Theme: Heroes of Life

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized (subject to certain rules and regulations).

Islamabad
Islamabad
Islamabad, Islamabad, 44000
Pakistan

Ejaz Khan

Dr. Ejaz Khan has almost 18 years of teaching, research, and programme implementation experience. His work has been published extensively in international journals of high impact. His current h-index is 27. Dr. Ejaz coordinated the health response during the 2005 earthquake resulting in efficient and effective coordination between all national and international agencies. During 2007-08 Cyclone Yemyin, he effectively averted disease outbreaks and prevented deaths from snakebites with timely interventions. He is also a certified Disaster Management Trainer. Apart from that, Dr Ejaz also has a keen interest in poetry. He is a good chef and loves deep sea diving.

Irfanullah Wazir

Irfan Ullah Wazir, a Satellite Engineer at PTV Peshawar, became paraplegic from a spinal cord injury due to a road accident in 2010. He did not let his physical disability stop him from achieving his dreams. Over the years, he’s participated in several national and international wheelchair tennis and badminton championships and received numerous medals. Not only that, he is also the General Secretary of a nonprofit organization ‘Friends of Paraplegics’ and a volunteer at Paraplegic Center. His struggle and willpower is an inspiration for all of us.

Orooj E Zafar

Orooj-e-Zafar is a final year medical student and spoken word poet. Orooj has been widely published online and in print. Most recently, they will have their second poetry collection 'heart the size of a loosening fist' released this April through Vegetarian Alcoholic Press. They have won the Pakistan National Poetry Slam 2018, spoke and performed at TEDxPIEAS 2017. They have also conducted workshops with children and adults on spoken word poetry and storytelling in different institutions while juggling medical school and being an Auratnaak (a female comedian in Pakistan)! Their first poetry collection, 'Home & Other Debris' is available at bookstores.

Sara Saeed Khurram

Sehat Kahani is an all-female health provider network that is constantly working to create quality healthcare solutions for communities where health access and quality & affordability of healthcare is still a dream, using cost-effective ICT enabled solutions. Dr. Sara Saeed Khurram has won several notable awards such as CRDF Global, Ashoka Changemakers, ISIF Asia, The Unilever Sustainable Living Young Entrepreneurs Awards, The Unicef Global Goal Campaigner Award 2016 and Arpatech Young Entrepreneurs Award 2017 for her work. She is also a Cartier Awards finalist and the first Frontier Innovator from Pakistan. She is a regional Acumen fellow 2016, Cherie Blair Foundation alumnus and has been part of well-known accelerators such as Invest2Innovate and the Amplify program. Dr. Sara Saeed Khurram has been born and bred in Karachi. She did her MBBS from DOW University of Health Sciences in 2010 and later a master's degree in Health Policy and Management from The Aga Khan University of Health Sciences in 2018. Dr. Sara Saeed Khurram loves turning ideas into reality. She is an implementer and doer who loves traveling, music, poetry, but the majority of her personal time is dedicated towards her two daughters that inspire her to fight for equal rights for women in every walk of life.

Sharmeen Khan

Sharmeen Khan is a psychologist who has been involved in disaster relief and rehabilitation since 2005. She has worked in areas affected by floods, earthquakes, droughts, heatwaves, bomb blasts, and terror attacks. She currently resides in Karachi where she has a private practice and runs the Sindh Chapter of the volunteer organization, Resettling the Indus.