What if the secret to going further wasn’t pushing harder but learning when to pause?In this deeply personal and thought-provoking talk, data analyst and triathlete Vishesh Madan shares the unexpected lesson endurance sports have taught him: real strength lies in knowing when to stop. With the experience of completing multiple Ironman and Ultraman triathlons, Vishesh reveals how strategic pauses in races, careers, and everyday life can prevent burnout, enhance clarity, and fuel long-term performance.Whether you are chasing professional goals, healing from setbacks, raising a family, or simply trying to keep up with life, this talk offers a gentle yet powerful reminder. The pause is not a setback. It is a strategy. It is not the end. It is just a semicolon.If you have ever felt stuck, burnt out, or unsure whether to push forward or slow down, this talk might be the breath of clarity you need. Vishesh Madan is a data analyst by profession and an endurance athlete by passion. With a strong background in analytics and business intelligence, he brings a unique perspective to high-performance living. He is a 2-time Ultraman finisher (Ultraman Australia 2024 and 2025), completing 10 km of swimming, 420 km of cycling, and 84 km of running. He is also a 3-time IRONMAN triathlon finisher, having completed events in Kalmar and Western Australia. Outside of work and racing, Vishesh is a writer and sports blogger, sharing insights on Ironman, Ultraman, endurance training, and personal growth. His journey blends data, discipline, and deep self-reflection. 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

• Theme: The talk examines the gap between our ambitions—especially those related to sustainability—and the real-world challenges of implementing change. • Core message: Achieving meaningful goals requires aligning aspirations with practical, measurable steps and being honest about constraints. • Key takeaway: Start with a bold vision, but break it down into realistic milestones, continuously adapting your approach to stay grounded and practical. Belinda joined GIB in 2022, based in the UAE but spends considerable time across GIB’s regional offices, particularly in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. She is primarily responsible for embedding the bank’s sustainability strategy in the GCC and heads the bank’s Climate Working Group. Belinda also represents GIB on several regional climate and sustainable finance initiatives for the banking sector.Before joining GIB, she was the Head of Corporate Sustainability at First Abu Dhabi Bank where she led the development and delivery of the bank’s sustainability/ESG strategy across sustainable finance, climate change and ESG. Under her leadership, FAB built a strong reputation in the market for being a leading sustainable finance provider. She has extensive experience of sustainability governance and reporting, including identifying and tracking green / ESG assets and managing ESG oversight Committees.Belinda has also worked at National Bank of Abu Dhabi, where she was Head of Citizenship and Corporate Sustainability, Mubadala Development Company and the Dubai International Financial Centre Authority (DIFCA). 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 neurodiverse student may struggle with reading assignments but excel in storytelling through drawings. By allowing them to illustrate their interpretations, not only could their engagement soar, but their peers also might also gain new perspectives. Sara shares what she learned about the strength-based model in her advocacy for neurodiversity in K-12 education. A member of the Senior Class at SAIS, Sara is pursuing the International Baccalaureate Diploma. She is deeply committed to promoting inclusivity, with a special focus on neurodiversity within the K-12 education community. In her free time, Sara enjoys singing with friends, playing the trumpet, and watching horror films at the cinema. 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

Artificial intelligence has become part of our everyday lives in the blink of an eye. Tools like ChatGPT write essays, compose music, solve decades-old scientific problems, and complete our tasks for us in seconds. AI has the potential to further enhance human intelligence and scientific capabilities, helping us find solutions to the most severe global challenges.But what price do we, as humans, pay for all of this? What is the future of thinking in the age of artificial intelligence?The very tools we created to make us smarter can, paradoxically, also reduce our mental abilities. This means that our creativity, analytical skills, and critical thinking may be the price of technological progress.Why is this happening? How can we counter it? Can we still compete with machines, or are we left sharing the field with goldfish? How can we remain truly human in the age of thinking machines? What can we do to ensure a future in which AI genuinely enhances our capabilities instead of diminishing them? Karola is an innovation and technology lawyer, tech investor, and entrepreneur who is passionate about challenging the legal industry and reshaping how people think about lawyers—and how lawyers themselves think. This passion led her to found KassaiLaw in 2012, the EU's first-ever virtual law firm specialising in advising companies engaged in the newest technologies.She believes the global tech world needs borderless, internationally experienced legal professionals who work with a completely new mindset and skillset—something previously unknown in the legal profession. These new competencies must be built on a fusion of business, law, and technology contexts with a global perspective, rather than being territory-based with only local legal aspects. Technology doesn’t believe in borders, and neither does KassaiLaw.KassaiLaw is an interdisciplinary, 21st-century tech law firm with a unique formula that strives to enable tech companies to reach their full potential across the EU. By partnering with KassaiLaw, companies can expect to benefit from a comprehensive support system that goes well beyond the norm. The firm understands technology and thinks beyond the traditional “lawyer’s brief,” providing solutions that consider the future and prepare for issues that may arise years from now—from establishment to international expansion and beyond.She has worked with hundreds of teams all over Europe, witnessing many success stories as well as the challenges faced by projects throughout their business life cycles—including managing KassaiLaw’s own growth as its CEO. As a result, she strives to integrate that continuous stream of entrepreneurial experience into her everyday work.In addition to her work at KassaiLaw, she is also a regular mentor, speaker, and moderator at events within the EU-wide startup ecosystem, and lectures on entrepreneurship at universities in Sweden and Hungary. She is committed to sharing her knowledge of both the entrepreneurial journey and innovation to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs. 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

HUN: Tényleg semmi sem elég? Nem elég a pénz. Nem elég a siker. Nem elég a követők száma. Nem elég a lájkok száma. Nem elég a kihívás. De mikor voltál utoljára úgy igazán elég? És ha sosem elég, vajon égtél-e már el/ki/ valaha? Egészen biztosan. Elég, vagy elég? Reggel az első mozdulatod: a telefon. Napközben munka, emailek, meetingek, podcastok. Este még egy utolsó üzenet a főnöknek. Ismerős? Persze, hogy az. Sosem voltunk ennyire „összekapcsolódva”, mégis egyre magányosabbak vagyunk. A technológia fogva tart, a munka beszippant, a fogyasztás diktál. De vajon tényleg ezt akarjuk? Mi történik, ha túl későn jövünk rá, hogy valami fontosabb hiányzik? Hogy nem a következő e-mail, nem a lájkok, nem az új telefon hozza meg a boldogságot? Van kiút az aranykalitkából? Erre is választ kaphatsz ebből a TEDx talkból, ahol Csillag-Csatlós Csilla, burnout szakértő osztja meg a gondolatait a témában.ENG: Is nothing ever enough? Money isn’t enough. Success isn’t enough. The number of followers isn’t enough. The number of likes isn’t enough. The challenge isn’t enough. But when was the last time you truly felt enough? And if it’s never enough, have you ever burned out? Almost certainly.Enough – or burned out? Your first move in the morning: the phone. During the day: work, emails, meetings, podcasts. In the evening: one last message to the boss. Sound familiar? Of course it does. We’ve never been so “connected,” yet we’re growing lonelier than ever. Technology holds us captive, work consumes us, consumption dictates us. But is this really what we want? What happens if we realize too late that something more important is missing? That happiness doesn’t come from the next email, the likes, or the new phone? Is there a way out of the gilded cage?You’ll hear thoughts on this question in this TEDx talk, where Csilla Csillag-Csatlós, a burnout expert, shares her insights on the topic. Feleség, két gyermek anyja, coach. Vidéki lány, budapesti karrierkanyarral, majd vissza vidékre, Bázakerettyére.Tanárként kezdte a pályáját, de rendszerbe illeszthetetlen elemnek bizonyult. Nem bírta a dobozokat, a felesleges kategorizálást, az értelmetlen dolgokat. Harminc éve már élményalapú oktatást szeretett volna, de akkoriban a közoktatás nem volt erre nyitott.Válságmenedzserként és követeléskezelőként ki tudta használni a képességét a másképp gondolkodásra. A munka világában a legfontosabb lépése az volt, hogy topmenedzseri munkája mellett elvégezte az ICF coachképzést, majd felhagyott a menedzseri szereppel – éppen akkor, amikor a Forbes topmenedzserként írt róla. Két évtizednyi cégvezetés után EBITDA és projekttervek helyett kizárólag emberekkel kezdett foglalkozni.Könyvet írt, amelyet sorvezetőnek szánt azoknak, akik nem tudták megfizetni a coach óradíjakat. Coachként vezetők és csapatok krízishelyzeteivel, kiégéssel és az egyensúlyok megteremtésével foglalkozik. A munkafolyamataiban a saját, kidolgozott módszereivel szintén „out of the box” kategóriában marad – de így lehet igazán önmaga. 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

"How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big" flips our obsession with flawless success on its head. In this talk we’ll discover why strategic, repeated failure—combined with relentless curiosity—can be a smarter path than chasing a single perfect win. By treating every misstep as data, stacking diverse skills instead of clinging to one narrow talent, and following adaptable systems rather than rigid goals, we can turn setbacks into an ongoing engine of opportunity. It’s a fresh blueprint for thriving in work and life—even when almost everything goes wrong. Sherzod Bobokhonov is a marketing consultant, entrepreneur, and student leader based in Tashkent. With experience leading 20+ national and international projects, he specializes in building brand strategies and digital ecosystems that drive growth. As President of the Student Council at the American University of Technology, Sherzod actively empowers youth initiatives. His TEDx talk explores how failures can become powerful tools for building an unconventional path to success through skill stacking. 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