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I’ve always been passionate about listening to people TEDx so special. It all has to work in synergy with each
talk about their passions. I’m not a sports person, but I other, not as individual elements.
would pay good money to listen to Michael Phelps talk After selecting our speakers, we each spent weeks with
about swimming. I’m not into Opera but I would love them making sure their speech sounds cohesive and
to hear Andrea Bocelli speak on his love of music. falls in line with “ideas worth sharing.” Their words
Listening to someone speak on what they love is a are meant to send a message, spark a realization,
benediction of the human experience. or catch an emotion. These ideas meant something,
TED talks are known worldwide as influential talks and it was our job to make sure that the audience
from experts on a wide variety of topics. You can watch understood what that was.
a Ted talk from Bill Gates, Angela Lee Duckworth, I got to work under two amazing people. My team Lead,
and Shahrukh Khan. They speak on pandemics, Grit, Casey Horani, who is probably the most levelheaded
and thoughts on humanity and love. These talks are man I’ve ever met. His principals and passion made
available to us for free on Youtube. I’ve utilized this for a fantastic work ethic reflected by the actions of
free learning to become acquainted with the deeper the whole speaker curation committee. Above Casey
aspects of the people I look up to. Tedx is a grassroots is the man with a vision and so much grit. I’m still
platform to utilize the TED mission, “Ideas worth amazed I thought men like Suhas Tripathi only existed
sharing”, in smaller parts of the world. in books. These two future doctors have been leading

When I saw that there was a Tedx platform being myself and a team of other curators to make this local
offered in my area, I was eager to apply for the TEDx event something unique and special.
opportunity to be a part of the event. Even in college, I It takes a village. As a committee and under the
volunteered to bring speakers in for the World Religions advisement of our leads we have managed to curate
Department in order to share ideas. Everyone thinks an Olympian, a former secret service agent, an
I’m just very helpful. My motivations are purely selfish. illusionist, and three more phenomenal people to
I love listening to people talk on their passions, and I’ll speak on their passions on a TEDx platform.
spend my time and effort for free to make it happen.
Ideas make the world
Getting accepted to work on a TEDx project was an work. The sharing of ideas
exciting new opportunity. Understanding the effort is not a new concept.
it takes to put something like a quality talk together Plato, Hippocrates, and
was learning experience. I’ve learned that no matter Ibn-Sina shared their ideas
how much we are passionate about something, if we on platforms for centuries.
aren’t guided to talk about in a constructive manner, Back before radio, TV, and
it sounds like a bad journal entry in your diary. No phones people used to
matter how professional and well-versed you may be, storm to stadiums to hear
public speaking is an art. Being smart does not mean just that, ideas. New math,
you’ll be a good public speaker. old philosophy, lost love.
That became my job, and the job of 4 other women, as These ideas that became a foundation for human
speaker curators for this local Tedx event. We’ve been development. These ideas that still exist in our minds
very clear from the beginning that we wanted speakers today. The ideas that we can share with TED.
that worked with our theme. We did not want them
to construct their speech around our theme, rather
what they wanted to talk about had to fit naturally Aliza Ali
into our mission. It shouldn’t need to be retro-fitted. UNT Health Science Center
This meant we interviewed and turned down some M.S. Medical Science Candidate
of the most amazing and brilliant people I have had Ohio University | 2018
the pleasure of meeting. However, that’s what makes

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