What if the next life-saving emergency alert didn’t come from the government, but from you? In this talk, Shushan Arora explores how everyday technology and student-driven innovation can transform how people prepare for and respond to natural disasters. Discover how simple technologies could empower communities to act faster and save lives. Shushan Arora is a student at Bolingbrook High School with a passion for using technology to enhance public safety and emergency preparedness. After witnessing the destruction of a tornado in his hometown, he developed Prepshield, an emergency preparedness app designed to help families create personalized safety plans. More than just a tool, Prepshield has helped local residents better prepare for natural disasters and reflects an ongoing effort to explore how AI might one day anticipate threats even before official warnings are issued. For this work, Shushan was recognized as the 2024 Congressional App Challenge winner for Illinois’s 11th Congressional District. Shushan will talk on a youth-led innovation in crisis response. At school, he is the junior varsity captain of the Scholastic Bowl team and participates in Model UN, Best Buddies, Mathletes, The Word, SkillsUSA, and boys volleyball. He believes young people can lead change through accessible, purpose-driven technology. 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