Nisha Anand

Activist, Athlete, Connector, Parent, Social entrepreneur

Nisha Anand is a driving force behind a movement for change, blending her roles as an Indian-American activist, devoted mother, and advocate for racial justice. With a firm belief in the transformative power of common ground, Nisha brings people together to make the American dream a reality for everyone. Her compelling TED talk, "The Radical Act of Choosing Common Ground," resonated with millions, igniting crucial conversations amidst today's divisive climate. Nisha's journey began with courageous acts of activism, including her 1998 arrest in Myanmar for distributing pro-democracy leaflets. Her experiences as a lifetime change-maker reinforced her conviction in forging alliances with unlikely allies to drive tangible progress. As CEO of Dream.Org, Nisha spearheads a diverse team united to create a world beyond poverty, prisons, pollution, and polarization.

Study after study says that we are less polarized than we think. We assume that the people who disagree with us are all radicals with utterly different worldviews, when the data says otherwise. Liberals and conservatives are all a lot more moderate in their actual views than in what we think of each other. Therein lies our hope. If we start out with the assumption that we can work together to build a better America, our belief can become reality. If we pick concrete, commonsense projects that will make our communities better, and start working together on them, we can begin to mend the frayed edges of our social fabric.

I am a practitioner of a type of common ground I call fierce unity. Fierce unity does not ignore difference. It is not uniformity or elite bipartisanship. It is everyday people risking being uncomfortable by finding common ground with people who disagree with you on everything. It means starting with the people who are hurting the most, even if they are not on our side politically – and then looking for unlikely allies and commonsense solutions to actually make things better.

go.ted.com/nishaanand