Past TEDx event
TEDxUniversity of Manchester
Weaving Differences into Strength
Speakers
Speakers may not be confirmed. Check the event website for the latest lineup.
Anisa Khan
Anisa Khan is the founder of Bombay Pizza, a fast-growing South Asian fusion pizza brand with 10 locations across the UK. After reaching the final of The Apprentice on BBC, she uses that platform to accelerate the brand's growth and expand its reach nationwide. Through Bombay Pizza, Anisa redefines what pizza can look and taste like, blending bold South Asian flavours with a globally loved comfort food. Her work goes beyond food; she champions fearless entrepreneurship, and encourages ambitious founders to think beyond traditional routes.
Aryu Yoshihara
Aryu Yoshihara is a 20-year-old student studying Social Sciences at the University of Manchester. Having lived in five different countries, she has experienced a wide range of cultural environments, which have shaped her perspective and sparked a strong interest in identity, change, and how individuals come to understand difference.
Ella Podmore MBE
Ella Podmore is an award-winning engineer passionate about innovation, resilience, and redefining success. Recognized as Young Woman Engineer of the Year and awarded an MBE at just 26, Ella has built a career breaking barriers in engineering and challenging what leadership looks like in technical industries. But behind the accolades lies a powerful lesson; chasing perfection can hold us back. After years of striving to meet impossible standards, Ella realised that perfectionism was stifling her progress, delaying decisions, and limiting her potential. The moment she let go and chose courage over flawlessness, she found freedom.
Finn Ranson
Finn is a multiple award-winning podcast producer and Head of Sport at Stak. Nominated for The Radio Academy's 30 Under 30 List for 2025, his work spans some of the UK's most popular football podcasts and bespoke productions for organisations including the BBC, combining sport, storytelling and narrative audio. He co-authored and produced Back From The Brink and Inside the Qatar World Cup, two audio documentaries exploring defining football stories of the decade. He also co-produced The English Disease winner of the UK Sports Journalism Association's Podcast of the Year, and Dancing with Shadows, nominated the best podcast at the New York Podcast Awards. His work highlights how storytelling in sport can bring together different voices and perspectives.
Ishita Somwanshi
Ishita Somwanshi is a Materials Science and Engineering student driven by a passion for sustainable textiles and interdisciplinary thinking. She is Chairperson of the Women in Engineering Society University Groups Board and a finalist for the Undergraduate of the Year Awards 2026, through which she received an internship offer from Rolls-Royce. Her experience spans internships at Barclays, KPMG and Bupa in analytical and consulting roles. Ishita is also a trained Kathak dancer with a B.A. in the art form, and enjoys writing essays, watching 1940s film noir, and reading classic literature—interests that inform her advocacy for becoming a “Renaissance person.”
Keshav Ganesh
Keshav Ganesh is an Aerospace Engineering student at the University of Manchester, a dedicated STEM advocate, and a part of the team at the UNESCO World Heritage site, Jodrell Bank. From learning how to DJ to achieving a black belt in Taekwondo, Keshav loves combining technical curiosity and disciplined leadership. He is a district-winning public speaker and a volunteer at astronomical events, sharing the wonder of the universe with the public.
Mia McGrath
Mia is a UK-based personal finance content creator, model, and the founder of the brand Frugal Chic®. She is known for sharing her journey toward financial independence and early retirement through frugal living and smart investing. Her work has received industry recognition and has been featured in leading publications including Vogue, The Telegraph, and Who What Wear. Drawing on her background in luxury fashion, she has developed a distinctive approach that bridges high-end aesthetics with financial intelligence, culminating in the creation of Frugal Chic® — a cultural movement that has attracted a global audience and reshaped the conversation around conscious wealth-building and elevated lifestyle design.
Prithvi Daharwal
Prithvi is a Materials Science and Engineering student at The University of Manchester, originally from Nairobi, Kenya. He has an endless curiosity for learning how things work (everything from metals to the human mind!) and loves sharing that creatively with an audience. Most of all, he enjoys exploring human connections and loves making those connections possible every day. Like most people though, he’s still figuring out a lot!
Prof Dr Ram Senasi
"Prof. Dr. Ramdas (Ram) Senasi is a UK-based Consultant Paediatric Radiologist, clinical leader, and global health innovator working at the intersection of medicine, technology, and human-centred leadership. He trained in radiology, completing specialist training at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals and further advanced training in University of Calgary. Today, Ram works across the NHS, academia, and health-technology innovation. He is an Adjunct Professor at the National University of Malaysia (Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia), a Clinical Lead for Fujifilm Healthcare UK, helping shape the future of imaging and AI-enabled care, and holds a senior leadership role with Freehand Surgical, supporting the relaunch and global expansion of robotic surgical technology. "
