The TEDxColombo Livewire

Safra Anver is the driving force behind TEDxColombo, an independently organized TED event, a platform where ideas can flourish, bringing together smart and creative individuals with big visions to share their insights with a broader audience. TEDxColombo features prominently in TED’s global promotional content, with diverse Sri Lankan speakers regularly highlighted for their impactful ideas.

Her vision for TEDxColombo is threefold. First, she seeks to uncover and amplify the voices of speakers from across the regions of Sri Lanka who have yet to be given the space to share their ideas. Second, she aims to expand the platform to include content in local languages, such as Sinhala and Tamil, thereby making these ideas more accessible to all Sri Lankans. Finally, Safra is committed to leveraging the learnings from global platforms like TED to build more curated, impactful experiences for Sri Lankans through her work at Anver Associates.

Safra’s work addresses a crucial challenge in society: the need for a platform where speakers can gain recognition, ideas can be valued, and audiences can gain new perspectives. Her efforts have brought essential topics to the forefront—ranging from debt restructuring and waste management to climate change and mental health.

Over the past 13 years, Safra has organized over 10 TEDx events, sharing more than 65 ideas with the public. With the support of 400-plus volunteers, these events have left a lasting impact, with talks being integrated into school curriculums, discussed at universities, and even featured on prime-time news. Safra’s dedication to amplifying the voices of others and fostering meaningful dialogue is not only reshaping the intellectual landscape of Sri Lanka but also inspiring the next generation of thought leaders.