Thomas Niederpruem lives by the motto: “There is value in everyone.” Many undervalue and underestimate individuals with disabilities, but Thomas shares the stories of his friends who helped him grow and find joy and purpose. Thomas is a local New Albany resident, involved in a few organizations geared towards working with those with disabilities, including Buddy Up for Life, Miracle League, and Special Olympics. He graduated from New Albany High School in 2020, and was able to surpass 500 service hours, a number that has since tripled. You can find Thomas volunteering in the area, enjoying time with family and friends, and doing it all with a smile on his face. 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

Christopher Wilson believes the future we create depends on how we care for our most powerful organ—the brain. 1 in 9 adults experience cognitive decline by age 45 and 60% of Americans live sedentary lives, but Chris has seen firsthand how movement can reverse these trends and protect brain health long-term. In his talk, he shares how movement isn't just about staying fit-- it's essential for brain health, longevity, and overall well-being. Chris Wilson, a Certified Brain Health Trainer, is a renowned health and fitness expert with 25 years of experience specializing in helping adults over 40 achieve optimal health. He has collaborated with industry leaders, including Charles Poliquin and 4x Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler, and currently oversees the Strong By Design Podcast and the Critical Bench YouTube channel, which reaches over 1 million subscribers and 5,000 videos. Chris combines his expertise in movement and cognitive health to inspire and empower individuals to lead healthier, more fulfilling lives. 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

Drawing from a journey across continents and careers, the talk reveals how embracing non-duality helps transcend ‘right’ and ‘wrong.’ By reframing failures as opportunities and seeing beauty in unexpected outcomes, this talk offers fresh insights into navigating life’s toughest moments. Hiu Pun Chong is a visionary trainer specializing in leadership, teamwork, and soft skills, as well as a training consultant, personality type expert, learning and development specialist, and analytical psychologist. His life journey spans diverse careers in IT consulting, art administration, and social entrepreneurship. Drawing from his own experiences of navigating life’s wrong turns, he empowers individuals to embrace growth through adversity in his impactful workshops and talks. 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

Human decisions have shaped the great deserts of the world. These desertified areas grow in part due to linear thinking and destructive actions without consideration for the nuanced, holistic systems these decisions are imposed on. Using a new way of thinking paired with new technology, we can repair large tracts of land. These holistic solutions lead to compounding benefits. Former deserts are restored by create living soil systems with carbon-sequestering, water-holding properties to support abundant fungi, plant and animal biomass and biodiversity. Establishing high value crop and regenerative grazing systems on the newly fertile land can lead to positive climate impacts and stabilized weather. All while supporting healthy rural communities, generating profits, and feeding the growing human populations globally. Rodger Savory is the pioneer of Biological Carpeting and Founder of Savory Holistics LLC finding solutions to the world's most pressing and unsolved problem of the last 12,000 years. How to halt and reverse global desertification and the resulting climate change associated with it. He has been a soldier, scholar, farmer and rancher on 3 continents and has a passion for wild places, people and 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

What if the fights you dread could become the catalyst for deeper love? In this talk, Ipsita Das flips the script on conflict, arguing that how we fight—not the fight itself—determines the fate of our relationships. When a heated call with her partner left them both hurt (“I hung up for comfort; he felt dismissed”), they chose to revisit the clash with curiosity over blame, transforming anger into empathy. Ipsita’s “Conflict to Connection” framework reveals how to reframe arguments as tools to uncover hidden needs, prioritize listening over winning, and repair ruptures by choosing “we over me.” “Avoidance is the real enemy,” she insists. “Every fight is a chance to say, ‘This matters enough to fight for.’” A must-watch for anyone ready to trade surface harmony for transformative honesty. Ipsita Das, a S.Q.A-NABET Certified Coach, educator, and mentor dedicated to helping individuals unlock their full potential. Through 1:1 coaching and public speaking programs, she empowers people to communicate with confidence, develop leadership skills, and navigate challenges with clarity.For her, transformation isn’t just about knowledge—it’s about building mindsets, fostering growth, and turning aspirations into achievements. Her work has helped countless individuals find their voice, step into leadership, and chase their goals with purpose and determination. 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

Conservation and commercial approaches to forests as a resource seem diametrically opposed. What if we could align the financial incentives to balance both the ecological value living forest provide and access the raw material value? This is the vision of a managed "working forest". This novel approach to conservation grew from the realization that economics shaped the forest landscape. Forests became valued for timber and land development with clearcutting as a standard approach to maximize that value—a reality that led to the unintended consequence of forest loss and depletion. This new approach broadens society's view of the suite of goods and services healthy forest ecosystems provide, including the wood, water, wildlife, and well-balanced climate essential to a livable planet. By bringing together stakeholders to manage privately-held forests more deliberately, we can maintain healthier ecosystems while creating valuable resources and jobs that support the surrounding community. We can start to see the forest for more than the trees. Laurie A. Wayburn is the President and co-founder of Pacific Forest Trust. Her passion is creating, facilitating, and implementing a new vision for valuing, conserving, and managing forests in all their varied, complex splendor—the whole system. This management model can transform our reliance on timber products to pay the bills to one where we value and pay for all their essential gifts to us: water, climate, wildlife and renewal. A graduate of Harvard College, she worked with the United Nations Environment Program, as well as the Ecological Sciences Division of UNESCO (Man and Biosphere Program) in sustainable development for over a decade. 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