Maya Higa gets standing ovation as first-ever Twitch streamer to give a TED Talk

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Maya Higa, a popular Twitch streamer and passionate advocate for animal conservation, recently achieved a remarkable first: she was the first streamer to deliver a TED Talk, and the audience responded with a standing ovation.

On April 14th, Maya spoke at the TED conference in Vancouver, Canada, sharing her goal of inspiring a new generation of conservationists through the power of the internet.

She shared how she went from being a variety streamer to starting Alveus Animal Sanctuary. This sanctuary is a virtual learning center that broadcasts live footage of its animals around the clock and also works to help save endangered species through breeding programs.

She explained that instead of teaching a small classroom of twenty students, she was now able to connect with thousands of people globally. She knew immediately this was what she wanted to do long-term.

Giving a TED Talk was seriously the most amazing thing that’s ever happened to me. It was such a huge honor to be up on stage with so many smart and inspiring people. I’m really excited for everyone to finally see it! Big thanks to the whole @TEDTalks team ❤️

— Maya (@mayahiga) April 19, 2026

Maya Higa’s record-setting TED Talk gets standing ovation

Maya shared that her online broadcasts have generated more than $7.5 million for animal conservation globally since 2019. In 2025 alone, her streams were watched by over 250 million people – that’s like filling 10 million classrooms!

I was so impressed when Maya talked about Alveus! She said it’s one of the easiest zoos to ‘visit’ online – basically, if you have internet, you can see their animals no matter where you are in the world. It’s amazing!

The audience was so moved by her TED Talk that they jumped to their feet in a standing ovation. The speaker, clearly surprised and touched, simply said, “Thank you.”

Maya shared on X that giving her talk was the most meaningful experience of her life. She also expressed how honored she was to be among so many talented and inspiring individuals.

I also chatted about it later on stream, and honestly, being a Twitch streamer really helped me get better at public speaking. It was cool – I even wore a bracelet a viewer gave me at TwitchCon during the talk. It felt like a way to have a piece of my community up on stage with me, which meant a lot.

The streamer also plans to share a video diary of her experience at the event on YouTube soon.

People online, including other broadcasters, cheered Maya’s accomplishment on social media. Her TED Talk is a first for a streamer on Twitch. While other online creators like Lily Singh from YouTube, VSauce, and Rosianna Halse Rojas have given TEDx talks before, Maya’s is a new milestone.

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2026-05-12 22:19