Theme: On the Brink

The world today is encapsulated by a culture of disruptive innovation, change, growth and discovery. We are constantly 'on the brink' of a paradigm change in the myriads of fields like medicine, technology and science. Conversely, we are also 'on the brink' of bringing about irreversible change to the earth's ecosystem, in what can only be termed as a 'climate crisis'. Being 'on the brink' extends beyond global conflicts as well, and permeates into individual lives as well. We are always on the verge of success or catastrophe, no matter what the challenge. Being ‘on the brink’ is one of the most powerful and defining moments in one’s life. It symbolises strength, willpower, and most importantly, courage. At this TEDxYouth Conference at GEMS Modern Academy, speakers can delve deeper into what the essence of brinksmanship is, spread ideas and share experiences on how being "on the brink" at some point in their lives has shaped them.

GEMS Modern Academy
Nad Al Sheba 3, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Dubai, Dubayy, 53663
United Arab Emirates

Abhay Sharma

Abhay Sharma is a fifteen-year-old student at GEMS Modern Academy. He is an avid debater and public speaker. Apart from Travis Scott’s music, he is also extremely passionate about playing waterpolo and wants to pursue a career in Math.

Anusha Wanganoo

A sixteen-year old blogger, poetess and literary enthusiast, Anusha Wanganoo began her writing online at the age of ten, through her food blog which has gathered a total of 2.6 million views till date. She is also a National Spelling Bee Finalist, Sustainable Youth advocate, accomplished vocalist and musician.

Avneet Kohli

Avneet Kohli is an award-winning presenter, Inspirational Speaker, Image Consultant & Communication Coach. Avneet’ s passion for education and coaching others to create an impact has led her to serve educational institutions such as the ISDI Parsons School of Design, Mod’Art School of Fashion, EMDI Institute of Media & Communication. She believes that being able to communicate effectively is the first step taken to make any dream a reality. It is her mission to help others transform self-doubt into unshakable self-belief and confidence. True to this cause, she curates life and skill enhancement learning programs, trainings, events and digital content.

Hemant Julka

Hemant Julka, Chief Operating Officer and Co-founder of VeggiTech, has spent over 3 decades in the corporate world in senior roles across the aviation and technology sector before co-founding an agro-tech startup VeggiTech and taking on the role of a full-time farmer in UAE. He is passionate about solving problems at a grass root level and invests his time interacting with students, teachers, and parents across UAE to realize a better world for tomorrow. He is part of our GEMS Modern Academy's Local Advisory Board focusing on Innovation, Design Thinking and Entrepreneurship.

Issac Vinu

An avid reader and admirer of literature, Issac Vinu of Our Own High School, Al Warqa'a, prefers to ignore the obvious meanings in well written pieces. The hidden meanings in every story and the complexity of the authors that write it always sparked a certain interest in him, and his speech features an insight into the world of storytelling - a world like none another.

Jonathan Jacob Ajith

Jonathan is a twelve year old seventh grader who enjoys playing board games and debating during his free time. He loves watching documentaries on wildlife animals. His favorite subject is Chemistry and he aspires to be a Chemical Engineer at NASA. He is a voracious swimmer and an avid fan of Michael Phelps. He looks up to Phelps as his role model. “A dream is not the thing that you see in sleep but is that thing that doesn’t let you sleep.” - a famous quote by APJ Abdul Kalam is what inspires him to be self driven.

Muhammed Hafesjee

Muhammed Hafesjee, a very passionate 13 year old kid, aspires to be a Software Developer and work in the Biomedical Field to create advanced prosthetics that would enable challenged people to progress with a more normal life. In his free time, he codes, thinks, creates, and innovates. He is also a part of his school's IT Team.

Rohit Vivek

Rohit Vivek is fourteen years old and is in the tenth grade. He loves debating and public speaking and has participated competitively in them. He enjoys playing tennis as he sees it as a way to unwind and take his mind off other important tasks. He also enjoys taking part in robotics as he feels it is a great test of his logic. His idol is Rafael Nadal and he hopes to emulate his good qualities as he grows older.

Sachit Singh Juneja

Sachit Singh Juneja is a focused individual who thinks he can make the world a better place. He is extremely passionate about and experienced in competitive debate, public-speaking, and elocution. He also enjoys playing basketball, going to the movies with his friends, and playing the guitar. He aspires to bring a positive change in the world.

Spriha Pandey

Spriha pandey is a keen sixth grade student who thoroughly enjoys and plays table tennis professionally. Her favourite subjects are Mathematics and Science. She loves indulging in arts, music, yoga, reading, skating, public speaking, and cooking related competition and activities. In the future, she dreams to become a player and also walk in my parents' footsteps to be a doctor

Sujith Varghese

Born in Dubai on the 17th April 1992, Sujith Varghese is a sportsperson, an ardent boxer and an avid racer. In March 2013, his life took a major turn when he met with a bike accident that left him paralyzed below his chest and to the wheelchair. Since then, he has had multiple surgeries, visits to hospitals and rehabilitation centers. In his journey, he has fought against the odds to get back up and going. Today, he is a banker by profession and an official fitness influencer in the UAE, a TEDx speaker and the winner of the Masala awards 2017 for the most inspirational personality.

Zaina Khaled

Zaina Khaled Nejim is a Projects Manager at Weyyak ‘Digital Business Middle East and Africa for Zee Entertainment’. She manages all the projects running in the digital VOD platform Weyyak and earlier handled content planning and acquiring. She worked as Projects supervisor and produced videos for governmental entities. She also used to be a producer at MBC Group. She iss a professional public speaker and voice over (dubbing artist). She holds masters in Leadership and Innovation, in Contemporary Media, and a Bachelors in Digital Production and Storytelling. She’s passionate about storytelling and all the Innovations in new media and traditional media.