Tushar Gupta is a Product Manager at Microsoft and passionate about community giving and helping youth. Her commitment to community giving started at a young age and it continues currently in various ways like donating food to Sophia Way, running a women's connection series, volunteering to interview young women at Grace Hopper, and leading a Give program at Microsoft to support various non-profits. She is deeply passionate about nurturing the next generation of leaders and empowering young minds and has received various accolades for her work like Women of Substance and Grand Marshal 2023. Bellevue Lifestyle caught up with Tushar about the TEDx event she brought to Bellevue, and how the youth and community can get involved.
What inspired you to bring TEDx to our community and ultimately start Eastside Connect?
I have always been a huge fan of TED talks. Sharing ideas can change attitudes, lives, and ultimately our world. In 2022, I started making plans to bring a TEDx to our community and thus my journey to start TEDx began. I was awarded a TEDx site license under the name of TEDx Pine Lake Youth in 2023. These events not only provide a platform for young voices but also create a ripple effect, inspiring many others in the community to share, learn, and grow.
Each presentation shared brings us one step closer to a more innovative and connected world. A presentation that stood out to me was how an 11-year-old delivered a deeply moving presentation about accepting a M.O.M (manager of myself) role in managing her Type1 diabetes. Her spoken word performance was powerful and emotional, underscoring the importance of resilience and self-expression.
In 2023, I felt it was necessary to grow the event, and I founded Eastside Connect to become our own non-profit agent for the conferences and other community giving events. The primary mission is to design, produce and support the annual conferences, speaker-series, and other venues for "ideas worth spreading" and promoting various community giving events on the grounds of culture and humanities.
How can our community participate?
I am seeking volunteers and presenter applicants aged 11 to 18 years old. I look for big ideas in a wide range of different areas and perspectives. Also, youth are welcome to apply who are emerging talents in dance, music, and fine arts. Selected applicants go under rigorous training ensuring they have the skills and confidence to share their innovative ideas.
Adults can show support through in-kind donations, volunteering for community event logistics and mentorship. All the events are free with no fees charged. This is to promote community giving and empower young minds.
For further inquiries contact: guptatusha@gmail.com or visit www.eastsideconnect.org
"Sharing ideas can change attitudes, lives, and ultimately our world."