Laura Fortes Piasetzki, estudante do 7º ano, percebeu o impacto das ações humanas no meio ambiente e, junto com sua amiga Olivia Klenk, criou o projeto Fortalecemos o que respiramos em setembro do ano passado. A talk apresenta reflexões sobre sustentabilidade e responsabilidade ecológica. Laura Fortes Piasetzki, uma estudante que está no 7 ano, percebeu como as ações dos seres humanos estão afetando muito o meio ambiente e seus ecossistemas, então resolveu criar junto com sua amiga Olívia Klenk o projeto “fortalecemos o que respiramos” em setembro do ano passadoÉ estudante do Colégio Medineira. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

After the Eaton Fire, Sunny Singh returned to rebuild his family’s liquor store—and reimagine what community wealth can look like. His story turns loss into legacy, proving pride and progress can start on any corner. An entrepreneur with over 14 years in the luxury watch and jewelry industry, now focused on reimagining neighborhood retail through George’s Liquor in Altadena and A1 Liquor in Pasadena. Raised in Altadena and a UC San Diego graduate, he’s committed to transforming local businesses to better serve and uplift the community. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

From school shootings to wildfires, Sam James has seen her generation shaped by disaster. In this fiery talk, she shows how Gen Z is turning rage into resilience—and rebuilding community from the ashes up. Sam James is the CEO and co-founder of the Altadena Recovery Team (ART) created after the Eaton Fire to support the financial and mental wellbeing of the community through distribution drives and community events. She was born and raised in the Altadena area where she is a sixth-generation resident after her family originally placed roots in the area in 1890. Outside of ART, Sam has a BA in Political Science from UCLA and is currently pursuing a Master of Public Policy (MPP) at UCLA's Luskin School of Public Affairs as a Luskin Leader in the Field scholarship recipient. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

When the Eaton Fire tore through Altadena’s wildlands, Kristen Ochoa lost more than trails—she lost her sanctuary. Through her work with the Chaney Trail Corridor Project, she documents the land’s astonishing recovery and the wildlife’s return, reminding us that nature doesn’t just endure—it heals. In this poetic and powerful talk, Kristen shows how resilience is written in every seed, every paw print, and every sunrise over a regrowing mountain. Kristen Ochoa is a physician, a UCLA associate professor, and the founder of the Chaney Trail Corridor Project. She leads community- and science-driven efforts to monitor wildlife recovery and protect land in the Altadena foothills, especially after the Eaton Fire. Through trail cameras, ecological partnerships, and public engagement, Kristen and the Chaney Trail team are building data to support local conservation and resilience. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

When Bridget Fonger lost her home, she wrote letters to it—and found healing. Through love, loss, and ink, she reminds us that words have the power to rebuild the heart after everything else has burned. Bridget Fonger is the author of Superhero of Love: Heal Your Broken Heart & Then Go Save the World, co-author (with Altadena longtime resident, Judie O’Neill) of The Lazy Woman’s Guide to Just About Everything, creator of the Superhero of Love Podcast and Love Forward Talks -- all in the name of helping us all remove the barriers we have to loving and being loved. Bridget was days away from her 10-year anniversary of home-owning in Altadena when the fire took her house. So, her heart healing game has had to go up several hundred notches since January 8th! This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

After losing his home to fire, Shawn Maestretti learned that resilience grows from relationship. He shows how working with the land—through soil, water, and love—can help communities not just survive, but bloom again. Shawn Maestretti is a regenerative landscape architect, landscape medium, and educator dedicated to earth-aligned futures. He is the founder of Studio Petrichor, an Altadena design practice rooted in ecological restoration, spiritual ecology, and whole-systems thinking. After losing his home in the 2025 Eaton Fires, the resilience of his nurtured landscape deepened his commitment to design as relationship, not control. Shawn also co-founded Poly/Ana, an educational nonprofit for regenerative systems. Honored with the Design Futurist Award for A Resilient Cottage, he has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, Horticulture Magazine, and NPR, and continues to teach across California and beyond. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx