You are on stage, and the spotlight beams on you. The crowd is settled in, waiting for your words of wisdom. You were initially nervous, but take a deep breath and remember your practice at the University of Miami Talks.
Founded and led by Co-Presidents Yara Bhaloo and Yash Kansal, UTALKS is UM’s official TEDx partner, giving students and Miami-Dade County community members a platform for public speaking.
“I felt like there wasn’t a place on campus for students to actually learn how to do that in a non-competitive environment,” Bhaloo said. “ I wanted to create a space where students could learn not only from each other, but from experts that we plan to bring in.”
TEDx — a program created by TED Conferences — collaborates with community leaders to host public speaking events, including those at UM.
TEDx has more than 13,000 curators who have hosted nearly 31,000 talks. And for Bhaloo, UTALKS is another avenue for her public speaking voice to shine.
Bhaloo is a junior on the pre-law track and an avid delegate for the Model United Nations team. She believes that “public speaking is the gateway to how you get your message out there.”
“It’s the very thing that intimidates people the most, but is the most effective way to relay your message,” Bhaloo said.
So far, the University hosted 10 TEDx talks in January for its “IMPACT 2026” event. Beyond those events, Bhaloo envisioned TED Conferences’ collaboration as a permanent fixture on campus.
“Part of their business model is that people cannot be paid, so anyone giving a TED Talk is doing it out of the goodness of their heart.” Bhaloo said.
According to Engage, UTALKS has 30 members, and Bhaloo is not letting her foot off the gas.
“I hope it grows very broadly to not only students who are interested in public speaking, but students who are interested in being better communicators, students who are interested in photography, videography, anything like that,” Bhaloo said.
Bhaloo also offered advice for those interested in public speaking, and for those who want to make their voice heard in general.
“You owe it to yourself to give it a try,” Bhaloo said. “The way that you share your ideas and the way that you are able to really start any tangible change is to communicate it to others,” Bhaloo said.
Currently, UTALKS is slated to host a guest speaker later this month and begin accepting applications for its first student showcase event in October.
“I really hope this can be my legacy at the U,” Bhaloo said.
You can contact and get involved with UTALKS on Engage, Instagram (@UTALKS.MIAMI) and LinkedIn.