Millions of people work in low-paid dead-end positions who could have been great painters or chess players or writers or long jumpers. But they go through life without ever having a box of crayons, or playing chess, or get their running speed timed or their jumping distance measured. Due to the lack of opportunities, all this talent remains unactivated. How do we solve this? Anirudh Krishna explains a concept called 'Talent Ladders', and how it can help individuals and nations, particularly in developing societies like India, where the need is supremely important.

Anirudh Krishna is a Professor of Public Policy and Political Science at Duke University. His research focuses on understanding how individuals and communities in developing countries navigate poverty and powerlessness. He has conducted extensive research on poverty dynamics, social mobility, spatial inequality, democratic governance, and urban slums. Krishna has authored several books and published numerous journal articles and book chapters on these topics.

Before joining academia, Krishna served in the Indian Administrative Service for 14 years, where he was involved in managing rural and urban development initiatives. He has received several honors and awards for his contributions to the field, including an honorary doctorate from Uppsala
University and the Dudley Seers Memorial Prize. 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