Cynthia Cheng gives a talk at TEDxTinHauWomen in 2021
Cover Cynthia Cheng gives a talk at TEDxTinHauWomen in 2021

Ahead of the return of TEDxTinHauWomen in Hong Kong, we highlight the most viewed talks from the event as well as the all-time most popular TEDWomen talks

"Influential videos from expert speakers." That's what TED talks are, whether they stem from the organisation's main TED conference, from its satellite TEDx events that take place worldwide to increase the reach even further of those "ideas worth spreading", or, in this case, from the TEDWomen conference that focuses on women and girls and their power to be creators and changemakers.

Here, we have selected the most popular talks from TEDxTinHauWomen, the women-dedicated TEDx event in Hong Kong hosted around the live webcast of TEDWomen and featuring local speakers, which will return on December 1, 2022, as well as the most viewed talks from TEDWomen, including one by cognitive scientist Lera Borodistky's talk on language and thought that has garnered more than 18 million views. The following collection of talks spans a broad range of topics and inspires a wealth of emotions and can't help but be in keeping with the mission of TED to share the stories and ideas worth spreading far and wide.

How I used data to manage my depression by Jessie Lam

In this, the most popular TEDxTinHauWomen talk to date, former banker and then-CFO at venture capital and accelerator firm Brinc Jessie Lam opens up about living with mental illness. Diagnosed with clinical depression, she bravely shares her struggles with the condition as she hopes to reduce the stigma that surrounds mental illness, and discusses some of the ways data can be used to address depression.

The surprising power of talking to strangers by Cynthia Cheng

Entrepreneur Cynthia Cheng captured a moment in her 2021 TEDxTinHauWomen talk. It was the midst of the pandemic, a time when loneliness levels were high yet people were avoiding coming into contact with others, particularly strangers. But Cheng's message was about the power of just that, and how through a project that involved talking to strangers she embraced the often-overlooked opportunities to connect and was able to celebrate the unsung heroes of Hong Kong.

Embracing unconditional love by Valentina Tudose

Valentina Tudose's raw and vulnerable 2019 TEDxTinHauWomen talk takes the audience on her journey to embracing unconditional love, and encourages listeners to challenge their perceptions of love and make their love story their own.

Finding joy in electronics repair by Mashiat Lamisa

With her 2021 TedxTinHauWomen talk, university student Mashiat Lamisa wanted to highlight that we all have a choice. While manufacturers encourage consumerism, we have a choice to make the time to fix our electronic devices instead of simply purchasing new ones. And this is not only easier than you might think—you'll be surprised by what you can repair with a bit of know-how and the right tools, but also important because used electronic goods become toxic e-waste in the landfills of the third world where they negatively impact poorer, more vulnerable communities.

Breaking notions and finding freedom in the mountains by Liza Avelino

Liza Avelino is a mountain climber and a domestic worker. In 2017, she took to the stage of TEDxTinHauWomen and shared her story of her journey from poverty in the Philippines to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain, and how she hopes to inspire others to get into the "driving seat of your life" and to live it the way you want to, on your own terms and "not defined by job, gender, nationality or role in society."

How language shapes the way we think by Lera Boroditsky

Did you know that some languages don't have numbers? Or have no concept of left and right? Cognitive scientist Lera Boroditsky specialises in language and how it affects the way we think. In her fascinating and hugely popular TED talk, she looks at how our cognitive universes are determined by the languages we grow up speaking and how language impacts the way we think and our outlook on life, from how we label colours to whether our language allows us to count, and the consequences this can have.

The brain-changing benefits of exercise by Wendy Suzuki

When Wendy Suzuki discovered the power of exercise personally, it changed her life. It not only improved her memory, mood and attention, but also entirely shifted the professor of neuroscience's research focus to studying the immediate, long-lasting and protective benefits that simply moving your body can have on the brain. She reveals the reasons behind the transformative nature of exercise, and how much is enough to enjoy its positive effects.

How to gain control of your free time by Laura Vanderkam

Laura Vanderkam is the author of a number of time management and productivity books. In her TED talk she discusses the elasticity of time and how it's not the amount of time we have at our disposal, which is actually plenty however many hours we work, but our prioritisation that matters. "Time is a choice," she says, while proposing ways to categorise different aspects of our lives to focus on the things that truly matter.

I got 99 problems ... palsy is just one by Maysoon Zayid

American actress, comedienne and writer Maysoon Zayid shares her story of living with disability with humour and candour, discussing why we need to have more positive images of disability in the media and in everyday life. One of America's first Muslim comedians, Zayid also suffers from cerebral palsy and has been a trailblazer in breaking down the barriers for people with disability in the entertainment world. Her tale of her "crooked journey" as part of the largest but most underrepresented minority is amazingly inspiring.

Why we have too few women leaders by Sheryl Sandberg

The former Facebook COO's 2010 TED talk was the seed for what would become the Lean In movement. In her talk Sheryl Sandberg addresses the lack of women at the top of their professions, and the messages she wants to share with women keen to stay in the workforce: sit at the table, make your partner a real partner, and don't leave before you leave, the latter referring to how women, often subconsciously, begin to "lean back" when they start thinking about having a child. Sandberg also discusses how women need to stop underestimating their abilities and own their own success.

TEDxTinHauWomen returns to the Xiqu Centre on December 1 with the theme In Bloom. Tickets will be available from November 7.


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