In many systems—schools, workplaces, even families—obedience is often rewarded, while questioning is discouraged. But what happens when following orders causes harm or stifles innovation? This thought-provoking talk explores the concept of intelligent disobedience—the ability to thoughtfully say "no" when it matters most. Drawing from real-world examples and personal insight, the speaker challenges us to rethink how we define discipline, courage, and integrity—and why teaching this skill may be essential for a just and ethical society.Captain Lovely Feranda M is a commercial airline pilot currently flying as Pilot in Command on the Airbus A320 and A321 fleet with IndiGo Airlines. Originally from Kanyakumari district and raised in Chennai, she holds a Bachelor's degree in Computer Applications from Madras Christian College. She began her flying career in the United States, earning her FAA Commercial Pilot License at US Flight Academy in Texas. She returned to India in 2010 to obtain her DGCA license and completed her Airbus A320 type rating at Air India’s training center in Hyderabad. Her professional journey includes flying with Go Airlines as a Junior First Officer, followed by joining IndiGo Airlines in 2015. In 2018, she completed her command training in the UK and has since served as Captain on domestic and international routes. In addition to aviation, she enjoys singing, dancing, and spending time with her family, including her husband—also an airline captain—and their two sons. 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 holds us back often isn’t lack of knowledge — but the weight of assumptions, both our own and those imposed by others. In this insightful talk, the speaker challenges conventional thinking around education, communication, and personal freedom. By exploring the power of unlearning and the art of asking the right questions, this talk offers practical wisdom on navigating judgments, making conscious choices, and living life on your own terms. Rajalakshmi Srinivasan is a seasoned technology leader with over 25 years of experience at Zoho Corporation. As Director of Product Management, she currently heads the Robotic Process Automation (RPA) product line, driving innovation and execution in a competitive tech landscape.Over the years, she has worked across critical domains including database scaling, network monitoring, application performance, and user experience management. Known for her strategic thinking and ability to transform ideas into scalable products, she has played a key role in the evolution of Zoho’s enterprise offerings.Rajalakshmi is also an active public speaker, engaging with academic and professional audiences on topics such as technology leadership, innovation, and women in tech. She holds a degree in Computer Science from the College of Engineering, Guindy (CEG), Chennai, and is widely recognized for her commitment to mentoring and empowering young professionals in the technology space. 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 future didn’t require choosing one worldview over another—but honoring both? In this powerful talk, Dana shares her deeply personal journey of reclaiming Indigenous identity through the concept of Two-Eyed Seeing, a Mi’kmaw teaching that blends Western and Indigenous ways of knowing to create deeper, more holistic understanding.Raised with Norwegian and Cree heritage, Dana recounts how systemic erasure shaped her family history—from her grandmother’s silence about her Cree identity to the intergenerational impacts of Day Schools and Residential Schools. Through stories of family, food, language, and healing, she illuminates how embracing both eyes—both worldviews—can lead to stronger communities, better stewardship of the land, and a more inclusive society. Dana Driedger, a Cree woman from the Canoe Lake Cree First Nation with Norwegian ancestry on her father’s side, shares the wisdom of Two-Eyed Seeing. By weaving together Indigenous and Western worldviews, Dana reveals how this approach can foster healing and deeper understanding across cultures. 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

Harvard Business School professor Karim Lakhani shares groundbreaking research on AI's impact in the workplace through rigorous "clinical trials" at major organizations like BCG and Procter & Gamble. These studies reveal how AI fundamentally transforms work by lowering the cost of expertise—enabling average performers to reach 95th percentile levels and giving individuals access to cross-disciplinary knowledge previously requiring entire teams. The talk presents evidence of AI's evolution from tool to teammate while warning of the widening gap between AI's exponential capabilities and organizations' linear adoption rates. Leaders will learn a practical four-step framework to harness AI's potential while avoiding the pitfalls of misapplication in their strategic decision-making.AI, Business, Creativity, Data Science, Economics, Intelligence, Machine Learning, Management, Social Science, Technology Karim R. Lakhani is the Dorothy & Michael Hintze Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School and founding chair of the Digital, Data & Design (D^3) Institute at Harvard. He also leads the Laboratory for Innovation Science at Harvard. An expert on technological innovation and AI strategy, Karim has published over 150 scholarly works and pioneered field experiments in innovation. His research explores how analytics and AI reshape business models, and he co-authored the award-winning book Competing in the Age of AI (2020). He developed Harvard’s MBA required course on Data Science and AI for Leaders and six online courses taken by thousands of executives. Karim advises top firms and startups, serves on the boards of VideaHealth and Cloudflare, and is a co-founder of Aspire Institute. He holds degrees from MIT and McMaster University and previously worked at GE Healthcare and The Boston Consulting Group. 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 curing heart failure means listening to cells we've long overlooked?In this TEDx talk, physician-scientist and biotech investor at PagsGroup Mey Boukenna takes us deep into the heart—not just as a pump, but as a dynamic immune organ. Combining personal insights with groundbreaking science, she reveals a hidden world of immune cells like macrophages and granulocytes—once thought passive, now emerging as potential keys to revolutionizing the treatment of heart disease.#TEDxBoston#HeartHealth#Cardiology#HeartAttack#Inflammation#Immunotherapy#Innovation#BiotechInvesting#FutureOfMedicineMey Boukenna, M.D., Ph.D., is a biotech investor at PagsGroup, Steve Pagliuca’s family office, where she leads the Biotechnology and Healthcare Portfolio. She transitioned to investments after starting her career in medicine and research at the University of Bern, Switzerland. There, she conducted a few years of clinical training in cardiology. After performing her MD thesis work at Harvard Medical School where she published on the intracellular trafficking of a water channel, she completed her PhD thesis summa cum laude in cardioimmunology at the University of Bern. She has received several grants for her research and was elected youngest member and vice speaker of the Swiss Young Academy, as well as youngest member of Switzerland’s National Platform for Coordination of Clinical Research. She also cofounded a company focused on healthcare services before joining PagsGroup. 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

This talk explores an overlooked dimension of today's AI conversation: the difference between intelligence and memory. Through the lens of a decades-long friendship, the talk illuminates AI's missing piece: the ability to maintain long-term context.AI, Big Data, Data, Emotions, Engineering, Innovation, Machine Learning, Memory, TechnologyWhile today's AI can analyze complex papers and compose symphonies, it starts fresh with every conversation, like having a brilliant colleague with amnesia. The speaker, who works at the intersection of AI and high-performance storage systems, exposes a fascinating paradox: our machines can think faster than ever, but they're held back by their inability to remember efficiently.The next leap in AI isn't about faster processing—it's about fundamentally rethinking how AI systems maintain and access their persistent memories or storage. This requires a shift in how we architect AI systems, bringing storage and processing closer together in ways that mirror human cognition. The result reshapes how AI systems maintain context across conversations, projects, and time—moving beyond today's powerful but forgetful systems toward ones that can learn and adapt from long-term experience.For anyone curious about AI's future, this talk reveals the infrastructure bottleneck we must solve to unlock the next wave of artificial intelligence. Aditi Garg leads development of the world’s fastest cloud storage solution at Amazon Web Services, powering AI workloads for thousands of global enterprises. A Columbia University graduate and former co-founder of Virimodo, a Techstars-funded AI platform, she has witnessed firsthand how storage bottlenecks can make or break the most ambitious AI projects. From her unique vantage point at the intersection of cutting-edge AI and enterprise infrastructure, Aditi has developed insights into the fundamental limitations holding back artificial intelligence—and the breakthroughs needed to overcome them.” 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