Best TEDx Talks

Cybersecurity leader Suresh Sankaran takes us beneath the surface of our digital lives to ask a profound question: what happens to our data after we die? From passwords and photos to shadow profiles and AI-trained models, our digital footprint continues long after we’re gone. Through real cases and striking examples, he explores the ethical, legal, and emotional challenges of digital legacy, and why we urgently need digital wills, consent frameworks, and awareness to protect our dignity beyond life. Suresh Sankaran Srinivasan is a global cybersecurity leader and the architect behind the Axiata Cyber Fusion Center, a state-of-the-art Center of Excellence for cyber resilience across ASEAN and South Asia. With over 25 years of experience spanning Vodafone, EY, and
now Axiata Group Berhad, he has led cyber strategy and innovation across highly complex, multi-market digital ecosystems.
Suresh is the innovator behind HELIOS, a patent-pending AI-driven platform for cyber threat attribution, and the mind behind “Digital Storm”, a powerful lens on emerging tech risks at the intersection of AI, quantum, 5G, cloud, and IoT. An ASEAN CSO30, Business Value CISO, and ETCIO Transformative CIO awardee, Suresh is also a Programme Leader at the Indian School of Business (ISB), mentoring the next generation of cyber leaders. His work blends innovation with insight, and his mission is simple: redefine trust in a world that no longer plays by the old rules. 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 your job hinges on how well you talk to people, you learn a lot about how to have great conversations – and most of us don’t converse very well. A great conversation requires a balance between talking and listening. This balance is important because bad communication leads to bad relationships, at home, at work, everywhere.

Celeste Headlee has worked in public radio since 1999, as a reporter, host, and correspondent. She was the Midwest Correspondent for NPR before becoming the co-host of the PRI show The Takeaway. She also guest hosted a number of NPR shows including Tell Me More, Talk of the Nation, Weekend All Things Considered, and Weekend Edition.

Celeste holds multiple degrees in music and still performs as a professional opera singer. She's the granddaughter of composer William Grant Still, the Dean of African American Composers. Celeste is an avid hiker, biker, paddler and dog walker.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx

Guy Kawasaki at TEDxBerkeley 2014: "Rethink. Redefine. Recreate." His talk is titled "The Art of Innovation."

Guy Kawasaki is a special advisor to the Motorola business unit of Google. He is also the author of APE, What the Plus!, Enchantment, and nine other books. Previously, he was the chief evangelist of Apple. Kawasaki has a BA from Stanford University and an MBA from UCLA as well as an honorary doctorate from Babson College.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

Hear how Aishwarya Rajesh, an actress known for choosing roles which break stereotypes worked her way to the top through her grit and determination and how she rose above all difficulties and overcame the struggles in her life to come out as a stronger individual. Aishwarya Rajesh is known for choosing roles which break stereotypes. A recipient of the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actress for her role in Kaaka Muttai she was also critically acclaimed for her role in her recent film Kanaa. 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

"We are all ""everyday influencers."" The ripple effects of human interactions go beyond what we will ever know. In this talk, Jeff Civillico reveals a new perspective on how we all influence others and the ripples we create with every encounter. He delves into the power of embracing our origin story and recognizing that we all have a powerful platform no matter our career or social status. Jeff Civillico is a versatile corporate keynote speaker, emcee and entertainer who creates engaging event experiences that are unique and impactful. From a 10-year-old kid doing shows in the kitchen for his “Gram” to becoming a 3-time “Best of Las Vegas” winner, Jeff Civillico has always had a heart to connect with people. He now travels all over the world to deliver his signature combination of business savvy, entertainment and grit. He is also the Founder and Chairman of Win Win Charity, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that brings smiles to children in hospitals nationwide by arranging in-person and virtual visits from professional entertainers, athletes and celebrities. "Jeff Civillico is a Las Vegas Headliner, Professional Emcee, Keynote Speaker and Philanthropist.

Jeff believes in maximizing one’s utility through action, and he lives by example. He consistently creates projects to help others, which as a byproduct gives his life deeper purpose and meaning. His nonprofit Win Win Charity, his Cisko Sound scholarships, and his philanthropic travel show ""Laughter without Borders” are all examples of his impact in action.

Jeff maintains that we all put positive ripples out into the world that expand well beyond our knowledge and awareness... and he’s on a mission to help you see that too! 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

Jonathan Bricker's work has uncovered a scientifically sound approach to behavior change that is twice as effective as most currently practiced methods. His new methods are driving new norms and new apps for how people quit smoking and decrease obesity, saving many people from an early death.

Jonathan Bricker is an internationally recognized scientific leader in a bold approach called acceptance and commitment therapy. A Stanford researcher called his use of the approach “a breakthrough in behavioral research [that] has major public health implications for the major causes of preventable death.” Bricker and his team, having received $10 million in total federal research grants to study this topic, are rigorously testing this intervention on multiple platforms, including smartphone apps, websites, and telephone coaching. His SmartQuit app for quitting smoking was recently launched and is now in distribution worldwide.


This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx

In a world of increasing complexity but decreasing free time, the role of the trusted ‘explainer’ has never been more important. Charles Duhigg is a literal prizewinner in the field and won the Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting for his team’s series of articles in the New York Times explaining the (not always wonderful) impact of Apple and big tech on the global economy. He’s also the author of the massive bestseller, The Power of Habit.

Charles joined us in Manchester to discuss his latest research and book on Supercommunicators which strikes us as the perfect ‘meta’ topic for a TEDx event. We can all appreciate the incredible power of communication. But while we’re all trying to communicate, some of us clearly do it better than others. Why?

According to Charles’ latest work, supercommunicators understand that whenever we speak, we’re actually participating in one of three conversations: practical (What’s this really about?), emotional (How do we feel?), and social (Who are we?). If you don’t know what kind of conversation you’re having, you’re unlikely to connect. “Supercommunicators” know the importance of recognizing—and then matching—each kind of conversation and how to hear the complex emotions, subtle negotiations, and deeply held beliefs that color so much of what we say and how we listen. He says that our experiences, our values, our emotional lives—and how we see ourselves and others—shape every discussion, from who will pick up the kids to how we want to be treated at work. Learn why some people are able to make themselves heard, and to hear others, so clearly. Charles Duhigg is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter and the author of the international bestsellers The Power of Habit and Smarter Faster Better. His works have been translated into over 45 languages. He is a former journalist for the Los Angeles Times and New York Times and currently writes for The New Yorker magazine.

He is a winner of the National Academies of Sciences, National Journalism, and George Polk awards. A graduate of Harvard Business School and Yale College, he lives in California with his wife and two children. 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

Have you ever wondered what you actually want? Then join Ashley Stahl–career coach, author, former counterterrorism and podcast host– as she shares her 3 key steps to help you connect to your life's purpose, discover your ideal career path, and make what she likes to call a "You Turn," the decision to get out of fear and tap into to what you actually want out of life. She hosts inspirational guests each week on her show, "the You Turn Podcast", with the intention of helping her listeners upgrade their mindset both in work and love, and land a new job they love. Ashley Stahl is a counterterrorism professional turned podcaster, forthcoming author, and career coach who helps clients find their purpose, build their confidence, and launch successful service-based businesses. Ashley also hosts inspirational guests each week on her show, the You Turn Podcast, with the intention of helping listeners work on themselves, raise their confidence—all while taking life less seriously.

Ashley’s been named a “Top 99 Foreign Policy Leader Under 33” by Diplomatic Courier Magazine and Young Professionals in Foreign Policy. She’s a columnist for Forbes, and her work has been featured on the Wall Street Journal, CBS, SELF, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune and more.

Ashley earned her Master’s degree in IR from King’s College London, and another Master’s in Spiritual Psychology at the University of Santa Monica. She holds a BA from University of Redlands in government, history and French. She's a fluent French speaker, and intermediate in Arabic. 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

This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. The talk, given by Roman Saini is about his journey till now and the way he cracked some of the world’s toughest examinations. He emphasizes on extremely low acceptance ratio in prestigious Indian examinations. Making a mention of the importance of being risk friendly, he then goes on to explain how each one of us has the capability to achieve greatness but we are afraid to take that one step. He believes that luck is a probability and describes how each one of us has equal chances of succeeding at it. His deduction exhibits competence is more impactful than just having confidence. He is of the opinion that delayed gratification and Roman’s Rituals have helped him a lot in life.Finally, he ends the talk with a song.

“I believe we can achieve anything if we really want it. For me there were no external benchmarks to conquer. I have done everything that I really enjoyed doing. I play guitar as I love music not because I aspire to go to Trinity College in England. Medicals, civil services to now giving back to millions of UPSC candidates – all these have been
internal drives.”-are the words of a prodigy who cracked AIIMS at 16, Indian Administrative Services (IAS) at 22 and even holds a degree for music from Trinity College and is now helping IAS aspirants via Unacademy. Featured in Your Story, he feels everyone has the capability to pursue their dreams; all they need is to understand it well. The driving force for him is his quest to constantly learn and his hunger for knowledge which has made him go on and on and on.

About TEDx, x = independently organized event In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

Minister of State,Ministry of Human Resource Development,Government of India


An elected Member of Parliament, former Minister of State for External Affairs and former Under-Secretary-General to the United Nations, Dr. Shashi Tharoor is the prize-winning author of fourteen books, including the classic The Great Indian Novel (1989), India from Midnight to the Millennium (1997), Nehru: The Invention of India (2003) and most recently Pax Indica: India and the World of the 21st Century (2012).


A widely-published critic, commentator and columnist, Dr. Shashi Tharoor served the United Nations during a 29-year career in refugee work, peace-keeping,communications and public information and earnestly worked in the Secretary-General's office. In 2006, he was India's candidate to succeed Kofi Annan as UN Secretary-General. He has won India's highest honour for Overseas Indians, the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman, and numerous literary awards, including the Commonwealth Writers' Prize.