TEDxHyderabad a remarkable journey

Viiveck Verma, the driving force behind TEDxHyderabad, is also a seasoned mentor and strategist for brands and businesses. As a trusted change agent with a profound commitment to amplifying voices that have the power to change the world, Viiveck has steered TEDxHyderabad to remarkable heights and left an indelible mark on the intellectual landscape of the city. Today, we delve into the wealth of experience and insights that have fueled his remarkable journey as a leader.

Congratulations on the 9th edition of TEDxHyderabad. Could you share some insights into how the event has evolved and its significance within the community?

Thank you! TEDxHyderabad has come a long way since its inception in 2015. It is a vibrant platform for thinkers, enablers, and doers today. Over the years, we've witnessed significant growth in our community, which now has over 5000+ members. From the start, our approach has been to craft purpose-built talks that catalyze positive action. For instance, Kalpana Ramesh's impactful water projects, highlighted during our talks, have spurred real change in communities. Notably, among our 100 plus speakers, a remarkable number of individuals were once audience members themselves, underscoring our commitment to fostering inspiration and action in both speakers and attendees alike.

Over the last 9 years, the TEDxHyderabad stage has been graced by an impressive lineup of influential speakers from diverse backgrounds. From acclaimed actors like Rana Daggubati and Tabu to distinguished figures like General VK Singh and IT Minister KTR, our stage has hosted individuals who inspire through their achievements and have a profound message to convey.

Organising a volunteer-driven, not-for-profit initiative like TEDxHyderabad must come with its own set of challenges. Could you discuss some of the key challenges the team has encountered and how they were overcome?

Absolutely, organizing TEDxHyderabad has its unique challenges. Initially, our concern was whether we could fill the room. Still, we were pleasantly surprised when we received an overwhelming response with around 1700 people applying for a 500-seater event. Selecting attendees who could genuinely appreciate the talks and speakers became a challenge in itself. We devised a selection process based on questions that helped us identify those with the emotional and intellectual capacity to connect with our speakers.

Another challenge was securing corporate support for the event. We faced uncertainty regarding ticket sales until the last minute. Despite this, we ensured that over 300 socially and economically marginalized individuals, including the visually impaired, Uber drivers, and children of bus drivers pursuing professional degrees, received complimentary tickets. We wanted to ensure inclusivity for those who will value this but may not be able to afford to attend.

TEDx Hyderabad's influence extends beyond the event itself, with initiatives such as the revival of borewells and step-wells. Could you shed light on some of the notable outcomes or projects that have originated from TEDx Hyderabad talks and the impact they've had on social innovation and rural development?

One of our significant initiatives has been the revival of 8000 borewells and step-wells. We also host "rural innovation" zones, providing a platform for people from remote areas to showcase their work. For instance, Padma Shri recipient Chintakindi Mallesham, the inventor of the Lakshmi Asu machine, was one of our speakers in 2016. His talk inspired a biopic on his life, and two other movies, Mitti a movie on farmer suicide which was also crowd funded through our community and directed by 2 of our speakers and produced by our attendee and 8 AM Metro a movie on mental issues, found their origins at TEDxHyderabad.