Belonging begins with an invitation | Asav Kumar | TEDxStrawberry Fields High School

Asav explores what it means to belong when you find yourself between cultures, identities, and worlds. His journey from India to Caltech revealed an unexpected paradox: leaving home can offer the freedom we seek, while simultaneously making us strangers in places where we once felt certain of who we were.

Through personal stories of navigating cultural differences, an unexpected Thanksgiving invitation from a professor, and his later experience welcoming newly arrived international students, Asav examines the difference between **permission, inclusion, and belonging**.

The talk argues that belonging is not something we simply find; it is something we create together. It has two authors—the person willing to arrive without erasing themselves, and the person inside the room willing to notice them and make space.

The talk leaves the audience with a simple challenge: instead of telling people to find their people, become one of their people. Belonging begins when we have the courage to arrive as ourselves—and when someone else has the courage to make room.
Podcast Host and Agentic AI Engineer

Asav Kumar is an Agentic AI engineer and the host of a podcast that explores resilience, growth, and the journey of rebuilding after adversity. Drawing from his experiences as a competitive tennis player, swimmer, and international student at Caltech, he believes that meaningful growth often emerges from life's greatest challenges. Through both technology and storytelling, Asav encourages others to embrace curiosity, perseverance, and continuous learning. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx