In a world shaped by shifting alliances and rising uncertainty, Ashok Kumar Mirpuri brings decades of diplomatic experience to help us make sense of it all. How can a nation stay resilient amid the shifting tides of global change? Ashok reveals insights on Singapore’s place in the world, navigating rapid changes in geopolitics with grace and strength.With the clarity of someone who has navigated the corridors of global power, he offers a grounded perspective on how nations think, what drives geopolitical change, and why timing on the world stage is everything. This talk is a rare opportunity to see the bigger picture, through the eyes of someone who’s lived it. Ashok Kumar Mirpuri is a seasoned diplomat with over 30 years of experience representing Singapore on the global stage. As Singapore's Ambassador to the United States since 2012, Mirpuri has played a key role in strengthening international ties and fostering collaboration between nations. With over 30 years of experience, he has represented Singapore in key international roles, including Ambassador to Indonesia and High Commissioner to Malaysia and Australia.Through his extensive experience, Mirpuri continues to navigate complex geopolitical landscapes, driving dialogue and cooperation across borders. 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 a world reshaped by lockdowns and digital acceleration, how do we find belonging? In this thought-provoking talk, Elroy Cheo explores how Web3 isn’t just about cryptocurrency or code, it is about culture.From digital cities to merit-based status systems, this talk is for anyone curious about the future of human connection, and how a new generation is quietly rewriting the rules. If you’ve ever wondered what a community looks like when it’s borderless, gamified, and co-created, take a glimpse into the future we’re already living. Elroy Cheo is a Web3 entrepreneur and the Co-Founder and CEO of ARC, a platform that blends blockchain technology, NFTs, and culture to build meaningful digital communities. With a vision rooted in access and inclusion, Elroy has grown ARC into a dynamic network of creatives, entrepreneurs, and innovators across Asia.At the heart of his work lies a question: how can technology deepen, rather than dilute, human connection? Through ARC, Elroy is exploring what community, status, and belonging could look like in a decentralised future. 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 deeply personal talk, Dr. Chua Yang shares how photography became her liberation through grief, caregiving and stillness. When illness struck her family, time seemed to pause. Through the lens of her camera, she reclaimed this stillness, documenting grief, love and quiet resilience one frame at a time.Capturing everyday moments led to two national photography projects celebrating women, work and family in Singapore. She turned photography into a vessel of memory and human connection. Her story is a powerful reminder that even in life’s difficult pauses, we can find purpose and presence to make time better. Dr. Chua Yang is a Singaporean obstetrician/gynaecologist, photographer, calligrapher, and advocate for women’s health and well-being. As Director at A Clinic for Women, Global Clinic, and Babes, a charity supporting pregnant teenagers, she merges clinical expertise with deep compassion.Through her lens, Dr. Chua captures intimate stories of strength and resilience. Dr Chua has published two photobooks, Women Inspiring Women – The Home/National Editions, raising over S$300,000 for charities such as SCWO, Babes, and the Singapore Medical Association Charity. For Dr. Chua, photography is more than a way of seeing, it is her way of remembering and of making meaning out of stillness. 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

From the living room to the stage, and from childhood performances to founding a free music programme for children, Heema Izzati shares how music became her companion, her comfort, and eventually, her calling. In a society where arts education isn’t always accessible, she and her sisters created a space where music could belong to anyone, regardless of means. But this isn’t just a talk about growing up with music. It’s about what happens when you decide to give that music back. Heema Izzati is a 17-year-old musician driven by a passion for artistic expression. Raised in a deeply musical family, with a mother who sang professionally and siblings who play jazz- Heema’s life has been shaped by melodies and harmonies. Classically trained in piano and cello from a young age, she grew into her voice as a songwriter. Since the age of 10, Heema has been co-running a free music programme for children from less-privileged backgrounds, empowering young learners through classical music. 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 talk, Yao Yu invites us to rediscover the beauty of slowness, of precision, of ink meeting paper. Yao Yu stumbled into the world of letterpress through dusty warehouses and aging machines.These relics speak of a time when words were pressed into permanence, not just pixels. More than nostalgia, his work is a reminder: that even in an age of digital speed, there is something worth saving in the weight of type, the press of history, and the stories still imprinted in print. Yao Yu is a traditional letterpress educator and founding member of the International Association of Printing Museums (IAPM), he is the quiet force behind TYPESETTINGSG, an initiative devoted to reviving the endangered craft of movable type printing in Singapore. Through salvaged printing blocks, forgotten typefaces, and hand-cranked machines, Yao Yu documents and preserves the tactile history of a medium that once shaped how we read, think, and remember. 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