Emmy award winning cinematographer Ben Hicks discusses the marine environment and the need to protect turtles from plastics Ben Hicks is a South Florida based photographer who has journeyed across the Americas and adventured to exotic locales spanning the globe. Hicks composes profoundly diverse collections of fine-art photography that truly captures the majestic beauty of the natural world using a combination of action and serenity that are pleasing to the creative eye. A self proclaimed “adventure boy,” Hicks is known to take big risks to capture the most complex, often dangerous situations like hurricane-sized waves and exotic animal encounters to share his admiration and respect for Mother Nature’s creations. Whether shooting the tropical beachscape of Deerfield Beach’s coast, the serene movements of sea turtles, or the power of a magnificent wave, Ben’s unique vision and approach to photography captivates viewers, reflecting his deep love and enjoyment of nature. 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

Step into the world of Meenakshi Dutt, India’s iconic makeup artist and entrepreneur, as she shares her extraordinary journey of passion, perseverance, and courage. From humble beginnings in a middle-class family to winning beauty pageants and building the renowned MDM brand, Meenakshi’s story is one of redefining identity, breaking norms, and creating a legacy in the beauty industry.In this inspiring talk, she reveals how courage, confidence, and relentless dedication transformed her dream into reality—and how she opened doors for countless women to pursue their own extraordinary paths. Discover how one woman’s vision turned makeup into an art form, a profession, and a movement, proving that with resilience and creativity, anyone can escape the ordinary and achieve the extraordinary. Meenakshi Dutt is a makeup queen who rules the makeup industry creates magic with her work and makes everyone spellbound with her extraordinary talent. Optimally praised in India and around the globe with her modernized magic and establishment for style and beauty totally follows PERFECTION. Her passion and love for flawless makeup no doubt make her stand out exceptionally and unmatched in the industry. Ramps were hers to stamp as the queen defeated the Miss Delhi and Miss Navy Queen beauty pageants, beautifying her existence as a professional model in 1988. Briskly moving along as a highly sought-after television anchor and model, the makeup queen Meenakshi Dutt steered uphill, culling out the career of a magnificent makeover expert and stylist in 1997. 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 insightful and witty talk, Sivakumar Mahalingam, Artificial Intelligence Expert and Tech Evangelist, shares how his real-life experiment with AI ordering 42 avocados turned into a powerful lesson on trust and responsibility in technology.Drawing from decades of experience in data, cloud, and AI systems across four continents, Sivakumar reveals the three pillars of trustworthy AI — Fairness, Explainability, and Accountability — and why they are essential as we race toward an increasingly automated world.Through relatable stories, humor, and practical wisdom, he reminds us that while AI is smart, it’s not always trustworthy — and that true innovation lies in creating systems we can understand, rely on, and use to escape the ordinary. Sivakumar Mahalingam is an Artificial Intelligence Expert, Tech Evangelist, and Architect known for his expertise in building scalable data, cloud, and AI-driven systems. With a career spanning multiple industry domains and collaborations across four continents, he has been instrumental in delivering impactful, future-ready technology solutions. His work focuses on synthetic data generation, ethical AI, and responsible innovation, reflecting his commitment to shaping a more transparent and trustworthy digital 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

Sukhmani Lamba is a versatile actress, dancer, and live performer who has been part of the performing arts for over 15 years. At just 18, she was chosen to play the lead role of Princess Sonali in Zangoora – The Gypsy Prince, India’s first Broadway-style musical at the Kingdom of Dreams, produced by Wizcraft Entertainment.Since then, Sukhmani has captivated audiences across stage and screen, appearing in major films and theatrical productions while continuing to host live events. Her journey reflects resilience, passion, and the relentless pursuit of dreams — from facing personal challenges to rediscovering strength through her art.Through her performances and her story, Sukhmani inspires others to embrace their craft, show up every day with purpose, and keep growing — both on and off stage. In love with being on stage from a very young age, Sukhmanee has been in the field of performing arts for over 15 years now. She is a versatile actress, an elegant dancer & a live events anchor. At the tender age of 18, she was selected to play the lead role of Princess Sonali in the biggest Bollywood Musical of India – Zangoora – the Gypsy Prince at the Kingdom of Dreams, Gurugram. The show was a broadway style theatrical production, helmed by Wizcraft Entertainment. 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

At just 14, Ayana Gupta is already an author, entrepreneur, pianist, and youth activist — but her journey began with a breaking point. In this heartfelt TEDx Talk, she shares how moments of pressure, loss, and constant change can become catalysts for growth.Through her story — from writing her debut novel Breaking Point to founding her animal welfare initiative Project Pawprints — Ayana reveals how creativity and compassion helped her transform pain into purpose. She reminds us that escaping the ordinary isn’t about avoiding struggle, but about how we rebuild ourselves from it.With wisdom beyond her years, Ayana encourages us to embrace change, lead with empathy, and turn our breaking points into breakthroughs. Ayana Gupta is a writer, youth leader, and social impact advocate passionate about turning ideas into meaningful action. Her journey began with storytelling—she has published poetry, stories, and a research paper on the role of AI in the stock market, and is currently working on a poetry collection and a novel that explore resilience and identity. 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, serial entrepreneur and space enthusiast Brage Johansen explores a new, more natural way of understanding time - inspired by the rhythms of nature and the movements of the Earth. Through his unique lens, Brage invites us to rethink our relationship with time, and to rediscover a sense of harmony between human life and the natural cycles that shape it.Watch to experience a fresh, mind-expanding perspective on something we all live by - yet rarely stop to question. Brage Johansen is a serial entrepreneur with a deep passion for civilisation development. He has successfully cofounded and lead four companies and introduced revolutionary new products into society in the fields of hydrogen, electric car charging, farming, electric transmission and photocatalytic coatings. That is his daytime job. His night time hobby and passion is within space exploration, space technology and astronomy, and he has several board and advisory positions in companies and organisations in the space industry.At TEDxFredrikstad Brage Johansen will explore a more natural concept of Time, a new design for a clock based on basic near-Earth astronomy and Nature's rythm. The talk will give you 7 pieces of astronomical information, each worthy a meditation in itself, that in sum concludes in a new natural way of thinking about Time. 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