‘This is a work of fiction’. When artists draw from personal experience and actual events, who gets to decide what is truth, and what is fiction? At the heart of the art form is the creator’s ability to tell a story that is both completely invented and undeniably true. Liana Cusmano (they/them) was the 2018, 2019 and 2023 Montreal Slam Champion and runner-up in the 2019 Canadian Individual Poetry Slam Championship. Their first novel, Catch & Release (2022), was published by Guernica Editions. They were also a 2022 finalist for the QWF Spoken Word Prize and the winner of the 2024 Society Pages Poetry Contest. They are currently Fiction Editor at carte blanche and Associate Editor at Accenti Magazine. They have led workshops for writers of all ages and levels of experience through Youth Fusion, ELAN, QWF, the Repertoire culture-éducation, and PIV (Poetry In Voice),as Director of Communications. They have offered writing and editing mentorships through the Association of Italian Canadian Writers and the carte blanche magazine Fresh Pages Initiative. Liana has been a guest speaker and performer at various universities, conferences and literary festivals across the globe. An open, inclusive and intersectional approach is at the core of their practice. 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 greatest professional strength had nothing to do with skill—but everything to do with character? In this deeply moving and insightful TEDx talk, celebrated cricket coach and mental conditioning expert Paddy Upton explores how strengthening who you are as a person can directly lead to long-term, sustained success. Drawing from his tenure with the Indian national cricket team—working alongside legends like Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, and Virat Kohli—Paddy reveals a secret goal he and Gary Kirsten quietly pursued: to help players become not just better cricketers, but better humans. Through poignant stories, including a powerful moment of self-awareness from Tendulkar and the humility-driven rise of Hashim Amla, Paddy shows how character shapes legacy. He also dissects the downfall of sporting giants like Lance Armstrong and Mike Tyson, exposing how cracks in character—not ability—led to their fall. In a world obsessed with results, Paddy challenges us to decouple identity from outcomes, embrace present-moment focus, and recognize the silent superpower of self-worth. From World Cups to the chessboard, this talk is a compelling case for why deepening your roots as a person can give you the wings to soar in your career. Paddy Upton, a leadership coach, speaker, mental game coach, helped lead the Indian national cricket team to win the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup for their first time in 28 years, and to become the World’s No. 1 Test Team for their first time. He then helped lead the South African cricket team to become the first to simultaneously hold the World No. 1 ranking in all three formats of the game. He has been mental coach to over 350 professional athletes from 20 different sports, including working with 5 world champions, and 20 international sportspersons of the year. At the recent Paris Olympics, he was mental coach to the Indian Men’s hockey team who won bronze as well as Gukesh Dommaraju, the 2024 chess World Champion. He has four university degrees, was appointed Professor at Deakin University, and is author of The Barefoot Coach; Life-changing insights from coaching the world’s best cricketers. 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

Growing up is tough, but it shouldn't feel awful. As people tend to grow up, they begin fixating on their own flaws, often compromising their own health and wellbeing. This isn't sustainable, and should not be the case. Sophia Famador is here to answer and solve the question of why growing up feels so tough. Why Do I Feel This Way? Nutrition and Sleep 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

You only get one brain...yet you aren't using it to the fullest? Pfft, it's like you're treating your brain like a houseplant. However, the catch is, you can't purchase another one. This metaphor may seem extensive, but Zoya Malik is here to share about the brain. The Brain 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

Failure is a noun, not an adjective, yet we use it to describe ourselves so often. But, failing is quite literally crucial. Roxanna Pesaran is here to explain why "You Have to Make Mistakes". After all, the greatest inventions where once mistakes. From X-Rays to Post-it Notes: The Importance of Making Mistakes 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 Stethoscope to Whiteboard, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Khaled Helmy reflects on a lifelong journey in medicine. Through his transition from front-line clinician to academic leader, he explores how embracing change can expand both personal growth and societal impact. This talk offers a thoughtful take on professional reinvention and the evolving meaning of service. Dr. Khaled Helmy is an Egyptian physician and academic with nearly 38 years of experience in clinical practice and medical education. He graduated from Alexandria University Egypt in 1985 and has since dedicated his career to advancing medicine both patient care and teaching.Currently, he serves as an Associate Professor and Head of Medicine Unit at the Faculty of Medicine, AIMST University, Malaysia, where he plays a key role in mentoring future doctors.He previously served in the Ministry of Health, Egypt and King Saud University, Saudi Arabia before joining the Ministry of Health Malaysia as a medical specialist in Perlis, in 2004. In 2018, he transitioned to academia at AIMST university, where he continues to shape future medical professionals.Dr Khaled firmly believes: "Nothing is impossible in life, but it is more likely or less likely." 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