What If Forgetting Is the Future? | Ganesh Thirunavukkarasu | TEDxVelammal Global School
What if forgetting, not learning, is the real superpower of the future? In this TEDx talk, Ganesh Thirunavukkarasu, a talent strategist and academic mentor, explores the power of unlearning - the ability to let go of outdated knowledge, habits and assumptions to make space for reinvention. From Kodak and Nokia’s failures to Nvidia’s reinvention, from students chasing placements to careers that now demand agility, this talk reframes success in an age where technology, AI and industries evolve faster than degrees. With insights from shaping the future of work and bridging academia with industry, Ganesh shows why adaptability, career agility and lifelong employability will define tomorrow’s leaders. The next big thing is not just technology - it’s us, and our courage to unlearn. Ganesh Thirunavukkarasu is a Talent Acquisition leader turned entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience at the intersection of education and industry. During his 19-year tenure at Tata Consultancy Services, he led the hiring of 42,000+ graduates and engaged with over 150 engineering institutions, gaining deep insights into talent pipelines and campus dynamics. Today, as the Founder of UniqShift Ventures, he reimagines how students, academic institutions and companies prepare for the future of work, designing sustainable strategies that align students, faculty and businesses with evolving workforce needs. Recognized as a trusted voice in talent strategy, early careers recruitment and industry-academia collaboration, Ganesh brings real-world insights that build future-ready talent pipelines while shifting the focus from first jobs to lifelong employability and career agility. 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
- 15:09I have a career I made up. Here’s how you can too. | Jade Walters | TEDxMontclairIn her TEDx talk, Jade explores what it truly means to take ownership of your career, even if it means breaking the rules or rewriting them completely. Through her personal journey, she empowers the next generation to embrace uncertainty, trust their instincts, and take the first steps in designing their dream careers. Jade Walters is a multi-hyphenate marketer, consultant, and creatorpreneur working at the intersection of early career recruiting and brand storytelling. A proud first-gen, STEM HBCU graduate, Jade has held past roles at Ulta Beauty, TikTok and WayUp. Inspired by her struggles during her post-grad job search, she launched The Ninth Semester, an early career resources platform now supporting over 200,000 students and recent graduates. 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
- 12:35How Fried Chicken Started a Movement to End Campus Hunger | Paige Swanstein | TEDxMontclairIn her talk, How Fried Chicken Started a Movement to End Campus Hunger, Paige shows how small actions can spark lasting change and invites others to be the ones who start it. Paige Swanstein is the Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of the Student Basic Needs Coalition, a national nonprofit working to end campus hunger and homelessness. Her journey began not in a boardroom but behind the counter of a fried chicken restaurant, working multiple jobs to stay in school while navigating food insecurity herself. Today, she leads a movement that has connected students across the country to over $5 million in food resources, empowering them to access critical support like SNAP and housing. Her work has been featured in Forbes and Fast Company. 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
- 14:41The Urgency of Mentorship | Chris Fitzpatrick | TEDxMontclairIn this TEDx Talk, Chris examines the importance of mentorship on individuals and communities - and the need for immediate action from all of us - through the eyes of a young job seeker named Simone, the only interviewee to ever bring Chris to tears during an interview. Chris W. Fitzpatrick is a Human Resources Professional who has interviewed more than 40,000 job seekers over a 20-year career in Early Career Talent Acquisition. 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
- 16:44Me (an empath), sensing we need an empathy revolution | Anjali Badrinath | TEDxMontclairIn a world growing increasingly disconnected, Anjali exposes the quiet collapse of empathy and how it’s fracturing our sense of community. She calls for an Empathy Revolution: a movement to rebuild connection, reclaim our shared humanity, and spark a ripple of compassion powerful enough to unite us all. Anjali Badrinath is a clinical mental health professional and current PhD student at Montclair State University. As a therapist and researcher, she has dedicated much of her time to exploring the societal influences on childhood development and the noticeable shift in how core community values, such as kindness and compassion, are passed down historically and generationally. 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
- 14:48Words – the symphony to success | Jai Vardhan Singh | TEDxIIS YouthHe inspires the audience with a very intriguing and humorous story of his life. This anecdote gives a perspective on success. Founded JNatural, a bath and beauty startup. Established India's earliest Memoir Writer indigenously coded social networking platform. Lifetime member of the prestigious Yale University Art Gallery. Delegate Speaker at the Harvard Project for Asian and International Relationships, Harvard University, USA Speaker at the SIDBI Swavalamban Chair 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
- 14:39Stories that build bridges | Sneha Sharma | TEDxIIS YouthShe inspires the audience with stories from her childhood and shares a part of her philosophy with them. Professor of Media and Communication at Renaissance University and Western State University, California. Author and public speaker exploring the power of stories to shape identity and connection. 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