If you ever get the chance to attend TEDx in person, take it. Watching it on YouTube is great. Being in the room is a different universe.

I had my first ever in-person TEDx experience at TEDx Colombo, and honestly, it was pure madness in the best way possible. The theme this year was #MADNESS, and yeah, it made sense. It made us think, rethink, unlearn, and rebuild thoughts we assumed were finished drafts in our heads. Some of those ideas got rewritten mid-session.

The afternoon was stacked with voices that carried both weight and wonder.

Jason Rajasinghe spoke about the power of vision, will, and choice in shaping the life you want. It hit like a gentle wake-up call that sounded obvious until someone said it out loud with conviction.

Vikum Nawagamuwage reminded us that it’s okay, it’s just life. Sometimes we all need someone to say that, not as advice, but as permission to exhale.

Then came Anya Pathirana’s talk about Sri Lanka’s wetlands. She unpacked why protecting biodiversity, rainfall, and ecosystems matters not as environmental theory, but as survival strategy. And yes, the fishing cat deserved the mention too.

Sanjiva Weerawarana shared how Sri Lankan teams can break into the global digital landscape, not by mimicking Silicon Valley, but by leaning into passion, grit, and the courage to actually build. The kind of talk that makes young founders sit up a little straighter.

Kevin Wilson brought cross-cultural fusion into the spotlight. Drawing from storytelling, collaboration, and curiosity, he made creativity sound like a shared human instinct, not an industry skill.

Anya Pathirana also highlighted the power of wetlands, reinforcing the importance of ecological preservation in Sri Lanka.

Yevan David talked about embracing your losses and setbacks. Not romanticizing failure, but treating it like an apprenticeship in becoming someone stronger. The room felt that one collectively.

And then there was Sonali Silva, who delivered one of the boldest talks of the day. A conversation around autonomy, choice, and women’s rights in Sri Lanka. It was real, honest, and necessary. The kind of talk that reminds you that the most powerful conversations are the ones we hesitate to have.

I walked away realizing this: ideas are powerful. But speakers who lend their stories to ideas make them unforgettable.

And big congratulations to every speaker who stepped on stage, shared their lived truths, and carried the ecosystem forward a little further that day.

A shoutout to the TEDx Colombo team too. Pulling off an event like this isn’t easy. Doing it with impact and heart deserves the appreciation.