As a young child, Manoj wondered if his village would ever see a reason to prosper. He made his way from a small village in India and later to the United States. His tireless initiatives in India empowered several households to escape poverty. He believes that "dream and persistence" can bring the right "change" in people's life.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)