TED@BCG

Gingger Shankar performs two enchanting songs from her upcoming documentary, "Nari," which tells the story of how her mother and grandmother helped bring Indian music to the west with Ravi Shankar and George Harrison. The songs, "Jiva" and "Meddle,” pay tribute to the lives of the matriarchs in her family. Shankar performs and beat-boxes with world-renowned percussionist Pirashanna Thevarajah and is joined by DJ Devin Parker.

In the US, the steep cost of medical care means many curable diseases go untreated. Pricing expert Jean-Manuel Izaret shares a plan for making treatments for curable diseases affordable for all by switching to a subscription-like payment system (similar to the one pioneered by Netflix) that would distribute costs over time and across an entire population of subscribers.

Air pollution is one of the world's most intractable problems, accounting for four to five million deaths each year. What if we could capture pollution in the air around us and turn into something useful? Tech inventor Anirudh Sharma shows how he created a device that recycles air pollution like diesel fumes into useable black ink -- and made the world just a bit cleaner in the process.

What does it take to build the fast, flexible, creative teams needed to challenge entrenched work culture? For transformation expert Martin Danoesastro, it all starts with one question: "What are you willing to give up?" He shares lessons learned from companies on both sides of the innovation wave on how to structure your organization so that people at all levels are empowered to make decisions fast and respond to change.

Companies are counting on their future leaders to manage with more speed, flexibility and trust than ever before. But how can middle managers climb the corporate ladder while also challenging the way things have always been done? Leadership expert Elizabeth Lyle offers a new approach to breaking the rules while you're on your way up, sharing creative ways organizations can give middle managers the space and coaching they need to start leading differently.

"Music is so much more than sound simply traveling through the ear," says sign language interpreter Amber Galloway-Gallego. In a spirited performance, musician and activist Madame Gandhi plays two songs -- "Top Knot Turn Up" and "Bad Habits" -- while Galloway-Gallego provides an animated sign language interpretation.

Imagine your company hires a new employee and then everyone just ignores them, day in and day out, while they sit alone at their desk getting paid to do nothing. This situation actually happens all the time -- when companies invest millions of dollars in new tech tools only to have frustrated employees disregard them, says Nadjia Yousif. In this fun and practical talk, she offers advice on how to better collaborate with the technologies in your workplace -- by treating them like colleagues.

Are you looking closely? Visual educator Amy Herman explains how to use art to enhance your powers of perception and find connections where they may not be apparent. Learn the techniques Herman uses to train Navy SEALS, doctors and crime scene investigators to convert observable details into actionable knowledge with this insightful talk.