Key Issue - Domestic violence affects one in three women in the United States annually [2] - In Lebec, Texas, over 45,500 domestic violence reports were filed in a single year, with the actual number likely higher [3] - The current system often fails survivors by focusing on logistics and limitations rather than listening and providing immediate support [6][7] Proposed Solutions - Prevention through self-defense lessons to empower young girls and teach them their worth [12] - Intervention with mentors and psychologists to help young women recognize manipulation [12] - Empowerment through creating a movement where no woman feels invisible or silenced [13] - Shift focus from post-abuse support to pre-emptive measures, preventing abuse before it occurs [10][14] Call to Action - Encourage teaching young people to recognize abuse and empowering them to speak up [11] - Advocate for impactful action on the front end of abuse to prevent young girls and women from becoming victims [19] - Promote the idea of love as a revolution against silence, creating opportunities for protection and breaking the cycle of abuse [15]

Personal Development & Resilience - The speaker emphasizes the importance of hard work and earning everything in life, a value instilled from a middle-class military family [1] - The speaker experienced a life-altering event in 2010 with the sudden loss of her father, leading to an "overnight crash course in adulting" and a significant shift in responsibilities [1] - Faced with the choice to give up or persevere, the speaker chose to stand up for her family, highlighting the importance of resilience in overcoming adversity [1] - The speaker emphasizes the importance of having a purpose in life, which drove her to pursue powerlifting and break stereotypes [1][2] - The speaker highlights the importance of choosing differently and adapting to new cultures and mindsets, using the analogy of switching from Android to iOS [1] Career & Professional Life - The speaker initially pursued finance but had to join a public limited company where her father worked, taking a front desk role to support her family [1] - Despite not being her initial career aspiration, the speaker aimed to be the best in her role, eventually becoming an executive assistant and learning leadership skills [1] - The speaker balanced a demanding full-time job in human resources with powerlifting, demonstrating the ability to manage multiple responsibilities and overcome challenges [2][3] Inspiration & Impact - The speaker's journey inspired others, with fathers wanting their daughters to be like her and individuals considering strength training [2] - The speaker's purpose is to touch the lives of people and inspire them to break stereotypes and pursue their passions, even in the face of pressure [2][3] - The speaker aims to be a voice for those who are hesitant to take a step forward, encouraging them to choose their purpose in life and become trailblazers [3]

Entrepreneurial Journey & Transformation - The speaker transformed from a corporate employee to an entrepreneur, building ecosystems and impacting thousands [1] - Over 12 years ago in Chennai, the speaker aimed to change perceptions of makeup artistry as a business, art, and movement of confidence [1] - Faced societal doubts and family concerns initially, but persevered through challenges like a crying first bride [1] - Overcame COVID-19 challenges by innovating and adapting safety measures, redefining beauty as safety and responsibility [2] - Made a pivotal decision to stay in her city and focus on her business, leading to significant opportunities [3] Business Growth & Impact - The speaker's brand, Palette Affair, started small but grew, facing challenges like COVID-19 [2] - Successfully executed a Guinness World Record project involving 101 underprivileged brides, showcasing beauty as belonging [3] - Awarded Bridal Makeup Artist of the Year, validating sacrifices and judgments [3] - Built an ecosystem fueling various related professions, emphasizing business over just beauty [3] Personal Empowerment & Inspiration - The speaker's journey highlights the power of confidence and reinvention, inspiring others to take charge of their lives [1] - A key moment was realizing the impact on students, empowering them to earn, lead, and decide their futures [3] - The speaker's son learning about women's leadership and inspiration is a proud moment, shaping future generations [3]

Leadership Redefinition - The traditional view of leadership, focused on authority, control, and spotlight, is limited; true leadership is about empowering others to become leaders [3] - Leadership is not about personal glory or accumulating followers, but about developing other leaders to create a lasting impact [4] - The industry emphasizes that creating more leaders leads to exponential impact, as opposed to a single leader trying to influence a large group [5] Legacy and Impact - Building a leadership legacy requires a long-term focus, patience, and humility, with the impact often realized over time [4] - The industry highlights that the real impact of leadership is not just in the number of followers, but in the success of the successors [24] - The long-term impact of a leader is more important than short-term gains when measuring their success [28] Leadership Style Shifts - The industry advocates for a shift from control to coaching, power to empowerment, and followers to future leaders [20] - Moving from control to coaching involves developing capabilities to enable individuals to lead independently [21] - Shifting from power to empowerment means providing individuals with the tools, trust, and space to lead [21] - Transforming followers into future leaders involves developing individuals to become leaders themselves, creating a distributed leadership model [21] Distributed Leadership - Distributed leadership creates resilient organizations and allows for greater positive impact compared to concentrated leadership [23] - Concentrated leadership limits opportunities for others to develop into leaders [22] - Distributed leadership fosters more leaders within organizations, leading to greater overall impact [23]

Core Message - The speech emphasizes the importance of self-awareness and purpose in professional life, particularly in the face of career setbacks [1][5][6] - It advocates for transforming personal pain into empowerment and extending that empowerment to others [10][11] - The speaker encourages the audience to define their work as a service to others, focusing on engaging, enlightening, and empowering those around them [13][14] Networking and Connection - The speech highlights the distinction between knowing people and having a genuine connection with them, emphasizing that referrals come from the latter [9] - It suggests that building strong connections is crucial for professional success and impact [8][9] Personal Growth and Resilience - The speech acknowledges the inevitability of disappointments and challenges in life and career [12][13] - It stresses the importance of pausing, reflecting, and identifying the next right move during difficult times [13] - The speaker shares a personal experience of job loss and uses it to illustrate the journey of self-discovery and finding one's voice [1][2][3][4][5][12]

[Music] Good evening everyone and I would say that this long intro would have given you that the CV should be short. Don't list down everything when you're going for a job or when any infoses or any IT company comes to pick you up. A lot of this becomes irrelevant like in my intro.A lot of the things by the time you were hearing it would have become boring and monotonous. But coming to the topic, coming to the theme that was given to us today, go beyond. Today at TEDex AKG, the theme is go beyond.What do yo ...

Social Enterprise & Innovation - The social enterprise's journey began from humble beginnings to speaking at the UN headquarters, highlighting a significant transformation [1] - The core innovation, "Bungru" (meaning "big straw" in Gujarati), is a cylindrical structure used to filter excess rainwater into the soil, enabling farmers to grow crops in both monsoon and dry seasons [13] - The technology transforms lives by enabling farmers to move from zero crops to at least two crops per year [14] - One Bungru unit can store between 400,000 liters to 40 million liters of water [15] - The enterprise has scaled to over 5,500 units across 12 states in India and countries like Vietnam, Ghana, Bangladesh, and Rwanda [15] - These units collectively store approximately 22 billion liters (2.2% billion liters) of water annually [15] Women's Empowerment & Community Impact - The enterprise empowers rural women farmers by upgrading their social status and providing them with a dignified life [7] - Women are trained in technological aspects and maintenance of the Bungru units, becoming "women climate leaders" who train other farmers [18][19] - Joint ownership of Bungru units by women farmers has increased their economic activities and household decision-making power [17][19] - The UNFCC recognized that the most important impact of the technology is that women have transitioned from farm laborers to self-employed farmers, earning respect and dignity in their villages [20][21]

Core Message - The power of revising and retelling personal stories to empower oneself and inspire others, emphasizing that it's never too late to do so [2] - Encouragement to examine and retell difficult stories from a place of gratitude and fulfillment [34] - Recognizing the potential of everyday people, like the speaker's mother, who may appear ordinary but are significant to others [33] Speaker's Mother's Story - The speaker's mother's early life in Afghanistan involved facing restrictions and societal expectations, finding solace and recognition in school [4][5][6] - The mother's journey involved leaving school due to marriage, experiencing war, and eventually immigrating to the United States [7][8][9] - The mother worked at a hot dog stand in the US to support her family, a job the speaker was initially embarrassed by but later recognized as a source of opportunity [11][12][24] - Despite hardships, the mother prioritized her children's education, setting high standards and instilling good character [19][20] Personal Transformation - The speaker's realization that she had been telling herself the wrong story, focusing on lack instead of the blessings and opportunities they had [25] - The speaker's recognition of her mother's resilience, courage, and efforts to provide a better life for her children [26][27][28]

Personal Transformation & Empowerment - The speech emphasizes a journey of self-discovery and empowerment, moving from a state of being "dismissed" to achieving "fierce independence" [4][18] - It highlights the importance of inner transformation and finding one's "ikigai" (reason for being) through quiet rebellion and listening to inner whispers [3][20] - The speaker's personal narrative showcases resilience, overcoming mediocrity, and embracing motherhood as a transformative experience [5][6] Women's Empowerment & Mobility - The speech addresses the underrepresentation of women drivers in India, with only 2% of women driving, reflecting limitations in freedom, safety, employment, and autonomy [12] - It points out that lack of mobility is a key barrier to employment in developing countries, according to a 2021 survey by the International Transport Forum [12] - The speaker's work as a driving coach focuses on empowering women by addressing their fears and anxieties related to driving, offering a supportive and empathetic learning environment [14][15] Life Lessons & Metaphors - Driving is presented as a metaphor for life, with lessons on handling mistakes, changing lanes, and restarting after setbacks [17] - The speech encourages taking the first step ("Niklo") and not overthinking, emphasizing action and self-belief [21] - It promotes the idea of going alone if necessary ("Ekla Cholo Re"), even if progress is slow, and finding one's purpose through action [19][20]

Imagine [Music] a world where every girl growing up knows deep inside her soul that her voice matters. a world where her dreams aren't silenced by poverty, dimmed by tradition, or dismissed by stereotypes, but rather amplified by opportunity, nurtured by education, and fueled by unshakable confidence. Right now, more girls are sitting in classrooms. They're building companies. They're leading revolutions. They're reshaping the future. They're reshaping the future in science, in politics, art, and technology ...