In 2008, Tonantzin Carmona's family lost their home — one foreclosure notice among millions. She took two lessons from that wreckage: a financial system can collapse on people who had no hand in building it, and when it does, the people who did build it rarely pay. She's hearing the same warning signals now, in crypto.Her argument isn't that crypto is a bad bet. It's that you're already exposed whether or not you ever touch it. Pension funds and 401(k)s, your energy bill, scams clustered in working-class neighborhoods — the risk has quietly crossed from Wall Street to Main Street. And the newest weak link, stablecoins, ties this volatile market back to ordinary banks and Treasury bonds, so the next panic might not spread one foreclosure at a time. It could spread at the speed of code.Underneath the finance is a harder question about who gets to write the rules. With crypto money now bankrolling a huge share of our politics and regulators loosening the guardrails, Carmona asks whether our institutions are even strong enough to stop the next crisis — and what it means that we may be setting up 2008 all over again, on purpose.Her challenge: if the powerful can rewrite the rules for themselves, can the rest of us rewrite them for everyone? Tonantzin Carmona is a fellow at Brookings Metro who focuses on wealth and inequality, financial and emerging technologies, and state and local policy implementation. She has been featured in Bloomberg, The Washington Post, CNN, Politico, Los Angeles Times, Axios, Fortune, Bloomberg Tax, Associated Press, NPR Marketplace, Quartz, TechCrunch, Tech Monitor, and Crain’s Chicago Business.Carmona’s professional background spans roles in public policy, communications, politics, and philanthropy. She previously served as special assistant to the president for economic policy at the White House National Economic Council, as well as senior advisor at the Department of the Treasury’s Inflation Reduction Act Implementation Office. She has also championed federal policies as the Illinois political director for the 2020 presidential campaign of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and as Sen. Warren’s deputy press secretary on Capitol Hill.At the local level, Carmona spearheaded several citywide initiatives. As chief of policy for the Chicago City Clerk, Carmona led the Chicago Fines, Fees, and Access Collaborative, which culminated in significant reforms of the city’s regressive public finance policies. Additionally, she launched Chicago’s municipal ID card, which simultaneously serves as a government-issued ID, transit pass, and library card, while ensuring substantial data privacy protections for applicants. As director of the Office of New Americans at the Chicago mayor’s office, she led the development of several immigrant integration policies, including the city’s first language access ordinance. Furthermore, in her role as deputy policy director at the mayor’s office, she led the City-County Collaboration, which identified $70 million in savings and new revenue sources. 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 happens when one online mistake follows someone for the rest of their life? In this talk, Emma Dutta argues for the Right to Be Forgotten, a legal idea that allows people to request the removal of outdated, irrelevant, or harmful personal data. Through examples of digital permanence, online misinformation, and reputation damage, she explains why privacy laws such as the GDPR matter in giving people the chance to grow beyond their past. Highschool student at Kang Chiao International School Linkou Campus. 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

Why can a few minutes of scrolling make us feel worse about our own lives? In this talk, Olivia Chang reflects on how social media encourages upward comparison, especially among teenagers surrounded by curated images of success, beauty, and achievement. She argues that by recognizing the difference between connection and comparison, we can use social media more intentionally and protect our sense of self-worth. High school student at Kang Chiao International School Linkou Campus. 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

Kasem Rodriguez Mohsen explores how stories, metaphors and language harden into governance norms — and how systems maintain inertia until those norms are tested by failure. He asks what assumptions are quietly shaping how climate capital moves — and how might those assumptions be influencing urgency, risk tolerance, and responsibility? Kasem Rodriguez Mohsen is a capital systems architect working at the intersection of philanthropy, venture capital, and public funding. He helps foundations, investors, and institutions move beyond grants-as-default and toward investment strategies that align capital with real-world outcomes.As the founder of LION Strategies and a partner at Willohsen Capital, Kasem designs and deploys innovative funding models—including mission-related and program-related investments—to unlock capital for entrepreneurs tackling complex social and climate challenges. His work spans ecosystem design, governance, and the cultural shifts required for institutions to take intelligent risk.Previously an exited founder and former data scientist working with elite teams across the U.S. and U.K. defense systems, Kasem brings a rare blend of analytical rigor and human-centered design to finance. His work asks a simple but disruptive question: what if capital actually did the job it was meant to do? 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

Why do so many school lunches feel like a gamble? In this talk, Joseph Lee uses humor and personal experience to examine the systems behind processed cafeteria food, from government food programs to supply chains optimized for shelf life. He argues that school lunch is not just about taste, but about student health, respect, and the choices schools design into everyday life. High school student at Kang Chiao International School Linkou Campus. 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

Can creativity make everyday life happier? In this talk, Joie Huang shares how junk journaling helped her turn stress, memories, and ordinary moments into something meaningful. Drawing on research about creativity and well-being, she argues that creative habits are not only for artists: they are simple ways for anyone to feel more present, expressive, and connected to themselves. High school student at Kang Chiao International School Linkou Campus. 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 the tools we use to calm our anxiety are actually making it worse? Medical student Rahul Rama-Panchia challenges the modern commercialisation and distortion of mindfulness, revealing how an obsessive focus on self-analysis can trigger a chronic stress response. By exploring the neuroscience of overprocessing, he offers a radical alternative: reclaiming our inner narrative by giving ourselves permission to pause—and to be angry. Rahul Rama-Panchia is a third-year medical student at the University of Cape Town, currently serving as Deputy Chairperson of the Health Sciences Student Council. Committed to equity, compassion, and community, he brings people together through leadership, creative problem-solving, and advocacy. He is the co-founder and CEO of Street Smartz, an award-winning AI-powered app that equips South African children with knowledge of bodily autonomy and safety. His work was recognised by the Harvard Health Systems Innovation Lab, where his team ranked among the Top 6 ventures globally. Beyond medicine and innovation, Rahul embraces storytelling and creative activism as tools for connection and social change. His journey—rooted in deep listening, integrity, and the desire to uplift others—shapes his belief that mindfulness isn’t an escape from the world’s noise, but a way of living fully within it. 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

Who should have the right to decide a person’s final moments? In this talk, Jamie Kim reflects on the story of Belgian Paralympic athlete Marieke Vervoort to explore euthanasia, dignity, and personal choice at the end of life. Rather than treating the topic only as a debate about death, Jamie asks how compassion, respect, and humanity should shape the way we respond to suffering. Highschool student at Kang Chiao International School Linkou Campus. 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

Joe Bull challenges the higher education STEM community to rethink its inclusion strategies, advocating for a system that values and integrates the unique perspectives and practices of Native Americans.This call to action is not just about enhancing diversity.It’s about infusing the STEM field with the invaluable insights and approaches — assets that are desperately needed to save humanity. Dr. Joseph Bull is the Dean of the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science at Portland State University. He is the first Native American Dean of Engineering in the country. Dr. Bull's work primarily centers on the cardiovascular and pulmonary systems, related biomedical devices, and edema, addressing fundamental biofluid mechanics problems that may enable new clinical therapies or diagnostics. As a Native American faculty member (an enrolled member of the Delaware Tribe of Indians, a federally recognized tribe of the Lenape), and a first-generation college graduate, Dr. Bull has a substantial history of working to improve racial equity and diversity. In his leadership work as Dean, he challenges the STEM community to rethink its inclusion strategies, advocating for a system that values and integrates the unique perspectives and practices of Native Americans. 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

As artificial intelligence enters the battlefield, who should hold the final decision over life and death? In this talk, Andrew Huang examines the ethical and legal risks of lethal autonomous weapons systems, arguing that speed and efficiency cannot replace human judgment. He calls for meaningful human control so that accountability, compassion, and conscience remain at the center of warfare. KCISLK Students 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