How we perceive reality is shaped by the interactions between our memories, present sensations, and future expectations. How do our brains distinguish between reality and what we perceive as reality? Once we recognize how much control our brains exert over our beliefs about reality, we can empower ourselves and others to create the best version of it.Aleena is an assistant professor of neurobiology at Harvard Medical School. She studies how memory regulates the way auditory and visual information interact in the brain to create perception. Her research focuses on how the brain constructs memories and expectations through experience interacting with the world and then decides what it will do with its future, given what it already knows and predicts will happen.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 inspiring talk, Catherine Ducharme explores why appreciation is one of the most powerful yet overlooked resources in leadership and life. Drawing on research and real-world stories, she shows how genuine appreciation—seeing and valuing people for who they are, not just what they do—boosts engagement, strengthens culture, and fosters belonging. Catherine explains how leaders can shift from recognition and compliments to true appreciation, using her TAPS method: Timely, Authentic, Personal, and Specific. At a time when disconnection is rampant, she makes a compelling case that appreciation is abundant, renewable, and transformative. Catherine, Founder and Principal of Fluency Leadership, is a professional certified coach and facilitator with over 30 years of experience in communications and leadership. Catherine’s mission is to empower leaders to create thriving, appreciative workplaces and become the positive leaders they aspire to be. Through Fluency, she delivers programs, workshops and 1:1 coaching to leaders and their teams. She also loves sharing leadership insights and inspiring action through writing and speaking. 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

Chinatowns across the U.S. are vanishing, but what’s disappearing is more than real estate. In this deeply personal and historically grounded talk, Minjia Yan explores how these vibrant neighborhoods are being diminished by gentrification, cultural tokenism, and neglect. From D.C. to Philadelphia, and her own hometown of Las Vegas, she shows how Chinatowns stand as living testaments to immigrant resilience and why their disappearance matters to all of us.This isn’t just a talk about buildings. It’s about preserving culture, identity, and community for generations to come.About the Speaker: Minjia Yan is a cultural advocate, community strategist, and storyteller dedicated to preserving immigrant heritage through policy and public engagement. With experience collaborating across civic and nonprofit sectors, she brings a nuanced, intergenerational perspective to conversations on gentrification and preservation. Her work highlights grassroots movements and reframes cultural neighborhoods as dynamic, evolving hubs, not relics of the past. Minjia Yan is the Director of Millennium Commercial Properties, a Las Vegas-based commercial real estate firm. She is currently acting as a project consultant for the 3-mile long Spring Mountain Corridor/Chinatown Redevelopment Plan, a comprehensive redevelopment plan initiated by Clark County.Minjia is passionate about placemaking and community development. She began her career in doing affordable housing projects in downtown Las Vegas. She is a committee member on the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC)’s Southern Nevada Strong Regional Plan and Transportation Resource Advisory Committee and the City of Henderson’s Henderson Strong Comprehensive Plan Stakeholder Group. She was honored by Business Insider as one of the "2020 Rising Stars of Real Estate" and by Commercial Property Executive magazine as one of the "Stars to Watch'' in 2022. 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

Redefining leadership means moving beyond titles and authority to embrace authenticity, vulnerability, and resilience. It is about being real in actions, raw in emotions, and ready to face challenges with adaptability. Leadership in this sense inspires others through genuineness and courage rather than position or power. I am Siji Varghese, a TEDx speaker, certified trainer, and international behavioral facilitator. My work focuses on leadership development, emotional intelligence, and women-centric programs like Leaders in Lipstick®, aimed at empowering individuals to lead with authenticity and purpose. 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

Bhāratīya Darśana, or Indian philosophy, is a profound quest for truth rooted in the Vedas and expressed through six classical schools—Sāṅkhya, Yoga, Nyāya, Vaiśeṣika, Mīmāṁsā, and Vedānta. Sāṅkhya presents a dualistic framework of consciousness and matter, while Yoga offers practical methods for self-realization. Nyāya focuses on logic and epistemology, and Vaiśeṣika explores the physical world through categories like substance and motion. Mīmāṁsā emphasizes dharma and ritual action as paths to liberation, and Vedānta seeks the ultimate unity of the self and Brahman. Together, these darśanas form a comprehensive and complementary vision of life, knowledge, and liberation. Dr. Mukund Madhav Tripathi, is an accomplished academic leader with 17 years of experience in corporates, higher education, research, and academic administration. Currently serving as the Associate Dean at the School of Commerce, NMIMS University, he has significantly contributed to academic planning, curriculum development, and faculty mentorship.A Ph.D. in Business Management and Business Administration, Dr. Tripathi also holds an MBA from Banaras Hindu University and a B. Tech. in Electronics and Communication. His interdisciplinary academic background combines strong technical expertise with strategic business insight.Dr. Tripathi has authored and published over 20 research papers in reputed journals listed under ABDC, Scopus, Web of Science, and UGC Care. He is an AIMA-certified consultant and has presented research at top-tier institutions such as IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Kozhikode, and MICA Ahmedabad, among others.Recognized for his thought leadership, he has been invited as a keynote speaker and session chair at several postgraduate and undergraduate conferences and events, including those hosted by MICA. He has also actively participated in and organized academic workshops and conferences, especially in the fields of analytics and artificial intelligence.His research interests include Business Analytics, Supply Chain Management, Logistics Management, WMS, Generative AI and Indian Knowledge System. He has attended numerous faculty development programs and advanced workshops at prestigious institutions such as IIT Madras, IIM Bangalore, and IIIT Ahmedabad. He has also served as the convener for multiple training programs focused on R programming and analytical tools.With a deep commitment to innovation in education, Dr. Tripathi continues to mentor postgraduate students and remains actively engaged in research, consultancy, and institutional development. 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