TEDxUW

That's a wrap on TEDxUW! 🥳 It once again was one of the highlights of my Extempra calendar this year. After months of coaching our 10 phenomenal speakers, I sat in the audience cheering loudly as each speaker stood on the iconic red circle, sharing their message. Though I myself was not on stage, I silently ran through what was coming up like the speaker notes, I visualized what gestures were coming up, prayed that the special moments we worked on would land, and grinned like an idiot when my favorite parts of each person's speeches came up. Michelle, Shania, Rachel, Julia, Krysta, Tracy, Marjorie, Meti, Joel, and Samuel, I hope you’re all incredibly proud of what you've been able to do. All your speeches highlighted not only the important messages you had to share but also your unique personalities. I’ve felt a real connection with each of you and know we’ll cross paths again to create some more magical moments ✨ And I know the future leaders of Waterloo felt your impact as well. In fact, chatting with students who stopped by my booth, I heard amazing feedback about how the speeches really inspired them. It brought me right back to being an attendee at TEDxUW! Thanks again to the TEDxUW for welcoming me back this year. Special shoutout to Sandy Rbahia and Isha Basra for their incredible partnership. See you again next year!

This was definitely one of those "pinch me" moments. For the past few years, I’ve been diving into the complexities of pain for folks living with osteoarthritis. What started as a ‘small’ qualitative project during my undergrad has grown into something far beyond what I ever imagined. And this past weekend, I had the incredible opportunity to give a TEDx Talk about it! A huge thank you to the amazing TEDxUW team, Marco Yim, all the amazing other fellow speakers (Tracy, Shania, Meti, Michelle, Krysta, Julia, Joel and Marjorie), Ryan for the photos, my family, mentors, and especially my mom. What an experience!

I had an incredible experience attending TEDxUW yesterday, where I had the opportunity to meet some truly inspiring speakers. However, one speaker's message truly shifted my mindset in such a powerful way—I just had to share it here! Michelle Grocholsky delivered a talk about how unconscious biases and stereotypes—whether tied to race, ethnicity, or personality—can still impact hiring decisions in 2024. And as a Bangladeshi international student navigating the Canadian job market, her insights really hit home and made me reflect on my own journey. After her talk, I had the opportunity to chat with Michelle one-on-one. She gave me some incredible advice on how, as a job seeker, I can focus on highlighting my strengths and unique skills to truly stand out from the crowd. She encouraged me to make small but meaningful mindset shifts, like moving away from obsessing over "what went wrong" and told me that during times like this, it is really important to remember "If I didn't get the job, this wasn’t the right fit for me, but something better is waiting for me." I think a lot of people here in my network can benefit from her advice. It’s a great reminder to take a step back, relax, and focus on our strengths rather than our shortcomings. Big thanks to TEDxUW for organizing such an inspiring event and giving me the chance to connect with so many amazing people!

Not my first event but the first one as Riptide Creative & being a platinum sponsor and at TEDxUW this past Sunday! 🎥💥 I had some amazing conversations with inspiring students, speakers, and sponsors. The energy was unreal, and I walked away feeling even more motivated to keep pushing forward with Riptide’s mission. As someone who's locked in on working with founders and companies focused on sustainable innovation, this event was a perfect fit. It’s always a reminder of the power of creativity and the potential we all have to make real change. If you’re working on something that’s going to change the world, I’m all ears – let’s talk.

It’s official. I’m a hand-talker 🤗 AND, a TEDx speaker! It was a joy sharing what happened when we asked over 1,000 employees across North America “who would you hire?” after presenting them with one of four different candidates. The twist? Each candidate had an identical script; the very same answers to the very same interview questions. It was a privilege to shine a light on the role that stereotypes play in shaping who we think is most competent, trustworthy and leader-like, and what we must do to stop them from sticking (Question the Impression). But most of all, it was an honour to meet the countless University of Waterloo students who shared their experiences with me, including many who have encountered stereotypes and barriers to fair chance hiring. More on this to come in future posts. Thank you to the incredible TEDxUW team for the opportunity and for putting together a phenomenal event and lineup of speakers, including: Dr. Marjorie E. Dixon MDCM, FRCS(C), FACOG, REI, Tracy Schmitt BRLS, B.Ed, MBA, Shania Bhopa, Rachel Almaw, Joel Blit, Julia Nuguid, Samuel Wong, Krysta Traianovski, and Meti Basiri Huge kudos to Matthew Kee, our poetic and powerful emcee. Massive gratitude to Marco Yim whose invaluable guidance and support helped every single speaker shine ✨ if you want to refine your communication skills, Marco is the partner to call! As for me, I’m currently allowing my overworked hands rest 😂 #TEDx #TED #equitydiversityinclusion

Yesterday I had the amazing opportunity to experience TEDxUW’s 2024 conference “In the Odd Chance” at the University of Waterloo. I was blown away by all the amazing speakers, including Michelle Grocholsky, Dr. Marjorie E. Dixon MDCM, FRCS(C), FACOG, REI, Tracy Schmitt BRLS, B.Ed, MBA, Rachel Almaw, Julia Nuguid and so many others! From watching TED-Ed talks ever since I was little, it was so impactful to be able to be apart of the conversation space. Thanks to everyone involved in making this event happen, at the end of the day I walked away meeting so many wonderful people and feeling more confident to take the odd chance on what I want to pursue in my own life. #TEDx #UniversityofWaterloo

I had the incredible opportunity to speak at TEDxUW this weekend! 🎤 During my talk, I challenged common perceptions about international students in #Canada and shared why I believe international students are innovators, future leaders, and critical contributors to our nation’s growth. The event brought together inspiring minds, and I’m grateful for the chance to explore new ideas with an amazing community. Thank you to everyone who joined, supported, and made this experience unforgettable! #TEDx #UniversityOfWaterloo #GlobalEducation #InternationalStudents

Had an incredible time at the TEDxUW event earlier today! It was a pleasure to connect with so many wonderful and inspirational individuals. This year’s theme, "The Odd Chance," served as a powerful reminder for all delegates to embrace uncertainty. I had the privilege of engaging with four remarkable speakers, and I wanted to share a brief highlight from each: Tracy Schmitt BRLS, B.Ed, MBA - The first four-way amputee to climb the Himalayas, sail, scuba dive, and a bronze medalist alpine skier. Tracy shared her BUF model (Barriers, Uncertainty, Flippin' Do It) for achieving your full potential. You're truly unstoppable, Tracy! 💪 Joel Blit  - A Professor of Economics at the University of Waterloo, Dr. Blit discussed the transformative potential of AI. His innovative framework for understanding technological disruption has been embraced by multi-billion dollar financial firms as a foundation for their AI strategies. Shania Bhopa - Not just a TikTok star (wellbyshania), Shania is a Vanier Scholar, NGO founder, CEO, author, and more! She reminded us that with an average of about 4,000 weeks on Earth, we have one shot to do it all—so why not just do it all? ✨ Dr. Marjorie E. Dixon MDCM, FRCS(C), FACOG, REI - Dr. Dixon founded Anova Fertility & Reproductive Health, the leading fertility and IVF center in Canada. She spoke about using others’ doubts about you as fuel to reach your full potential. Whenever anyone says you can’t do that or it’s impossible, show them why you’re more than what anyone can contain within a box. Thank you, TEDxUW, for organizing such a fun and inspiring event. Remember, when life gives you "The Odd Chance," take it 🚀

Extempra is back at TEDxUW! 🎉 I'm thrilled to be welcomed as the team's speaker coach once again. I cannot believe the event is just a few days away! This year's lineup? A vibrant mix of trailblazers from academia and industry - I know I've been inspired by their messages as I got to know each speaker. I've been working hard over the last few months with our speakers to think through their big ideas, refining how they position their stories, nerding out on how to create contrast through their delivery, and obsessing over the visual details of their slides. It's been an absolute blast ♥️ As the event is right around the corner, I went back through the archives to re-watch the speeches and photos from last year. In reflection, I'm filled with gratitude for collaborating with such bright minds and pride in seeing the final product resonate so powerfully with the audience. All that to say, this year will be great. I can feel it! And hey, if you're at the event, stop by and say hi at Extempra's booth. Here's to another year of ideas worth spreading!

🌟 What an incredible experience! 🌟 I had the privilege of being part of the Organizing TEDxUW. It was incredibly rewarding to see the results of our team who worked relentlessly resonate both inside and outside the venue, but the real highlight was witnessing the powerful ideas shared on stage by Tracy Schmitt BRLS, B.Ed, MBA, Krysta Traianovski, Michelle Grocholsky and how they inspired every single person in the room.The speeches were so captivating that I found myself almost getting lost in the talks instead of focusing on capturing photos 😀 .The valuable networking and the opportunity to meet brilliant, inspiring minds was something I’ve always been looking for, and I’m so glad to have finally experienced it firsthand. Special thanks to Julia Fedorin for giving me an opportunity to be part of the organizing team and Huge thanks to the amazing team, speakers, and attendees who made this event truly memorable. Here’s to many more moments of learning, growth, and inspiration! 🚀💡 #TEDx #EventOrganizing #IdeasWorthSpreading #Teamwork #Inspiration #Growth