Experience the energy, color, and storytelling of Bollywood and Indian dance. Through rhythm and movement, Andaaz Dance performance celebrates culture while building bridges in the San Diego arts community. Get ready for a journey that unites tradition with modern expression.Bollywood and Indian dance filled with color, music, and stories. Our performances build bridges in San Diego’s arts community; connecting cultures, starting conversations, and creating moments where everyone feels welcome. Website: www.dancewithandaaz.com Instagram: @andaazdanceacademy #TEDxSanDiego #Dance #Performance #Bollywood #IndianDance #music "Andaaz Dance Academy is a dynamic, women-led South Asian dance collective based in San Diego. Founded by Kinjal Kurani at just 19 years old, Andaaz fuses Bollywood, Indian classical, and hip-hop styles to embody the vibrancy of contemporary Indian culture and the creative spirit of San Diego. https://www.dancewithandaaz.com/Through high-energy classes, immersive workshops, and captivating performances, Andaaz fosters joyful, inclusive spaces where people of all backgrounds can connect through movement and storytelling.Rooted in cultural tradition and powered by community, Andaaz is a celebration of identity, heritage, and the shared rhythm of togetherness." 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 freedom was limited by the charge on a battery? Teresa Valenzuela reveals the hidden barrier of "battery anxiety" for millions of personal electric vehicle users and presents a visionary solution: accessible, solar-powered charging hubs that promise to power a future of true mobility and independence for all. #AccessibleMobility #ChargingOurFuture #InclusiveDesign #TEDxSanDiego #TEDxSpeaker #TEDx #TED Global Mobility Advocate and seasoned speaker Teresa Valenzuela integrates urban design with technology solutions, driven by her 32-year experience as an electric wheelchair user to dismantle mobility barriers, envisioning innovations like her AI Network of Charging Stations. Her accessibility insights resonate across platforms, including a keynote at California's Middle-Mile Broadband Initiative launch advocating for inclusive digital infrastructure. Using her experience as a catalyst for change, Teresa promotes accessible technology and transportation for universal mobility. With decades of experience, she offers unique insights into urban planning, micromobility, and inclusive technology, seeking global collaboration to advance accessible mobility solutions. 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 our digital world generates more and more data every day, we're facing a storage crisis that silicon technology simply cannot solve. While datacenters expand to the size of football fields and consume energy equivalent to entire cities, one entrepreneur believes the answer isn't in building bigger, faster, or more efficient computers, it's in understanding biology better.Anagha Rajesh has identified a fundamental flaw in how the tech world approaches DNA data storage. While researchers spend fortunes chemically manufacturing DNA sequences from scratch, they're completely missing DNA's most revolutionary feature: it's naturally rewritable.Unlike traditional storage that burns out or becomes obsolete, DNA has been perfecting its storage and editing capabilities for 3.5 billion years. Anagha harnesses this biological rewritability, using chemical tags that can be added and removed just like nature intended.Does this mean we will enter a post-silicon era where pocket-sized DNA chips could store the entire internet and open possibilities for biological computing that extend far beyond storage into solving complex mathematical problems and even quantum computing applications? Anagha Rajesh is a biotech innovator and founder of BioCompute. She is passionate about the future of genetic technology. With a background in synthetic biology, she explores how nature's code can solve modern problems. Anagha has been recognized for making complex science accessible and exciting. 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 you create India's first Muslim superhero whose catchphrase is "Jai Shree Allah"?In this experimental conversation format moderated by Sahana Srikanth, Falah Faisal, creator of the comic series Musalman, reveals how humor can be more powerful than hatred in healing a polarized society, while seamlessly switching between his role as comic creator and embodying Musalman the superhero, who also joined the stage.Growing up in an India where neighbors shared biryani on Eid and burst crackers together on Diwali, Falah witnessed the slow disappearance of the multicultural fabric that once defined the country. Through his irreverent comics, he fights back, not with violence, but with wit, creating a superhero who is "equally offensive to everybody" while challenging every stereotype about faith, identity, and belonging.Discover how this unconventional creator uses "gonzo journalism" through comics to capture the essence of modern India and why he believes fiction can show us the way forward.This isn't just a story about comics, it's a masterclass in using creativity as activism and laughter as resistance. Falah Faisal is an Indian writer, comedian, and filmmaker known for creating Musalman, India's first Muslim superhero, and Falahdeen, a modern twist on the Aladdin story . His work blends satire, cultural commentary, and personal storytelling to challenge stereotypes and promote inclusivity. 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 most powerful act of resistance isn’t loud or public—but intimate, embodied and ancient? In this soul-awakening TEDx talk, Sepideh Eivazi—an Iranian-born visionary, immersive experience designer, trauma-informed breathwork practitioner, and mental health activist—guides us from silence to self-reclamation through the radical power of breath.At 20 Sepideh fled Iran with her 17-year-old sister in search of freedom. What she discovered was that true liberation isn’t geographical—it’s physiological. A body conditioned to shrink and disappear, especially in a repressive environment, can only hold trauma, But, as explained in this talk, the body has within it an awesome blueprint for its own healing . .One raw, trembling breath changes everything.Rooted in ancestral wisdom and somatic intelligence, this talk reframes breath as a radical protest in a world addicted to numbness, performance and disconnection. With poetic storytelling and lived defiance, Sepideh reveals regulation not as self-care, but as revolution—and dares us to ask:What if your next breath… was your rebellion?Sepideh Eivazi is a revolution in motion. An Iranian-born visionary, a trauma-informed mental health activist, immersive event architect, and founder of Dawn of the Earth—a purpose-driven platform weaving somatic breathwork, tea rituals and ancestral wisdom to reawaken the human spirit.As a psychedelic integration practitioner and member of Global Wellness Institute’s Breathe Initiative, Sepideh is redefining how we gather—transforming events into portals of remembrance, regulation, and collective awakening. Her mission: to rupture numbness, restore connection, and leave every soul she touches moved and seen.A 2025 Smart Meetings Hall of Fame inductee, Smart Speaker, 40 Under 40 honoree, and Meetings Today Trendsetter, Sepideh’s impact spans global stages and publications including Poosh, The Purist, Skift, Women to Watch, IMEX, and MPI. Her groundbreaking activations include wellness roadshows with Caesars Entertainment and a somatic pre–Met Gala ritual with Morphe and Dripology. 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 this bold and unflinching talk, police captain and public sector leader Nick Nicholas explores the real reasons why government doesn’t innovate—and what we can do about it. Using a powerful symbol from his public safety career, he illustrates how outdated systems, fear-driven policies, and institutional inertia are handcuffing progress. Drawing on insights from Peter Drucker and real-world examples of reform, Nick challenges both public leaders and everyday citizens to rethink what’s possible. This is a call to action to unlock government—not through more policies, but through courageous abandonment of the ones that no longer serve us. Nick Nicholas is a police captain and public sector executive with nearly two decades of experience navigating the inner workings of local government. He has served both on the front lines of law enforcement and behind the scenes in management and leadership—balancing operational demands with the bureaucratic realities of public systems. Nick is a doctoral student at the Drucker School of Management, where his research focuses on understanding the factors that influence city pride and how local governments can foster stronger civic identity through strategic leadership and organizational practices. He is passionate about empowering professional staff, rethinking outdated processes, and unlocking the potential of public institutions. Nick has spoken nationally on policing, leadership, and civic innovation. 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