Why do so many college graduates in the arts abandon their career paths? The common belief is that the real world is simply too challenging—that the barriers to artistic and financial success are too high. But is that the whole story? Jazz saxophonist and composer Javier Arau takes us inside his thirty-year journey through the music industry, sharing personal stories of struggle, risk, and perseverance. From navigating setbacks to carving out his own place in an unforgiving field, Arau reflects on the timeless challenges that face any artist striving to succeed. But what does it really take to thrive in a world that doesn’t offer easy answers? Drawing from his experiences as a musician and entrepreneur, Arau explores unexpected insights that can reshape how we approach obstacles, creativity, and success. His talk offers more than inspiration—it offers a new way to think about forging a path forward when the odds seem stacked against you. Javier Arau is an American composer, saxophonist, conductor, theorist, author, and entrepreneur. He is the founder and executive director of New York Jazz Academy®, a popular New York City music school, leads the Javier Arau Jazz Orchestra, and is the author of several works on music theory and improvisation. A 2024 and 2025 quarterfinalist for Grammy® Educator of the Year, Arau has been touted as “pioneering” (DownBeat magazine, May 2022 cover story) and a “jam warrior” (JazzWise magazine, January 2023) and has been featured in The New York Times and as a two-time cover artist for Saxophone Journal magazine. His compositions have received awards from ASCAP, BMI, DownBeat Magazine, and IAJE, and are published by UNC Jazz Press and Dorn Publications. Arau is an artist-endorser of Virtuoso Saxophones and currently resides in New York City with his wife and two daughters. 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

Rasyonelleşmek ve Pet şişeler aslında hayatta biraz böyle derin ve kapsamlı değil midir? Barış Şentuna Lise'den mezun olduktan sonra Boğaziçi Üniversitesi ve ODTÜ’de felsefe alanında lisans ve yüksek lisans yapmıştır. Daha sonra spor bilimine yönelmiş ve profesyonel aikido eğitmenliği yapmaktadır. Beden eğitimi ve spor bölümünü okurken aynı zamanda yarı zamanlı öğretim asistanlığı da yapmış; “spor tarihi ve felsefe kursu” ile “eğitim ideolojileri ve felsefeleri kursu”nu vermiştir. İlgi alanları arasında postmodern teori, Derrida ve Deleuze, Aikido'nun felsefesi ve pratiği, spor fenomenolojisi, spor sosyolojisi, nitel araştırma ve eğitim felsefesi yer almaktadır. Sonrasında Balıkesir Üniversitesi’nde bir yıl boyunca beden eğitimi ve spor bölümünde ders vermiştir. Sosyoloji bölümünde on yıl yardımcı doçentlik yapmış ve sosyal bilimler dersleri için felsefe ve istatistik öğretmiştir. Son olarak 2023 yılında başladığı sosyoloji doçentliği görevine halen devam etmektedir. Barış Şentuna geniş akademik perspektifiyle 12 Nisan 2025’te TedxFatmaEminKutvar’da sizlerle. 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

Sosyal medya hayat başarısı ve bu hayatın tarihle bağını hiç düşündük mü? Şadi Kerim Bağlan, dijital içerik üreticisi ve YouTuber olarak Kayzer adıyla tanınmaktadır. Kütahya Dumlupınar Üniversitesi'ni bitiren Bağlan, üniversite yıllarından itibaren dijital dünyaya olan ilgisini keşfederek içerik üretmeye başlamıştır.Kariyerine 2011 yılında YouTube'a video yüklemeye başlayarak adım atan Kayzer, enerjik ve eğlenceli tarzıyla kısa süre içinde dikkat çekmiştir. İlk yıllarında oyun videoları ve eğlenceli içeriklerle izleyicilerini kendine çeken Kayzer, 2015-2020 yılları arasında kanalındaki içerik yelpazesini genişleterek vloglar ve farklı konularda videolar üretmiştir. 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

Growing up across continents as a diplomat’s son, Andovi Janis grappled with a sense of cultural dissonance thinking in English while knowing in his heart he is fully Indonesian. In this talk, he explores how preserving language and culture is not just about tradition but about identity itself, especially in a hyper-globalized digital era. Through innovative projects like Pentas Swara Indonesia and Polarisasi Musikal, he demonstrates how art can breathe new life into local languages, music, and stories, proving that creative expression is a powerful way for young Indonesians to reclaim and celebrate who they are. Andovi da Lopez is a storyteller at heart, someone who’s always found ways to speak up, spark conversations, and move people through the things he creates. From his early years on YouTube with SkinnyIndonesian24, to projects like PENSI (Pentas Swara Indonesia) that gave space for young voices to be heard, Kak Dov has always believed in using media not just for content, but for purpose.Recently, he brought that same spirit to the stage through Polarisasi Musikal, a bold musical project that turned the nation’s most pressing conversations into a story-driven performance full of meaning, nuance, and heart.His work has shown how creative expression, done with intention, can carry culture, challenge perspectives, and become a form of legacy in itself. 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

This talk explores the invisible link between human resilience and quantum physics, showing how the principles of the double slit experiment mirror the way we construct our identities and aspirations. It invites the audience to question why so many people burn out not merely from busyness, but from the pressure to be constantly observed, validated, and measured by others. Drawing parallels between superposition where particles hold many possibilities until forced to choose and our own potential, the talk reveals how narrowing our self-perception can collapse the vast versions of ourselves into a single, limiting narrative. It challenges us to cultivate focused, consistent effort grounded in sincerity rather than external approval, reminding us that when we change the way we see ourselves, the reality we experience transforms as well. Bryant Andhika Prayoga is a Chemistry student at Diponegoro University who has earned numerous academic and scientific achievements. He won 1st Place in the University-Level Outstanding Student Competition (Undergraduate Category) and secured 3rd Place at the National Outstanding Student Competition held by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of Indonesia. His accomplishments include publishing an international journal indexed in Scopus Q2 and receiving the prestigious Future Research Talent scholarship from The Australian National University, Canberra. Through this opportunity, he has visited over a dozen countries to engage in research and science competitions, supported by a total scholarship and sponsorship worth 27,200 USD. 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

This talk explores how every meal holds an untold story of farmers striving to sustain their livelihoods, communities preserving cultural identity, and technologies reshaping how food is produced and valued. From the remote highlands where simple recipes become life-changing opportunities, to the hidden impacts of what we casually consume, it introduces the idea of Food Revelation: the awakening that what we eat is never just about taste or nutrition but a reflection of our choices and their ripple effects on society and the planet. Dennis Guido is an educational content creator who enjoys creating content related to Food Science and Technology on social media platforms. As a food technologist, he is renowned for his insightful labs to analyze, empower consumers to make informed choices, and enhance our understanding of food where food plays an important role in various aspects of life. With a degree in Food Technology, Dennis combines scientific expertise with engaging stories, garnering 2.6 million TikTok followers and nearly 500k followers on Instagram. His innovative experiments, and his recent expedition to the mountains of Papua to teach food processing by utilizing the potential resources available there, showcase his creativity in food science. His dedication to exploring food production and providing awareness about food disclosure, highlights his commitment to raising awareness about the global food system emphasizing that our world is food-centered. 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