In this powerful and unflinchingly honest TED Talk, poet and storyteller Rose Kandel unpacks the discomfort women experience in everyday interactions — and why it matters. Drawing from personal stories, cultural insight, and years of advocacy, Rose challenges the notion that harm is only visible when it’s extreme.She makes the case that the unease women feel in certain spaces, especially with men, is not harmless awkwardness — it’s a signal, a symptom of deeper, systemic violence that society refuses to name. This talk goes beyond conversations about privilege, calling for a radical reimagining of how we define safety, boundaries, and consent in both public and private life.A must-watch for anyone seeking to understand gendered power dynamics and the invisible weight women carry every day. Rose Kandel is a poet, storyteller, and public speaker who explores the intersections of culture, gender, and power. With a background in business, economics, and leadership, she brings together data and emotion, policy and personal experience.Rose is a graduate of Kathmandu University School of Management and Bowling Green State University. She spent six years in the States studying, working, and reflecting on the experiences of women, especially those from SouthAsia. That time shaped her voice and perspective, helping her articulate what many women feel but often can’t express.Her work has taken many forms—from national pageants to political discussion boards, from blogging, teaching, and content creation to experiences in management and participation in global conversations on trade and development. Across these spaces, she’s opened up conversations around consent, cultural expectations, and the quiet burdens many women carry. 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

"Garden" is a song about the temporality of life. Its lyrics connect deeply with nature as a reminder to slow down amidst restlessness. Even though tomorrow isn't guaranteed, plant the garden anyway." Freshly planted in the front range, Sara Van Hecke is making a name for herself in Colorado’s musical realm. Enchanted by Chicago’s vibrant music scene as a young singer-songwriter, Sara Van Hecke serenaded crowds in famed concert halls such as The House of Blues, The Bottom Lounge, and The Beat Kitchen. Bustling rooms fell silent carefully listening to her radically honest and personal songwriting. Sara Van Hecke has over 10 years of performing, songwriting and recording experience and draws inspiration from artists like Norah Jones, Brandi Carlile and Maggie Rogers. Sara’s original tunes are grounded yet dreamlike - weaving authentic moments with the curiosities of life. 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

After losing a close childhood friend to suicide, Meena begins with the well-known "Seven Stages of Grief" before exploring an invisible "eighth" stage, living with grief. We miss those we lose because they are special to us. In her talk, Meena explores how it is the ways in which we live in and heal through grief that ultimately makes us a better person. 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

As a Portfolio Manager and sports aficionado, Peter has developed a scientific system of “Six Investment Models” that helps both clients and their advisors remove emotion and focus on rational judgment in the investment decision-making process. Raised in Montreal and Boston and now lives in Vancouver, BC, Peter has a B. Comm from Concordia University and pursued continuing education at the University of Oxford’s Christ Church summer residency programs. During his tenure he earned the Certified Financial Planner, and portfolio management (CIM) credentials. He developed a scientific system of “Six Investment Models” that helps both clients and their advisors remove emotion and focus on rational judgment in the investment decision-making process. Peter’s volunteer commitments are centered on sport, and is serving as a governor of Golf Canada, and is a past Director of Finance at the Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC). In his own sporting life, Peter founded and played on a curling team that won gold at an international curling tournament in Budapest. Peter is a published author of “HEROISMS 8 Pillars to a Life of Passion, Beauty & Creativity” that is part of Oxford’s Bodleian library collection. 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

What if your brokenness is the beginning of something beautiful? In this talk Certified Trauma Therapist Donna Santistevan Kovac will help you rediscover your worth, love yourself deeply, and create the life you’ve always dreamed of. It’s not too late. You are worthy. You are lovable. You are enough. Donna Santistevan Kovac is a certified trauma therapist who believes that every person has the capacity to heal from the things that broke them once. She has 24 years of experience in private practice. She has been blessed and humbled to work in psychiatric units and hospitals. She believes that each of us has the capacity to heal, no matter what. She is a mom to her two amazing children, Tanner and Sky Kovac, who are her heart. 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

Throughout her entire career, Lousie has worked to find solutions to the challenges facing her students. After earning her BA in English and Psychology from Cornell University, and her Master's in Education from Boston University, she began her teaching career with Teach for America in Boston, as a middle school teacher at KIPP Academy Lynn. There she created the school’s Multilingual Learner program which improved student performance. Using her knowledge of learning, she went on to become the Founder and CEO of Storyshares, a literacy organization dedicated to transforming adolescent literacy and providing pathways for everyone to become a proficient reader. Today, she shares her insights on literacy learning. Louise began her career with Teach for America in Boston, as a middle school teacher at KIPP Academy Lynn. She created the school’s Multilingual Learner program, and it was there that she developed a passion for solving the larger challenges her students faced. Louise’s work with Storyshares has been recognized by the Forbes’s 30 Under 30 list, the International Literacy Association's 30 Under 30 list, the Library of Congress’s Best Practices in Literacy, Teach for America’s Social Innovation Award, the Milken Penn Business Plan Competition, the Reimagine Education Awards, Philadelphia’s Social Innovation Prize, and the Stevie Awards for Women in Business. Louise earned her BA in English and Psychology from Cornell University, and her Master's in Education from Boston University. 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