[Music] [Applause] Have you ever been in a room full of people and still felt completely alone. I'm sure everyone in this room has experienced this feeling at least once in their life. My name is Christy and for me it was freshman year.My first lecture was at 8:00 a. m. sharp, and of course, I showed up at 7:30, hoping that being early would calm my nerves.I parked my car, took a deep breath, and stepped out of my PT cruiser into the hot, humid, August air. Immediately, I started sweating. My baby hair star ...

Imagine being at a Ravens playoff party. Everyone is shouting at the TV like the players can hear them and there's me laughing at the commercials because that is the only part I understand. So, am I in the party or outside of it.Somehow both. That is what it feels like to live in between. When you move abroad, people tell you happiness is waiting for you at the border holding a giant welcome sign with your name on it.But the only sign I saw said, "Do you have anything to declare today? I want to share my st ...

Say a sentence. Any sentence. Now change your accent just a little.Soften a vowel. Drop a consonant. Make it British or Spanish or something in between.Now ask yourself, did that sentence feel smarter or stranger, more trustworthy, more foreign. The truth is, we don't just hear what people say. We hear where they're from. We hear where we think that they belong.Accents are a little bit like passports. They carry assumptions, credibility, class, intelligence, even kindness. And yet, like passports, they can ...

I used to rehearse saying hello in my head before walking into a room. Not because I wanted to sound clever, but because I was terrified of getting it wrong. My heart would race, my hands would sweat.and every word felt like a test I was bound to fail. >> My name is Joanna Kashoka and for years I have lived with social anxiety silently. Today I want to talk about what that silence cost us and what happens when we start giving social anxiety a voice.When I was little, I was told I was too smart for my class, ...

Embracing uncertainty. I can tell you that if you would have took a time travel time machine back and talked to me about whether or not I would be on a stage talking about embracing uncertainty when I was in high school, I would have looked at you like you had a horn growing out of your head. I remember in 10th grade there was a Christmas choir concert and I was part of a trio that was going to sing, but I just couldn't get this this this harmony. It didn't feel right. And I at the time couldn't read music ...

Dil Dil Pakistan. A few years ago on Independence Day, I was just sitting in my room with my sisters and we were having this discussion just like how most of us ladies actually do. What are we going to wear? It's 14th August. We have to wear something green and white to show our patriotism with us in the room. We had the lady who helps at our home. So I asked her, "What are you doing for Independence Day. Aren't you celebrating. Aren't you excited.It's 14th of August. It's Independence Day. " and she said t ...

[Music] [Applause] My name is Admiad Kun, an English teacher, and you will never guess where I grew up. Shakespeare walk. So, I'm sure we can all agree that I was destined for literary greatness.Now, despite my loud proclamation of my name this evening, admittedly, it was once a source of embarrassment. I was born and raised in London to a Nigerian father and a Cameroonian mother who migrated to the United Kingdom in the 1980s. This makes me a first generation British individual.My parents were proud of the ...

Have you ever felt like a space didn't want you there. Maybe a park with no benches, a library you couldn't reach, a neighborhood that felt too polished or pristine that your footsteps weren't welcome there. Now, think of a place where you felt safe, seen, and maybe even loved.What made the difference. Was it your personal preference of color, lights, people. Or was it something harder to name, like the silent permission to simply be.Walk around most cities today and one thing becomes clear. Architecture is ...

[Music] What if the secret to belonging isn't becoming like everyone else, but being more authentically yourself. or that the bridges that we so need in this divided world are not built by conforming but by celebrating what makes us different. It's 1986.I'm in South Korea sitting at the back of an auditorium listening to a remarkable performance. I am completely mesmerized by this epic story being conveyed by a solo singer and a drum accompaniment. I've been a musician all of my life, but I have never heard ...

Communication & Connection - Human capacity for honest conversations is a key strength for future generations to thrive [1][31] - Humans have communicated since the beginning through various means, enabling communication across divides [2] - The ability to communicate, collaborate, and innovate was crucial for survival [4] - Disconnection and division are increasing in society, impacting families, generations, and individuals [7][8] - Loneliness affects 15% of people, posing a significant global public health issue [8] - Social isolation is as dangerous as smoking 15 cigarettes a day and impacts longevity similarly to hypertension and obesity [9] Strategies for Better Conversations - Carve out time and space for conversations [20][21][22] - Lead with clear, safe honesty by sharing experiences and feelings [22][23][24] - Listen with genuine curiosity to learn and make others feel heard [25][26] - Ground conversations in action and accountability [27][28]