"You 1.0 Isn’t Enough": How to Adapt Like Software in a World Changed by AI | Faizan Syed | TEDxIBA
How do humans keep up when the world is evolving faster than ever? In this talk, entrepreneur Faizan Syed shares a powerful framework for continuous personal evolution—designed for the age of AI, remote work, and accelerated change. Drawing parallels from biological survivors like sharks to modern AI disruption, he introduces three practical tools: daily learning, everyday exploration, and structured reflection. Framed through a powerful metaphor—updating yourself like software—this talk is a toolkit for staying relevant, resilient, and ready for whatever comes next.Faizan Syed is the founder and CEO of East River, a leading digital communications agency based in Pakistan, known for its disruptive creativity and brand storytelling. Over the past decade, Faizan has built a dynamic career at the intersection of business, media, and technology. He has lived and worked across countries, founded multiple ventures, and continues to operate across several time zones.He is also the host of the popular podcast "Behind the Grind," where he has interviewed over 100 guests including founders, artists, athletes, and innovators. Through these conversations, Faizan explores what it truly takes to grow, adapt, and succeed in an ever-changing world.Known for his thought leadership on adaptability, personal reinvention, and digital transformation, Faizan brings a unique global perspective shaped by experience—not theory. Whether he’s behind the mic or behind a brand campaign, his mission is simple: help people and businesses evolve intentionally in a world that won’t slow down. 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
More from TED
- 17:25What mindfulness and meditation can do for men | Dave James | TEDxTamworthAnger is often seen as a negative emotion. Something to suppress, control, or fear. But what if we could get curious about it instead? In this talk, speaker and mindfulness advocate Dave James shares his deeply personal journey of living with, understanding, and ultimately transforming his anger.After a life-changing moment in 2015, Dave began exploring mindfulness not as a ‘soft’ practice, but as a powerful tool for self-awareness and connection. What started as a way to manage his own emotions led to the creating of a community - one that helps men find support, presence, and transformation in an unexpected place.Dave James is a speaker coach, professional speaker, and event host who helps individuals and organisations communicate with authenticity, impact, and confidence. With a background in healthcare as both a A&E nurse and a podiatrist, Dave brings a uniquely practical perspective to his work, blending humanity, warmth, and valuable insights gained from years of frontline experience. His personal experiences with anger led him to explore mindfulness, a practice that was a huge part of his own transformation, and which now informs both his personal life and professional approach.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
- 12:44What If What We Don’t Discuss at Work Could Change Everything? | Matt Markel | TEDxWilmingtonSalonIn his TEDxWilmingtonSalon talk, Dr. Matt Markel reveals a surprising key to building happier employees and more resilient organizations: talking about money. With clarity and insight, he makes the case for integrating financial education into the workplace—not just as a benefit, but as a strategic driver of performance, well-being, and retention. This talk is a win-win blueprint for leaders who want their people and their companies to thrive. Dr. Matt Markel is a visionary technologist, entrepreneur, and author with a track record of leadership across the defense and commercial tech sectors. As CTO of Epirus Inc., he leads cutting-edge innovation to protect global security, and previously served as CEO of Spartan Radar, advancing autonomous vehicle technology. A former VP at Waymo and Ghost Autonomy, Matt helped develop world-class radar systems, including the industry’s most sensitive automotive imaging radar. He is the author of Radar for Fully Autonomous Driving and co-founder of Red Advantage Management. A sought-after speaker, Dr. Markel simplifies complex tech to inspire action and transform the future of mobility and national defense. 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
- 7:12Why we need the currency of imagination | Esther Chungu Nyathando | TEDxLusakaDo you remember being more creative as a young person? Are you still as imaginative as you were back then? Esther takes us on a journey of understanding the power of Imagination. She shares insights on how imagination truly is a valuable currency in the relationship between thought and reality and how best we can retain it. She does not just speak about it in theory but shares moments in her life that have been actualised after believing in what she visualised in her mind. Esther Chungu Nyathando is a gospel singer and media personality who uses her platform to spread messages of faith, hope, and empowerment. Beyond music, Esther advocates for children’s and women’s issues, often engaging in motivational speaking and media work. She has worked as a friend of UNICEF and is a UN Zambia supporter of the SDGs, specifically under SDG 2 (Zero Hunger). Her artistry blends traditional Zambian sounds with contemporary gospel, making her a prominent voice in Zambia’s modern Christian music scene. 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
- 10:59Let’s talk about menstruation leave | Bwalya Chirwa | TEDxLusakaHave you ever heard of menstruation leave? In this talk, behavioural science researcher Bwalya Chirwa unpacks the discourse on menstrual leave, a policy implemented by only a handful of countries. Bwalya shares insights from her research into the varying ways that companies and women in the workplace handle menstruation. Bwalya Chirwa leads participatory research and designs social behaviour change programmes around the world, tackling challenges from gender equity, immunisation uptake to organisational culture. Her work focuses on translating complex insights into practical tools and inclusive systems that work for the people they’re designed to serve. Bwalya brings clarity, care, and a drive to deliver change that lasts. 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
- 11:39Will AI Help Break Gender Barriers—or Build Bigger Ones? | Pendo Manjele | TEDxLusakaPendo Manjele shares her lived experience as a woman in tech, confronting the gap between promises of inclusion and everyday realities.She explores how AI, trained on biased data, built by non-diverse teams, and deployed without accountability, is already shaping critical life decisions in hiring, credit, and healthcare. If left unchecked, it risks reinforcing the very inequalities we aim to dismantle. This TEDx Talk is a call to action: for women to lead, for men to become allies, and for leaders to design inclusive systems. The future won’t be fair by default. It must be fair by design. Pendo Manjele is a co-founder of Ubuntu AI, a grassroots initiative that aims to advance machine learning in Zambia and make AI more accessible to broader communities. She is driven to promote gender diversity and inclusion in the tech industry. Pendo believes in the power of community and is committed to creating spaces where innovation, equity, and opportunity thrive. 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
- 13:32Why do we lie about money? | Norah Chanda Kalaluka | TEDxLusakaWhy do we lie about money—even in love? Norah Chanda Kalaluka uncovers the hidden crisis of financial infidelity in relationships. Drawing from real-life stories and her work as a former banker and financial coach, Norah explores how silence, shame, and fear around money are breaking trust and costing lives. Whether you’re single, married, or on the way to commitment, this TEDx talk is your invitation to start the money conversation that could protect and even transform your relationship. Norah Chanda Kalaluka is a seasoned financial educator, life coach, and Couples Financial Bliss Coach with decades of experience in the banking industry and in marriage. Drawing from her personal and professional journey, she empowers couples to build strong financial foundations rooted in trust, transparency, and behavioural transformation. A certified life coach and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) practitioner, Norah integrates mindset work with practical money management tools to help couples navigate financial infidelity, money personalities, and legacy planning. She is the creator of the Couples Financial Toolkit and a passionate advocate for generational wealth building in families. 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
