What if you’re walking the wrong way in life and don’t even know it? In this inspiring talk, Katherine Lo shares how a simple shift — like swimming upstream instead of sideways — can help you find your way back to what really matters. Through stories of family, loss, and healing, she shows how believing, being, and building can lead you home to hope. Katherine founded a mission-driven hospitality company called Eaton Workshop. She is currently directing a feature documentary about the architect Mies van der Rohe. 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

In Redefining Influence Through Encouragement, Tomi "The Encourager" shares a heartfelt journey rooted in her Nigerian heritage, mental health experiences, and the transformative power of everyday leadership. Through stories of figures like Iya Alate and a chance encounter with Ms. Suzie, Tomi illustrates how simple acts of encouragement can create safe spaces, ignite potential, and redefine what it means to lead. She introduces the “CAR” framework—Competing only with yourself, Authenticity, and Relationships—as the foundation for impactful leadership. This inspiring talk reminds us that to encourage is to empower, and that the true influencers of our time are those who lift others up. Tomi Mary Obideyi, MPH, CHES® is the founder and CEO of Tomi The Encourager, a heart-centered business committed to educating, elevating, and empowering individuals to embrace their most authentic selves. With over seven years of experience, she has inspired audiences through dynamic keynote presentations and evidence-based trainings for school districts, organizations, and companies. Her work addresses themes such as compassion fatigue, mental health, suicide prevention, DEI, servant leadership, and community engagement. Tomi’s passion for mental wellness is deeply rooted in her own journey. Through personalized coaching and peer support, she helps individuals navigate life transitions with confidence, whether stepping into leadership, shifting careers, or pursuing entrepreneurship. Her work centers on uplifting BIPOC communities, with a special focus on women of color, and fostering environments where resilience, self-care, and purpose thrive. Known for her warmth, wisdom, and energy, Tomi is driven by a simple but powerful mission: to ignite hope, cultivate courage, and empower people to rise. 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

My talk explores how legal and illegal forms of discrimination continue to shape access to housing and wealth in America. Through historical and current examples, I highlight how policies like redlining and appraisal bias have created lasting inequalities, and emphasize the importance of understanding and addressing these systemic issues to promote fairness and economic opportunity for all. I am a passionate educator, author, and entrepreneur whose life-long goal is to end illegal discrimination in the banking industry. I travel, write, teach, and speak across the country to further these efforts. 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 happens when we invest in who people can become, instead of relying on assumptions about who they are? In this personal and powerful talk, Robert Rush reflects on moments when curiosity changed the course of his life and makes the case that in a time of deep division, re-investing in curiosity - and the spaces that spark it - is the key to bridging differences, restoring our shared humanity, and catalyzing lasting social change. Rob is a First-Gen joint MBA/MA in Education candidate at Stanford from the South Bronx who is dedicated to helping communities build economic resilience in an era of rapid technological change. 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 you could fail 90% of the time and still win? This talk breaks down the same high-risk, high-reward strategy used by venture capitalists to back innovation—and shows how anyone, even the most risk-restricted, can achieve extraordinary outcomes with limited downside. Daniel Kang is a Y Combinator–backed founder and former SoftBank investor, building and writing about asymmetric bets to create outsized outcomes. He’s the author of The Super Upside Factor (Wiley & Sons), which distills strategies to 10x career growth and company innovation—even if you fail 90% of the time. 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

If you've ever doubted self-driving cars, remember: people once thought trains would suffocate you. With humor, history, and heart, Aline explores how past transportation revolutions can guide us through today’s autonomous vehicle era. Propelled by a fascination with how the world moves, Aline built her career in logistics and now charts sustainable supply chain research while pursuing a joint MBA/MS at Stanford. 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