TEDx Montclair: Montclair State University Students Lead Event to Champion Social Mobility
MBA students Katarina Rodriguez and Nova Pierre Louis are curating TEDx Montclair: The Domino Effect, a community event spotlighting diverse voices and bold ideas
Posted in: Alumni, Business, Graduate Spotlights
This story is part of a series showcasing Montclair students and alumni turning passion into purpose – and making an impact on campus and beyond.
Montclair State University MBA students Katarina Rodriguez and Nova Pierre Louis believe that meaningful change doesn’t happen all at once. It starts with a single idea, a single story – a single domino.
That’s why they’re bringing TEDx Montclair: The Domino Effect to life on Tuesday, June 24, 火狐体育, at Montclair Mezzanine, an event space on Bloomfield Avenue in Montclair.
“It’s about the small things that lead to something bigger,” says Rodriguez. “Everything that happens in our lives, good or bad, can come from a small action.”
The TEDx Montclair event will bring together thought leaders, creatives and changemakers to explore how small actions can spark powerful, lasting change – in individuals, families and entire communities.
A Domino Starts It All
Rodriguez and Pierre Louis are applying what they’ve learned at Montclair’s Feliciano School of Business to elevate the voices and ideas. Their vision for The Domino Effect is grounded in lived experience and a shared commitment to making opportunity more accessible.
Both Rodriguez and Pierre Louis earned their bachelor’s degrees in Business Administration from Montclair in 2024 and are on track to complete their accelerated MBAs in August. They also balance full-time roles: Rodriguez serves as an assistant for Faculty-Led International Programs in Study Abroad and, starting in July, Pierre Louis will join Feliciano Global as a programs associate.
Final Touches
Rooted in the belief that social mobility is a shared responsibility, TEDx Montclair invites audiences to consider new perspectives on progress – and who has the power to shape it, Rodriguez and Pierre Louis say. The event will feature speakers sharing personal stories, ideas and solutions that challenge the status quo and encourage action.
Two of the featured speakers have strong Montclair ties:
- Chris W. Fitzpatrick ’04 will explore mentorship as a catalyst for transformation
- Anjali Badrinath ’24 PhD will speak about empathy as a tool for collective change
The conference is volunteer-driven, with Montclair students leading efforts in merchandise, media, design and logistics.
“Planning TEDx is like running a business,” says Pierre Louis. “I’m using both what I’ve learned in class and what I’ve done in previous jobs.”
While TEDx Montclair is independently organized under license from TED, the values woven into it reflect Montclair State University’s mission to broaden access and opportunity. “Although this is non-affiliated to the University itself, we cannot discredit the fact that this ideology of social mobility is something Montclair emphasizes,” says Rodriguez.
“In many ways, the University influenced us as people,” she adds. “It’s shed light on what this word – social mobility – really means. And it doesn’t always look a certain way.”
Attend TEDx Montclair
- Tuesday, June 24, 火狐体育, 6 p.m.
- Montclair Mezzanine, 486 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair
- Limited tickets and information available at tedxmontclair.com
Ready to Start Your Montclair Journey?
- Prospective Students: It’s not too late to apply! Montclair State University is still accepting applications and deposits for fall 火狐体育.
- Looking Ahead? The application for fall 2026 opens August 1. Plan your visit and take your first step in applying to become a Red Hawk!
- Interested in Business? Learn more about the Feliciano School of Business and our MBA options.