Wasted to Wanted | Akhila Sajil | TEDxOOBSchool

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Akhila Sajil, a celebrated dancer and social changemaker from GEMS Our Own English High School, Dubai, delivers a powerful message through her talk Wasted to Wanted. Using the story of Rusty the rejected potato, she highlights society’s obsession with perfection, especially in food. Her innovative solution? A digital platform that connects consumers with imperfect yet edible produce. Akhila’s talk blends creativity, empathy, and environmental consciousness, challenging us to rethink our values. With charm and clarity, she shows how small shifts in perception can lead to big change. She champions the beauty in flaws and invites us all to value the ‘imperfect’ in both food and people. Akhila Sajil
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School: GEMS Our Own English High School, Dubai
Talk Title: Wasted to Wanted
Akhila Sajil is a passionate dancer, eloquent speaker, and youth leader who lights up every stage she steps on. A three-time solo dance champion and performer at Coca-Cola Arena, she balances her artistic talents with a strong sense of social awareness and advocacy.
In her talk Wasted to Wanted, Akhila uses the story of Rusty the potato, rejected for being misshapen to reveal a larger truth about our obsession with perfection, especially in food. She introduces a simple yet transformative solution: a digital platform connecting consumers with imperfect produce directly from farms. Her idea goes beyond sustainability, it's a shift in perspective. Through humor, empathy, and innovation, Akhila reminds us that change can begin by choosing to value the overlooked and underappreciated one bent tomato at a time. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at