Connecting humans from screens to stages and everywhere in between

Patience, drive and compassion have woven themselves throughout Daud Khan’s life, whether through his studies at St. Cloud State University, his work in the health care field, or on the TEDx stage.

Khan enrolled in SCSU’s master’s of engineering management program after earning his bachelor’s in business administration.

“I wanted to find a degree that combined business acumen with engineering and management and technical skills. I came across SCSU's program and applied, and I got selected,” he said. “When I went through the curriculum and everything, I realized that this was what I’d been looking for. It didn’t require any mathematical or pure engineering background, so I could be a good fit for it. And that was true.”

Khan attended SCSU’s campus in Plymouth, Minnesota, and said that thanks to the excellent faculty he worked with, he had a full-time job in his field months before he completed his degree in 2025. He’s now a program manager in the health care industry with Care Connection Services.

“I improve processes, work on optimizing workflows and everything — something I learned in my degree, in my course curriculum, in my classes,” he said. “That's what my teachers taught me, and that's the same thing I'm applying practically right now.”

Through his work with the home care provider, Khan works with clients and employees to make sure the care provided is delivered both efficiently as well as compassionately. Compassion is paramount in Khan’s work.

“Giving back to society, I would say that's the biggest thing. I want to be a kind of person who is not always focused on my own career or my own personal growth. Society has given me a lot right from the beginning, so why not give back to it?” he said. “This is one of the forms, like when I work with different clients with different needs — I ask them what their needs are and how I can help navigate them through the entire process. Coming to someone asking for help is not easy for a lot of people. ‘How are things going to work?’ Then finding the right employee for them, the people working for them in their homes; this is something I like and I enjoy. My job ensures I interact with people, treat them the way they want to be treated, the way they should be treated — not as clients, but as human beings.”

As artificial intelligence becomes more and more prevalent, Khan said he looks to find the balance of using it to excel in his work and with helping clients.

“I’m working on learning more skills, skills that are more focused on AI; I want to excel in that. That's my main focus because I don't want my job to be taken away, or my role to be taken away with AI,” he said. “It’s a fact that AI is going to take a lot of jobs, but the human element is still going to be there. Humans are still going to be needed to manage AI, because ultimately, AI cannot sustain itself.”

In addition to his work, Khan also enjoys public speaking and engaging with others on different topics.

“Ever since I was in high school, I've always been on stage all the time. I would be part of hosting events, whether that be podcasts, events or stuff like that,” he said. “I’ve always been on the stage to the point that some people would get irritated. Like, ‘Why are you on stage all the time?’ But that is something I love to do.”

Two major dreams for Khan have been having his own television show, and speaking on the TEDx stage. He hosted a TV show back in his home country of Pakistan called “Tech Talk,” which he said largely derived from TED Talks.

“I talked about technology on that show and I used to explain complex innovations in simple terms,” he said. “I would cut it out into different pieces and then simplify it for people to understand, and I got amazing feedback.”

Back in October 2025 after he had already started his position with Care Connection Services and was approaching his graduation from SCSU, Khan stumbled upon the opportunity to apply for TEDx Duluth. He applied and ended up being one of 16 people accepted out of more than 300 applicants. In February 2026 he delivered “From Breakdown to Breakthrough: Redesigning Yourself When Life Fails,” which revolved around the concept of inner engineering.

“It's basically the idea of redesigning yourself when everything falls apart and using that breakdown as the starting point for a breakthrough,” he said.

For those looking to do more public speaking or working on something they’re passionate about in general, Khan encouraged them to keep going.

“The first thing I would say is believe in yourself. I still remember the first speech I gave was in the morning assembly back in grade five. And I was told not to go on the stage again. I was told, ‘No, you should not be here.’ I could have given up at that stage, but I never looked back,” he said. “The only thing that helped me proceed and helped me move forward was believing in myself and not listening to what others say. Critiques will always be there. And I would say positive criticism is important; constructive criticism always helps you. But when it's completely negative, you should ignore it, because that's what people do. People will always have an opinion about you; you do not have to listen to them. You only have to believe in yourself and do what's good for you. And that sets you apart.”