You may be thinking you’re not gifted storyteller. Here’s a bonus secret. No one is. Storytelling is not a gift you’re given it’s a skill you pursue. Every great storyteller works hard at it. “I’m a crumpled up piece of paper lying here.” For a writer like Taylor Swift, a crumpled up piece of paper is an idea that seemed good to start with, but just didn’t work out. That line was written by someone who crumpled up plenty of pieces of paper to get where she is. All great storytellers do. Rolling Stone named Joe one of 100 "people who are reinventing America" in 2009. He's an MIT physics PhD, a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania, and a leading expert on climate solutions, communication, and storytelling.Time magazine called him "The Web's most influential climate-change blogger" and named him "Hero of the Environment″ for his work at the Climate Progress blog he founded in 2006. Over 12 years, Joe published over 2000 posts and wrote thousands of headlines. The real-time feedback he received on headline click-through rate, time on page, likes, shares, and tweets helped him test the best storytelling strategies to see which ones went viral. CNN host Van Jones has called Joe "the communicator's communicator." He is the author of 11 books, including "How to Go Viral and Reach Millions" and "Language Intelligence: Lessons on Persuasion from Jesus, Shakespeare, Lincoln, and Lady Gaga.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

Steve shares how he became alcohol free and how others may explore this option through Dry January or a workplace challenge. Steve shares how he became alcohol free and how others may explore this option through Dry January or a workplace challenge. As an industry expert, he is a national speaker on retirement issues.Steve’s other passion is working with nonprofits, helping them to deliver on their mission and to fundraise. He serves on multiple boards and holds various leadership positions in the greater Akron, Ohio area. In addition, he is an advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion and serves local and national organizations.He is the creator and host of the 2024 CAPTRUST Alcohol Free Challenge. Due to the success of this challenge Steve is assisting other companies in running this program in 2025. Steve and his wife Holly live in West Akron and have two children who are currently in college, Charlotte, and Charlie.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#dryjanuary

Much time and effort goes into animal rescue each year, but Kimo Pokini asserts that the future of animal welfare depends on pet retention. He shares an approach that recognizes the wellbeing of pets and their people is deeply connected, making caring for both the key to relieving pressure on shelters and rescues as well as building a more compassionate, resilient society.Kimo Pokini is a co-founder of Ruff Haven Crisis Sheltering, a nonprofit that aims to keep pets and people together in times of crisis. His journey is depicted in the award-winning film “Kimo and Jazz”, and he has appeared on podcasts with NPR and Dog Save the People. Kimo is currently a member of AARP-Utah’s Executive Council. Alongside his husband Stanley, they provide full-time caregiving for their elderly parents and their rescue dog, Kubo.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

NOTE FROM TED: We've flagged this talk because it falls outside the content guidelines TED gives TEDx organizers. TEDx events are independently organized by volunteers. The guidelines we give TEDx organizers are described in more detail here: http://storage.ted.com/tedx/manuals/tedx_content_guidelines.pdfIn a passionate talk, Michelle Lissoos champions accelerating UN Sustainable Development Goal 4 through innovation and technology. Her focus: revolutionising education delivery, especially in marginalised communities. Lissoos argues that expanding access isn't enough—we must transform how we educate. Through iSchoolAfrica, her brainchild, Lissoos tackles educational challenges with tech solutions like personalised learning and AI. She calls on all stakeholders to embrace this paradigm shift, envisioning a world where every child accesses high-quality education. Lissoos emphasises that this isn't just about better schooling—it's fundamental to creating a more equitable world. Her message: transforming education is key to unlocking Africa's potential. Michelle Lissoos, a 20-year veteran in educational technology integration, champions tech empowerment for all. She leads iSchoolAfrica, supporting 100,000+ vulnerable learners, including those with disabilities, to thrive in the digital world. Her expertise spans roles as Director of iStore Education, Director of Learnthings, and lead participant on the Nepad e-commission 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

Sweta Samota is an award-winning book coach, bestselling author, and motivational speaker renowned for transforming the publishing journey of aspiring authors. She was honored with the Global Fame Award 2022 as the “Best Book Coach, Author, and Speaker” for her innovative approach to helping writers publish books without financial investment. A former software engineer, she transitioned from a successful 12-year corporate career to pursue her passion for storytelling and mentoring. Sweta has authored 17 books, including Change-makers, whose foreword was written by Bollywood actor Taapsee Pannu and launched by luminaries like Javed Akhtar and Nandita Das. Through her “90-day author launchpad” workshops, Sweta has empowered hundreds of writers to craft and self-publish impactful stories. Her work challenges traditional publishing norms, making writing accessible to everyone.Date: 14th December 2024 Venue: Podar International SchoolOrganised by Aahaan Shekhar, Nami Sanghani, Sargam Bijoor & Assad Khatri Sweta Samota is an award-winning book coach, bestselling author, and motivational speaker renowned for transforming the publishing journey of aspiring authors. She was honored with the Global Fame Award 2022 as the “Best Book Coach, Author, and Speaker” for her innovative approach to helping writers publish books without financial investment. A former software engineer, she transitioned from a successful 12-year corporate career to pursue her passion for storytelling and mentoring.Sweta has authored 11 books, including Changemakers, whose foreword was written by Bollywood actor Taapsee Pannu and launched by luminaries like Javed Akhtar and Nandita Das. Through her “Most Trusted Author” workshops, Sweta has empowered hundreds of writers to craft and self-publish impactful stories.A dynamic speaker and entrepreneur, Sweta’s mission is to democratize the publishing process, inspire creativity, and leave a lasting impact on the literary world. 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 pets treat us like their parents, shouldn't we treat them like our children. Jamie Martin BSc (Hons), PGCert is an award-winning sales professional, Modern Sales Expert & Trainer, cocreator of a B2B sales e-Learning course, as well as an author, podcaster. Jamie is passionate about sales strategy, LinkedIn, social media, and sales training to help businesses improve their revenue and processes. Focusing on selling to different personalities! Jamie helps streamline business sales strategy - enhancing a strategic approach to selling, resources, developing employees' sales skills, ICT/materials utilised during the sales process, etc. Jamie delivers modern LinkedIn training, sales training (full sales cycle) including social media marketing/prospecting, lead generation, new business conversion, client relationship management, negotiation, as well as my own pioneering programme - Sales Psychology. 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