CTO from the time of its graduation from X, Alphabet’s Moonshot Factory, in 2018, and has held a range of engineering leadership roles. He has been a foundational part of Wing’s successes from the early stages of research and development through to the massive growth and commercialization of what has become the world’s leading drone delivery service with commercial services on three continents.
Adam started his career as an aircraft designer at an aerospace R&D company building one-of-a-kind airplanes. Over the last two decades, he has designed dozens of aircraft that have operated across the globe, and established himself as an expert in the drone industry. Adam is also a passionate model aircraft hobbyist in his spare time. He studied Aerospace Engineering at M.I.T.
Speaker: Dmitri Alperovitch
Dmitri Alperovitch is the Co-Founder and Chairman of Silverado Policy Accelerator, national bestselling author of “World on the Brink: How America Can Beat China in the Race for the 21st Century,” founder of the Alperovitch Institute for Cybersecurity Studies at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies and Co-Founder and former CTO of CrowdStrike Inc., one of the world's largest cybersecurity firms.
A renowned thought leader on geopolitics, great power competition and cybersecurity strategy, technology visionary and business executive, Alperovitch has served as special advisor to the Departments of Defense (DoD) and Homeland Security (DHS) Advisory Council, and was the founding board member of the US Government’s Cyber Safety Review Board (CSRB) that conducts reviews of major cyber incidents impacting national security.
He is the host and creator of Silverado's popular "Geopolitics Decanted" podcast, dedicated to expert analysis of the most pressing national security and geopolitical challenges of our time.
Speaker: Blessing “Bled” Chimanga
Blessing “Bled” Chimanga is an internationally acclaimed Zimbabwean musician, singer, and songwriter, celebrated for his electrifying stage presence and remarkable talent as a multi-instrumentalist. A virtuoso on the marimba, drums, and vocals, Blessing seamlessly blends Afro-jazz, traditional Zimbabwean sounds, and contemporary rhythms to create music that resonates globally. His performances are vibrant, interactive, and deeply soulful, captivating audiences with his infectious energy and passion.
Blessing has toured extensively, gracing stages at major festivals across Africa, Europe, Asia, and America, earning recognition as a true cultural ambassador. His ability to connect with audiences transcends language and borders, making him a perfect fit for festivals seeking an artist who can inspire joy, unity, and celebration. A storyteller and crowd-pleaser, Blessing Chimanga is more than a musician—he is an unforgettable experience.
Speaker: Carrie von Muench
Carrie von Muench is COO of Pacific Fusion. She has spent her career working in technical organizations across industrials and climate tech, most recently as an early-stage investor at Innovation Endeavors. Carrie previously worked as an early pipeline strategist at Alphabet’s X, where she helped launch new bets, and as a consultant in BCG’s industrial goods and public sector practices. She holds a B.S. and M.S from Stanford in Environmental Fluid Dynamics.
Speaker: Vassily Eliopoulos
Dr. Vassily Eliopoulos (Dr. Vass) is the Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Longevity Health.
He originally graduated from Trinity College where he earned a bachelors with honors in Neuroscience. He then became a Peace Corps volunteer in the Solomon Islands where he taught secondary school and worked with the World Health Organization on their malaria and filariasis control projects. After the Peace Corps he attended Cornell University Medical College in New York City, and then completed his postgraduate medical training at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center and Denver Health Medical Center in General Surgery and Emergency Medicine. Vass is Board Certified in Emergency Medicine and is a member of the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians.
After spending over a decade in the traditional healthcare system, Dr. Vass realized the legacy healthcare system focused on “sick care” and there was a better way to improve people’s health by working with them proactively to live a healthy life. He decided to work with people to optimize their health, longevity, and a focus on preventative care.
Originally from Westchester, New York, Vass has enjoyed a lifelong passion for grappling. He has a High School State Championship and was captain of both his High School and College wrestling teams. He continues to compete today, recently winning the Masters Championships on the US National and World level in International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation competitions.
When not spending time with family or grappling, he also loves to climb rock and ice and whitewater kayak.
Speaker: Cyriac Roeding
Cyriac Roeding is an American-German serial entrepreneur and investor in Silicon Valley on the intersection of the physical and the digital worlds. Earli is the fourth company he has co-founded. Its early cancer treatment technology turns cancer against itself through AI-designed programmable genetic constructs that only switch on in cancer cells and then force them to produce any DNA-encoded protein of choice. The proteins activate the immune system to attack and kill the cancer. Earli has raised $104m from a16z, Khosla, Perceptive Advisors, Alex Gorsky (former CEO of J&J, and Apple/JPM/IBM Board member), Menlo Ventures, Sands Capital and others. Its Scientific Advisory Board counts some of the world’s leading oncology experts, including Nobel Laureates Jim Allison and Lee Hartwell, Moderna co-founder Bob Langer, Juno co-founder Phil Greenberg, and former principal deputy FDA commissioner Amy Abernethy.
Cyriac’s prior startup Shopkick was acquired for $250M, delivering an 11x investment return for the lead investor Kleiner Perkins.
Through his family office Roeding Ventures, he invested in over 20 startups such as OpenAI, and in some of the world’s leading venture capital funds, including a16z, Founders Fund, Greylock, Bond, IVP, Atomic. He incubated Shopkick in the basement of Kleiner Perkins during the financial crisis. The shopping app rewards consumers just for physically walking into stores without having to buy anything there. Before that, he built CBS Television’s mobile division in Los Angeles, and co-founded 12snap in Europe, one of the world’s first mobile marketing firms, working with Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Sony Playstation and other brands.
Cyriac sold his first computer program in Germany at age 15, attended high school in Texas where he proudly ran the school flag at Friday night football games, and studied Japanese Management in Tokyo. At 25, he co-authored the Harvard Business School management book Secrets of Software Success while at McKinsey, where he devised growth strategies for global software and media firms. He was named a World Economic Forum Tech Pioneer, a Fortune 40 Under 40 Mobilizer, and in 2021, a World Economic Forum Global Innovator. He is also actively creating innovation plans for his original home country Germany.
Today, he has three beloved mini children who push him and his startup-loving wife and entrepreneur Angel to the outermost frontier in multitasking.