ASU senior Ammar Tanveer is organizing the first TEDx event to come to ASU's Tempe campus. (Photo: TEDxASU)

When Ammar Tanveer was watching TED talks on New Year's Eve in 2014, an idea struck him: Why not host my own?

After a first attempt fell through, Ammar, now 21, has spent six to eight hours a day for the last five months building another, somehow finding the time between Arizona State University classes, plans for graduation and work at the Biodesign Institute.

The first TEDx event ever on ASU's Tempe campus is coming to the university's tiny Marston Exploration Theater Saturday, April 23.

After more than 8,000 people expressed interest in the Facebook event and 600 people applied for early tickets, the 100 tickets for the half-day conference sold out in five minutes.

The 100-ticket limit is imposed by TED on first-time hosts. But don't fret: Anyone can livestream the event at tedxasu.com/livestream.

ASU's theme is "Outliers: Embracing Your Vision"

TED is a world-renowned nonprofit that hosts short, inspiring talks on nearly any topic. TEDx events are independently organized versions of the original.

"The whole goal was not only to promote the university but to show people the truly inspiring things we have going on," Tanveer said. "The work that’s been done in the university is mind-blowing and I just want people to get involved."

Inspired by ASU's spirit of innovation, TEDxASU brings together leaders who've had groundbreaking research and ideas in their fields.

Plans for a bigger TEDxASU next year

Tanveer is an ASU senior from Glendale and the founder and lead organizer of the event, along with eight other ASU seniors.

In order to have more than 100 attendees, TED requires hosts to host two TEDx events and attend an official TED event.

Ammar plans to host his second small TEDx event this fall while he applies for medical school. He is working with the Biodesign Institute on an event about how to engage kids in science.

Then he will attend an event and should be able to host a large TEDx event in the spring. He's hoping to host 3,500 guests in ASU Gammage for an event about climate change.

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Event speakers include:

Bertram Jacobs , an ASU professor whose potential HIV vaccine may begin clinical trials on humans as early as this year.

, an ASU professor whose potential HIV vaccine may begin clinical trials on humans as early as this year. Dr. John Shufeldt , adjunct law professor and founder of NextCare Urgent Care, which he sold in 2010, and MeMD, a service that connects patients with medical providers through video.

, adjunct law professor and founder of NextCare Urgent Care, which he sold in 2010, and MeMD, a service that connects patients with medical providers through video. Mari Koerner , dean of ASU's Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College.

, dean of ASU's Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College. Athena Aktipis , an assistant professor in psychology and co-director of the Human Generosity Project, which researches sharing, generosity, and cooperation across cultures.

, an assistant professor in psychology and co-director of the Human Generosity Project, which researches sharing, generosity, and cooperation across cultures. Maulik Parikh , a theoretical physicist and associate professor of physics who researches gravitation. His paper on Hawking radiation from black holes has been cited more than a thousand times.

, a theoretical physicist and associate professor of physics who researches gravitation. His paper on Hawking radiation from black holes has been cited more than a thousand times. Jimmy Arwood, an ASU student who founded Students for Affordable Tuition, a non-partisan organization on three ASU campuses, after Gov. Doug Ducey and the Legislature cut $99 million from universities last year.

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