You knew you didn’t need it when you bought it. So why did you buy it anyway? For 20 years, brand strategist Pete Sena made millions designing campaigns that sell people things they don’t need. His secret? He wasn’t selling products. He was selling identities. In this talk, he reveals the three psychological triggers marketers use to manufacture desire and turn ordinary purchases into identity transactions. You’ll learn: → Why an $89 water bottle outsells a $10 one that works exactly the same → How “aspiration gaps” make you feel inadequate so brands can sell you the cure → Why you’ll defend your purchases like you’re defending yourself → The difference between being manipulated and choosing your own purchase path This isn’t a guilt trip. It’s a wake up call. Once you see how identity anchoring, tribal signaling, and manufactured desire work, you’ll never look at your own buying decisions the same way. Pete Sena is a creative entrepreneur and founder of Digital Surgeons, a brand experience consultancy he built over nearly two decades. He lives at the intersection of design, technology, and consumer behavior. He’s designed demand for brands like Lego, Google, Unilever, Epic Games, Mastercard, and Lady Gaga. Now he’s pulling back the curtain on how it all works. You knew you didn’t need it when you bought it. So why did you buy it anyway? For 20 years, brand strategist Pete Sena made millions designing campaigns that sell people things they don’t need. His secret? He wasn’t selling products. He was selling identities. In this talk, he reveals the three psychological triggers marketers use to manufacture desire and turn ordinary purchases into identity transactions. You’ll learn: → Why an $89 water bottle outsells a $10 one that works exactly the same → How “aspiration gaps” make you feel inadequate so brands can sell you the cure → Why you’ll defend your purchases like you’re defending yourself → The difference between being manipulated and choosing your own purchase path This isn’t a guilt trip. It’s a wake up call. Once you see how identity anchoring, tribal signaling, and manufactured desire work, you’ll never look at your own buying decisions the same way. 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

What if your most reliable data point is the one you cannot yet explain? One of the most profound lessons of my life came from a gym full of sweaty teenagers running a simple basketball drill, a moment that showed how intuition and gut feel can be trained, and can become superpowers for better decision making. That curiosity carried into my work as a professor at Harvard Business School, where I studied intuition as something shaped by data, patterns, memory, emotions, and lived experience. The deeper test arrived later, when my own gut told me it was time to leave Harvard long before I could rationalize why. In a world full of noise, social pressure, and never-ending expectations, this talk, The Power of Gut Feel in a Noisy World, is a reminder that sometimes the clearest wisdom is the one that quietly surfaces from within. What if your most reliable data point is the one you cannot yet explain? One of the most profound lessons of my life came from a gym full of sweaty teenagers running a simple basketball drill, a moment that showed how intuition and gut feel can be trained, and can become superpowers for better decision making. That curiosity carried into my work as a professor at Harvard Business School, where I studied intuition as something shaped by data, patterns, memory, emotions, and lived experience. The deeper test arrived later, when my own gut told me it was time to leave Harvard long before I could rationalize why. In a world full of noise, social pressure, and never-ending expectations, this talk, The Power of Gut Feel in a Noisy World, is a reminder that sometimes the clearest wisdom is the one that quietly surfaces from within. 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

In “The Clash of the Generations,” Kendall Berg unpacks one of the most overlooked challenges in today’s workplace: four generations working side by side, each with different values, expectations, and communication styles. From Baby Boomers to Gen Z, we’re all interpreting the same workplace through completely different lenses, and too often, those differences show up as tension, misalignment, or unnecessary conflict. But this talk isn’t about blaming any one group. It is about revealing a huge opportunity we’re missing. When we invest in our communication skills (listening, adapting our message, clarifying expectations, and understanding the motivations behind each generation’s behavior) we stop viewing these differences as obstacles and start leveraging them as strengths. We create workplaces where innovation becomes easier, leadership becomes clearer, and collaboration becomes natural. The real “clash” isn’t between generations. It’s between outdated communication habits and the skills required for today’s workplace. And the moment we choose to bridge that gap with empathy, clarity, and curiosity, we unlock a level of teamwork and performance that no single generation could create alone. Kendall Berg is a Career Coach focused on helping people improve their soft skills in order to navigate difficult work environments and find the success, and progression, they deserve. In “The Clash of the Generations,” Kendall Berg unpacks one of the most overlooked challenges in today’s workplace: four generations working side by side, each with different values, expectations, and communication styles. From Baby Boomers to Gen Z, we’re all interpreting the same workplace through completely different lenses, and too often, those differences show up as tension, misalignment, or unnecessary conflict. But this talk isn’t about blaming any one group. It is about revealing a huge opportunity we’re missing. When we invest in our communication skills (listening, adapting our message, clarifying expectations, and understanding the motivations behind each generation’s behavior) we stop viewing these differences as obstacles and start leveraging them as strengths. We create workplaces where innovation becomes easier, leadership becomes clearer, and collaboration becomes natural. 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

Do you take your laptop on vacation with you? When is the last time you took a real lunch break? In this humorous, science-based, and provocative talk, Joelle Connors Moray reveals why slowing down feels uncomfortable and how taking regular breaks actually increases productivity, collaboration, and creativity. She explains why our nervous system mistakes stillness for danger and shares a simple research-backed way to rest without earning it or feeling guilty about it. Joelle Connors Moray is a bestselling author and psychotherapist specializing in organizational culture. Do you take your laptop on vacation with you? When is the last time you took a real lunch break? In this humorous, science-based, and provocative talk, Joelle Connors Moray reveals why slowing down feels uncomfortable and how taking regular breaks actually increases productivity, collaboration, and creativity. She explains why our nervous system mistakes stillness for danger and shares a simple research-backed way to rest without earning it or feeling guilty about it. Joelle Connors Moray is a bestselling author and psychotherapist specializing in organizational culture. 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

Christos Provistalis shares why the most successful leaders and the most effective companies understand one truth: they do not sell products or services; they sell emotion. Drawing from his experience as a Guest Service Manager at Disney’s flagship resort and from his role in his family’s small business, he shows how the emotions we create shape human connection and elevate every interaction. He helps companies discover what they truly sell. Christos Provistalis shares why the most successful leaders and the most effective companies understand one truth: they do not sell products or services; they sell emotion. Drawing from his experience as a Guest Service Manager at Disney’s flagship resort and from his role in his family’s small business, he shows how the emotions we create shape human connection and elevate every interaction. He helps companies discover what they truly sell. 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

We think we are fighting about toilet paper, politics, and dishes...when we're really fighting for survival. Couples therapist and author Carolyn Sharp reveals why our brains can't tell the difference between emotional and physical threats, how disconnection is literally killing us, and the three simple practices that can save our relationships and our live We think we are fighting about toilet paper, politics, and dishes...when we're really fighting for survival. Couples therapist and author Carolyn Sharp reveals why our brains can't tell the difference between emotional and physical threats, how disconnection is literally killing us, and the three simple practices that can save our relationships and our live 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