From ASB to the TEDx Stage

Just one year after graduating from ASB, Altay Apaydin (Class of 2025) has already stepped onto the TEDx stage.

Now studying for a BBA at IE University in Madrid, Altay was selected to speak at TEDxIE Madrid, where he delivered a talk titled "Why Being Competent Isn't Enough." The talk draws on something he knows intimately: what it feels like to grow up across multiple countries and cultures, constantly navigating different expectations, social codes, and ways of being seen.

His central argument is simple. Equally capable people are not always judged equally. The way you speak, carry yourself, and fit the unspoken expectations of a room can matter just as much as what you actually know or can do. Being good at something, Altay argues, isn't sufficient if the people around you don't perceive it that way.

Altay's talk invites the audience to think critically about the invisible filters we use to evaluate talent, and what gets lost when we mistake confidence, accent, or cultural fluency for capability.

We couldn't be prouder to see Altay taking his own experiences and turning them into something that sparks real conversation. 

Watch "Why Being Competent Isn't Enough" on YouTube (click on image below):