Karthik Nagapuri—founder, community builder, and TEDx speaker—shares his journey from a rural village in India to building integrated startup ecosystems across the country. Embracing the identity of “Zero,” he explores how starting with nothing can become a mindset of infinite possibility. Through failures, experiments, and deep curiosity, he reveals how the philosophy of Shunya—nothing yet everything—shaped his mission to connect changemakers and create real-world impact. From battling personal setbacks to pioneering AI-driven communities, Karthik inspires us to unlearn limits, adopt the Zero mindset, and lead with humility, resilience, and bold innovation Karthik Nagapuri, also known as Zero, is a visionary entrepreneur, Al engineer, and founder of EvolveX Spaces, building platforms that unite and empower startup communities across India. ecosystems &From a humble rural village to startup national-scale initiatives like Jagriti Yatra, his journey reflects grit, unlearning, and purpose-driven innovation.A Suzuki Fellow, Kairos Business Fellow, and Emergent Ventures grantee, Karthik has worked with 4 governments, led 5+ organizations, and supported 15+ startups. 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

Paula Quilon Dominguez, in what has become the keynote talk of the event, discusses her background as an immigrant and her life in America - all the while finding pieces of who she will be across two continents. Paula Quilon Dominguez was born in Spain and moved to the United States when she was five. She wants to be a doctor and is currently deciding between Obstetrics and Oncology. She wants to dedicate her life to helping others, and the medical field is the best way she can think of accomplishing that goal. 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

Nelle antiche cartine geografiche dell’Africa c’erano delle zone non rappresentate, in cui venivano raffigurati dei leoni, accompagnati da un monito: «Hic sunt leones», che simboleggiava i pericoli dell’ignoto. Perché ciò che è inesplorato, spaventa. Alessandro ha deciso di oltrepassare il confine per amore di conoscenza: ha guardato, fotografato, testimoniato due Paesi africani e ha condiviso la sua esperienza personale. Un Paese in pace, il Benin, e uno in guerra, la Repubblica Democratica del Congo, nel continente che ospita le più laceranti contraddizioni e che offre la luce della speranza per il futuro. Alessandro De Filippo è docente di Storia del cinema e di Storia del reportage presso l’Accademia di Belle Arti di Catania. I suoi argomenti di ricerca sono concentrati soprattutto sul cinema del reale e sulla relazione tra la paura per il terrorismo islamico, dopo l’11 settembre, e l’immaginario cinematografico e televisivo. Si è dedicato anche agli archivi del cinema d’impresa e della rappresentazione del tema dell’immigrazione con l’ultima monografia, dal titolo Propaganda Lampedusa. Attualmente lavora in progetti di cooperazione internazionale in Repubblica Democratica del Congo e in Benin. 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

Sebastian Delgado discusses how life, culture, and social media makes us strive for validation and connection from our peers and those around us, despite never really needing to in the first place. Sebastian Delgado is a Junior attending NeoCity Academy, pursuing in the BioDesign Pathway. Sebastian is very involved within his school community, participating in various activities and clubs. He wishes to pursue becoming a surgeon, as it has been a lifelong interest of his to do hands-on medicinal work and to help others. One of his passions is being involved in HOSA, a medical competition in which he focuses on doing CPR/First Aid with his teammate. 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

Ashleigh Barritt discusses how important our favorite TV shows and Movies are - the ones we've watched countless times over - and how comfort media assists mental health. Ashleigh Barritt is a junior at Neocity Academy, she is involved in over 7 clubs and is an active member of her community. Ashleigh is taking 5 AP classes and has over a 3.8 unweighted GPA. She has a job at her local dance studio, where she also takes classes and participates in competitive dance. Dance is a huge part of Ashleigh’s life, she has been dancing for over 10 years. But dance and school aren’t the only things important in her life as she loves hanging out with her friends and family whenever she has free time. Ashleigh also enjoys volunteering for her school and community, in fact she has over 300 volunteer hours. Her hours can range from completing teaching dance classes at her studio to giving tours as an ambassador at Neocity. Overall, Ashleigh is a hard worker and decided to the things she loves the most whether that is dance, school, friends or family, she will do whatever it takes to make them great and will never give up. 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

Ayden Monegro discusses the importance of perspective taking in empathy and understanding the people around us. Ayden is an intuitive, determined, and creative student at NeoCity Academy. He has been certified in multiple coding languages such as Python, Java, and HTML/CSS. Working in the AI pathway, he has worked through multiple means and ethics involving Artificial Intelligence, developing chatbots and predictive models that provide outlook on a multitude of fields. He is a hard worker, and he's here to talk about a topic that personifies a double-edged sword, that there are two sides to every story. 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