In this insightful talk, Michael Ruiz explores the traditional path to leadership and the powerful influence of both role models and ineffective leaders. He challenges the notion of simply following in others' footsteps, instead advocating for a leadership style rooted in personal beliefs and values.Drawing inspiration from Miles Davis’ quote, "Sometimes you have to play a long time to be able to play like yourself," Michael emphasizes the importance of developing an authentic leadership voice. He shares practical exercises to accelerate this process, helping leaders refine their approach while staying true to their core principles.Michael J Ruiz currently serves Houston ISD as the Senior Executive Director for Leadership and Strategic Initiatives (LSI). LSI is responsible for developing the capacity of every instructional leader in Houston ISD. In addition to this, LSI also oversees, strategic staffing initiatives as well as pipeline programs for future teachers, campus administrators and executive leaders. Michael brings 6 years of experience in technology sales and marketing and 15 years of in education to this role. During his 9 years as a dual-language teacher in Dallas ISD he was honored to be named the 2015 Dallas ISD Teacher of the Year. After serving as assistant principal and Woodrow Wilson High School and head of school for Geneva Heights IB World School, Michael was named Executive Director of STEM for Dallas ISD. He served in this role until June of 2023 where he left Dallas to move to Houston for his new role. 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 do a surgeon, a hotel manager, a yoga teacher, and a data scientist have in common? For many women, the answer is a career break—and the daunting challenge of returning to meaningful work. In this thought-provoking talk, Neha sheds light on the hidden barriers women face when trying to re-enter the workforce after caregiving breaks, revealing how these obstacles contribute to the alarming drop in female representation at middle management and leadership levels.Challenging the myths around ambition and career gaps, this talk explores how traditional hiring practices overlook highly skilled women simply because they have taken time off. But what if we applied business intelligence—specifically marketing strategies—to solve this problem? Drawing from personal experience and innovative recruitment approaches, Neha shares how simple shifts, like rethinking search keywords and introducing “Returnship Sprints,” can revolutionize how companies attract and retain female talent.This talk is a call to action for future leaders to rethink talent acquisition, prioritize inclusivity, and use creative business strategies to close the gender gap. Because achieving the elusive 50% isn’t just a diversity metric—it’s the key to building stronger, more innovative workplaces for all. Neha is an author and a global learning professional. She has lived in 8 countries and has helped hundreds of women restart their careers. She also enjoys playing improv and saying “yes” to the curve balls life throws at her. 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