Having once reached the heights of success, Dr. Khoa candidly admitted to feeling empty and “unfinished” inside. He chose to leave behind past glory - not to escape, but to evolve into a different version of himself. In his talk, he redefined “all the way” as not a straight line to the finish, but the willingness to embrace multiple cycles of renewal. Each new beginning becomes an opportunity to learn from the old self and grow into something deeper. With the philosophy of Sisu - quiet courage - he emphasized that the greatest bravery is not in finishing, but in daring to begin again, even when no one expects you to. Augustine Khoa Nguyen is a seasoned strategic leader with over 17 years of experience in real estate development, corporate strategy, innovation, and academic research. He has worked in Vietnam and Finland, and collaborated with major partners from Japan and around the world.Augustine’s career is marked by his leadership of multi-billion-dollar urban development projects in Vietnam. He has also led cross-functional teams across investment, R&D, design, business, and marketing.Dr. Khoa earned a Doctor of Science degree in Strategy and Entrepreneurship from the University of Jyväskylä, Finland. He conducted in-depth research in strategic management, competitive dynamics, and managerial cognition, while also teaching and serving as an academic ambassador at international forums.He is also known as a pioneer of creative marketing campaigns, most notably the first holographic pyramid campaign in Vietnam, which was recognized by the Guinness World Records in 2015. 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
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- 9:08From Sustainability to the Stage | Shikha Shah | TEDxYouth@SunbeamBhagwanpurHave you ever held yourself back because you feared failing, being judged, or not being “perfect enough”? In this talk, Ms. Shikha Shah invites us to rethink our relationship with failure. Through her own journey - from stage fright to standing on platforms like Shark Tank and TEDx - she shows how setbacks can become stepping stones, and how asking for help and quieting self-criticism can open doors to growth. Through the creation of Scrapshala, her pioneering social enterprise that turns waste into lifestyle products, she discovered the strength of resilience and daring to try again. Shikha Shah is the founder and CEO of Scrapshala, which started in 2016 in the city of Banaras.Scrapshala is a homegrown brand of innovative, experimental and sustainable products for lifestyle, décor & gifting, designed and handcrafted from pre-existing raw materials by local Indian artisans.At their flagship store in Varanasi, people can explore handcrafted eco-friendly souvenirs and gift items inspired by the culture and hustle-bustle of Banaras and many other tourist destinations of India. They offer a wide range of engaging DIY hands-on workshop on up cycling to schools, NGOs, private groups, corporate and government bodies.Scrapshala’s humble journey and success story has been publishes in multiple media houses and business magazines such as Femina, TOI, ET, Shethepeople and many more. 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
