In a world where ideas, markets, and teams are constantly shifting, what truly separates extraordinary entrepreneurs from the rest? According to Richa Bajpai, it isn’t strategy, timing, or even the perfect founding team. It’s something far harder to define, yet impossible to miss: obsession.At just 21, Richa discovered this force while building her first startup. What others dismissed as unhealthy intensity, working until 3 AM, waking up at 6 with her product still on her mind, became the very engine of her success.In her talk, Richa reframes obsession not as something to fear, but something to harness. She shares a framework to channel this unstoppable energy: anchoring it in purpose beyond oneself, building rituals to sustain the intensity, and embracing its evolution as it takes on new forms across life’s journey.She leaves us with a powerful question: What is the thought you can’t shake, the problem that won’t leave your mind, the idea that keeps you up at night? That persistent voice might not be a distraction, it could be your greatest gift to the world.Richa Bajpai is a serial entrepreneur, co-founder of Goodera, and founder of Campus Fund, supporting young innovators across India. Her journey embodies the courage to let obsession become contribution. Richa Bajpai is redefining community impact in the startup ecosystem by championing grassroots innovation and inclusive opportunities through ventures like Campus Fund—India’s first and only SEBI-registered Category II AIF exclusively backing student-led startups. As its Founder, she has built a platform that uplifts young entrepreneurs, with a focus on solutions that create lasting value for communities. Guided by the belief that transformative change can begin at any age and from any background, Richa empowers students with purposeful funding, mentorship, and a culture of social responsibility. Her leadership is shaping a generation of changemakers whose ideas drive both business success and social good. On the TEDx stage, she shares her vision for a future where youth-led, community-focused innovation is central to building a more equitable 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

Two wheelers are the most used vehicles for teenagers to travel, but this is met with unsafe roads. A security guard would trail her when she would cycle, and once, she met with an accident and was severely injured and that was a turning point in her life. She said sometimes the things you resist the most- like safety- are the things you need the most.” Most people don't wear helmets, or wear one of poor quality. She created a no cost smart helmet. Made an app to promote consistent use of helmets. AI can provide personalized safety tips, and even detect unusual behaviour. “That’s a future worth building together” Advika Kasliwal is a dynamic STEM enthusiast & nationally ranked tennis player with victories in several all-India tournaments. Beyond the court, she is committed to empowering women in sports through nutrition awareness, delivering impactful talks in government schools across Rajasthan and raising funds for the cause. Passionate about innovation, she represented her team at the World Robot Olympiad & was a quarterfinalist in the Technovation Girls Challenge. She developed Recyclink, an app addressing climate change and waste management, and created a smart interactive helmet for children with real-time parental tracking and eco-friendly technology to promote road safety. Her projects also include a drone-based communication system for disaster-hit regions, reflecting her drive to blend technology with social good. An avid public speaker, she qualified for the World Scholar’s Cup final round at Yale University and is an active member of her school’s Science Society. 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

Anna explores how self-imposed labels shape us but also limit us, advocating for counterexamples to embrace individuality and aspirations. Anna Deng is currently a junior at BASIS Independent Silicon Valley. A thinker, learner, and leader, Anna is interested in mathematics, computer science, and anything to make the world a better place. She enjoys problem-solving and dealing with structures, yet she also enjoys searching for ways to break these patterns. Besides being a math enthusiast excited by numbers (in all bases, especially binary since then she can take over the world wide web), Anna is a figure skater and constantly finds ways to give back to her community through volunteering, organizing events, and acting for change. Whether she’s on the ice, on stage, writing code, reading an article, or proving a theorem, she is committed to being and finding counterexamples—breaking the mold, challenging norms, and inspiring others to do the same. 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

Quantas vezes você já se sentiu pressionado a seguir um caminho que "parecia fazer sentido", mas que no fundo não era seu? A atriz e escritora Ana Clara Paim viveu isso na pele. Em uma palestra tocante e cheia de poesia, ela compartilha sua jornada desde as brincadeiras criativas no "beco" da infância até o momento em que quase se perdeu tentando ser uma coach de relacionamentos. Ela revela como a descoberta do essencialismo e do minimalismo foi a chave para uma grande "limpeza" em sua vida, permitindo que ela tirasse toda a "tralha" para finalmente encontrar sua verdadeira essência. Uma história inspiradora sobre a coragem de se autorizar a seguir a própria vocação e a importância de criar não para o sucesso, mas para ser fiel a si mesmo. Ana Clara Paim é atriz, escritora e performer. Criadora do projeto Aurora Sessions, onde une poesia e música, já impactou milhões de pessoas com seus textos e interpretações autênticas. Autora de livros que exploram o universo feminino, constrói sua trajetória artística explorando temas como amor, relações, espiritualidade e autoconhecimento através de cenas, poemas e ensaios, onde é possível identificar sua autenticidade em todos os formatos em que se propõe a compartilhar. 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

Após sua palestra inspiradora sobre autenticidade e a busca pela essência, a atriz e escritora Ana Clara Paim surpreendeu a todos com uma performance artística emocionante. "Se Autorize!" é um poema musicado que serve como o encerramento perfeito para sua mensagem: a de que a permissão mais importante que precisamos para seguir nossos sonhos é a nossa própria. Em uma fusão de poesia, música e interpretação, Ana Clara Paim nos convida a quebrar as barreiras internas e a ocupar os espaços que nosso coração deseja. Uma apresentação que ecoa a coragem necessária para "Ressignificar Caminhos" e ser fiel a si mesmo. Ana Clara Paim é atriz, escritora e performer. Criadora do projeto Aurora Sessions, onde une poesia e música, já impactou milhões de pessoas com seus textos e interpretações autênticas. Autora de livros que exploram o universo feminino, constrói sua trajetória artística explorando temas como amor, relações, espiritualidade e autoconhecimento através de cenas, poemas e ensaios, onde é possível identificar sua autenticidade em todos os formatos em que se propõe a compartilhar. 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

A vida nos apresenta abismos: o medo de mudar, a dor de uma doença, a incerteza de um novo caminho. Nesta palestra profundamente pessoal e inspiradora, a Dra. Ana Cláudia Freitas, CEO do Cais Hub, compartilha como transformou seus próprios abismos em pontes. Ela narra sua jornada desde o diagnóstico de lúpus na juventude, passando por uma reinvenção radical de carreira, até se tornar uma líder premiada no ecossistema de inovação em saúde mental. Ana Cláudia revela como a empatia, a coragem de dar "saltos no escuro" e a determinação de "fazer o seu melhor" foram as ferramentas para construir não apenas sua própria trajetória, mas também para iluminar o caminho de outras mulheres. Uma lição poderosa sobre resiliência, propósito e como o empoderamento feminino é, na verdade, uma rede de pontes que construímos juntas. Fisioterapeuta e bióloga, com Mestre Ciências Biomédicas e Doutora em Biotecnologia, com 10 anos em pesquisa em Neurociências. Fundadora da Healthtech I Health Brasil (1° lugar no Startup Nordeste Piauí 2025), atua também como CEO do Cais Hub e mentora de startups, conectando conhecimento científico, empreendedorismo e impacto social. Sua trajetória mostra que é possível transformar caminhos e gerar inovação sem perder o eixo da ética, da empatia e da responsabilidade social. 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