TEDxThamer Intl Schools Youth

Speakers

Speakers may not be confirmed. Check the event website for the latest lineup.

• Abdulrahman Boksmati

  Opportunity surrounds us — in our personal lives, our studies, our careers — but it rarely knocks on its own. It sits quietly at the edges of our comfort zones, waiting for us to make the first move. I've come to believe that success is never a coincidence. It is a function of an active body, a curious mind, and an adventurous soul. When you step outside your comfort zone, you shake up the world around you. You expand your network, broaden your horizons, and stumble into versions of yourself you never planned for. You discover capabilities you didn't know existed, and connections you never saw coming. In this talk, I'll share how I moved through academia, joined Saudi Aramco, and unknowingly became the first Arab to achieve the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming — not because I had a plan, but because I stayed curious, stayed moving, and stayed open. The path to prosperity is already around you. And I'm here to tell you — you are next.

• Aseel M Gomaa

  Drawing from personal experience, I use storytelling to explore topics like racism, human rights, identity, and belonging. I believe that all sorts conversations are powerful for change. Through my TEDx talk, I plan and hope to challenge perspectives, and inspire others to reflect on how everyday actions can help shape a more inclusive world. When I’m not debating, speaking, or writing, I like to put my focus onto my studied, or sometimes, art.

• Ellen Azhari

  Ellen Azhari is a student and aspiring astrophysicist driven by curiosity about both the universe and human growth. For the past four years, she has been part of the MAWHIBA gifted education program, where she developed advanced problem-solving skills, scientific thinking, and the ability to navigate complex, open-ended challenges. She has competed internationally in astronomy, earning a bronze medal in the International Astronomy and Astrophysics Competition, and is preparing to represent her country in both the International and European Olympiads on Astronomy and Astrophysics. Beyond her achievements, her journey has been shaped by moments of doubt, comparison, and persistence. These experiences inform her perspective on growth as a gradual process built through effort and resilience, and her interest in how confidence is developed through struggle over time.

• Fahad Fahad Nasser

  Fahad Nasser is a student whose journey reflects resilience, perseverance, and growth under pressure. While preparing for the General Aptitude Test (GAT), he faced repeated challenges that tested his discipline and confidence. There were moments when he felt like giving up, but he learned to transform pressure into motivation, pushing himself forward despite setbacks. Through persistence and commitment, he ultimately achieved the score he had been working toward. His experience shaped his perspective on success—not as a straight path, but as a process of overcoming doubt, staying consistent, and continuing even when progress feels slow. Fahad is passionate about sharing how resilience and mindset can turn obstacles into opportunities for growth and achievement.

• Hana Shaltout

  Student and aspiring artist in design and visual expression Hana Shaltout is a student with a strong passion for creativity, particularly in design, makeup artistry, and visual expression . She is currently developing her skills with the goal of building a future in both the creative and business sides of the beauty industry. Through her work, she has learned to use creativity as a way to communicate ideas and express what cannot always be put into words. Her TEDx talk focuses on autism awareness, especially how autism presents differently in girls and is often misunderstood or overlooked. Drawing from her own experiences, she brings attention to an often unheard perspective, challenging stereotypes and encouraging a more accurate and empathetic understanding of autism.

• Kinda Algain

  I'm Kinda Algain and I'm a student at TIS, for the past two years ive been apart of the Mawhiba program, in which ive joined multiple programs that taught me discipline and consistency, im an aspiring lawyer who plans to advocate for womens rights in the future,beyond academics i love traveling and learning about new cultures it inspires me to find out more about mysself and those around me how to make them feel seen and appreciated, i plan to inspire younger girls with my achievements in the future and now. i believe that i can make a change and hopefully one day ill be recognized as such

• Nawaf Mohammed Nawaf Mohammed Alhowaish

  From the halls in my dear school to a leader in the making in the healthcare field; my journey was one filled with challenges that took incredible amounts of discipline, passion and determination to push through and make myself something special out of nothing. My career in PharmD has not simply been exams and memorizing facts; but in fact a nurturing process for my own personality to be fit for the world of healthcare. In my talk, I wish to speak directly to the students on a personal level and connect with them. I wish to show them that the world beyond the classroom is a series of lessons, failures and successes that will catapult them into a world of plentiful opportunities. My story will not be just about pharmacy, but the fundamental impact that early nurturing can bring to an up and coming career in healthcare as a whole.

• Rima Al Adib

  At 17, I believed I was one plane ticket away from becoming someone else. I thought moving abroad for university would transform me — that a new country, a law degree, and independence would automatically make me confident, successful, and certain about my future. But when I arrived, I was still me. Still scared. Still unsure. Just in a different city. In this talk, I unpack the myth that environment alone creates prosperity. We romanticize leaving — leaving home, leaving school, leaving comfort — as if distance guarantees growth. It doesn’t. What actually changed my life wasn’t the move. It was what I chose to build after the move: discipline, competence, resilience, and standards for myself. Prosperity isn’t geographic. It’s internal. It’s not about where you go — it’s about who you decide to become once you get there. This talk offers a more empowering truth: the world will expand for you — but only as much as you expand yourself.

• Sanad Hourani

  At 26, I’ve co-founded a creative agency, a marketing studio working with 30+ brands across Saudi Arabia, the US, and Malaysia, and Subha—a volunteer movement mobilizing 500+ people, raising over SAR 350,000, and delivering 35,000+ items. I’ve also managed VIP experiences at major cultural events, co-founded an edtech startup in Toronto, and led marketing for an e-commerce growth company. None of it began with a perfect plan—it began with action. In this talk, I share lessons from building before feeling ready, highlighting why waiting is the biggest trap, how your circle shapes your future more than grades, and why neglecting health and spirituality creates long-term costs. This isn’t a highlight reel—I reflect on burnout, imbalance, and hard lessons. True prosperity isn’t just what you achieve, but who you become. The message: start now—imperfect action always beats a perfect plan that never begins.

• Tala Tariq Alharbi

  In 2022, as a university freshman, a single 48-hour challenge at the Red Sea International Film Festival reshaped my filmmaking path. This talk uses that experience—and the global exposure of When Red Blooms—to explore the power of professional audacity. The core idea is that the biggest threat to creatives isn’t lack of talent, but avoiding high-stakes opportunities out of fear of not being ready. A compressed timeline forces a shift from perfectionism to decisive action. That one bold “yes” became a catalyst, bridging academic learning to the international stage, leading to milestones like the AFAC x Netflix Women in Film Fund and programs in Cannes Film Festival and NEOM. The talk advocates a “48-hour mindset”: take risks, act fast, and treat every opportunity as a gateway—because the only door guaranteed to stay closed is the one you never try to open.

• Tolay Ali alwasabi

  I am a student and speaker who shares her experience of loss, resilience, and personal growth. After losing my mother at 13, I learned to turn pain into strength and uses my story to inspire others to appreciate life and keep moving forward

• Yousof Mohamed Shawky Mohamed Ramadan

  I am a high school student with a strong interest and a growing background in topics like technology, mechanical systems, and psychology. I enjoy deepening my knowledge in a wide variety of subjects, with a particular interest of how things work, both in machines and human behavior. Recently, I have been focusing on learning more about how the digital world affects human behavior. My goal is to help more people to understand the hidden mechanisms behind daily experiences in a simple and intelligible way.

• Zeina Ahmad Salim Ahmad

  I am an experienced English educator, public speaking coach, and youth leadership mentor based in Saudi Arabia. I specialize in training high school students to become confident, impactful speakers, guiding them through structured programs and competitive platforms such as Model United Nations (MUN) and public speaking events. As the founder and organizer of student-led speaking initiatives, including large-scale school competitions, I have helped shape a generation of articulate, self-assured young leaders. I combine academic expertise with practical coaching to empower students to find their voice, communicate with purpose, and lead with confidence