David Biello is TED's science curator and the author of "The Unnatural World: The Race to Remake Civilization in Earth's Newest Age." A contributing editor at Scientific American, Biello has written about all things science, from geoengineering and geology to synthetic biology and the sixth extinction.

The award-winning host of NPR's TED Radio Hour, Manoush Zomorodi explores fascinating ideas and astonishing inventions with the world's most remarkable minds from the TED stage, examining how technology transforms humanity and reshapes our daily lives. She is the author of Bored and Brilliant: How Spacing Out Can Unlock Your Most Productive and Creative Self, which reveals how strategic boredom can help us reclaim our attention from the digital noise. Her forthcoming book, Body Electric, examines how our digital habits are rewiring not just our minds but our bodies, offering science-backed strategies to protect our physical health while thriving in an always-connected world.

Sasha Luccioni is reshaping how artificial intelligence serves people and the planet. As AI and climate lead at Hugging Face, she pioneers tools and research to measure and reduce AI’s environmental impact, placing ethics and sustainability at the heart of tech innovation. A founding member of Climate Change AI, she catalyzes global collaboration at the intersection of machine learning and climate action. Recognized by TIME as one of the 100 most influential people in AI and by the BBC as one of the 100 Women changing the world, Luccioni is driving international standards for responsible, climate-conscious AI — advising organizations from the OECD to NeurIPS. Her peer-reviewed articles have been cited almost 10,000 times by the scientific community

Varun Sivaram is transforming energy infrastructure through AI innovation. As founder and CEO of Emerald AI, he revolutionizes energy-intensive data centers into AI-powered grid allies. Previously, he was chief strategy and innovation officer at Orsted, a Fortune 500 energy firm, and served as chief technology officer at ReNew Power, India’s largest clean energy company. As a senior diplomat, he created the First Movers Coalition at the US State Department. An acclaimed author and innovation scholar, Sivaram has influenced policy as a senior fellow and advisor at prestigious institutions. His accolades include TIME 100 Next and MIT Technology Review’s top 35 innovators under 35. A Rhodes and Truman scholar, Sivaram holds a PhD in condensed matter physics from Oxford University.

Catherine Nakalembe uses satellites and AI to strengthen Africa’s food systems. As NASA Harvest’s Africa program director, professor at the University of Maryland and founder of the Xylem lab, she develops and deploys satellite and AI methods to monitor smallholder farms, predict crop failures and inform early warning and adaptation across the continent. Through capacity building, she equips African experts to advance these technologies, ensuring farmers benefit from solutions tailored to local contexts. Nakalembe’s impact has been recognized with the Africa Food Prize, the Al-Sumait Prize and Uganda’s Golden Jubilee Medal.

Tom Chi is a founding partner of At One Ventures, investing in early-stage deep tech startups that radically reduce industry footprints and drive a net positive planetary impact. Previously, he was a founding member of Google X, leading teams behind self-driving cars, deep learning AI and augmented reality. Chi has also shaped major projects at Microsoft and Yahoo, mentored hundreds of global entrepreneurs tackling development challenges, and holds 75 patents across technology and design.