TEDxDublin Salon: Beauty Will Save the World

Your TEDx presenters....

GARRY COHN is a designer working at the intersection of architecture, interiors, art, technology, and health. Linkedin

TEDx Talk: Beauty Will Always Decide the Future

In our drive to make the world efficient, scalable, and productive, we stopped designing it to feel alive. Garry Cohn challenged this trade-off and asked a direct question: if humanity is eroding, can beauty restore it before it’s too late?

Garry showed our audience:

- Why beauty is not superficial or indulgent\, but a foundational human need that has been misunderstood for decades.

- How beauty in physical spaces biologically and socially triggers empathy\, joy\, belonging\, and improved mental health.

- How architecture and interior design actively shape emotional wellbeing\, social connection\, and how people experience life itself.

As Garry concluded: beauty is not a luxury. It is the key to our humanity. The future will be beautiful, or not at all. We decide.

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JOHANNA HERFTER is a speaker and practitioner working across wellbeing, mental health, mindfulness, positive psychology, culture, and human-centred design. Linkedin

TEDx Talk: Micro-Beauty, Macro-Impact

In a world that rewards speed, optimisation, and constant stimulation, we lose contact with the beauty that is already here: rain on a window, the sound of a city, the simple fact that we can feel and be moved. Johanna reframes beauty not as an aesthetic preference, but as a daily, trainable practice of attention.

In her talk “Micro-Beauty, Macro-Impact,” Johanna argued that beauty is not a luxury. It is a skill. One that shapes resilience, empathy, and our willingness to build a better world.

Johanna showed our audience:

- How to reframe beauty from something superficial into a transformative human capacity that influences how we treat ourselves\, others\, and the world.

- A practical micro-beauty method you can use immediately to train attention and regulate the nervous system in everyday moments.

- Why noticing beauty increases resilience and empathy\, and how these shifts ripple outward into relationships\, culture\, and social change.

This talk moved beauty out of galleries and into daily life, showing how small acts of attention can have macro-level impact on mental health, connection, and the future we are shaping.

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TOMI ILORI is a speaker, creative, and unapologetic changemaker, navigating rooms where he is often the youngest, the only, and the unexpected. As an African-Irish professional, Tomi’s life has .been shaped by a series of unfortunate events — moments of misfortune that he has learned not just to survive, but to leverage. Linkedin

TEDx Talk: Disgusting Real Discipline Creates Beautiful Belonging

In an era where Gen Z are under pressure to be unique while AI flattens individuality, Tomi offered a refreshing and “disgustingly real” perspective: standing out isn’t about perfection, polish, or algorithms. It’s about discipline, consistency, and having the courage to show up fully as yourself - even when it’s uncomfortable.

His talk challenged the idea that success comes from shortcuts or performance. Instead, Tomi showed how embracing misfortune, asking the so-called “silly” questions, and committing to disciplined action can carve out genuine belonging in any room.

Tomi showed our audience:

- Why Gen Z are finding it harder than ever to be unique — and how to reclaim individuality in the age of AI.

- How misfortune and adversity can become a competitive advantage rather than a setback.

- Why consistency and discipline outperform talent\, trends\, and confidence over time.

- How being unapologetically yourself creates connection\, credibility\, and true belonging.

With honesty, humour, and a few enlightening giggles along the way, Tomi reminded us that authenticity isn’t aesthetic - it’s built daily through disciplined action and self-belief.

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SINEAD SHARKEY is a speaker and facilitator working across personal development and influence. Linkedin

TEDx Talk: Reclaiming the Beauty of the Human Voice

Sinead's TEDx talk addressed a widespread but rarely discussed issue: most people dislike their own voice, and that discomfort quietly limits how they show up in life, leadership, and relationships.

Sinead reframed the voice not as something to tolerate or fix, but as a powerful instrument for change once fear and self-judgment are removed.

Sinead showed our audience:

- How fear and self-loathing around our own voice hold us back personally and professionally.

- A practical strategy to move from disliking your voice to trusting and valuing it.

- How reclaiming your voice can inspire confidence\, influence\, and meaningful action.

This talk positioned the human voice as one of our most overlooked tools for impact, and showed how learning to love it can unlock growth, leadership, and connection.

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BIJAN GHORBANI is a storytelling expert working across leadership, communication, entrepreneurship, and innovation. Linkedin

TEDx Talk: Why Truth Needs Beauty to Move People

Bijan started from a simple reality: if being right was enough, we would not need stories. Facts inform, but stories move. Beauty is the force that carries truth into human attention, memory, and action.

Bijan drew on seven years of training and coaching more than 11,000 professionals in top tech companies across 25 countries to show why storytelling is not a soft skill, but a core leadership capability.

Bijan showed our audience:

- How to lead clearer\, more effective professional conversations by structuring truth through story.

- How to influence without manipulation by using beauty\, narrative\, and meaning to make ideas land.

- How to build confidence in public speaking by understanding what actually engages people\, rather than trying to sound impressive.

This talk reframed storytelling as a practical tool for leadership, influence, and clarity in a world overloaded with information but starving for meaning.

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EMILY REDMAN is a Speaker working across health, wellness, and social science. Linkedin

TEDx Talk: Why Stories Are One of Humanity’s Most Beautiful Survival Tools

Emily addressed a critical reality: social connection has been declining for years, and since the 2020 pandemic, isolation has reached historic levels. Storytelling is not entertainment. It is how humans survive.

Drawing on neuroscience, Emily explained how stories activate the brain, releasing oxytocin, and creating the conditions for trust, healing, and connection. This aligns with global warnings, including the US Surgeon General’s declaration of loneliness as a public health crisis.

Emily showed our audience:

- Why social connection is essential to physical and mental health\, and why its decline poses serious long-term risks.

- How sharing personal stories strengthens bonds\, fosters empathy\, and supports emotional healing at both individual and community levels.

- How storytelling becomes a lifeline in times of loss\, illustrated through Emily’s personal experience following the death of her husband\, Jude\, during Covid.

This talk positioned storytelling as a biological and social necessity, not a soft skill, and challenges us to rebuild connection through honesty and shared experience.

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David Delaney, TEDx Dublin Salon Speaker June 6th 2025

Themes / Talks / Videos / Photo's of past TEDx Dublin Salon events

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