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Une solution efficace et écologique pour lutter contre les fake news !

Parmi les solutions qui permettent de détecter les textes générés par les intelligences artificielles, celle créée par un Français joue sur l’efficacité et la sobriété grâce un modèle mathématique.

Scam alert related to “TED India,” “TED Studios India,” “TEDIND,” “TED Bharat” and “TED Coaches”

Par : TED Staff

TED has been alerted to a fraudulent marketing scam referred to as “TED India,” “TED Studios India,” “TEDIND,” “TED Studios,” “TED Bharat” and/or “TED Coaches” that have misrepresented that they are affiliated with the TED organization. These entities claim to produce TED events in India, most recently in Delhi in September 2023, and seek payment from individuals to speak at events or for TED coaching and TED franchise opportunities. These entities have no affiliation with TED, and are not authorized to speak or use TED branding in any way. Please do not engage with these organizations. The brands that we have found to be fake include: As a reminder, TED and TEDx never charge speakers to give talks. Any event that requires payment in exchange for the opportunity to speak is not an official TED event. TED also does not offer franchises or charge individuals to become TED coaches. Please be wary of any solicitations you receive claiming otherwise as such communications are not affiliated with TED and are likely a scam. If you have been contacted or involved with these organizations, please fill out this form so that we can track the fraudulent activities.

Une crème pour « restaurer la lumière quantique » des cellules, vraiment ?

Le groupe LVMH est dans la tourmente, la faute à une enquête du youtubeur G Milgram, qui s'est intéressé à un nouveau produit estampillé Guerlain. Une crème ? Non, mieux : « une nouvelle voie de réjuvénation cosmétique pour la peau née de la science quantique ». Attention aux yeux.

The Way We Work: Practical wisdom for your career

How can you best communicate your work experience, succeed at your current job and secure the future of your career? The Way We Work, a TED original video series, helps business leaders and innovative thinkers answer those questions and more.

Whether you’re starting a new job, freelancing or want to future-proof your career, season six of The Way We Work offers practical wisdom on how you can best pitch your ideas and connect with your coworkers. It also delves into how other facets of your life tie into your job, like caregiving and resting

Here’s how to make a great first impression at your new job:

Have great ideas? Here’s how to pitch them:

What skills are you building for future work?

5 tips on finding fulfillment and stability while freelancing:

Connecting with your coworkers is an important part of any fulfilling work-life — here’s how:

When it comes to productivity and creativity, rest matters just as much as work:

How can your job help support your caregiving responsibilities — and why they should:

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Voici la première chaîne TV entièrement générée par une intelligence artificielle

Une chaîne TV d’information dont les images et les présentateurs sont générés intégralement par des IA, c’est ce que compte lancer Channel 1 dans les prochains mois aux États-Unis. Un projet aussi surprenant qu’inquiétant.

Ce JT a été entièrement créé par une intelligence artificielle et c’est bluffant !

Une chaîne TV d’information dont les images et les présentateurs sont générés intégralement par des IA, c’est ce que compte lancer Channel 1 dans les prochains mois aux États-Unis. Un projet aussi surprenant qu’inquiétant.

Imagining our common future: The talks of TED Democracy

TED’s senior director of impact Logan McClure Davda (left) and TED curator Cloe Shasha Brooks host TED Democracy: Imagining our common future on November 15, 2023, at the TED World Theater in New York, NY. (Photo: Ryan Lash / TED)

The question of our democratic future is more urgent, complex and exciting than ever. As the world stands at a crossroads, more than 140 world leaders and experts convened in New York City for the launch of the TED Democracy initiative, a project that aims to shift the narrative on democracy, accelerate solutions to support a robust civic culture and contribute to a more collaborative pro-democracy community globally. This landmark event spotlighted more than 20 influential speakers from seven countries, charting a course for a democratic future fueled by innovative tactics and transformative visions.

The event: The launch of the TED Democracy initiative, hosted by TED’s senior director of impact Logan McClure Davda, TED curator Cloe Shasha Brooks

When and where: November 14-15, 2023 at the TED World Theater in New York City

Speakers: Ian Bassin, Tessza Udvarhelyi, Yordanos Eyoel, Bret Stephens, Fatma Karume, Olesya Khromeychuk, Divya Siddarth, Samar Ali, Clint Brewer, Sarah Longwell, Gabriel Marmentini, Jordan Klepper, Saket Soni, Katie Fahey, Sam Gregory, Lindiwe Mazibuko, Daniella Ballou-Aares, adrienne maree brown, Baratunde Thurston, Sofia Ongele

Musicians Sarah Elizabeth Charles and Jordan Peters perform at TED Democracy: Imagining our common future on November 15, 2023, at the TED World Theater in New York, NY. (Photo: Ryan Lash / TED)

Music: Vocalist, composer and teacher Sarah Elizabeth Charles brings her signature, soulful jazz vocals to the TED stage, performing “Blank Canvas” and “One World.”

The talks in brief:

Lawyer and writer Ian Bassin speaks at TED Democracy: Imagining our common future on November 15, 2023, at the TED World Theater in New York, NY. (Photo: Ryan Lash / TED)

Ian Bassin, lawyer and writer

The authoritarian playbook has seven steps – all of which have already been attempted in the US, says lawyer Ian Bassin. He explains that we can all make choices that will protect and strengthen democracy, inviting everyone to reconsider their role in the everyday fight for freedom.

Movement builder Tessa Udvarhelyi speaks at TED Democracy: Imagining our common future on November 15, 2023, at the TED World Theater in New York, NY. (Photo: Ryan Lash / TED)

Tessza Udvarhelyi, movement builder

A democracy requires more than a constitution and elections, says activist Tessza Udvarhelyi. She shares how the people of Budapest, Hungary are overcoming authoritarian norms to rebuild a local democratic government, offering a daunting lesson: “Enjoy your democracy when you have it, but don’t ever get too comfortable with it,” she says.

Democracy entrepreneur Yordanos Eyoel (left) and journalist and editor Bret Stephens speak at TED Democracy: Imagining our common future on November 15, 2023, at the TED World Theater in New York, NY. (Photo: Ryan Lash / TED)

Bret Stephens, journalist and editor

Democracy’s strength doesn’t rely on citizens always agreeing with one another, but rather in navigating and managing their disagreements. In conversation with democracy entrepreneur Yordanos Eyoel, columnist Bret Stephens shares simple ways that we can disagree more effectively, challenge our own views and strengthen democracy in the process.

Lawyer and human rights advocate Fatma Karume speaks at TED Democracy: Imagining our common future on November 15, 2023, at the TED World Theater in New York, NY. (Photo: Ryan Lash / TED)

Fatma Karume, lawyer and human rights advocate

Democracy may be an abstract concept, but it holds the very essence of our autonomy and humanity, says lawyer and human rights advocate Fatma Karume. She tells the harrowing story of Tanzania’s slide into autocracy in 2017, how she found the will to keep speaking out under personal attack and the importance of community in the fight for democracy.

Historian and writer Olesya Khromeychuk speaks at TED Democracy: Imagining our common future on November 15, 2023, at the TED World Theater in New York, NY. (Photo: Ryan Lash / TED)

Olesya Khromeychuk, historian and writer

“A flourishing democracy next door is a scary thing for an autocrat,” says Ukrainian historian Olesya Khromeychuk. She details the history of Ukraine’s long struggle for democracy — against Russian tsars, communist dictators and now the Kremlin’s army — and shares three lessons for anybody facing their own fight for democracy.

Social technologist and political economist Divya Siddarth speaks at TED Democracy: Imagining our common future on November 15, 2023, at the TED World Theater in New York, NY. (Photo: Ryan Lash / TED)

Divya Siddarth, social technologist and political economist

We don’t have to sacrifice our freedom for the sake of technological progress, says social technologist Divya Siddarth. She shares the story of an AI built by and for the people, offering a vision of a world where technology doesn’t destroy democracy — but expands it.

Public affairs strategist Clint Brewer (left) and law professor and peacemaker Samar Ali speak at TED Democracy: Imagining our common future on November 15, 2023, at the TED World Theater in New York, NY. (Photo: Ryan Lash / TED)

Samar Ali, law professor and peacemaker, and Clint Brewer, public affairs strategist

Professor Samar Ali (a Democrat) and journalist Clint Brewer (a Republican) seem very different on the surface, but their friendship illustrates the value in discarding the “scare script” — the process by which we demonize others. Together, they share simple ways to fight polarization in everyday life.

Strategist Sarah Longwell speaks at TED Democracy: Imagining our common future on November 15, 2023, at the TED World Theater in New York, NY. (Photo: Ryan Lash / TED)

Sarah Longwell, strategist

In 2020, political strategist Sarah Longwell initiated a campaign to convince her fellow centrist Republicans to vote against Donald Trump. Sharing what the experience taught her about tribalism and voting in the US, she explores why asking people to choose democracy over their political party doesn’t work — and what does.

Civic educator Gabriel Marmentini speaks at TED Democracy: Imagining our common future on November 15, 2023, at the TED World Theater in New York, NY. (Photo: Ryan Lash / TED)

Gabriel Marmentini, civic educator

For civic educator Gabriel Marmentini, citizenship is about more than voting and paying taxes. It means recognizing that the state cannot solve all our problems alone, moving from being a policy-taker to a policy-maker — and promoting democratic values locally.

Writer and comedian Jordan Klepper speaks at TED Democracy: Imagining our common future on November 15, 2023, at the TED World Theater in New York, NY. (Photo: Ryan Lash / TED)

Jordan Klepper, writer and comedian

Democracy depends on compromise and discourse. So how do we get better at talking to each other? Comedian Jordan Klepper offers three steps to become more open-minded when talking to someone you disagree with — starting with a willingness to say “I don’t know.”

Labor organizer Saket Soni speaks at TED Democracy: Imagining our common future on November 14 – 15, 2023, TED World Theater, New York. (Photo: Ryan Lash / TED)

Saket Soni, labor organizer

Drawing from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and personal experience, labor organizer Saket Soni details the transformative and vital work of immigrants, mostly undocumented, in rebuilding disaster zones, reflecting on where renewed, resilient hope for US democracy really comes from.

Activist Katie Fahey speaks at TED Democracy: Imagining our common future on November 15, 2023, at the TED World Theater in New York, NY. (Photo: Ryan Lash / TED)

Katie Fahey, activist

One person can spark the changes democracy needs. Activist Katie Fahey shares how she went from writing a social media post to leading a successful grassroots campaign to ban partisan gerrymandering in Michigan, proving you don’t need power to make a difference. 

Technologist and human rights advocate Sam Gregory speaks at TED Democracy: Imagining our common future on November 15, 2023, at the TED World Theater in New York, NY. (Photo: Ryan Lash / TED)

Sam Gregory, technologist and human rights advocate

Deceptive and manipulative audiovisual AI is not the cause of societal problems, says technologist Sam Gregory, but it can make them worse. As the line between real and fabricated blurs, he lays out a three-step plan to retain transparency, accountability and liability — and promote AI-infused media literacy against disinformation and deepfakes. 

Public leader Lindiwe Mazibuko speaks at TED Democracy: Imagining our common future on November 15, 2023, at the TED World Theater in New York, NY. (Photo: Ryan Lash / TED)

Lindiwe Mazibuko, public leader

In South Africa, a country with some of the world’s highest levels of inequality, many struggle to meet their basic needs. Public leader Lindiwe Mazibuko makes the case that democratic institutions like the country’s constitution aren’t the problem — poor leadership is. Through her nonprofit Futurelect, she’s working to elect a new generation of civic leaders ready to deliver on democracy’s promise.

Business and social impact leader Daniella Ballou-Aares speaks at TED Democracy: Imagining our common future on November 15, 2023, at the TED World Theater in New York, NY. (Photo: Ryan Lash / TED)

Daniella Ballou-Aares, business and social impact leader

For too long, businesses in the US have remained on the sidelines while democratic institutions falter. But societal instability has begun to threaten their bottom line. Social impact leader Daniella Ballou-Aares shows us how businesses possess both the ability and the responsibility to help preserve democratic societies.

Writer and comedian Baratunde Thurston (left) and author and doula adrienne maree brown speak at TED Democracy: Imagining our common future on November 15, 2023, at the TED World Theater in New York, NY. (Photo: Ryan Lash / TED)

adrienne maree brown, author and doula, and Baratunde Thurston, writer and comedian

Democracy is dying, and new democratic norms and practices are being born, says writer and activist Baratunde Thurston in conversation with author and doula adrienne maree brown. The two discuss why democracy as we know it is failing — and how we can create more just futures through imagination, replacing leaders with facilitators, and generous acts of care and repair.

Coder and activist Sofia Ongele speaks at TED Democracy: Imagining our common future on November 15, 2023, at the TED World Theater in New York, NY. (Photo: Ryan Lash / TED)

Sofia Ongele, coder and activist

Anyone living in some semblance of democracy has the tools to influence government, says Gen-Z coder and activist Sofia Ongele. It’s just a matter of getting creative, embracing your unique powers and having some mischievous fun along the way.

Attendees speak at the Town Hall at TED Democracy: Imagining our common future on November 15, 2023, at the TED World Theater in New York, NY. (Photo: Ryan Lash / TED)

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The most popular TED Talks of 2023 — and inspiration for 2024

Par : TED Staff

As 2023 draws to a close, join us in reflecting on a year brimming with inspiring ideas and transformative insights from the TED stage. Our end-of-year playlists feature talks that capture the essence of the year’s challenges and triumphs — and offer glimpses of hope for 2024.

From AI and the future of learning to a mysterious, millennia-old pattern and a radical way to repair your relationships, these TED Talks took off the quickest in 2023:

Dive into one of the most buzzed-about topics of the year with these must-watch TED Talks on AI, showcasing groundbreaking advancements and thought-provoking perspectives on the future of this world-changing innovation:

From the science behind stretching muscles and crooked teeth to the everyday mysteries of food expiration dates and airplane mode, these TED-Ed animations captured our attention in 2023:

Uncover the unexpected and enlightening with this selection of TED Talks from 2023 that you didn’t know you needed. From the value of thinking about your mortality to the quirky world of Wikipedia and beyond, these talks offer an intellectual adventure and a captivating blend of education, inspiration and wonder:

As we look with hope toward a new year, these TED Talks offer inspiration from speakers addressing some of the world’s most pressing issues — from sustainable living and justice reform to breakthrough technology and the power of grassroots movements.

Embark on a journey of self-improvement with this selection of TED Talks on personal growth. From innovative parenting strategies and mental health support to fostering self-confidence and sustainable habits, these ideas offer practical advice and fresh perspectives for a transformative year ahead:

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Head of TED Chris Anderson publishes new book, “Infectious Generosity”

Par : TED Staff

In the face of the world’s daunting problems, our kindness can seem pretty inadequate. But what if there were a way to turbocharge it? We live in the connected age. What would it take for kindness to go viral? This is the question Head of TED Chris Anderson explores in his new book, Infectious Generosity, on sale January 23, 2024. Under the radar, countless heroic individuals have discovered how to give in a way that inspires others. This book is filled with their stories, creating a playbook that can help usher in a more hopeful view of human possibility in the 21st century.

As the curator of TED for more than 20 years, Anderson has seen first-hand how ideas can spread. Through the power of the internet, he has helped the world’s boldest thinkers share their most uplifting and world-changing concepts. With Infectious Generosity, he encourages all of us to harness the internet as a force that brings people together instead of driving them apart. Through a combination of inspiring stories, cutting-edge psychological research and practical guidance, Infectious Generosity serves as both a manifesto and a playbook for embarking on a journey of generosity.

Learn more and preorder your copy of Infectious Generosity here.

As part of the publication and its larger mission, Anderson will donate his proceeds from Infectious Generosity to TED, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation dedicated to discovering and spreading ideas that spark conversation, deepen understanding and drive meaningful change. For every copy purchased in the US, the Crown Publishing Group will also donate a portion of its proceeds to TED-Ed in support of its missions to spark and celebrate the ideas of teachers and students around the world. Finally, Aevitas Creative Management will be donating a portion of its proceeds to The Peace Studio, an organization that gives artists and journalists the tools to transform conflict in the US.

As Anderson shows, each of us as individuals can be a catalyst for the amplification of human kindness — in sometimes surprising ways. Through acts of generosity great and small, we have within us the power to create a ripple effect that could truly transform the world. Learn more at InfectiousGenerosity.org.

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Flipside futures: The talks of TED@BCG 2023

Helen Walters and Francois Candelon speak at TED@BCG: Flipside Futures at the BCG office in Paris, France, on November 16, 2023. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Today is good, but tomorrow can always be better. There are new possibilities for our future if we use our uniquely human creativity. In a day of talks and performances, 16 leading minds gathered to flip expected thinking on its head and map out how we might build a brighter future.

The event: TED@BCG: Flipside Futures is the fourteenth event TED and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) have co-hosted to uplift forward-thinking speakers from around the globe. Hosted by TED’s head of media and curation Helen Walters.

When and where: Thursday, November 16, 2023 at the BCG office in Paris, France

Speakers: Catalina Lotero, Adam Whybrew, Jessica Apotheker, Diarra Bousso, Hanjo Seibert, David Kwong, Sylvester Chauke, Annalee Newitz, Adriann Negreros, Shruthi Baskaran-Makanju, Slava Balbek, Paul Hudson, Beth Viner, Philipp Carlsson-Szlezak, Sagar Goel, Bonnie Hancock

Opening and closing remarks: Francois Candelon, the global director of the BCG Henderson Institute and TED@BCG 2018 speaker, welcomes the audience while Olivier Scalabre, the head of BCG France and TED@BCG 2016 speaker, closes out the day.

The talks in brief:

Catalina Lotero speaks at TED@BCG: Flipside Futures at the BCG office in Paris, France, on November 16, 2023. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Catalina Lotero, purposeful designer

What might Latin America look like if colonization hadn’t broken the evolution of its ancient iconography? Catalina Lotero presents stunning images of “Pre-Columbian futurism” that infuse Latin American design with Indigenous symbolism — a testament to the power of aesthetics to rewrite historical narratives and envision new futures.

Adam Whybrew speaks at TED@BCG: Flipside Futures at the BCG office in Paris, France, on November 16, 2023. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Adam Whybrew, depression truth-teller

We can’t get rid of anxiety and depression, so we might as well talk about it, says Adam Whybrew. He shares how talking about his own debilitating mental health struggles with his coworkers created unexpectedly positive outcomes, offering a comforting message of hope for those in need of support. 

Jessica Apotheker speaks at TED@BCG: Flipside Futures at the BCG office in Paris, France, on November 16, 2023. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Jessica Apotheker, marketing expert

Research shows AI is poised to explode marketers’ performance — but there’s a problem, says Jessica Apotheker. AI may make marketers more productive but, if not harnessed correctly, it might also homogenize and clog the marketing landscape.

Diarra Bousso speaks at TED@BCG: Flipside Futures at the BCG office in Paris, France, on November 16, 2023. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Diarra Bousso, designer, mathematician

Growing up in Senegal, getting a new outfit for Diarra Bousso was never an impulse purchase; her clothes were made to order by local artisans and designed to last. Through her brand, Diarrablu, she’s working to bring this sustainable fashion model to modern e-retail, using digital tools to crowdsource designs, limit excess inventory and reduce overconsumption and waste.

Hanjo Seibert speaks at TED@BCG: Flipside Futures at the BCG office in Paris, France, on November 16, 2023. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Hanjo Seibert, economic crime fighter

Hanjo Seibert spends his time fighting economic crime, a wide field ranging from drug trafficking and human trafficking to fraud, cybercrimes, tax evasion and more. He explains how gangsters, criminals and terrorists launder their money through this shady underground economy — and how all of us can take small steps to make it harder for them to do so.

David Kwong (left) recruits an audience member for his talk and performance at TED@BCG: Flipside Futures at the BCG office in Paris, France, on November 16, 2023. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

David Kwong, magician 

“We live in a time that’s more wondrous than our ancestors ever could have imagined, and technology isn’t the barrier to unlocking that wonder: it’s the key,” says David Kwong. He explores how tech elevates our capacity for bewilderment — and invites an audience member to the stage for some ChatGPT-powered magic.

Sylvester Chauke speaks at TED@BCG: Flipside Futures at the BCG office in Paris, France, on November 16, 2023. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Sylvester Chauke, branding disruptor

After years of brand building, marketing veteran Sylvester Chauke realized that his industry had sold the world on overconsumption, with devastating consequences. He shares how marketers could instead promote sustainability and responsible consumerism with “honest ads.”

Annalee Newitz speaks at TED@BCG: Flipside Futures at the BCG office in Paris, France, on November 16, 2023. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Annalee Newitz, journalist, sci-fi author

“Escapist stories allow us to reimagine our relationship with the places we live,” says Annalee Newitz. Inviting you to the whimsical world of sci-fi, cosplay (short for “costume play”) and goblincore (an internet-born aesthetic that celebrates the “ugly” side of nature), Newitz shares why, sometimes, the best way to solve our problems is to escape them.

Adriann Negreros speaks at TED@BCG: Flipside Futures at the BCG office in Paris, France, on November 16, 2023. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Adriann Negreros, change management expert

Nearly three billion people have frontline jobs: work that requires them to be in person, whether it’s as baristas, Uber drivers, factory floor workers or anything else. Adriann Negreros is on a mission to make these jobs more rewarding by getting employees what they need but often lack – like respect, better pay, more flexibility and safety gear that actually fits.

Shruthi Baskaran-Makanju speaks at TED@BCG: Flipside Futures at the BCG office in Paris, France, on November 16, 2023. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Shruthi Baskaran-Makanju, food systems advocate

Sub-Saharan Africa needs more meat consumption to solve its nutrition challenges, says Shruthi Baskaran-Makanju. Instead of building feedlots, she makes a case for scaling meat and milk production in the region by supporting its millions of nomadic livestock herders. 

Slava Balbek speaks at TED@BCG: Flipside Futures at the BCG office in Paris, France, on November 16, 2023. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Slava Balbek, architect, humanitarian

The Russian invasion of Ukraine forced architect Slava Balbek to rethink the nature of his craft. From a tool that develops localized blueprints to rebuild your home to the construction of comfortable, stylish temporary housing, Balbek and his team are exploring the healing power of architecture with a simple motto: “Dignity no matter what.”

Paul Hudson sits down with Lindsay Levin for an interview at TED@BCG: Flipside Futures at the BCG office in Paris, France, on November 16, 2023. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Paul Hudson, healthcare innovator, in conversation with Lindsay Levin, the head of TED Countdown

Rather than resisting AI, Paul Hudson has welcomed the opportunity to let it completely disrupt Sanofi, the healthcare and pharmaceutical company he leads. In conversation with Lindsay Levin, he discusses how AI can propel daily decision-making, its impact on data transparency and the role it might play in decarbonizing the pharmaceutical industry.

Beth Viner speaks at TED@BCG: Flipside Futures at the BCG office in Paris, France, on November 16, 2023. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Beth Viner, culture strategist

We often venerate dreamers: the innovators who smash through barriers. But for every dreamer, says Beth Viner, a team of doers works hard to transform that vision into reality. The best companies succeed by harnessing this synergy.

Philipp Carlsson-Szelzak speaks at TED@BCG: Flipside Futures at the BCG office in Paris, France, on November 16, 2023. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Philipp Carlsson-Szlezak, economist 

Economic models always seem to predict disaster, creating financial losses that could have been avoided if shoppers and business owners were more rationally optimistic, says economist Philipp Carlsson-Szlezak. He calls for everyone to be their own judge, evaluate the doomsday narratives with a careful eye and embrace the inevitable uncertainty.

Sagar Goel speaks at TED@BCG: Flipside Futures at the BCG office in Paris, France, on November 16, 2023. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Sagar Goel, skill-building strategist

People are worried that AI will replace them at work — but upgrading skills and lifelong learning can help. Sagar Goel shares insights from a partnership with the Singaporean government on a digital reskilling program that helped people gain experience for jobs for which they previously wouldn’t have qualified.

Bonnie Hancock speaks at TED@BCG: Flipside Futures at the BCG office in Paris, France, on November 16, 2023. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Bonnie Hancock, Ironwoman, paddler, record breaker

In 2020, Bonnie Hancock began paddling her sea kayak in a clockwise loop around Australia. It took her 254 days to circumnavigate the continent, breaking the previous world record by more than two months. She shares the ups and downs of her 12,700-kilometer journey — including brushes with crocodiles, sharks and hypothermia — and how she learned to find resilience and beauty in the toughest moments.

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Powerful perspectives: The intimate and beautiful interstitials of TEDWomen 2023

Par : TED Staff

As part of the world-class curation for TEDWomen 2023, a small but moving selection of shorts offered a reflection of the collective power of movement, art and community. Among dozens of nominations from across the web, these shorts were presented for their electrifying creativity and unique view of the moment. Watch the selections below.

The short: “SCAD Fashion 2022’” (excerpt)

The creator: Squire Fox

In brief: SCAD School of Fashion senior and graduate students debut their collections in a sublime cinematic experience, a runway crossover featuring exquisite, high-concept looks.

Shown during: Session 2: Not always a straight path

 

The short: “They say Atlanta Influences Everything”

The creator: Atlanta United FC and Atlanta Influences Everything

In brief: A short showcasing the 404 Kit for Atlanta United FC, inspired by Atlanta’s cultural and global impact from the 90s to now.

Shown during: Session 2: Not always a straight path

 

The short: “Kylie” (excerpt)

The creator: Sterling Hampton IV

In brief: A Black ballerina speaks her truth about being a dancer in the ballet community while she performs in the city streets of Los Angeles.

Shown during: Session 3: In love and life

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Moving on up: Talks from day 3 of TEDWomen 2023

Activist, filmmaker and entrepreneur Maya Penn, TEDWomen editorial director Pat Mitchell and TED’s head of curation Helen Walters host Session 5 of TEDWomen 2023: Two Steps Forward on October 13, 2023, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

For the final day of TEDWomen 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia, a multidisciplinary group of experts took on the challenges and opportunities of navigating change — from reimagining migration for political power and addressing the real threats of AI to championing inclusivity, celebrating nature’s wildness and pondering life’s myriad complexities through art.

The event: Sessions 4 and 5 of TEDWomen 2023, hosted by TEDWomen editorial director Pat Mitchell, TED’s head of curation Helen Walters and activist, filmmaker and entrepreneur Maya Penn

When and where: Friday, October 13, 2023, at the Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta, Georgia

Speakers: Charles M. Blow, Sasha Luccioni, Ruha Benjamin, Melonie D. Parker, Sherrell Dorsey, Mary Ann Sieghart, Dyhia Belhabib, Rebecca McMackin, Lucy McBath, Valerie Montgomery Rice, Maira Kalman, Freada Kapor Klein, Sheila Ngozi Oparaocha, Chantale Zuzi Leader

Darkwave artist Abra performs at Session 5 of TEDWomen 2023: Two Steps Forward on October 13, 2023, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Music: Darkwave artist Abra captivated the TEDWomen audience with her signature blend of gothic, R&B and electronic music.

Writer Charles M. Blow speaks at Session 4 of TEDWomen 2023: Two Steps Forward on October 13, 2023, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Erin Lubin / TED)

Societal progress often feels like two steps forward, one step back — how do we change that? New York Times columnist Charles M. Blow calls for a peaceful, reverse migration of Black Americans to southern US states, to write over legacies of oppression and wield political power to change history.

AI ethics researcher Sasha Luccioni speaks at Session 4 of TEDWomen 2023: Two Steps Forward on October 13, 2023, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

We’ve all heard it recently: “AI could kill us all.” Instead of catastrophizing, AI ethics researcher Sasha Luccioni wants to address AI’s more pressing risks — like carbon emissions, copyright infringement and biased data — by creating tools and legislation that promote transparency.

Innovation and equity researcher Ruha Benjamin speaks at Session 4 of TEDWomen 2023: Two Steps Forward on October 13, 2023, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Erin Lubin / TED)

In the era of superintelligent AI, are health care and housing for all really beyond reach? From the outcry against Atlanta’s “Cop City” to tech-driven democracy in Barcelona, researcher Ruha Benjamin imagines a future where tech and people-power work in tandem, not in opposition.

Google’s chief diversity officer Melonie D. Parker and TED Tech podcast Sherrell Dorsey speak at Session 4 of TEDWomen 2023: Two Steps Forward on October 13, 2023, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

How can we create safe and inclusive work cultures for all? Google’s chief diversity officer Melonie D. Parker joins journalist and host of the TED Tech podcast Sherrell Dorsey in a nuanced conversation about creating a sustainably inclusive company where every employee can thrive.

Author, journalist and broadcaster Mary Ann Sieghart speaks at Session 4 of TEDWomen 2023: Two Steps Forward on October 13, 2023, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

We still take women less seriously than men, says author, journalist and broadcaster Mary Ann Sieghart. She explains how we can tackle what she calls the “authority gap” by questioning our biases against women’s intelligence (like judging a woman by the pitch of her voice) and actively promoting female experts.

Maritime crime fighter Dyhia Belhabib speaks at Session 4 of TEDWomen 2023: Two Steps Forward on October 13, 2023, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Erin Lubin / TED)

Criminal groups use sophisticated technology to perpetrate crimes on the ocean: drug smugglers pilot autonomous submarines; pirates use satellites to detect ships they plan to capture and ransom. Maritime crime fighter Dyhia Belhabib introduces Heva, a tool that uses AI to aggregate international criminal records with the goal of detecting and stopping maritime crime.

Ecologically obsessed horticulturist Rebecca McMackin speaks at Session 4 of TEDWomen 2023: Two Steps Forward on October 13, 2023, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Ecological horticulturist Rebecca McMackin explores the beauty of letting your garden run wild, surveying the success she’s had increasing biodiversity on the piers of Brooklyn Bridge Park and offering tips for creating wildlife-friendly habitats at home.

US Congresswoman Lucy McBath speaks at Session 5 of TEDWomen 2023: Two Steps Forward on October 13, 2023, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Following the death of her only son, US Congresswoman Lucy McBath was elected to office with one major goal: pass comprehensive gun safety legislation. She shares the power of a personal story to bridge divides and make real, impactful change.

President and CEO of Morehouse School of Medicine Valerie Montgomery Rice speaks at Session 5 of TEDWomen 2023: Two Steps Forward on October 13, 2023, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

“There are challenges and fears that catapult us to become the greatest versions of ourselves, to become great leaders,” says health equity advocate and president and CEO of Morehouse School of Medicine Valerie Montgomery Rice. She shares three lessons in leadership and shows how they can guide anyone hoping to break through fear, stand up for what’s right and build opportunity for all.

Multidisciplinary artist Maira Kalman speaks at Session 5 of TEDWomen 2023: Two Steps Forward on October 13, 2023, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Erin Lubin / TED)

Multidisciplinary artist Maira Kalman delivers a delightfully wry, sneakily profound reflection on time, death, work, art, family, dreams and more. Backed by her wise, witty illustrations, her talk seems to embody the entirety of life itself, in all its absurd glory.

Impact investor Freada Kapor Klein speaks at Session 5 of TEDWomen 2023: Two Steps Forward on October 13, 2023, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Impact investor Freada Kapor Klein is building fairness into the core of tech companies. Her VC fund, Kapor Capital, only invests in businesses that commit to hiring diverse teams, fostering inclusive workplaces and creating products and services that close opportunity gaps.

Energy equity expert Sheila Ngozi Oparaocha speaks at Session 5 of TEDWomen 2023: Two Steps Forward on October 13, 2023, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Erin Lubin / TED)

The dominant narrative of energy transition has a problem, says energy equity expert Sheila Oparaocha: it ignores the billions of people without energy access. For just and inclusive climate solutions, Oparaocha says we must empower women and prioritize universal access to sustainable energy.

Refugee advocate Chantale Zuzi Leader speaks at Session 5 of TEDWomen 2023: Two Steps Forward on October 13, 2023, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

After surviving devastating violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Chantale Zuzi Leader found safety in the US. She urges everyone to consider the problem of displacement with curiosity and compassion — and offers refugees like her a powerful message of hope: “It is possible to break through.”

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Life, love and finding a path: Talks from day 2 of TEDWomen 2023

Activist, filmmaker and entrepreneur Maya Penn hosts Session 3 at TEDWomen 2023: Two Steps Forward on October 12, 2023, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Jasmina Tomic / TED)

Day 2 of TEDWomen 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia featured an interdisciplinary array of ideas from speakers who are disrupting poverty, creating bold art, restoring Indigenous rights, exploring bioluminescence in nature and much more.

The event: Sessions 2 and 3 of TEDWomen 2023, hosted by TEDWomen editorial director Pat Mitchell and activist, filmmaker and entrepreneur Maya Penn

When and where: Thursday, October 12, 2023, at the Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta, Georgia

Speakers: Tracie Revis, Diana Greene Foster, Aisha Nyandoro, Andre Dickens, Rosita Najmi, Esha Chhabra, Paige Alexander, Jay Bailey, Karinna Grant, Laetitia Ky, Glenn Close, Laurel Braitman, Wan Faridah Akmal Jusoh, Gary Barker, Lindsay Morris, Reed J. Williams, Maria E. Sophocles

A warm welcome: From Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, who shared how the city has partnered with the Carter Center on a campaign called Inform Women, Transform Lives, which is aimed at raising awareness about women’s right to information.

Buzz performs at Session 3 of TEDWomen 2023: Two Steps Forward on October 12, 2023, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Erin Lubin / TED)

Music: An enchanting, genre-bending performance of her songs “Universe,” “Statues” and “Liberation” by singer-songwriter and producer Buzz.

Cultural preservation advocate Tracie Revis speaks at Session 2 of TEDWomen 2023: Two Steps Forward on October 12, 2023, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Jasmina Tomic / TED)

Tracie Revis’s ancestors were forcibly removed from their homeland in what is currently known as Georgia. Now, she’s working to reclaim part of that land, the Ocmulgee Mounds, and turn it into Georgia’s first national park and preserve, which would be co-managed by the Muscogee Creek tribe — tapping into the immense power of their ancestral homeland to heal generational trauma.

Demographer Diana Greene Foster speaks at Session 2 of TEDWomen 2023: Two Steps Forward on October 12, 2023, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Does having an abortion negatively impact a woman’s life? Demographer Diana Greene Foster’s research, known as The Turnaway Study, shows that women who want abortions and get them experience better mental and physical health and socioeconomic well-being than those who are denied.

Poverty disruptor Aisha Nyandoro speaks at Session 2 of TEDWomen 2023: Two Steps Forward on October 12, 2023, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

For Black mothers receiving guaranteed income through the Magnolia Mother’s Trust, a first-of-its-kind guaranteed income program in the US, a steady check meant having the power to uplift those around them. Inspired by their example, poverty disruptor Aisha Nyandoro wants people to redefine wealth in terms of the good it can create.

Global development economist Rosita Najmi speaks at Session 2 of TEDWomen 2023: Two Steps Forward on October 12, 2023, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Jasmina Tomic / TED)

Don’t fret about your leadership style, says global development economist Rosita Najmi — focus instead on your leadership languages. She explains why the best leaders are “multilingual,” fluent in the languages of business, philanthropy and public policy.

Environmental business journalist Esha Chhabra speaks at Session 2 of TEDWomen 2023: Two Steps Forward on October 12, 2023, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Jasmina Tomic / TED)

“Sustainability” has become a business buzzword, but environmental business journalist Esha Chhabra thinks it’s time to dig deeper. She outlines the growing wave of regenerative companies — which take a far more holistic approach to operations, with every aspect of business driving towards solving a social problem — and shows how many of them are already making big changes in fashion, energy, food, agriculture and beyond.

Carter Center CEO Paige Alexander speaks at Session 2 of TEDWomen 2023: Two Steps Forward on October 12, 2023, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Access to information is the key to unlocking human rights for all, says equality champion Paige Alexander. Leading The Carter Center, she and her team are connecting women to vital resources to get educated, start businesses and transform lives around the world.

Entrepreneur whisperer Jay Bailey speaks at Session 2 of TEDWomen 2023: Two Steps Forward on October 12, 2023, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Jasmina Tomic / TED)

When creating an incubator for Black entrepreneurs, Jay Bailey drew inspiration from Motown and HBCUs — two great models for economic mobility. What do they have in common? Bailey says both cultivate belonging and give people the freedom to believe.

Digital fashion entrepreneur Karinna Grant Session 3 of TEDWomen 2023: Two Steps Forward on October 12, 2023, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Jasmina Tomic / TED)

What if you could buy the latest fashions without crowding your closet or growing your carbon footprint? Digital fashion entrepreneur Karinna Grant says that future is already emerging: NFTs and augmented reality are expanding possibilities for creative consumption while decreasing waste.

Hair sculptor Laetitia Ky speaks at Session 3 of TEDWomen 2023: Two Steps Forward on October 12, 2023, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Jasmina Tomic / TED)

Artist Laetitia Ky creates incredible sculptures using the hair on her head (and a bit of wire), transforming it into surprising forms — an umbrella, a sunflower, wings, a raised fist — that promote bodily autonomy and self-acceptance.

Actor Glenn Close and TEDWomen editorial director Pat Mitchell speak at Session 3 of TEDWomen 2023: Two Steps Forward on October 12, 2023, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Erin Lubin / TED)

In 2009, Jessie Close confessed to her sister, actor Glenn Close, that her son’s struggle with schizophrenia had filled her with thoughts of suicide. She recounts how this revelation inspired their mental health advocacy organization, Bring Change To Mind, which is seeking to transform society’s negative perceptions of mental illness.

Writer and secular chaplain-in-training Laurel Braitman speaks at Session 3 of TEDWomen 2023: Two Steps Forward on October 12, 2023, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Erin Lubin / TED)

“Life is just one endless sushi conveyor belt of things that are going to test you and teach you at the same time,” says writer Laurel Braitman. Sharing the story of growing up as her dad battled cancer, she shares wisdom on why you can’t have joy without sorrow, bravery without fear.

Firefly scientist Wan Faridah Akmal Jusoh speaks at Session 3 of TEDWomen 2023: Two Steps Forward on October 12, 2023, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Erin Lubin / TED)

There are more than 2,000 firefly species that we know of, and they’re found on every continent except for Antarctica. Wan Faridah Akmal Jusoh explores the mysteries of these luminous beetles — which are an essential part of a healthy ecosystem — and details her quest to discover new firefly species and safeguard them as their habitats disappear.

Global troublemaker Gary Barker speaks at Session 3 of TEDWomen 2023: Two Steps Forward on October 12, 2023, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Erin Lubin / TED)

From childhood, boys have violent impulses imbued in them by a society that emphasizes independence at any cost. Unsurprisingly, most violent crimes are committed by men. Gary Barker shares ways to overcome violence by cultivating male empathy.

Trans youth advocate Reed J. Williams and photographer Lindsay Morris speak at Session 3 of TEDWomen 2023: Two Steps Forward on October 12, 2023, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Erin Lubin / TED)

After bringing her son to a summer camp for gender-nonconforming children, photographer Lindsay Morris launched a project to share the kids’ stories with the world. One of them, Reed J. Williams, is now a powerful advocate for transgender youth. Together, Morris and Williams reveal two sides to the LGBTQ+ experience — one as a mother, one as a trans woman — and offer poignant insight into the power of community.

Menopause emissary Maria E. Sophocles speaks at Session 3 of TEDWomen 2023: Two Steps Forward on October 12, 2023, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Erin Lubin / TED)

Gynecologist Maria E. Sophocles explains the science behind menopause — and its unsexy impacts in the bedroom. From estrogen to advocacy, she offers some solutions for women to bridge “the bedroom gap” and get back to comfortable, pleasurable sex.

TED’s head of conferences Monique Ruff Bell speaks at Session 2 of TEDWomen 2023: Two Steps Forward on October 12, 2023, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: TED)

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A world view: Talks from day 1 of TEDWomen 2023

TEDWomen editorial director Pat Mitchell, activist, filmmaker and entrepreneur Maya Penn and TED’s head of curation Helen Walters host Session 1 of TEDWomen 2023: Two Steps Forward on October 11, 2023, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

TEDWomen 2023 kicked off in its new home of Atlanta, Georgia with a moving and wide-ranging session of talks and performances about the future of global democracy, the pursuit of freedom in Russia and Ukraine, the path to recovery for survivors and more.

The event: Session 1 of TEDWomen 2023, hosted by TEDWomen editorial director Pat Mitchell, TED’s head of curation Helen Walters and activist, filmmaker and entrepreneur Maya Penn

When and where: Wednesday, October 11, 2023, at the Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta, Georgia

Speakers: Yordanos Eyoel, Irina Karamanos Adrian, Oleksandra Matviichuk, Jane Ferguson, Dasha Navalnaya, Ava DuVernay, Christine Schuler Deschryver, Chris Anderson

The Merian Ensemble performs at Session 1 of TEDWomen 2023: Two Steps Forward on October 11, 2023, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Jasmina Tomic / TED)

Music: Introduced by Atlanta Symphony Orchestra music director Nathalie Stutzmann, chamber music group The Merian Ensemble open the week with an evocative and transporting performance of Nicole Chamberlain’s “Atalanta” for flute, oboe, bass clarinet, harp and viola.

Democracy entrepreneur Yordanos Eyoel speaks at Session 1 of TEDWomen 2023: Two Steps Forward on October 11, 2023, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Jasmina Tomic / TED)

It’s not news that democracy is under attack globally. In order to encourage new democracies (and protect established ones), we need more than robust institutions — we need grassroots action, says democracy entrepreneur Yordanos Eyoel, who explores innovative ways to nurture nascent pro-democracy groups wherever they’re threatened.

Former First Lady of Chile Irina Karamanos Adrian speaks at Session 1 of TEDWomen 2023: Two Steps Forward on October 11, 2023, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

As a feminist, Irina Karamanos Adrian was not thrilled to become Chile’s First Lady. She shares how she overturned the position’s institutionalized responsibilities in an effort to make them more transparent, asserting that it’s undemocratic for an unelected position to have such power.

Human rights defender Oleksandra Matviichuk speaks at SESSION 1 at TEDWomen 2023: Two Steps Forward. October 11-13, 2023, Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

How do we defend people’s freedom and dignity against authoritarianism, asks human rights lawyer Oleksandra Matviichuk. In the face of Russian troops occupying Ukraine, she emphasizes the extraordinary capabilities of ordinary people — and urges us all to stand together.

War reporter Jane Ferguson speaks at Session 1 of TEDWomen 2023: Two Steps Forward on October 11, 2023, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Women journalists shape the way the world sees wars, says war reporter Jane Ferguson. Illuminating the historic impact of female-led reporting, she highlights the perspective-broadening power of humanizing stories from war zones.

Corruption fighter Dasha Navalnaya speaks at Session 1 of TEDWomen 2023: Two Steps Forward on October 11, 2023, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Dasha Navalnaya is the daughter of an important man: Alexey Navalny, the leader of the Russian opposition and one of Vladimir Putin’s top critics. She shares the story of her father’s poisoning and imprisonment — and why Russians need your help to bring down Putin’s authoritarian regime.

TEDWomen editorial director Pat Mitchell and writer, producer and filmmaker Ava DuVernay speak at Session 1 of TEDWomen 2023: Two Steps Forward on October 11, 2023, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

In conversation with TEDWomen editorial director Pat Mitchell, writer, producer and filmmaker Ava DuVernay discusses how she turned Caste — Isabel Wilkerson’s Pulitzer-Prize winning nonfiction analysis of race in the US — into Origin, a gripping narrative film exploring both the book’s thesis and the author’s life story.

Human rights activist Christine Schuler Deschryver speaks at SESSION 1 at TEDWomen 2023: Two Steps Forward. October 11-13, 2023, Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Human rights activist Christine Schuler Deschryver shares how her organization, City of Hope, is modeling a new recovery program for women survivors of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo, one that allows women to reclaim their bodies while developing skills to become future community leaders.

Head of TED Chris Anderson speaks at Session 1 at TEDWomen 2023: Two Steps Forward on October 11, 2023, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

We’re well aware of how quickly hate and misinformation go viral. But in a one-of-a-kind preview of his upcoming book, head of TED Chris Anderson argues generosity can be infectious as well — creating powerful ripple effects that help us thrive.

Dance group Mahogany-N-Motion performs at Session 1 at TEDWomen 2023: Two Steps Forward on October 11, 2023, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Jasmina Tomic / TED)

Closing performance: Mahogany-N-Motion, a student-run women’s dance group from Spelman College — a historically Black liberal arts college in Atlanta, Georgia — close out the session with an energetic, drumline-infused performance that brought the TEDWomen crowd to its feet.

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What People Are Getting Wrong This Week: NFL Misinformation

We’re fully into the NFL’s 2023 and the biggest real controversy this season is a low-key debate about banning the QB sneak (either to protect quarterbacks or because the Philadelphia Eagles do it too well.) Meanwhile, there’s firestorm of imaginary controversy raging in the inboxes and Facebooks feeds of culture…

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Transforming business for a sustainable future: Insights from the 2023 TED Countdown Summit

Par : TED Staff

TED Countdown Summit. July 11-14, 2023. Detroit, MI. (Photo: Jason Redmond / TED)

In July 2023, over 750 global innovators, business leaders, scientists, policymakers, artists, activists and more came together in Detroit, Michigan, to explore the solutions, tools and partnerships that will bring us closer to achieving an equitable, zero-carbon world.

The TED Countdown Summit also hosted the inaugural gathering of the TED Future Forum, an initiative of TED Countdown focused on the role of business in accelerating solutions to the climate crisis and transforming the global economy.

“I know from experience that transforming a company requires a combination of dreams and details,” said Jim Hagemman Snabe, TED Future Forum Vision Council chair, chairman of Siemens AG and vice chairman of Allianz SE. “We need to dream big, before we have the answers, and then to work really hard on the details to figure it out. TED Future Forum is about helping companies to find the courage and know-how to speed up their green transition because it makes good business sense — and it’s the right thing to do.”

So how can business leaders level up their climate ambition? We’ve created this resource to synthesize and share insights from four days of TED Talks, workshops, experiential visits in Detroit and serendipitous conversations sparked by gathering together. We hope you’ll find wisdom and inspiration in the following stories, case studies and reflection prompts – and that you share it widely.

Download the report here.

TED Countdown Summit. July 11-14, 2023. Detroit, MI. Photo: Jason Redmond / TED

Remembering Karen Bakker

Par : TED Staff

Karen Bakker speaks at TED2023: Possibility on April 17, 2023, in Vancouver, BC, Canada. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

It is with immense sadness that we commemorate the legacy of Dr. Karen Bakker, who died on August 14. Karen’s talk at TED2023, Could an orca give a TED Talk?, demonstrated the beautiful promise afforded by technologies such as AI to help us understand the natural world more deeply.

A Guggenheim Fellow and professor at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Karen was known for her work on digital transformation, environmental governance and sustainability. Her 2022 book, The Sounds of Life: How Digital Technology Is Bringing Us Closer to the Worlds of Animals and Plants, was a literary tour de force that won numerous awards, as of course did Karen herself. She earned her PhD from Oxford University, where she studied as a Rhodes Scholar.

Everyone at TED sends their deepest condolences to Karen’s family and friends.

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Are men welcome at TEDWomen?

Jimmie Briggs speaks at TEDWomen 2021. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Many people hear TEDWomen and wonder: Are men welcome? The answer is an unequivocal “yes!” TEDWomen is a platform for progress, where we amplify ideas that build a better, more equitable future for all. It’s a space for all people — including men — to actively contribute to the global pursuit of equity.

Let’s explore the ways men are welcome at TEDWomen and break down the barriers that might prevent them from joining.

Attendees arrive at the welcome dinner at TEDWomen 2021. (Photo: Marla Aufmuth / TED)

Why men should come to TEDWomen

TEDWomen fosters an environment of learning, collaboration and collective action that transcends gender barriers and empowers everyone to be part of the solutions. After all, we’re all in this together. Men actively contribute to our mission by leading and participating in workshop sessions, and of course, giving TED Talks. This year we’ll be hearing from Jay Bailey, Gary Barker, Charles M. Blow and more!

Seize opportunities to learn, grow and elevate your work 

TEDWomen is a unique environment for cross-collaboration and learning, where individuals from diverse backgrounds come together to share luminous new thinking, stories and ideas in ways that will enchant, uplift and inspire us all. Participants elevate their understanding of equity issues, so we can all break down barriers and practice dismantling unconscious biases. Our programming fosters a profound appreciation of the contributions of women, non-binary and trans individuals AND men who are building a more inclusive society.

Diversify your network 

TEDWomen helps you grow one of your most valuable assets: your professional network. By participating in our Discovery Sessions, networking receptions, dinners and exhibits, you’ll build deep connections with like-minded leaders, trail-blazers and catalysts across all industries. This is your opportunity to form new partnerships and collectively imagine different ways forward.  

Access a rich talent pool of visionaries 

Looking for your next board member, cofounder or c-suite executive? TEDWomen attendees have remarkable resumes and an impressive commitment to making a positive impact on the world. Half of all attendees hold senior executive positions such as CEO, CTO, CMO, president, founder, partner, chairperson and more. 

Strategize around your role in the fight for equity 

TEDWomen is all about building a better, more equitable future for all. As a result, the conference attracts individuals with a deep commitment to social impact and equity. Men who choose to align with this mission elevate their influence in the world by gaining insights from diverse perspectives and experiences. They can walk away as effective advocates for change.

Have a kickass time 

Prepare for way more than just mind-blowing TED Talks! You’re in for a dazzling celebration of the complicated, messy, rich reality of humanity. From dynamic networking breaks to captivating musical performances and unexpected surprises, we’re packing every moment with excitement. Join us for an unforgettable experience filled with inspiration, deep connection, transcendent joy and delight. 

Audience members chat between sessions at TEDWomen 2019. (Photo: Stacie McChesney / TED)

So, are men welcome at TEDWomen? 

YES! The notion that TEDWomen is exclusively for women is a common misconception — one you can help to change. 

Men have a critical role to play in the quest for a more equitable future. If you’re a man who sees himself at the TEDWomen conference, ready to work toward new models of equity and help build a brighter future for all, apply now

TEDWomen will take place in Atlanta, GA on October 11-13, 2023 at the Woodruff Arts Center. Join a welcoming community dedicated to fostering an inclusive and collaborative environment to inspire positive action and drive meaningful change for all.

Apply for TEDWomen today!

Attendees enjoy the welcome dinner at TEDWomen 2019. (Photo: Marla Aufmuth / TED)

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Momentum: Notes from Session 7 of TED Countdown Summit 2023

Journalist Orlando P. Bailey hosts Session 7 of TED Countdown Summit on July 14, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

TED Countdown Summit 2023 concluded with a wide-ranging session featuring eight inspiring takes from around the world on how to ensure a fast, fair transition to a clean energy future.

The event: Talks from Session 6 of TED Countdown Summit 2023, hosted by TED’s David Biello and Lindsay Levin with journalist Orlando P. Bailey.

When and where: Friday, July 14, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan

Speakers: Kala Constantino, Rebecca Collyer, Rich Powell, Zainab Usman, Amir Nizar Zuabi, Sims Witherspoon, Ramón Méndez Galain, Mike Posner

Clean energy advocate Kala Constantino speaks at Session 7 of TED Countdown Summit on July 14, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

There’s a green energy wave swelling in the Philippines. Kala Constantino, director of the ecology advocacy group Tara Climate Foundation introduces us to a cross-section of the actors working to build a grid for cheap and clean renewable power throughout Asia. Electricity consumers in the Philippines pay one of the highest bills in Southeast Asia due to imported fossil fuels. Yet, as an island nation, the country also loses hundreds of millions of dollars every year to the impacts of climate disasters aggravated by carbon emissions. Activists have already encouraged the government to set aside funds for renewables and slow down the construction of coal-fired plants. With their help, Constantino hopes to see the Philippines become energy independent through solar and wind power, which will not only reduce electricity costs but also create jobs in a new, profitable sector.

Renewable energy strategist Rebecca Collyer and TED’s David Biello speak at Session 7 of TED Countdown Summit on July 14, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Rebecca Collyer is the executive director of 2023 Audacious Project grantee ReNew2030, a global coalition to scale the use of wind and solar energy. In conversation with TED science curator David Biello, Collyer explores how to ensure the transition to renewable energy is fast and fair — a crucial task, as the power sector produces more carbon emissions than any other sector in the world. She shows how, by mobilizing governments, businesses and local communities around the world, ReNew2030 aims to scale wind and solar power capacity by 2030 and set the world up for a climate-secure future — all while creating local jobs and clean air.

Climate innovation leader Rich Powell speaks at Session 7 of TED Countdown Summit on July 14, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Jasmina Tomic / TED)

We’ve all heard of the dangers of NIMBY-ism (“not in my backyard”). Climate innovation leader Rich Powell takes it a step further, saying that the true barrier to immediate implementation of clean energy projects is BANANA-ism: “build absolutely nothing anywhere near anything.” This means that critical infrastructure like windmills, nuclear plants and flexible power grids can get bogged down for years in the permitting process — or killed by wealthy lobbyists seeking to keep wind farms or solar panels away from their property. Powell believes that the quickest way to solve our clean energy crisis is to remove these barriers, while keeping environmental protections like the Clean Water Act. If voters and regulators can find common ground, then he says we’ll be well on our way toward replacing our existing power grid with one focused on renewables.

Political economist Zainab Usman speaks at Session 7 of TED Countdown Summit on July 14, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Solving the climate crisis requires collective action on a global scale, but today’s economy is becoming fractured between four regions: the US, China, Europe and the rest of the world. Political economist Zainab Usman says the solution lies with policymakers, business leaders and activists. Working together worldwide, they can distribute low-carbon technology globally; prioritize consumer welfare to make green tech more accessible; and set global standards to govern the sourcing of strategic, nonrenewable materials (such as the minerals in solar panels and other green products). With these goals, Usman says, we don’t have to live out the divided, dystopian future predicted by George Orwell and other such writers long before.

Theater writer and director Amir Nizar Zuabi speaks at Session 7 of TED Countdown Summit on July 14, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Jasmina Tomic / TED)

Tapping into the power of theater and its ability to turn pressing issues into human stories that spark hope, theater director and playwright Amir Nizar Zuabi shares the journey of Little Amal — a 10-year-old refugee girl (who is actually a 13-foot puppet) that went on an epic, 5,000-mile migration across eight countries in a globe-trotting art piece called “The Walk.” She embodied the broken global refugee system that has left so many people vulnerable and displaced. Inspired by the impact Little Amal had on the communities she passed through, Zuabi unveils for the first time his next piece: “The Herds,” a massive migration of animal puppets that will start in West Africa and end in Norway, set to begin their travels in 2025. Evolving as they move, the herds will take on new species native to each country they encounter, raising awareness about climate change and the threat it poses to animals and humans alike in a devastating, powerful and beautiful way.

Applied AI climate scientist Sims Witherspoon speaks at Session 7 of TED Countdown Summit on July 14, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Sims Witherspoon wants to use artificial intelligence to tackle climate change. When building a sustainable future, she believes AI can help us better understand the impact of climate change on Earth’s ecosystems, accelerate the breakthrough science we need to create a carbon-free energy supply and speed up the transition to renewable energy sources. Witherspoon explains how she and her team recently partnered with Google to develop an AI that accurately predicts wind availability on one of Google’s wind farms. They trained a neural net on weather forecasts and Google’s historical turbine data and then deployed it on the wind farm to test its accuracy. Their AI ultimately performed 20 percent better than Google’s existing system, and Google has since decided to scale the technology — a win for the company and the planet.

Just energy transition leader Ramón Méndez Galain speaks at Session 7 of TED Countdown Summit on July 14, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Jasmina Tomic / TED)

Fifteen years ago, Uruguay was experiencing an energy crisis; today, the tiny nation produces 98 percent of its electricity from renewable sources — and even exports extra energy to countries like Argentina and Brazil. Former particle physicist Ramón Méndez Galain charted the country’s transition to renewables as head of the country’s National Energy Agency. He shares how they achieved energy stability with widespread political support by shifting away from fossil fuels toward clean energy sources like wind, solar and sustainable biomass made from rice hulls, bagasse and pulp. Uruguay also developed technologies to predict the availability of intermittent sources, like wind and solar, to determine which energy sources to rely on and when. Although the transition required massive effort, coordination and innovation, the country can now depend on a stable, sustainable and, yes, profitable energy sector.

Singer/songwriter and producer Mike Posner performs at Session 7 of TED Countdown Summit on July 14, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Singer-songwriter Mike Posner performs two hit songs, “I Took a Pill in Ibiza” and “Could You Do the Same,” and delivers an inspiring talk about how he walked nearly 3,000 miles across the United States. A lot happened along the way, he says — including a life-threatening rattlesnake bite — but the journey left him with five crucial life lessons and a sense of deep, true happiness.

The TED control room during  Session 7 of TED Countdown Summit on July 14, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Jasmina Tomic / TED)

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Community: Notes from Session 6 of TED Countdown Summit 2023

TED’s Logan McClure Davda and Lindsay Levin host Session 6 of TED Countdown Summit on July 14, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

From innovative technologies upgrading our buildings to age-old Aboriginal wisdom on fire management and more, the five speakers of Session 6 of TED Countdown Summit 2023 offered transformative insights on how we can redefine our relationships to both our stuff and the world, with a focus on sustainability and resilience.

The event: Talks from Session 6 of TED Countdown Summit 2023, hosted by TED’s Logan McClure Davda and Lindsay Levin

When and where: Friday, July 14, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan

Speakers: Josephine Philips, Aruna Rangachar Pohl, Oral McGuire, Donnel Baird, Gopal D. Patel

Sustainable fashion entrepreneur Josephine Philips speaks at Session 6 of TED Countdown Summit on July 14, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Jasmina Tomic / TED)

The fashion industry emits more carbon than travel from all airlines worldwide, combined. And all those clothes we toss in the charity box to make room for new ones? Many end up in landfills in Ghana or buried in a pile in the Atacama Desert so big astronauts can see it from space. To make fashion more sustainable, Josephine Philips says we need to buy less and value more the clothes we already own. When a shirt is torn, we should repair it, not toss it. Before giving away that old sweater, we should recall every experience we’ve had while wearing it, plus the time, labor and resources that went into making it — from the field that grew its cotton to the hands that stitched it together. When we value things correctly, she reminds us, we’re less wasteful, which reduces our negative impact on the planet.

Sustainable development leader Aruna Rangachar Pohl speaks at Session 6 of TED Countdown Summit on July 14, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Jasmina Tomic / TED)

Sustainable development leader Aruna Rangachar Pohl takes us on the long journey of one of India’s most beloved snacks: biscuits — revealing how the production of these treats and other highly processed goods that rely on industrial farming are hurting the planet and our health. Armed with a vision to rejuvenate productive landscapes in India equitably and sustainably, Rangachar Pohl established the India Foundation for Humanistic Development, and she shares stories of small-scale farmers in their incubator who are joining forces, acting as shareholders and purchasing resources in bulk together. Training farmers to adopt natural practices and calculate their carbon sequestration with a focus on revenue, Rangachar Pohl shows how green production really pays off. By creating a climate-resilient agricultural sector where people’s rights are protected, farming can mean a greener, tastier and healthier future for everyone.

Fire practitioner Oral McGuire speaks at Session 6 of TED Countdown Summit on July 14, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Jasmina Tomic / TED)

“I acknowledge fire as a friend, as a part of my being and my spirit,” says Oral McGuire, a fire practitioner and member of the Mangarda Balladong Nyungar First Nations in southwestern Australia. A professional firefighter for 18 years, McGuire acknowledges the threat uncontrolled fire can pose to our natural environment. Connecting Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities and practices, he shares the importance of applying the right kind of fire in a sacred practice known as “kaarl-ngariny,” to maintain the health and balance of the land. By protecting and preserving nature through proper fire management, McGuire says can heal the spirit of the land and promote biodiversity at the same time.

Energy upgrader Donnel Baird speaks at Session 6 of TED Countdown Summit on July 14, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Jasmina Tomic / TED)

Powering the United States’s 125 million buildings accounts for 30 percent of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions. To make matters worse, older ovens, furnaces and hot water heaters have been found to leak benzene, methane and nitrogen dioxide into homes, threatening the health of those inside. Energy upgrader Donnel Baird aims to solve this problem by moving buildings off of fossil fuels and onto renewably sourced electric power. His company BlocPower has trained thousands of people to install tech like solar panels, electric induction ovens and heat pumps. The company also works with financing to plan electrification costs into a home’s mortgage in an effort to make it more affordable, and with data accessibility so homeowners can understand the electrification plan they need.

Environmental activist and campaigner Gopal D. Patel speaks at Session 6 of TED Countdown Summit on July 14, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

To tackle the climate crisis, we’ll need to keep building resiliency and momentum. Gopal D. Patel is here with some good news: there’s already a time-tested, millennia-old framework to do just that. As cochair of the United Nations Multi-faith Advisory Council, Patel mobilizes faith communities for environmental advocacy and action around the world. He explains how the ideas and wisdom of faith traditions can apply to the climate movement, namely in three areas: nourishing and uplifting community; finding rituals and tradition that give a sense of belonging; and working with purposeful action. You don’t have to be religious to take advantage of these learnings, Patel says: they’re guides for anyone looking to advance climate action with a sense of renewed purpose and intention.

The attendee town hall during Session 6 of TED Countdown Summit on July 14, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Jasmina Tomic / TED)

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Renewal: Notes from Session 5 of TED Countdown Summit 2023

TED’s Logan McClure Davda and journalist Orlando P. Bailey host Session 5 of TED Countdown Summit on July 13, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Jasmina Tomic / TED)

For Session 5 of TED Countdown Summit 2023, seven speakers underscored the urgency for collective action, highlighting the growing frequency and severity of extreme weather events; insights on the electric vehicle revolution; the interconnectedness of deforestation, pandemics and climate change; the crucial role of leadership in climate justice and more.

The event: Talks from Session 5 of TED Countdown Summit 2023, hosted by TED’s Logan McClure Davda and journalist Orlando P. Bailey

When and where: Thursday, July 13, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan

Speakers: Al Roker, Cynthia Williams, Neil Vora, Ludmila Rattis, Louise Mabulo, David Lammy, Justin J. Pearson

Performing artist Tunde Olaniran performs at Session 5 of TED Countdown Summit on July 13, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Nick Hagen / TED)

Music: Multidisciplinary artist, musician, creative producer and Flint, Michigan native Tunde Olaniran explores themes of identity, injustice and empowerment across the worlds of music, dance, film, literature and performance art. Joined on the TED Countdown stage by four incredible dancers, Olaniran smolders through a set of songs powered by experimental electronic beats.

Environmentalist and weatherman Al Roker speaks at Session 5 of TED Countdown Summit on July 13, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Jasmina Tomic / TED)

Al Roker is known as “America’s weatherman,” and he’s been in the weather business for a long time, reporting live from some of recent history’s worst storms and natural disasters. All this has made one thing abundantly clear to him: extreme weather is increasing in frequency and severity, and the consequences will be devastating. Offering a comprehensive overview of the knock-on effects of extreme weather, Roker encourages all of us to take small collective actions and unite in our efforts to address climate change in order to create a more sustainable, hopeful future for all.

Sustainability executive Cynthia Williams speaks at Session 5 of TED Countdown Summit on July 13, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Jasmina Tomic / TED)

Cynthia Williams‘s family has long worked in the auto industry — her grandfather started with General Motors during the 1940s boom, followed by her father a generation later along with nearly all her uncles. They witnessed a total transformation in the era of transportation, and today, as a sustainability executive for Ford, Williams is seeing another: the electric vehicle revolution. She explains how the car industry is already advancing towards a sustainable future by building new carbon-neutral manufacturing plants and training hundreds of thousands of workers. They’re also investing in supportive infrastructure (making sure EV charging stations are as plentiful and convenient as gas stations) and developing products that consumers want. Electric vehicles are sustainable, says Williams; they should be desirable, too.

Disease detective and conservationist Neil Vora speaks at Session 5 of TED Countdown Summit on July 13, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Jasmina Tomic / TED)

The first rule of physicians is to do no harm — and that extends to trees, says actor and activist Rainn Wilson as he introduces Neil Vora, who leads pandemic prevention at Conservation International. Having worked at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for more than a decade previously, Vora shares his unique journey of transitioning from treating patients to protecting forests and the species in them. Highlighting the importance of preventing pandemics (not just reacting to them), Vora exposes three crucial ways deforestation impacts human health: (1) Animals living alongside humans are more likely to carry germs that can infect us; (2) When people move into deforested areas, there is more exposure to new viruses; (3) And animals are more likely to spread illness when their homes are threatened. “We have solutions to address deforestation. And if we implement them wisely, we can prevent outbreaks and mitigate climate change,” Vora says.

Ecologist Ludmila Rattis speaks at Session 5 of TED Countdown Summit on July 13, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Nick Hagen / TED)

Ecologist Ludmila Rattis reveals the surprisingly fruitful benefits of letting nature take care of business, sharing how the digestive habits of tapirs in Amazonia spread seeds throughout the region, regenerating the forest. As tapirs walk, they eat fruit, slowly digest them and then poop, transporting the fruit seeds to new land. In a single tapir dropping, Rattis’s lab found an average of 733 seeds belonging to up to 24 different species. Creatures like dung beetles help reduce the competition in this concentrated pile of life — spreading the seeds as they roll, tunnel and bury the poop — and show how the somewhat undignified parts of nature are intertwined with our planet’s future more than we realize.

Farmer, chef and entrepreneur Ludmila Rattis speaks at Session 5 of TED Countdown Summit on July 13, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Jasmina Tomic / TED)

Louise Mabulo grew up on seemingly strange advice from her parents and grandparents about planting toward a full moon or burying a rock under root crops for a better yield. While others tended to regard her family’s beliefs as superstitious, Mabulo has since discovered the profound wisdom in them. She works in restorative agroforestry, and through her initiative, The Cacao Project, which works to build sustainable and climate-resilient livelihoods for farmers, she’s seen even the most bizarre stories proven true. Crops planted during a full moon do bear more fruit; root crops do thrive when planted with rocks because rocks keep the soil loose enough for air pockets to form and encourage growth. Invisible knowledge, Mabulo says, might hold the key to helping us adapt our ecosystems to a changing climate. It also affirms our spiritual and cultural connection with nature and our place in it.

Tennessee state representative Justin J. Pearson and Member of Parliament in the UK David Lammy speak at Session 5 of TED Countdown Summit on July 13, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Jasmina Tomic / TED)

In a wide-ranging and inspirational interview, Tennessee state representative Justin J. Pearson and British MP David Lammy discuss the pressing issue of climate justice and the nuances of leadership within the movement. Pearson shares his journey in the movement that began with a fight against a pipeline project in Memphis, Tennessee, emphasizing the significance of empowering the most affected communities and acknowledging the interconnectedness of different social issues. Lammy explains the need for a collective focus on large-scale issues and the role of climate justice as a unifying objective that transcends identity politics. They collectively emphasize the necessity for unifying and authentic leadership — and the need to hold powerful nations accountable for environmental action.

Session 5 of TED Countdown Summit on July 13, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

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Magnitude: Notes from Session 4 of TED Countdown Summit 2023

TED’s Lindsay Levin and systems innovator Ryan Panchadsaram host Session 4 of TED Countdown Summit on July 13, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Nick Hagen / TED)

To rise to the challenge of climate change, we need big, bold, gigaton-scale solutions. Session 4 of TED Countdown Summit 2023 focused on the clean technologies that need to scale fast — and made space for ideas on radical climate leadership, the use of art for environmental activism and the push for climate-friendly alternatives to the world’s most-consumed foods.

The event: Talks from Session 4 of TED Countdown Summit 2023, hosted by TED’s Lindsay Levin and systems innovator Ryan Panchadsaram

When and where: Thursday, July 13, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan

Speakers: Olivia Breese, Jim Snabe, John O’Donnell, Isabella Kirkland, Marcelo Mena, Jim Whitaker, Jessica Whitaker Allen, Tao Zhang

Energy innovator Olivia Breese speaks at Session 4 of TED Countdown Summit on July 13, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Nick Hagen / TED)

Energy innovator Olivia Breese imagines a “love story” between green electrons and water molecules, the result of which is a molecule that can store and release energy without emitting carbon dioxide — a flexible and vastly more sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. Similar to how wind energy has scaled up to become affordable and efficient, Breese calls for global investment in green molecule production. “A world which runs entirely on green energy, it’s not a luxury. It’s a necessity,” she says.

Jim Snabe, chairman of Siemens and Northvolt, speaks at Session 4 of TED Countdown Summit on July 13, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Nick Hagen / TED)

Throughout his career, Jim Snabe has helped lead companies working to accelerate decarbonization. Now, he’s also serving as Vision Council chair for the TED Future Forum (TFF), a new initiative focused on the role of business in advancing solutions to the climate crisis. He outlines TFF’s plans to be a catalyst and community for companies committed to stepping up with greater climate ambition, issuing an invitation for anyone interested in joining the massive, collaborative effort to transform the global economy. “If we want to avoid a climate disaster, we need much more radical leadership,” he says.

Energy entrepreneur John O’Donnell speaks at Session 4 of TED Countdown Summit on July 13, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Nick Hagen / TED)

Electrified industrial heat is the next trillion-dollar market, but manufacturing needs constant heat, requiring a way to store energy when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine. Engineer John O’Donnell offers a solution: his company, Rondo, produces heat batteries consisting of thousands of bricks stacked in a grid, heated with renewable energy. When heated, a brick can store as much energy as a lithium battery per pound, but costs less and lasts longer. O’Donnell proposes that this “boring” (his word) but effective system could scale fast, helping to green industrial processes worldwide.

Artist Isabella Kirkland speaks at Session 4 of TED Countdown Summit on July 13, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Investigating humanity’s relationship to nature, artist Isabella Kirkland paints species that once lived along the Hudson River in her work “Palisades,” showcasing the profound beauty and rarity of the diverse life that once inhabited our planet — and advocating for the conservation of that which is still here. “I think of my paintings as alarm clocks,” she says. “They’re reminders of what’s at stake; the only problem is we keep pushing the snooze button.” Using art as both a poignant record of loss (like her painting “Gone,” which depicts extinct flowers, fish and snails) and discovery (like her painting “Canopy,” which shows mosses, insects and tiny orchids all new to Western science), Kirkland highlights the danger that wildlife trade poses to nature. Creation is her form of activism, and she uses it to celebrate and advocate for all living creatures that were, are and will be, inviting us all to do the same.

Biochemical engineer Marcelo Mena speaks at Session 4 of TED Countdown Summit on July 13, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Nick Hagen / TED)

Deadly and polluting methane that forms in massive landfills in places like Ghazipur, India, or Santiago, Chile, often causes fires — and heatwaves are only making the issue worse. Reducing these emissions is the most efficient way to lower Earth’s temperature within our lifetime, says biochemical engineer Marcelo Mena. But time is running out and this harmful gas needs to be cut in half by 2050 in order to effectively combat global warming. Working in more than 10 cities, Mena’s team created the Waste MAP (Methane Assessment Platform), which uses satellite information to pinpoint pollution sources ranging from organic waste, food production and enteric fermentation (a fancy way to say cow farts). Mena also introduces the enteric fermentation R&D accelerator: an ambitious, 200-million-dollar research effort to reign in livestock emissions and point the way toward a cleaner, safer future for everyone.

Conservation coordinator Jessica Whitaker Allen and sustainability advocate Jim Whitaker speak at Session 4 of TED Countdown Summit on July 13, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Rice is the world’s most consumed food source — and it accounts for 10 percent of the world’s methane emissions. Jim Whitaker (a fifth-generation rice farmer) and his daughter Jessica Whitaker Allen (a builder of conservation solutions) are seeking to grow sustainability awareness within the agricultural communities where they live in southeast Arkansas. Together, they’ve defined farming protocols that could slash rice’s environmental impacts, cutting water use, methane production and the need for fertilizer. While her dad works literally on the ground to refine irrigation methods, Jessica (a waterfowl conservationist by day) pursues funding to spread green practices — and SmartRice, a sustainable grain hybrid — first to their neighbors and, eventually, to the rest of the world. While it’s not easy to convince struggling farmers to invest in new methods, Jim and Jessica make strong arguments that the best way to preserve a farm’s bottom line is to preserve its land for future generations.

Impact investor Tao Zhang speaks at Session 4 of TED Countdown Summit on July 13, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

A Chinese saying goes: “There is no pleasure in eating without meat.” Every year, China consumes 26 percent of the world’s meat, 43 percent of its pork and 45 percent of its seafood. But unlike other major meat-eating countries like the United States, China has yet to embrace more climate-friendly alternative proteins because, as Tao Zhang explains, consumers there regard mock meat as a cheap, unhealthy and flavorless substitute. Since the world can’t solve climate change without China, Zhang sees swaying Chinese eaters towards these new proteins as a climate-positive business opportunity. He discusses the potential impact of investing in food innovation in China, emphasizing why more research and development are needed to create, market and distribute tasty, affordable, regionally appropriate and meat-free proteins.

The attendee town hall at Session 4 of the TED Countdown Summit on July 13, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

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Dilemmas: Notes from Session 3 of TED Countdown Summit 2023

TED’s David Biello and Lindsay Levin host Session 3 of TED Countdown Summit on July 12, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Jasmina Tomic / TED)

Session 3 of TED Countdown Summit 2023 tackled some of the knottier issues related to climate change — from the massive amount of money needed to finance the global green transition, to the struggle for energy access in developing nations and the ecosystem effects of fast fashion — and offered glimpses of the world-changing solutions already underway to lead us into a clean, prosperous future for all.

The event: Talks from Session 3 of TED Countdown Summit 2023, hosted by TED’s Lindsay Levin and David Biello

When and where: Wednesday, July 12, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan

Speakers: Nili Gilbert, David Blood, Avinash Persaud, Tombo Banda, Steve Presley, Amy Powney, Payton M. Wilkins, Xiaojun “Tom” Wang

Sustainable investing leader David Blood and investment decarbonization expert Nili Gilbert speak at Session 3 of TED Countdown Summit on July 12, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Jasmina Tomic / TED)

How much money is required to decarbonize the world? Sustainable investment experts Nili Gilbert and David Blood provide both macro and on-the-ground perspectives on the kinds of finance flowing to climate solutions. While some progress has been made, hard-to-abate sectors and the Global South are still being left out of solutions. The good news? There’s certainly enough capital; there are no legal barriers to allocating capital to sustainable solutions; there are amazing entrepreneurs and business people doing the work; and public policy is on the move (like the Inflation Reduction Act in the US). The key is to get money moving to the right places and, as Gilbert says, to see this moment for what it is: a massive, multigenerational opportunity for sustainable growth — greater in scale than the Industrial Revolution and on pace to transform the world in less than 30 years.

Economist and professor Avinash Persaud speak at Session 3 of TED Countdown Summit on July 12, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

After Hurricane Maria decimated Dominica in 2017, the country declared its intention to become the first climate-resilient nation in the world. But as they sought to organize their response to future climate disasters, economist Avinash Persaud says, they quickly realized that the only real solution was to halt climate change entirely. For the developing world, the path to a greener, more sustainable future looks different than for wealthier countries. Developing nations can’t ban emissions, tax carbon or shift to renewables without hurting their growing economies and leaving large portions of their workforce unemployed. Persaud introduces the Bridgetown Initiative, a proposal to finance the green transformation of global systems, as a solution. Beginning with reducing barriers to private investment in green technologies in developing nations, the initiative also calls for more generous lending policies for resilience investments and a revenue stream created by taxing emissions from the shipping industry.

Energy access innovator Tombo Banda speak at Session 3 of TED Countdown Summit on July 12, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Jasmina Tomic / TED)

When electricity arrived in Zomba, Malawi in 1994, energy access innovator Tombo Banda says it brought her village significant changes to the health, comfort and happiness of its residents. But the reality is that 500 million people still lack access to electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa, relying on highly polluting materials like diesel and firewood. How do we get more people access to clean electrification quickly? Enter mini-grids, or localized renewable energy systems. By making the mini-grid business model more profitable, these systems can become more scalable — and enticing for private investors. Innovative approaches like using less expensive batteries and appliance financing to increase revenues can also accelerate electrification, Banda says, ultimately making electricity more accessible — and creating better lives for millions of people.

Nestlé North America CEO Steve Presley speaks at Session 3 of TED Countdown Summit on July 12, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Jasmina Tomic / TED)

In conversation with TED’s Lindsay Levin, Nestlé North America CEO Steve Presley discusses how one of the world’s largest food companies aims to reach net zero by 2050. Their efforts include sourcing ingredients from regenerative farming, improving packaging to contain less plastic, powering manufacturing with renewable energy and offering financial incentives to local farmers who use sustainable practices. Presley shares where Nestlé has made progress and where it’s still investing for change, encouraging transformation at every step of the food production process.

Fashion designer Amy Powney speaks at Session 3 of TED Countdown Summit on July 12, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Jasmina Tomic / TED)

Fashion designer Amy Powney designs for sustainability first, ensuring all aspects of the clothing made by Mother of Pearl, where she is creative director, are environmentally friendly and ethically produced. That ethos stands in contrast to the fast fashion garments that are often produced by underpaid workers with materials sourced from fossil fuels, endangered forests or plastics. She delves into the problems surrounding our pursuit of cheap clothing, from health and pollution to landfills that are visible from space, calling for everyone to reconsider the value of each item of clothing they own, its connection to the Earth and the lives touched by its creation.

Environmental justice advocate Payton M. Wilkins speaks at Session 3 of TED Countdown Summit on July 12, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Shutting down the fossil fuel industry means cleaner air and healthier citizens in the long term. But in the short term, it also means fewer jobs and shrinking livelihoods. While green jobs could, in time, supply a needed paycheck, the immediate impacts of closing a mine or refinery are devastating. We can protect both workers and the environment with an age-old solution: unions. As union leader and environmental justice advocate Payton Wilkins tells it, the multi-generational, multi-ethnic and multi-gender trade union movement could become a formidable force in the fight against climate change — and in places like Denmark, where unions spearhead the ascendance of clean energy, they already are. By showing workers that environmental justice and workplace equity are not mutually exclusive, Wilkins hopes to lead US unions to the front lines of the fight against climate change.

Hiker, biker and storyteller Xiaojun “Tom” Wang speaks at Session 3 of TED Countdown Summit on July 12, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Jasmina Tomic / TED)

Xiaojun “Tom” Wang grew up in the Chinese province of Shanxi, the world’s largest coal producer. Each year, more than a billion tons of coal are dug out from underneath Shanxi’s mountains, helping heat and power at least 24 other provinces in China. Wang narrates the devastating impacts of coal mining — accidents in coal mines, massive landslides, damage to cultural sites — and calls for Beijing to ease the pressure on Shanxi’s coal industry. Shanxi needs support in breaking free from its coal addiction, he says, not only to transition to a clean economy, but also to protect its rich cultural heritage.

Attendees applaud at Session 3 of TED Countdown Summit on July 12, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Nick Hagen / TED)

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Lessons: Notes from Session 2 of TED Countdown Summit 2023

TED’s Lindsay Levin and MP David Lammy host Session 2 of TED Countdown Summit on July 12, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Nick Hagen / TED)

What lessons are already available to us as we tackle climate change? For Session 2 of TED Countdown Summit 2023, science, solutions and the role of industry in stemming the threat of the climate emergency took center stage.

The event: Talks from Session 2 of TED Countdown Summit 2023, hosted by TED’s Lindsay Levin and David Lammy, Member of Parliament for Tottenham, England and Shadow Foreign Secretary

When and where: Wednesday, July 12, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan

Speakers: Jonathan Foley, Emma Nehrenheim, Cedrik Neike, Susan Lozier, Morten Bo Christiansen, Bo Cerup-Simonsen, Mike Duggan, Laprisha Berry Daniels

Climate solutions scientist Jonathan Foley speaks at Session 2 of TED Countdown Summit on July 12, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

To solve climate change, the International Monetary Fund estimates that the global community needs to invest between three and six trillion dollars annually in climate solutions. Where should that money go and which projects should we fund? Jonathan Foley, executive director of Project Drawdown, uses a science-based framework to outline a plan for investing with maximum impact. First, we need to prioritize immediate actions with cumulative benefits, like stopping deforestation and cutting methane leaks. Next, we should focus our spending on cutting carbon emissions now over investing in distant high-tech solutions. Third, we must prioritize geographical hotspots with an outsized effect on climate change, like the Amazon rainforest or high-emission factories. And finally, we should invest in solutions that benefit people’s well-being, promote food security and increase access to clean water and sanitation.

Battery recycler Emma Nehrenheim speaks at Session 2 of TED Countdown Summit on July 12, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Batteries will be fundamental to powering a sustainable world — but only if we don’t repeat the same mistakes of past industrialization, says battery recycler Emma Nehrenheim. She outlines the environmentally intensive impact of battery production — particularly from the extraction of minerals for lithium-ion batteries, which provide energy for electric vehicles and other key aspects of life — and proposes a shift towards a circular battery economy that uses and reuses already existing materials, vastly reducing the industry’s carbon footprint and need for mineral extraction.

Sustainable business leader Cedrik Neike speaks at Session 2 of TED Countdown Summit on July 12, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

We are running out of time to save our planet from climate change — and the metaverse can help. Using virtual tools like AI to cheat time in the real world, Cedrik Neike explains how “digital twin technology” (think simulated giga factories that are one-for-one digital copies of real ones) can help solve real-world problems more efficiently by providing a digital space to test solutions, without pollution. Using the example of virtually ideating the production of safer and faster-charging batteries and then bringing those learnings to the physical world, Neike points to the potential of industrial metaverses to revolutionize industries and redesign entire cities — from transportation, agriculture and housing — addressing massive challenges and avoiding the creation of excess waste at the same time.

Oceanographer Susan Lozier speaks at Session 2 of TED Countdown Summit on July 12, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Oceanographer Susan Lozier dives into the importance of the ocean’s natural circulation, which overturns water in a way that naturally captures carbon and regulates global temperatures. She shares the incredible research being done internationally to track changes in this overturn, as warming global temperatures could slow the circulation, lessen carbon uptake and increase the rate of climate-related disasters. While a collapse in this age-old system isn’t likely until 2100, Lozier warns of the dangers faced by future generations if we don’t change course now, calling for climate action to lower temperatures within the next 10 years.

SVP of A.P. Moller – Maersk Morten Bo Christiansen and TED’s Lindsay Levin speak at Session 2 of TED Countdown Summit on July 12, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Nick Hagen / TED)

As leader of the decarbonization team for A.P. Moller – Maersk, Morten Bo Christiansen is drawing an organizational roadmap to net zero that could help transform the global shipping industry. In conversation with TED’s Lindsay Levin, Christiansen shares his company’s ambitious goal to decarbonize their heavy-emitting business by 2040, highlighting how they’ve started implementing solutions like using green methanol as fuel in their container ships and deploying electric trucks in the US. He also points out the challenges in scaling green fuel production, price issues due to the high cost of green fuels and the need for collaborations across the value chain to manage these obstacles. Despite these challenges, Christiansen remains optimistic, making the case that the added cost to consumers for using green shipping methods is far outweighed by the urgently needed environmental benefits.

Shipping decarbonizer Bo Cerup-Simonsen speaks at Session 2 of TED Countdown Summit on July 12, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

In conversation with TED’s Lindsay Levin, Bo Cerup-Simonsen, CEO of the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping, discusses the essential role of their center in orchestrating systemic, global collaboration to tackle large-scale environmental challenges. Discussing the center’s origins, purpose and the strides it’s made in technological, commercial and regulatory spaces, Cerup-Simonsen highlights the push towards green alternatives, like green methanol and ammonia, in global shipping. Through tangible initiatives like “green corridors,” which enable end-to-end zero-carbon shipping between selected ports, they’re fostering cross-industry collaboration to accelerate the green transition and sharing lessons learned in combating the uncertainty hindering decisive action from companies and nations.

Mayor of Detroit Mike Duggan speaks at Session 2 of TED Countdown Summit on July 12, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Nick Hagen / TED)

Mike Duggan is serving his third term as mayor of Detroit, and he’s dead set on building the city’s climate responsiveness. His proposal is a unique one: to transform blighted, vacant lots into solar farms throughout the city. He describes how, with the buy-in of Detroiters themselves, he plans to start building these farms in different neighborhoods with the aim of powering all of Detroit’s municipal buildings and cleaning up dilapidated, vacant land from the city’s manufacturing past.

Public health social worker Laprisha Berry Daniels speaks at Session 2 of TED Countdown Summit on July 12, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Nick Hagen / TED)

Like many cities, Detroit is already feeling the effects of climate change. In the past 10 years, two major floods have cost the city more than a billion dollars in damages. The challenge of climate change may be daunting, but human beings have moved from place to place and adapted to changes in climate (both environmental and social) throughout history. For inspiration, public health social worker Laprisha Berry Daniels mines the survival strategies her grandparents learned after leaving the Jim Crow South to settle in Detroit. The climate crisis may be unprecedented, but Daniels says we can still prepare for it by embracing the lessons of the past. First, we must accept the reality of climate change and prepare for it. Second, we should embrace the power of mutual aid. Lastly, we should empower communities to adapt through community-led planning.

SVP of A.P. Moller – Maersk Morten Bo Christiansen and TED’s Lindsay Levin speak at Session 2 of TED Countdown Summit on July 12, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED )

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Compass: Notes from Session 1 of TED Countdown Summit 2023

Journalist Orlando P. Bailey and TED’s Lindsay Levin and David Biello speak at Session 1 of TED Countdown Summit on July 11, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

TED Countdown Summit 2023 kicked off in Detroit, Michigan, with a wide-ranging, solution-filled session of TED Talks and performances meant to inspire action on the world’s toughest challenge: climate change. Over the course of four days, the Summit seeks to change the conversation on climate change and tell a new, true story about how a bright, clean, just, environmentally bountiful world isn’t just possible — it’s already here.

The event: Talks from Session 1 of TED Countdown Summit 2023, hosted by TED’s Lindsay Levin and David Biello with journalist Orlando P. Bailey

When and where: Tuesday, July 11, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan

Speakers: Simon Stiell, Julio Friedmann, Asmeret Asefaw Berhe, Changhua Wu, Paul Hawken, Anika Goss, Al Gore, Maxim Timchenko

The Detroit Youth Choir performs at Session 1 of TED Countdown Summit on July 11, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Music: Detroit Youth Choir rocked the house with an energetic performance of “Hey Look Ma, I Made It” by Panic! At The Disco and “Believer” by Imagine Dragons, putting their creative skills and talents on full display.

Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Simon Stiell speaks at Session 1 of TED Countdown Summit on July 11, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Transformational climate action is closer than we think, says Simon Stiell, who leads the UNFCCC — the UN’s entity supporting the global response to climate change. Drawing a parallel to the meteoric growth of text messaging in the 1990s and 2000s, Stiell outlines why climate action is set up to transition from a linear to exponential pace — so long as each of us applies our particular skill sets to push the world towards its “green tipping points.” “If you act, the exponential change that is needed will happen,” he says.

Scientist, writer and carbon wrangler Julio Friedmann speaks at Session 1 of TED Countdown Summit on July 11, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

How do we meet the energy needs of 10 billion people — sustainably and affordably? According to carbon removal expert Julio Friedmann, there are three key ingredients to cooking up a bright, clean future for everyone: infrastructure (think: transmission lines, roads and seaports) to make energy accessible; globally aligned (and actually affordable) innovation, like turning electricity into fuel; and more systemic, multi-tiered investment strategies on a global level. “Collective action, building together, is what makes the difficult possible and nourishes the soul through mission and purpose,” he says.

Director of the Office of Science at the US Department of Energy Asmeret Asefaw Berhe speaks at Session 1 of TED Countdown Summit on July 11, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Jasmina Tomic / TED)

The Biden Administration has set the ambitious goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. But the US still gets 80 percent of its energy from fossil fuels. Inspired by President John F. Kennedy’s famous “moonshot” speech in 1962, the Biden Administration is now funding “Earthshots” to accelerate breakthroughs in abundant, affordable and reliable clean energy solutions. If the US is going to meet its climate goals, slashing emissions isn’t enough, says soil scientist and national science leader Asmeret Asefaw Berhe. That’s why her team at the Department of Energy is working to employ new technologies, inspired by organic carbon-capture, to sequester carbon from the atmosphere.

Policy analyst Changhua Wu speaks at Session 1 of TED Countdown Summit on July 11, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Policy analyst Changhua Wu says that today China is undergoing a green revolution. The country has accelerated electric vehicle adoption, increased usage of solar and other renewables (with the goal of producing one kilowatt of solar energy per capita by 2030) and is promoting a circular economy that recycles raw materials to enable sustainable growth. To avoid climate catastrophe, Wu says, the US should moderate its foreign policy and learn from China’s efforts to promote sustainability on a massive scale.

Environmentalist Hong Hoang’s TED Idea Search: Southeast Asia submission video plays at Session 1 of TED Countdown Summit on July 11, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Activists are leading the charge into a sustainable future, but their work is never easy and rarely fully appreciated. After being invited to speak at TED Countdown Summit, environmental activist Hong Hoang (a winner of TED Idea Search: Southeast Asia 2022) was detained in her native Vietnam for her efforts to call global attention to Vietnam’s environmental abuses. Before a moment of silence in her honor, TED shared Hoang’s Idea Search submission video, where she emphasized the need her create climate activism in politically challenging contexts.

Environmentalist and author Paul Hawken speaks at Session 1 of TED Countdown Summit on July 11, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

We pay plenty of attention to the role industry plays in the destruction of our ecosystems and in the emission of greenhouse gasses. But what about the role of industrial agriculture? According to environmentalist Paul Hawken, industrial agriculture (the “fossil food industry,” as he calls it) is the world’s biggest culprit in environmental degradation. Modern factory farms reduce the nutritional content of soil, encourage erosion, ooze toxic runoff and kill off microbial fungi that naturally sequester carbon. Hawken paints a picture of a transition to regenerative agriculture: farming that embraces ancient techniques to renew the soil and insure fertility for generations. He explains how it would create farms that soak up more water, nurture healthier crops and recreate habitats for indigenous species — restoring biodiversity and mitigating the worst impacts of climate change.

City visionary Anika Goss speaks at Session 1 of TED Countdown Summit on July 11, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Climate change tests the social and economic fabric of cities like Detroit with rising temperatures that stretch power grids and “500-year” floods that leave mold and destruction in their wake. City visionary Anika Goss says financial stability is critical for Detroit’s survival in the face of the mounting climate crisis, and that the city must rebuild resilience in order to protect its citizens, who are overwhelmingly people of color already facing social inequity. By fostering entrepreneurship, restoring infrastructure and reviving abandoned urban spaces, she believes Detroit can overcome the unique challenges posed by the collapse of its manufacturing sector, creating thriving neighborhoods that embrace justice, sustainability and social connectivity.

Nobel Laureate, climate advocate and TED legend Al Gore speaks at Session 1 of TED Countdown Summit on July 11, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Fossil fuel companies claim to be in favor of climate-friendly solutions, but do their efforts have any real impact? Nobel Laureate and climate advocate Al Gore returns to the TED Countdown stage to break down the data proving that the greed of fossil fuel executives has thwarted their attempts to support climate action. He reveals two obstacles to lowering global emissions — namely, how oil and gas companies deliberately slow down global efforts to move capital away from fossil fuels, and the ineffectiveness of carbon capture technology — and reminds everyone that “the will to act is itself a renewable resource.”

Ukrainian energy executive Maxim Timchenko shares how DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy company, has diversified the country’s power structures to survive Russian attacks, highlighting the resilience of renewable energy (such as wind turbines, which are a smaller, more difficult target for bombers). He outlines how they’ve expanded renewable energy production throughout the war with Russia, becoming a testing ground in the global fight against climate change and the future of energy independence.

Attendees at Session 1 of TED Countdown Summit on July 11, 2023, at the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

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Exploring possibilities at TED2023 through sustainable and creative gifts

Par : TED Staff

The Solgaard installation at TED2023 conference April 17-21, 2023 in Vancouver, BC, Canada. (Jason Redmond / TED)

TED2023 invited attendees to explore the edges of what’s possible and what’s on the horizon. Part of this experience included inspiring new ideas through a thoughtful and sustainable gift program.

For this year’s conference gifts, we focused on working with brands that inspire creativity and push boundaries in their respective industries while ensuring sustainable values. Each gift was carefully chosen to reflect the spirit of TED.

Here’s a look at what was offered in the TED gift bag:

  • Solgaard: Optimized for daily work, life and travel, the Circular Bag protects the planet and your belongings.
  • Larq: A water bottle for wherever you hydrate. Purchase of this bottle gives back, supporting clean water facilities worldwide and cleaning up plastic waste.
  • JLab: With JBuds Air Pro Wireless Earbuds, JLab imagines and delivers the personal technology products that consumers want.
  • agood company: The reused stone notebook is one step in the fight against the unsustainable supply chains harming our planet.
  • evolvetogether: Beautiful and high-performing daily essentials that take care of people and the planet.
  • Nécessaire: Body wash that shows less is better. The Necessary™ supports health and wellness.
  • Before Self Care: Toothpaste tubes that are plant-based, 100% recyclable and celebrate conscious design and a healthy world.
  • Food Huggers: Simple and sustainable, Food Huggers mimic peels found in nature to keep food fresh and delicious.
  • Every.org: Philanthropy is for everyone. Camp.org provided $500 gift cards to attendees to support any of the over 1.2 million nonprofits on Every.org. 

During the conference, attendees had the opportunity to explore a range of new and exciting gifts at the TED Gift Hub. A curated selection of gifts from various partners were featured, showcasing different products throughout the week. Attendees had the chance to browse and select gifts that resonated with them, ranging from sustainable products, unique experiences and cutting-edge technology. The variety of partners and products on display showcased the diversity of innovation and possibility in the world today, providing a memorable and engaging experience at the TED Gift Hub.

Explore more about our in-kind partners: Aukai Body, B612 Foundation, BRIGHT, biom, Circular Harvest, Curio, Jabra, JLab, Manta Sleep, Mt. Kearsage Indian Museum, Oakywood, Oasense, OSEA, Outway, Pela, PYM, Rishi Tea, RoseBYANDER, Scopio, Sennheiser, Slowtide, thirteen lune, VRAI, Water & Wines and Zojirushi.

The TED Gift Hub at the TED2023 conference April 17-21, 2023 in Vancouver, BC, Canada. (Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Solgaard activation

Guérisseurs : je n’y crois pas, mais on ne sait jamais

Le succès des guérisseurs et autres rebouteux met en lumière deux modes de traitement de l’information dans notre cerveau : un système rationnel qui sait que c’est faux, et un système émotionnel qui aimerait que ce soit vrai. Et on navigue dans tout cela comme si de rien n’était !

How to convince your boss to send you to TEDWomen

Par : TED Staff

TEDWomen is the ultimate platform dedicated to accelerating groundbreaking ideas that build a better, more equitable future for all. It’s a captivating journey of self-discovery and professional enrichment and an opportunity to form life-altering relationships with some of the brightest minds on the planet.

But first, the true challenge: getting the time and expense approved. Fear not! We’re here to equip you with the right pitch that will leave your boss with a strong understanding of how important it is to say “yes” to TEDWomen.

Attendees take a selfie by the stage at TEDWomen 2021. (Photo: Marla Aufmuth / TED)

Underscore the personal development benefits 

Personal development is an area most companies value greatly, and TEDWomen holds the key to unleashing your untapped potential. Engage in workshops and thought-provoking conversations with influential speakers, activists and fellow attendees; hear mind-blowing TED Talks; see captivating performances; and participate in unique, curated activities. The conference program offers a deeper understanding of radical shifts in technology, business, culture and more, helping empower you to shape your organization’s thought leadership and equity initiatives.

TEDWomen is a transformative conference experience that opens up a world of possibilities for your professional growth. Imagine being in the same room with an exceptional lineup of senior leaders, including c-suite executives, presidents, founders, EVPs, SVPs and partners. This is not your typical networking event; it’s an extraordinary gathering where distinguished leaders come to learn, share and give back. Prepare to be inspired to take the right steps forward, not just to exchange business cards.

Outline the ROI

The connections you make will not only enrich your personal and professional life, but can also help open up exciting business opportunities for your company. Need proof of the conference’s impact? Look no further than zoologist Lucy King, who presented a creative solution on how bees can foster peace between elephants and humans in Africa. Her compelling talk at TEDWomen 2019 led to critical funding, raising over one million dollars for the Elephant Coexistence Program. Imagine the possibilities when you share your own story with a community closely watched by influential donors and innovation supporters.

TEDWomen is not only a conference; it’s a joyful and inclusive space where diverse voices and perspectives shine. It’s the birthplace of careers like Maysoon Zayid‘s, whose talk at TEDWomen 2013 on living with cerebral palsy propelled her career and brought much-needed representation and diversity to the entertainment industry. You’ll get the chance to discover emerging talent and groundbreaking ideas that could benefit your company and transform your own professional path.

Here’s a bonus tip to maximize your return on investment: secure an Early Supporter membership at the lowest rate possible (expires June 15, 2023) or invite a group of five colleagues and enjoy a Group Rate. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to make the most of your TEDWomen experience personally, professionally and financially.

Audience members of TEDWomen 2016. (Photo: Marla Aufmuth / TED)

Now, let’s put it all together using this template, outlined below.

Step 1: Start with this intro

“By attending TEDWomen, I’ll have the incredible opportunity to immerse myself in industries and sectors closely related to ours. This exposure will fuel my innovation and enable me to bring fresh ideas and perspectives back to our team. It’s the perfect chance to discover new pathways and become an even more dynamic and inventive employee.”

Step 2: Emphasize the community you’ll be a part of

“When we align our brand with TED, we tap into a global network of the most influential minds on the planet. By participating in TEDWomen, we connect with renowned thinkers, change-makers and visionaries, paving the way for potential collaborations and groundbreaking business opportunities. It’s an exciting chance to enhance our brand’s visibility and make valuable connections that can propel our success.”

Bonus: Delve into the conference program and identify speakers who align with your company’s goals and objectives; by highlighting their relevance in your pitch, you’ll demonstrate the direct value attending TEDWomen will bring to your company.

Step 3: Finish with the lasting impact

“Attending a TEDWomen conference is not just an event; it’s a true growth opportunity with far-reaching impacts. By investing in my professional and personal development, I’ll become a better leader and contributor to our organization. The invaluable insights, knowledge and inspiration gained from TEDWomen will empower me to bring innovative strategies and fresh perspectives to the table, driving our collective success forward.

“By attending TEDWomen 2023, I will unlock a world of possibilities, enabling me to contribute at a higher level and fueling our company’s growth in ways we never thought possible.”

You can apply now for TEDWomen 2023, no invite needed. The conference will be held October 11-13 at the Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta, Georgia. Make this the year you attend an event that invests in yourself and your company. Get the approval you need and get started on your TEDWomen journey. 

Download TEDWomen Conference Overview.

Attendees at TEDWomen 2021. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

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The Way We Work: Practical workplace wisdom, in partnership with Upwork

Work is a big part of our lives, so how can we bring our best selves to it, and how can we create workplaces that help employees thrive?

The Way We Work is a TED original video series where leaders and thinkers offer practical wisdom and insight into how we can adapt and thrive amid changing workplace conventions. The series is made possible with the support of Upwork.

Whether you’re looking to boost your productivity, help employees with disabilities excel, calm your anxietybe a team player or establish healthy boundaries, the fifth season of The Way We Work brings in innovative workplace heroes to share their top tips. They offer advice on how to navigate some trickier situations, like quitting a job without burning bridges or thriving in a hybrid work culture. Learn how to adopt new ways of working — and how to talk about your own impact.

Looking to launch something new at work? Here’s how to make sure it’s a lasting change:

Want to leave your job but don’t know where to start? This is how you quit well:

Burnt out by collaboration overload? Here’s how to reclaim your peace of mind:

A playbook on setting healthy boundaries at work:

Could your anxiety be transformed into something useful?

We all procrastinate sometimes — here’s how to design for it instead of fighting against it:

You have a personal brand, here’s how to shape it:

A guide on how to make hybrid workplaces actually work:

Here’s what workplaces can do to help all employees excel:

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TED and Culture3 to launch inaugural TED Tech event in London, England

Par : TED Staff

TED Tech will take place in London, September 18-19, 2023.

TED and the UK-based company Culture3 have announced a collaboration to launch the first TED Tech conference, to be held September 18-19 in London, England. Together, TED Tech and Culture3 hope to build optimism and accountability around the impact of AI, blockchain and extended reality.

TED’s first all-tech conference

The inaugural TED Tech will kick off Culture3 Week, a four-day festival bringing together the world of art, business and technology to investigate the ideas shaping culture and society. It’s TED’s first all-tech-focused conference.

Why it’s different

This isn’t just another tech conference. TED and Culture3 have designed a uniquely connected experience that combines TED’s signature talks and conversations with a Culture3-curated ideas forum of real-world applications, art exhibits and industry-shaping demonstrations and announcements. Attendees will hear TED speakers and Culture3-curated experts dive into the latest advancements in tech that are radically transforming the world around us.   

TED Tech at a glance

  • 1500+ Attendees 
  • 10+ TED speakers
  • Workshops 
  • Culture3-curated idea forums 
  • Demos and announcements

The ideas

Attendees will gather to consider the questions that matter most:

  • What will a future driven by such extraordinary technological advancements actually look like?
  • How should these advancements be monitored, governed or controlled, if at all?
  • How might society, art and business change as a result of this technology?

The attendees

We’ll bring together brilliant minds — artists, creators, technologists and entrepreneurs — to discuss, debate and create the future of the internet. The first TED Tech will be hosted in London, where a vibrant ecosystem of start-ups, tech giants and universities fuel innovation.

How to attend

TED Tech will take place in London on September 18-19, 2023. If you want to be at the forefront of the conversation and join a powerful group of business and community leaders, innovators and creators, register now »

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More than $1B catalyzed for 2023 Audacious Projects

Par : TED Staff

Today, The Audacious Project, a collaborative funding initiative housed at TED, announced that more than one billion dollars has been committed to its newest cohort of projects. This is a significant funding milestone in the initiative’s five-year history and comes at a critical time on key issues such as climate change, migrant rights and criminal justice reform.

The 2023 Audacious Project grantees are:

“With our 2023 Audacious Project cohort, some of the most complex and challenging problems we’re facing right now – transitioning to renewable energy, increasing access to reproductive health care, transforming our foster care system and more – are being met by some incredible idea-makers,” said Anna Verghese, Executive Director of The Audacious Project. “Each one offers an approach to shift the status quo and the systems they operate in, and will hope to breathe possibility and transformation into these critical issues.”

Each year, The Audacious Project scours the globe for big, bold ideas and collaborates with social entrepreneurs and philanthropists to drive impact on a grand scale. It is an effort that goes beyond funding, pushing for transformative change, systems overhaul and collaboration across multiple sectors. This new cohort will present their big ideas onstage at TED2023, joining an existing portfolio of 39 Audacious projects. Since 2018, more than four billion philanthropic dollars has been catalyzed to support these projects’ visions.

“We started The Audacious Project five years ago as an experiment to see what could happen when we invite changemakers around the world to dream as big as they dare, and then shape their boldest ideas into viable plans,” said Chris Anderson, Head of TED. “It’s absolutely thrilling to see this much money raised for these projects. I’m in awe of the teams behind them — and of the donors who are funding them. Our experiment is gaining traction, and we believe it can achieve even more in the coming years.”

Read more about The Audacious Project and its five years of impact.


ABOUT THE AUDACIOUS PROJECT

 

Launched in April 2018, The Audacious Project is a collaborative funding initiative that’s catalyzing social impact on a grand scale. Housed at TED, the nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading, and with support from leading social impact advisor The Bridgespan Group, The Audacious Project convenes funders and social entrepreneurs with the goal of supporting bold solutions to the world’s most urgent challenges. The funding collective is made up of respected organizations and individuals in philanthropy, including Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, ELMA Philanthropies, Emerson Collective, MacKenzie Scott, Skoll Foundation, Valhalla Foundation and more.

Each year The Audacious Project supports a new cohort. The 2023 grantees are CAMFED, Canopy, Clean Slate Initiative, Global Fishing Watch, Innovative Genomics Institute, Jan Sahas’ Migrants Resilience Collaborative, ReNew2030, Restore Local, Think of Us and Upstream USA.

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TED debuts “Fixable,” a new career advice podcast with leadership experts Frances Frei and Anne Morriss

Par : TED Staff

There’s a path forward from every problem at work — sometimes we just need some help finding the best direction to take. That’s where the TED Audio Collective’s newest podcast, Fixable, comes in — to guide career advice seekers towards getting unstuck.

Leading the way are hosts Frances Frei, a Harvard Business School professor, and Anne Morriss, CEO and best-selling author. This dynamic leadership power couple (yes, they happen to be married to each other) are taking real people’s career complications — no matter their industry or position — and setting them up for success. From addressing communication roadblocks to unproductive company cultures to uncertainty in how to scale up a business and more, Frei and Morriss share fast, actionable solutions to relatable issues in 30 minutes or less each week.

This isn’t your average “listen and learn” podcast experience. This show is built around participation.

True to its title, Fixable actively connects listeners with expert problem-solvers to steer them towards a thriving professional future. Do you have a work problem you’d like to solve? Call our hotline at 234-Fixable (that’s 234-349-2253) and leave a voicemail explaining your work woes for a chance to be featured on a future episode. 

The first episode drops April 3. Subscribe to Fixable on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. 

Fixable is made possible with the support of SAP. Learn more about how TED partners with best-in-class brands here.

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New “TED Radio Hour” three-part series explores “Mind, Body, Spirit”

Par : TED Staff

For millennia, humans have debated the connection between the mind, body and spirit. But today, the phrase sounds trite — a hallmark of the #selfcare industry. Over three episodes of this special series on TED Radio Hour, TED speakers will investigate fresh perspectives on how we think, move and feel.

In the first hour: the mind. The brain is the most complex organ in the human body. It gives us control over our bodies and shapes our thoughts, memories and emotions. But how? And can we coach ourselves to think better? The series kicks off with an investigation into the different ways we think and understand the world, what new brain-computer interfaces could do for sharing our thoughts and a story about taming that voice in our head that makes us miserable. Plus, a poem about preparing your mind to be more open to creative ideas. Mind-blowing stuff? Hell yes. Guests explore the internal and external influences on our minds, including animal behaviorist and autism activist Temple Grandin, podcast host and meditation advocate Dan Harris, neurointerventionist Tom Oxley and poet Sarah Kay.

The second hour focuses on the body. We know it’s important to listen to our bodies and trust how we feel, but it’s not always easy. In part 2 of our series, TED speakers explore ideas about movement, pleasure and rest. Guests include choreographer Ryan Heffington, news anchor Lee Thomas, aerialist Adie Delaney and therapist KC Davis.

In the third and final episode we hear from speakers who’ve found unique ways to rekindle the human spirit and, as the saying goes, stay “true” to themselves. Guests include author, researcher and podcaster Tania Lunar, renowned artist JR and serial entrepreneur Artur Sychov. Their challenges include invasions of privacy, incarceration, exile and simply facing human mortality. Their tactics? Sidestepping linear time with innovation, embracing uncertainty by incorporating surprise into our daily lives and using beauty to overwhelm the ugly side of humanity. Their stories will spark your zest for life, too.

You can get all three episodes of our “Mind, Body, Spirit” series, as well as more episodes of TED Radio Hour, on Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

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How to watch TED Talks on Plex

Par : TED Staff

Unsure what to stream or where to start on Plex? Join us at a new home to watch TED Talks, Originals and TED-Ed Lessons – for free!

Cozy up on the couch and join us through your favorite ways to watch! Alongside Plex, you can find the TED channel on Samsung TV Plus, Xumo and a growing number of platforms.

See below for a step-by-step guide on how to find us on a television (or mobile device) near you.

How to watch TED Talks on Plex

  • On your Smart TV: If you have a fully supported Smart TV (LG, Samsung, Hisense, Vizio or Amazon Fire TV), search for “TED” or find the TED channel listed in the “Explore” section of the Live TV guide.
  • On your mobile device: Available on both iOS and Android through Apple TV and Android TV. Download your preferred watch method and search for “TED” or find the TED channel listed in the “Explore” section of the Live TV guide.
  • On other devices: Through Roku, Chromecast, Playstation, Xbox or Amazon Fire devices, search for “TED” or find the TED channel listed in the “Explore” section of the Live TV guide.
  • On your browser: Click here to watch! Search for TED or side-scroll to the “Explore” section at the top of the Live TV guide and select “TED”.

Available in most countries. For more information, check out the Plex FAQ or the Plex Live TV support page.

What’s on the TED channel?

We’ve got a little bit of everything for everyone, whether you’re interested in personal growth, the mysteries of the universe or you’re simply a passionate generalist with endless curiosity. On the weekends, our slate of family-friendly programming is bursting with engaging and eye-catching content from TED-Ed.

Look below to see what we’ve got on offer for your streaming pleasure!

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How to watch TED Talks on Xumo

Par : TED Staff

ted channel logo

Unsure what to stream or where to start on Xumo? Join us at a new home to watch TED Talks, Originals and TED-Ed Lessons – for free!

Cozy up on the couch and join us through your favorite ways to watch! Alongside Xumo, you can find the TED channel on Samsung TV Plus, Plex and a growing number of platforms.

See below for a step-by-step guide on how to find us on a television (or mobile device) near you.

How to watch TED Talks on Xumo

  • On your Smart TV: Have a VIZIO, Samsung, Hisense or Xclass Smart TV? Download the Xumo app and search for “TED” or find our channel listed in the “History and Learning” section of the Live Guide.
  • On your mobile device: Available on both iOS and Android through Apple TV and Android TV. Download your preferred watch method and search for “TED” or find the TED channel listed in the “History and Learning” section of the Live Guide.
  • On other devices: Through Roku, Amazon Fire, Panasonic and Xfinity (X1, Flex, etc.) devices, search for “TED” or find or find our channel listed in the “History and Learning” section of the Live Guide.
  • On your browser: Click here to watch!

Available in the US and Canada. For more information, check out the Xumo FAQ.

What’s on the TED channel?

We’ve got a little bit of everything for everyone, whether you’re interested in personal growth, the mysteries of the universe or you’re simply a passionate generalist with endless curiosity. On the weekends, our slate of family-friendly programming is bursting with engaging and eye-catching content from TED-Ed.

Look below to see what we’ve got on offer for your streaming pleasure!

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How to watch TED Talks on Samsung TV Plus

Par : TED Staff

Unsure what to stream or where to start on your Samsung device? Join us at a new home to watch TED Talks, Originals and TED-Ed Lessons – for free!

Cozy up on the couch and join us through your favorite ways to watch! Alongside Samsung TV Plus, you can find the TED channel on Xumo, Plex and a growing number of platforms.

See below for a step-by-step guide on how to find us on a television (or mobile device) near you.

Start streaming TED on Samsung TV Plus

  • On your Smart TV: Select the Samsung TV Plus app. Search for “TED” or enter channel 1405.
  • On your Samsung mobile device: Visit the Galaxy Store or Google Play Store and download the Samsung TV Plus app. Search for “TED” or find the TED channel listed in the Entertainment section of the channel guide.
  • On your browser: Click here to watch!

Available in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. For more information, check out the Samsung TV Plus FAQ.

What’s on the TED channel?

We’ve got a little bit of everything for everyone, whether you’re interested in personal growth, the mysteries of the universe or you’re simply a passionate generalist with endless curiosity. On the weekends, our slate of family-friendly programming is bursting with engaging and eye-catching content from TED-Ed.

Look below to see what we’ve got on offer for your streaming pleasure!

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Open: The talks of TED@DestinationCanada

TED senior curator Cyndi Stivers hosts TED@DestinationCanada at the TED Theater in New York City on February 23, 2023. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

When we come together with open hearts and open minds, anything is possible. It was in this spirit that TED partnered with Destination Canada for a day of talks and performances featuring new ideas on living, seeing the world and reimagining our shared future.

The event: TED@DestinationCanada: Open is the first event TED and Destination Canada have co-hosted to spotlight leading minds who embody the incredible breadth and depth of Canadian culture. The event was hosted by TED senior curator Cyndi Stivers.

When and where: Thursday, February 23, 2023, at the TED Theater in New York City

Opening and closing remarks: From the Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance for Canada, and Gloria Loree, chief marketing officer of Destination Canada

Speakers: Alysa McCall, Azim Shariff, Normand Voyer, Matricia Bauer, Lori McCarthy, Paul Bloom, Cohen Bradley, Alona Fyshe, Rebecca Darwent, Michael Green, Cameron Davis, Jiaying Zhao, Kevin Smith and Kris Alexander

Throat singers Silla perform at TED@DestinationCanada at the TED World Theater in New York City. February 23, 2023. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Music: In the verbal version of a dance-off, the Inuit duo Silla (made up of Charlotte Qamaniq and Cynthia Pitsiulak) perform the ancient art form of katajjaq, a type of Inuit throat singing found only in the Canadian Arctic. Later in the show, singer-songwriter Mélissa Laveaux delivers a musical treat, performing two mesmerizing songs alongside bassist Sébastien Richelieu.

The talks in brief:

Biologist and conservationist Alysa McCall speaks at TED@DestinationCanada at the TED Theater in New York City. February 23, 2023. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

As Arctic sea ice melts, polar bears are being forced on land – and they’re hungry. Biologist and conservationist Alysa McCall shares what to do when you find a polar bear digging through your trash and offers inspiring solutions for protecting both the bear’s shrinking habitat and their human neighbors.

Social psychologist Azim Shariff speaks at TED@DestinationCanada at the TED Theater in New York City. February 23, 2023. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Why do we think people who work hard are “good” — even if they produce little to no results? Social psychologist Azim Shariff calls this “effort moralization”: the intuitive connection we make between hard work and moral worth, regardless of what the work produces. He explores how this mindset plays out in our work environments — leading to things like workaholism — and encourages a shift towards effort that produces something meaningful, rather than just work for work’s sake.

Chemist Normand Voyer speaks at TED@DestinationCanada at the TED Theater in New York City. February 23, 2023. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Take a trip to Canada’s Arctic as natural product chemist Normand Voyer explores the mysterious molecular treasures hidden in plants thriving in frigid environments. These scarcely investigated organisms could hold the key to the world’s next wonder drug, he says — so long as we work quickly enough to discover them before their ecosystems are altered by climate change.

Indigenous artist and entrepreneur Matricia Bauer speaks at TED@DestinationCanada at the TED Theater in New York City. February 23, 2023. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Adopted by a white family as a child, Indigenous artist and entrepreneur Matricia Bauer, or Isko-achitaw waciy / ᐃᐢᑯ ᐃᐦᒋᑕ ᐘᒋᕀ (she who moves mountains), lost touch with her Cree heritage. Beat by beat and bead by bead, Bauer reconciled lost parts of herself by exploring the songs, stories and crafts of her culture. On a decades-long journey of re-Indigenizing herself, Bauer recites a moving poem on the ways of eagles and hawks — and illustrates the power of embracing one’s true self.

Cultural storyteller Lori McCarthy speaks at TED@DestinationCanada at the TED Theater in New York City. February 23, 2023. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

In a love letter to her native Newfoundland and Labrador, cultural storyteller Lori McCarthy shares the secret magic of this Canadian province: the rich connection between the people, the land and the food. Sharing a glimpse of the tastes, sights and generations-old stories that thrive there, McCarthy invites you to become a part of wherever you go — which could start with something as simple as sitting with a local for a cup of tea.

Psychologist Paul Bloom speaks at TED@DestinationCanada at the TED Theater in New York City. February 23, 2023. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Have you ever done something just because you knew it was wrong? In an invitation to examine your contrarian streak, psychologist Paul Bloom shares findings from “The Perversity Project”: stories he gathered from the public of harmless (but intentional) everyday misdeeds. From sticking a finger in your friend’s ice cream to a urinal that sparked the birth of conceptual art, Bloom makes the case that, sometimes, freeing yourself from the constraints of rationality and morality can be clever, creative and even beautiful.

Haida storyteller Cohen Bradley speaks at TED@DestinationCanada at the TED Theater in New York City. February 23, 2023. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Haida storyteller Cohen Bradley, who holds the names of Taaydal (“coming in big”) and Gidin Kuns (“powerful eagle”) in his clan and nation, shares his culture’s perspective on legacy, weaving together stories passed on by his ancestors with his own recent story of raising a memorial pole in his ancestral village. He demonstrates the resilience of his people’s legacy despite the devastating impact of colonialism.

AI researcher Alona Fyshe speaks at TED@DestinationCanada at the TED Theater in New York City. February 23, 2023. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Is AI really as smart as people give it credit for? Researcher Alona Fyshe delves into the inner workings of AI and the human brain, breaking down how talkative tech (like ChatGPT) learns to communicate so convincingly — or not.

Philanthropic adviser Rebecca Darwent speaks at TED@DestinationCanada at the TED Theater in New York City. February 23, 2023. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Boxhand. Susu. Tontine. Potlatch. These are just some of the names from around the world for philanthropy centered on formal and informal ways of giving back. Philanthropic adviser Rebecca Darwent shares how community-led practices can revolutionize and overcome the systemic racism of the financial industry — and offers lessons from collective giving that could change the ways good is done.

Architect Michael Green speaks at TED@DestinationCanada at the TED Theater in New York City. February 23, 2023. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Architect Michael Green — a mass timber pioneer who helped spark a renaissance in constructing tall buildings out of wood — introduces a new material called “FIVE,” which is derived from natural materials and based on the structure of trees and vascular plants. FIVE could revolutionize the way we build buildings, providing a strong and organic alternative to the traditional materials of concrete, steel, masonry and wood.

Youth leader Cameron Davis speaks at TED@DestinationCanada at the TED Theater in New York City. February 23, 2023. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

In a quick, inspiring talk, youth activist Cameron Davis explains why his generation — Gen Z, with its exposure to differing viewpoints online from an early age — is uniquely positioned to create meaningful change in the world by using their voices to challenge systemic biases, advocate for inclusivity and promote justice.

Behavioral scientist Jiaying Zhao speaks at TED@DestinationCanada at the TED Theater in New York City. February 23, 2023. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Is it possible for climate action to make you feel happy? Behavioral scientist Jiaying Zhao believes that’s the only way we’ll create lasting, sustainable change. From treat meals to feng shui fridges, she offers eight tricks to lower your carbon emissions while increasing your happiness.

Coastal explorer Kevin Smith speaks at TED@DestinationCanada at the TED Theater in New York City. February 23, 2023. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Coastal explorer Kevin Smith tells the story of how a group of eco-tourism businesses in the Great Bear Rainforest in British Columbia collaborated to create one of the biggest marine debris cleanups in history. The initiative was born during the COVID-19 pandemic, when tours were temporarily shut down, resulting in these once-competitive businesses coming together to propose a solution to clean up the coast and protect their livelihoods.

Professor of video game design Kris Alexander speaks at TED@DestinationCanada at the TED Theater in New York City. February 23, 2023. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Where academia fails, video games often succeed, says professor of game design Kris Alexander. With high-quality audio, text and video focused with clear objectives, video games swiftly captivate minds and drive motivation — unlike a lecture hall. In an engaging display of the merits of digital play, Alexander calls for us to rethink the foundations of education and embrace the qualities of video games that can level up our learning.

Mélissa Laveaux performs at TED@DestinationCanada at the TED Theater in New York City on February 23, 2023. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

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Meet the speakers of the 2023 TEDinArabic Summit

Par : TED Staff

In collaboration with Qatar Foundation, TED is hosting a two-day TEDinArabic summit centered around the theme “The Butterfly Effect” in Doha, Qatar, on March 18-19, 2023. The summit will feature 17 speakers from across the Middle East and North Africa sharing their ideas with a global audience — all in Arabic.

Launched in partnership with Qatar Foundation in July 2020, TEDinArabic is TED’s first-ever initiative in Arabic that seeks to highlight voices from the region. In June 2022, TED launched a TEDinArabic Idea Search, inviting all Arabic speakers to submit their ideas worth spreading for a chance to be featured at the summit. Applicants were required to submit a two-minute video of their idea. After reviewing thousands of applications, TED’s curation team selected top speakers whose ideas are unique, timely and hold the potential to move the needle on a number of pressing issues. Learn more about the summit and speakers here and read this post in Arabic here.

Meet Our TEDinArabic Speakers

  • Adnan Barq, content creator
    Country: Palestine
    Idea: How to overcome trauma
    After a life-threatening experience, Barq realized that the butterfly effect has helped him cope with intergenerational trauma.

 

  • Hend Al Qaderi, dental researcher
    Country: Kuwait
    Idea: Saliva as a diagnostic tool for systemic diseases
    There’s a lot to be learned from our spit, as Al Qaderi discovered while studying salivary biomarkers and the oral microbiome during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

  • Ahmad Nabeel, physician + entrepreneur
    Country: Kuwait
    Idea: Holding onto reality in an ambiguous, virtual world
    The virtual world may look real, but it can be deceiving. With the right critical framework and democratization of data, Nabeel believes we can keep our bearings — and hold ourselves accountable.

 

  • Ahmed Habib, accessibility specialist
    Country: Iraq
    Idea: How accessibility took center stage at the 2022 World Cup
    Fans praised the great accessibility and inclusiveness of the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar. As an organizing committee member, heres’s how Habib helped make that happen (and how other events can do the same).

 

  • Imane El Khantouti, aerospace engineer
    Country: Morocco
    Idea: How to achieve sustainability using clues from space
    Satellite data and technologies developed for use by astronauts can also help those on Earth with farming, water conservation and disaster recovery, says El Khantouti — and that’s just the start.

 

  • Amr Ramadan, climate change advocate
    Country: Egypt
    Idea: Can carbon taxation support climate justice?
    As someone whose home city of Alexandria, Egypt, is at risk due to sea-level rise, Ramadan is passionate about finding solutions to the climate crisis. He believes that a carbon tax is the way to help everyone, worldwide.

 

  • Lama Sha’sha’a, roboticist
    Country: Jordan
    Idea: The promise of robotics in education
    Sha’sha’a makes the case that to truly prepare today’s youth for the future, educational systems must incorporate out-of-the-box thinking — using robotics, coding and AI.

 

  • Belal Khaled, artist + activist
    Country: Palestine
    Idea: Calligraphy as a tool for social change
    Khaled likes to draw on any object he sees, using his work to send strong messages about politics and social justice.

 

  • Mashael Al Nuaimi, textile designer
    Country: Qatar
    Idea: How to be both fashionable and sustainable
    After realizing she was wasting too much money on fast fashion, Al Nuaimi joined the fashion industry in her fifties to develop sustainable attire that also follows the trends. She’ll tell us how to spot climate-friendly clothes.

 

  • Mahdi Mansour, physicist + poet
    Country: Lebanon
    Idea: The science and poetry of human creativity
    Both a physicist and a poet, Mansour believes that merging science and literature is the key to maximum creativity. An educational system that divides us between language arts and science needs an overhaul.

 

  • Nasser Jaber, gastro-diplomat
    Country: Palestine
    Idea: The role of food in global peace
    Jaber will share how diners and local restaurants can fight food insecurity on the other side of the world.

 

  • Mona Al Hallaq, preservation activist
    Country: Lebanon
    Idea: The urgency of saving historical buildings
    Historical buildings serve as a society’s collective memory and should be preserved, says Al Hallaq. She uses the Barakat building in Beirut to illustrate her point.

 

  • Mohammed Al Shaker, the weatherman of Arabia
    Country: Jordan
    Idea: How AI can help with the climate crisis
    Obsessed with forecasts and weather from an early age, Al Shaker is now using AI and social media to help the Gulf region adapt to climate change — with lessons for the rest of the world, too.

 

  • Rafiah Al Talei, women’s rights advocate
    Country: Oman
    Idea: Putting women on the political map
    Though she didn’t win when she ran for office herself, Al Talei resolved to pave the way for others. Here’s what she’s learned.

 

  • Yusra Mardini, Olympic swimmer
    Country: Syria
    Idea: How sports can spur refugee self-reliance and resilience
    After escaping the war in Syria with her sister — and helping to save all 20 other refugees in their stalled boat — Mardini saw her dream come true when she participated in the 2016 Olympics as a member of the Refugee Olympic Team.

 

  • Ali Al Rashid, engineer + researcher
    Country: Qatar
    Idea: Using your senses to stay safe
    Using his knowledge of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, Al Rashid developed airport security methods to detect people who are under the influence of narcotics or who have infectious diseases. Here’s how what he knows can help you.

 

  • Alaa Salah, engineer + activist
    Country: Sudan
    Idea: How to keep dreaming in the midst of revolution
    After participating in the December 2018 Sudanese revolution to overthrow the Omar al-Bashir regime, Alaa Salah was shortlisted for the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize for her book, Le chant de la révolte.

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TED is bringing its global climate conference, TED Countdown, to Detroit in summer 2023

Par : TED Staff

TED Future Forum: an initiative of Countdown

TED Countdown, a global initiative committed to accelerating solutions to the climate crisis, announces that its second Summit will take place in Detroit, Michigan from July 11-14, 2023. The Summit will also host the inaugural gathering of the TED Future Forum, an initiative of TED Countdown, focused on the role of business in accelerating solutions to the climate crisis.

The 2023 TED Countdown Summit will convene 700 leaders from the science, activism, innovation, business, finance, policy and philanthropic sectors. Hosted at Michigan Central, a newly opened innovation hub addressing the most pressing challenges at the intersection of mobility and society, and the historic Fillmore Detroit, the Summit will include TED Talks that highlight real-world solutions at scale; Breakthrough Sessions designed to explore the tools and partnerships we need; and immersive offsite experiences with local innovators to see how the city at the heart of the American auto industry is building an inclusive, sustainable future.

The four-day event will include:

  • Seven mainstage sessions, featuring 40+ TED Talks, interviews and performances
  • Offsite “field” experiences, from visits to state-of-the-art EV and battery production lines and factories upcycling waste to meetings with leaders building the “black to green” economy, climate migrants settling in Michigan and policymakers working to change the regulatory landscape
  • Breakthrough Sessions to scale collaboration, including working sessions on the transition to regenerative agriculture and how we fund climate adaptation as well as pitch sessions with entrepreneurs who are creating companies to solve the toughest climate problems

Featured themes and areas of focus to include:

  • The state of science + progress: Where are we for the UN’s global stock take on climate progress, and how does this reframe our understanding and actions?
  • Positive tipping points: Where are we making faster progress than we realize, and what are the most important breakthrough solutions to unlock now?
  • Adaptive innovation: What will improve the resiliency of 3.8 billion people who face shocks in a 1.5-degree world?
  • Bridging divides: How do we find unity in diversity and make progress despite our differences?

“Michigan Central is pleased to host Countdown and the TED Future Forum as we work to create a future that is more sustainable and equitable,” said Joshua Sirefman, CEO of Michigan Central. “Accelerating solutions to the climate crisis requires cultivating innovation that enables greater social, economic and physical mobility — the mission at the heart of Michigan Central’s work. Detroit is the perfect city to host these critical conversations and we are thrilled to welcome the world to the fully restored Book Depository Building.”

TED Countdown is collaborating with Detroit-based businesses, local leaders, arts organizations and the Office of the Mayor to both contribute to the Summit design and shape additional community activations. Speakers from Detroit will be prominently featured throughout the Summit program, and local organizations are partnering with TED to design experiences in the venues and throughout the city of Detroit. Existing partners include the Visit Detroit Bureau, Detroit Narrative Agency, Keep Growing Detroit, Real Times Media and Detroit Blight Busters.

“The last TED Countdown Summit was in Edinburgh, Scotland, and I’m thrilled the next one will be hosted in Detroit, Michigan,” said Carla Walker-Miller, CEO of Walker-Miller Energy Services. “Convening 700 global leaders here is an enormous opportunity to amplify amazing work across the city and foster mutual learning and sharing with a diverse audience.”

Since its launch in 2020 in partnership with Leaders’ Quest, TED Countdown has released more than 170 solutions-focused original videos and podcasts, including 140 climate TED Talks that have generated more than 230 million views, facilitated 1,000+ local climate events in 100+ countries and, with TED’s Audacious Project, generated more than $470M in philanthropic funding for climate solutions.

TED Future Forum

Convened by TED Countdown, The TED Future Forum is a community of companies committed to stepping up with greater climate ambition to help transform the global economy and create a healthy, prosperous future for all. The Forum will work with its founding companies to identify critical business-focused initiatives where we can accelerate progress. TED will then tell transformational stories of both successes and challenges at events and via TED platforms, with the goal of inspiring businesses across the economy to action.

TED Future Forum includes diverse industries with unique concerns — and all are seriously committed to the green transition for the long haul. The 13 Founding companies are: AB InBev, BCG, Bolt Threads, CEMEX, COFRA Holding, Ford, Google, Interface, Maersk, Mars, Nestlé, Ørsted and Siemens. We look forward to welcoming other companies into the Forum following the TED Countdown Summit in Detroit, Michigan, from July 11-14, 2023.

“We cannot tackle climate change without wholehearted engagement from business,” said Lindsay Levin, Countdown founding partner and head of partnerships + impact at TED. “The Future Forum is convening leaders who have the courage to change the way business operates — and to work across divides to do so.”

“I know from experience that transforming a company requires a combination of dreams and details. We need to dream big, before we have the answers, and then to work really hard on the details to figure it out,” said Jim Hagemman Snabe, TED Future Forum Vision Council chair, chairman of Siemens AG and vice chairman of Allianz SE. “TED Future Forum is about helping companies to find the courage and know-how to speed up their green transition because it makes good business sense — and it’s the right thing to do.”

“We’re thrilled to welcome Countdown and the TED Future Forum to Detroit, where Ford is working to build the future of manufacturing and to revolutionize the way people move and connect,” said Cynthia Williams, global director of sustainability, homologation and compliance at Ford Motor Company.  “People everywhere are looking to businesses like Ford for solutions and urgency in responding to climate change. We look forward to putting our minds and resources together — in what we believe will be a powerful collaboration — to help shape a future for transportation that’s more inclusive, equitable and sustainable.”

“Every day we’re seeing the increasing impacts of climate change throughout local and global communities, supply chains and food chains. A more sustainable, equitable future will require meaningful action today across the business sector to deliver on commitments made in the fight against climate change,” said Shaid Shah, president of Mars Food and Nutrition. “By partnering with TED as a founding member of the Future Forum and joining cross-industry leaders and peers, we’re scaling up our efforts — and calling on others — through collaboration and uncommon partnerships to recruit new allies in the critical fight for a more sustainable future.”

“Information is the foundation of our company. Our founders set us an ambitious, almost audacious mission: to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful,” said Kate Brandt, chief sustainability officer at Google.The challenge of climate change requires ambition on a similar scale. In many ways, it’s at the heart of how we realize our mission in the years ahead. A sustainable future depends on the decisions individuals, organizations and governments make every day. We know that businesses need to move faster, together, so we’re thrilled to be a part of a burgeoning community of businesses focused on pooling innovation and knowledge to accelerate solutions to the climate crisis — and hopefully inspiring others to join us.”

“Collaboration is key to solving the urgent climate challenges the world is facing,” said Ezgi Barcenas, Chief Sustainability Officer at AB InBev. “AB InBev is thrilled to partner with TED Countdown and the TED Future Forum and its partner companies to work toward redesigning global value chains with cutting-edge innovation to create a future with more cheers.”

A subset of uniquely positioned TED Countdown partners are supporting the TED Future Forum initiative. Partners include the B Team, Environmental Defense Fund, Fundação Dom Cabral​, Generation Investment Management, Global Warming Mitigation Project, Kite Insights, Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping, Project Drawdown and Stand.Earth. A small cross-sector group of leaders provides guidance to the TED Future Forum as part of a Vision Council. This includes Jim Hagemann Snabe (Chair), Manish Bhardwaj, Habiba Ahut Daggash, Nili Gilbert, Rebecca Henderson, Wanjira Maathai, Roya Mahboob, Gonzalo Muñoz, Kim Stanley Robinson, Suzanne Simard and Nigel Topping.

Learn more about TED Countdown here, and learn more about the Detroit Summit here.

About TED

TED is on a mission to discover and spread ideas that spark imagination, embrace possibility and catalyze impact. Our organization is devoted to curiosity, reason, wonder and the pursuit of knowledge — without an agenda. We welcome people from every discipline and culture who seek a deeper understanding of the world and engagement with others, and we invite everyone to engage with ideas and activate them in your community.

TED began in 1984 as a conference where Technology, Entertainment and Design converged. Today it spans a multitude of worldwide communities and initiatives exploring everything from science and business to education, arts and global issues. Aside from the hundreds of TED Talks curated from our annual conferences and published on TED.com, we produce original podcasts, short video series, animated TED-Ed lessons and TV programs that are translated into more than 100 languages and distributed via partnerships around the world. Each year, more than 3,000 independently run TEDx events bring people together to share ideas and bridge divides in communities on every continent. Through the Audacious Project, TED has helped catalyze nearly $3 billion in funding for projects that seek to make the world more beautiful, sustainable and just. In 2020, TED launched Countdown, an initiative to accelerate solutions to the climate crisis and mobilize a movement for a net-zero emission future. View a full list of TED’s many programs and initiatives.

TED is owned by a nonprofit, nonpartisan foundation. Our aim is to help create a future worth pursuing for all. 

Follow TED on: LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, Mastodon, Twitter and Facebook

About Michigan Central

Michigan Central is a hub for advancing new technologies and programs that address barriers to greater social, economic and physical mobility. Catalyzed by funding from Ford Motor Company, Michigan Central is both an open platform and a call-to-action — for city, regional and international inventors and investors, academics and entrepreneurs, civil society voices and government leaders and business owners and corporate partners — to advance a more sustainable, equitable future through a community-based approach to mobility solutions. Building on Detroit’s rich history as an engine of change, the transformative Michigan Central project aims to strengthen the city’s existing fabric of community and electrify its economy while inspiring collective action on the most pressing challenges at the intersection of mobility and society worldwide.

Contact 

Allison Bartella | press@ted.com 

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TED Future Forum: an initiative of Countdown

TED launches “Good Sport,” new sports podcast with Jody Avirgan

Par : TED Staff

TED and sports. It may not seem like the most obvious combination, but here at TED we’ve long understood that the world of sports has crucial ideas worth spreading. We’ve had Serena Williams on the TED stage talking about competitive edge, heard from Billie Jean King on perseverance and saw Alex Honnold teach us to conquer our fears. We’ve had talks from David Epstein on why athletes are getting stronger and faster and Chris Kluwe on how augmented reality can help both players and fans.

Our new podcast, Good Sport, follows our curiosity deeper into the wide world of sports, finding surprising insights and telling great stories along the way.

Hosted by veteran sports producer Jody Avirgan in conversation with superstar athletes, journalists, sports psychologists and more, Good Sport is a show that uses sports as a lens to explore big ideas around work, leadership, psychology and science. Avirgan will explore fun and puzzling questions such as: Is “the zone” a real place, and can brain stimulation enhance performance? How do stadiums influence local politics? Is it still baseball if you’re wearing a giant banana suit? How do great coaches create talent hotbeds? And is the future of sports gender-blind?

This is definitely a show for sports fans, but it’s truly for anyone who wants to understand what sports can teach us about ourselves. The first episode drops January 30 on Apple Podcasts and February 8 everywhere else.

Subscribe to Good Sport on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.

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Announcing the most popular TED Talks of 2022

Par : TED Staff

Head of TED Chris Anderson opens our flagship conference, TED2022: A New Era, held in April 2022 in Vancouver, BC, Canada. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

What ideas intrigued and inspired the world in 2022? Our end-of-year lists feature a wide-ranging, classically TED selection of speakers and topics, with groundbreaking science, future-altering tech innovations, profound shifts in how we think about work, life and ourselves — and much more. Check out the most popular and newsworthy TED Talks of the year, as well as lists from TED’s editors, our Countdown climate initiative and TED-Ed. We hope you enjoy — and learn something new!

The most popular TED Talks of 2022: These TED Talks spread the quickest this year.


The most newsworthy ideas of 2022: These TED Talks and interviews broke news, made history and shaped the story of 2022.


Editor’s Picks of 2022: A look at some of the most memorable, perspective-expanding ideas from this year on the TED stage, selected by TED’s editors


The must-watch climate talks of 2022: A selection of potentially planet-saving talks published in 2022 from Countdown, TED’s initiative to champion and accelerate solutions to the climate crisis


The most popular TED-Ed lessons of 2022: The most popular lessons of 2022 from TED-Ed, TED’s youth and education initiative

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TED Idea Search: Southeast Asia 2022 winners selected

Par : TED Staff

TED curators Cloe Shasha Brooks and Whitney Pennington Rodgers host the TED Idea Search: Southeast Asia 2022 to discover new voices.

From July through September, the TED Idea Search: Southeast Asia 2022 applications were open to anyone living in or descended from Southeast Asia. Applicants were required to create a two-minute video as a part of their submission.

After sorting through hundreds of applications, the TED team selected nine finalists to participate in two virtual TED Membership events, where the finalists talked more about their ideas and participated in a Q&A with TED Members. After each Q&A, TED Members had the opportunity to vote on each finalist’s idea and speaking style.

Thanks to those ratings, the TED team selected three winners who will be invited to give a TED Talk, either virtually or in person. Those winners are:

Hong Hoang, climate activist, based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Hoang finds creative ways to conduct climate activism in politically challenging contexts.


Piyachart Phiromswad, economist, based in Bangkok, Thailand

Phiromswad studies the technological, social and economic ways we can unleash the true power of a globally aging population.


Wan Faridah Akmal Jusoh, entomologist, based in Subang Jaya, Malaysia

Jusoh studies the wonders of fireflies — and even discovered a new species of firefly.


Each winner will be paired with a TED curator to develop their idea in the lead-up to their moment onstage or direct-to-camera talk. Stay tuned for those published talks on TED.com!

Past TED Idea Search winners

Check out a selection of speakers who were discovered during past TED Idea Searches:

Adie DelaneyAn aerialist on listening to your body’s signals

Adeola FayehunAfrica is a sleeping giant — I’m trying to wake it up

Andrea BerchowitzThe link between menopause and gender inequity at work

Ariel WaldmanThe invisible life hidden beneath Antarctica’s ice

Elizabeth “Zibi” TurtleWhat Saturn’s most mysterious moon could teach us about the origins of life

Leo Lanna and Lvcas FiatThe colorful, shapeshifting wonder of the Amazon’s praying mantises

Miguel Antonio ModestinoHow to transform the chemical industry — one reaction at a time

Tamekia MizLadi SmithHow to train employees to have difficult conversations

Zak EbrahimI am the son of a terrorist. Here’s how I chose peace

Richard TurereMy invention that made peace with the lions

Robert A. BelleThe emotions behind your money habits

Sophia KianniLanguage shouldn’t be a barrier to climate action

Cloe Whitney 2

Dare to discover: TEDinArabic hosts third regional event in Ben Guerir, Morocco

Par : TED Staff

TEDinArabic’s third regional event in Ben Guerir, Morocco. (Photo: Hmida Amouddah)

TEDinArabic brought together some of the world’s brightest minds to share ideas on the importance of outside-the-box thinking to change minds, embrace our shared humanity and shape the future.

The event: TEDinArabic, hosted by Al Jazeera correspondent Mohamed Errammach, included four talks centered on the theme “Dare to Discover,” a series of interactive workshops curated by partners at afikra, a performance by students of the Joudour Sahara music school and a series of interstitials by Arab artists. The event was attended by a number of dignitaries from Qatar, Morocco and Saudi Arabia, 50 students from across the region and more than 900 participants from Morocco. It was the third in a series of TEDinArabic regional events organized in the lead-up to the TEDinArabic Summit in March, 2023 in Doha, Qatar. The summit will feature 16 speakers from the Arabic-speaking world sharing their ideas for the first time with a global audience — all in Arabic.

When and where: Thursday, October 13, 2022 at the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Ben Guerir, Morocco

Opening remarks: Moza Al-Hajri, a student at Georgetown University in Qatar and a youth advocate for the Education Above All Foundation, emphasized the importance of the Arabic language to Arab identity and upholding cultural heritage.

The talks in brief:

Charles Mouhannad Malek speaks at TEDinArabic’s third regional event in Ben Guerir, Morocco. (Photo: Qatar Foundation)

Charles Mouhannad Malek, molecular and cellular biologist 

Big idea: We can build bridges and increase empathy through science.

How? Dr. Charles Malek thinks the only way for the Arabic-speaking world to transition from a consumer to a producer market is through investing in scientific research and technology here at home. Many students decide to work abroad because their home countries don’t provide them with the necessary tools and infrastructure to pursue their scientific research. The key to solve this problem is to teach with the scientific method – which relies on empirical observation, information gathering, analysis, conclusion and critical thinking – as opposed to lectures and rote memorization. Malek emphasizes the need to develop and promote scientific content in the Arabic language as a vehicle to build knowledge across the region. “If we decide to prioritize science education and make that the compass of the north, change will come,” he says.


Aziza Chaouni speaks at TEDinArabic’s third regional event in Ben Guerir, Morocco. (Photo: Qatar Foundation)

Aziza Chaouni, civil engineer, architect, professor 

Big idea: A model for sustainable living and preserving cultural heritage lies in the desert.

How? The creation of oases, through careful land and building management, has made desert living possible for centuries. Increased tourism and climate change, however, are forcing local communities to leave, abandoning their cultural heritage as the desert creeps in. Aziza Chaouni is focused on reversing the damage by designing a new approach to sustainability and cultural heritage preservation. In her hometown of Fez, Morocco, the oasis of M’hamid Al Ghizlan was on its way to extinction until Chaouni established Joudour Sahara, a music school built with sustainable, local materials – such as rammed earth, stone, wood and bamboo – and powered by an autonomous, photovoltaic energy system. Thanks to the project, the desert has stopped trying to eat M’hamid, residents are staying in their homes and their cultural heritage is now thriving. She concludes her talk with a live performance by the students of Joudour Sahara.


Suzanne Talhouk speaks at TEDinArabic’s third regional event in Ben Guerir, Morocco. (Photo: Qatar Foundation)

Suzanne Talhouk, author, poet

Big idea: Embrace the vibration of the Arabic language to shape your life and the life of those around you.

How? Words carry a vibration that can affect your other senses, says Suzanne Talhouk. She makes an impassioned case to get in touch with your inner voice and to embrace a world that stays away from using inflammatory, charged words. “If you want to improve your life and the life of those around you, start by using words that express love, harmony and forgiveness,” she says. She concludes by exploring the power of the Arabic language, saying that words shape the way we think and act. Arabic is one of the many languages that has a myriad of words that carry vibrations and high energy – so why are we abandoning our mother tongue so easily?


Hayat Sindi speaks at TEDinArabic’s third regional event in Ben Guerir, Morocco. (Photo: Qatar Foundation)

Hayat Sindi, biotechnologist 

Big idea: A new model to foster innovation, address social challenges and build a bridge between possibility and hope.

How? Dr. Hayat Sindi has established a social entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem for scientists and innovators to address pressing issues in their communities in the Middle East and beyond. The i2 Institute – launched in partnership with Harvard Innovation Lab, MIT, National Geographic, Pop Tech, PWC and McKinsey – was the beginning of Sindi’s journey to bring tangible solutions to the most vulnerable. Through its flagship program “Transform,” Sindi and her team worked with a group of innovators around the globe to launch a number of projects: battery-powered refrigerators that use solar energy in the borders of Uganda and Mozambique to store and preserve produce (and, later, COVID-19 vaccines); solar-powered houses in refugee camps in Bangladesh; and an electronic medical platform that employs 60,000 female doctors in Pakistan, providing dignified medical assistance to 100 million women and children in the outskirts of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen and Iraq. “We can come up with amazing and visionary ideas,” she says. “However, they will become real and stronger only when they are connected to society.”

This piece was written by Lobna Hassairi and Doha Summaqah.

Hayat Sindi

In the Green: Visions of a sustainable future from TED Countdown and the Climate Pledge

What does it actually take to run a sustainable business?

Hear from trail-blazing business leaders on how they’re transforming their industries by committing to a net zero future. In the Green: The Business of Climate Action is a TED series presented by TED Countdown and The Climate Pledge where leaders share hard-won wisdom from companies addressing humanity’s most urgent mission: fighting climate change.

When it launched back in February, In the Green explored decarbonizing buildings, reducing the environmental impact of electronics and what nature can teach us about sustainable business. Back with new experts, the three latest episodes of the series explore industry-transforming solutions that tackle the wastefulness of standard freight truck logistics, the partnerships global businesses need to run on 100-percent renewable energy and a lightweight transportation alternative to cars.

Can we reduce the emissions of millions of freight trucks?

What are the steps to running a global business on 100-percent renewable energy?

What does it take to get more people to drive less?

InTheGreenArt

TEDWomen Presents: Women leading joy, with Angélique Kidjo and Femi Oke

Angélique Kidjo in conversation with Femi Oke at TEDWomen Presents. October 24-28, 2022. Photo Courtesy of TED.

Joy is one of the most under-prioritized essentials to social progress. How do we reconnect to it during life’s hardest moments?

The fifth and final day of TEDWomen Presents — an online festival featuring interviews with leading women, interactive workshops, specially curated film screenings and more — focused on the value of joy, with a conversation between Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Angélique Kidjo and international broadcaster Femi Oke.

Big idea: Women and girls across Africa need unfettered access to education — and safe, collaborative and inspiring spaces for their ambitions to thrive.

How? “When I am on stage, I am just trying to convey the happiness, the joy and the strength that we have as human beings to prevail in every circumstance,” says Angélique Kidjo. In a deep and expansive conversation with Femi Oke, Kidjo shares the different kinds of joys that weave together her experience as a musician and gender equality advocate. Growing up in Benin, she witnessed silencing limitations placed on girls from a young age, whether it was marriage at a young age or unwanted pregnancy. She founded Batonga — a foundation that provides education and resources to women and girls in the most hard-to-reach parts of Africa — to help give them a voice. By investing in the dreams, skills and ambitions of those who are often overlooked and marginalized, Kidjo found that education can create the space necessary to break harmful societal barriers. Whether she’s making an impact through her infectious, Grammy-award-winning music or creating safe, entrepreneurial spaces for girls to thrive, Kidjo wants us all to recognize our worth and know “you can fall beneath the Earth, but you always can rise.”

Q&A: After the interview, Kidjo joined TEDWomen Editorial Director Pat Mitchell live from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she’s just wrapped up the final show of her North American tour. Kidjo detailed practices that help her connect to joy even when life gets challenging, reminding us that “joy is endless.”

“When you are joyful, you are free,” Kidjo says. She’s eager to continue collaborating with organizations whose mission is to help cultivate the music and solidarity that empower women and girls to become leaders of their own lives. Kidjo talked about the ways in which her organization Batonga has positively impacted generations of women by supporting mothers, who in turn support their daughters. She highlighted the importance of honesty, accountability and hope when it comes to connecting with younger generations, equipping them for the challenges (and infinite possibilities) ahead.

Angélique Kidjo in conversation with Femi Oke at TEDWomen Presents. October 24-28, 2022. Photo Courtesy of TED.

TED also invites you to join the BIG JOY Project — a one-week, seven-minute-a-day journey to discover what micro-acts of joy help you tap into your own happiness. At the end of this citizen science project, your very own joy superpower will be revealed to you.

And lastly, a bit of news! TEDWomen will have a new home in 2023: the exuberant and historically-rich city of Atlanta, Georgia. We hope you can join next year (whether it’s virtually or in person) and take part.

Join the TEDWomen Community newsletter list to be the first to hear updates from the community and announcements about TEDWomen 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia — October 11-13, 2023.

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TEDWomen Presents: Women leading on rights, with Jane Fonda, Vanessa Nakate and Mary Robinson

The basic human right to live on a sustainable, equitable planet is being threatened by a global climate crisis. How do we stop the loss of ecosystems, displacement of communities and destruction of livelihoods?

The third day of TEDWomen Presents — an online festival featuring interviews with leading women, interactive workshops, specially curated film screenings and more — focused on environmental rights, with a conversation between climate justice activist Vanessa Nakate and Mary Robinson, Chair of The Elders and former president of Ireland, as well as a live interview with actor and activist Jane Fonda and TEDWomen Editorial Director Pat Mitchell.

Climate justice activist Vanessa Nakate and Chair of The Elders and former president of Ireland Mary Robinson speak at TEDWomen Presents. (Photo Courtesy of TED)

Big idea: To mitigate the impacts of climate change, Africa needs climate financing to lift people out of energy poverty.

How? Capitalism plays a major role in degrading the environment. In a sprawling conversation surrounding the current state of the climate crisis, Mary Robinson and Vanessa Nakate explore the need for an intersectional approach that promotes racial justice and lifts people out of energy poverty; the urgent need for climate finance in Africa; and the disproportionate impact of climate change on women and girls throughout the world. Despite the complexity of the climate crisis, Nakate says that, if we all act as one, “No one is too small to make a difference, and no action is too small to transform the world.”

Actor and activist Jane Fonda speaks at TEDWomen Presents on October 27, 2022. (Photo Courtesy of TED)

Big idea: To truly advance climate action, we need to change the people in power.

How? Building off her Fire Drill Fridays movement — a series of weekly climate demonstrations on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC — Jane Fonda launched the Jane Fonda Climate PAC, aimed at electing climate champions (and defeating fossil fuel supporters) in the upcoming 2022 US midterm elections. In conversation with Pat Mitchell, Fonda clarifies why she’s bringing her climate activism into the electoral arena: after decades of marching, protesting and civil disobedience, the country was still not getting essential climate legislation passed because of the fossil fuel industry’s stranglehold on both sides of the aisle. For candidates to gain her PAC’s support, they must sign a pledge to not take money from the fossil fuel industry and demonstrate a commitment to holding oil and gas companies accountable for their environmental devastation. Two such candidates include Luke Warford, who’s running for the Texas Railroad Commission, and Lina Hidalgo, who’s running for judge in Harris County, Texas. “I believe the most important thing I’ve ever done is creating this PAC,” Fonda says. “I’m going to continue to do this until I die.”

Wondering what you can do to join the fight for change? Fonda encourages everyone to share stories of their own climate activism — whether it be drinking from a reusable water bottle or installing solar panels in your community — and invites anyone to join the next Fire Drill Fridays gathering on December 2, 2022, in Washington, DC. Climate activism is our “awesome responsibility,” she says: it’s time for all hands on deck.

Join the TEDWomen Community newsletter list to be the first to hear updates from the community and announcements about TEDWomen 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia — October 11-13, 2023.

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TEDWomen Presents: Women leading work, with Anjali Sud and Stephanie Mehta

Anjali Sud in conversation with Stephanie Mehta at TEDWomen Presents. October 24-28, 2022. Photo Courtesy of TED.

How do we chart a path forward for the future of work during a time of unprecedented change?

The second day of TEDWomen Presents — an online festival featuring interviews with leading women, interactive workshops, specially curated film screenings and more — focused on leading change in the workplace, with a conversation between Anjali Sud, CEO of Vimeo, and Stephanie Mehta, CEO and chief content officer of Mansueto Ventures.

Big idea: Agile leaders meet uncertainty with flexibility. 

How? As a leader, your workforce looks to you for certainty, says Vimeo CEO Anjali Sud. But amid a global pandemic, a racial reckoning and the start of a war, Sud couldn’t provide her 1300-plus employees with the assurance they sought — there were just too many factors outside her control. Her solution: to stay agile and change as circumstances change.

In conversation with Mansueto CEO (and former editor-in-chief of Fast Company) Stephanie Mehta, Sud shares what agile leadership looks like at Vimeo and why offering your employees flexibility makes for a happier, more productive workforce. Early in the pandemic, when everyone in the company felt so isolated, Sud enhanced face-to-face communication at Vimeo by promoting a video-first model. Instead of email and chat, company leaders used live video to communicate with their employees whenever possible. Sud also created a framework for people to discuss what’s not working in meetings so they could pivot when necessary. As for her changing workforce, Sud recognizes that newer generations of workers, specifically millennials and Gen-Z, have different preferences and priorities than previous generations. They’re more mission-driven and want to understand the “why” behind their jobs, not just the “what.” No matter the circumstances, Sud emphasizes that CEOs should respond to challenges with empathy and humanity: “I think the best leaders and cultures deliver results and treat people well.”

Q&A: Following the interview, the TEDWomen Presents audience had the opportunity to ask Sud questions during a live Q&A, hosted by TED Current Affairs Curator Whitney Pennington-Rodgers. This wide-ranging discussion covered the importance of honest, transparent communication in moments of turbulence and change; how companies can take a stance on social change issues; the future of video; how to create deep connections with virtual teams; the extra pressure women leaders face and much more.

Sud outlined how recent layoffs at Vimeo challenged her to rethink how leaders can be accountable to the people affected. “Careers are long, but relationships are longer,” she says. Sud also discussed how Vimeo — an open, user-generated content platform — has a responsibility to make sure that the content on their platform doesn’t create harm in the real world. She emphasized the need for companies like hers to recognize that the world is changing, and how the old rules of engagement may no longer apply. And she also shared some lessons for future generations: get used to the idea that your career path will be winding, not linear, and don’t shy away from hard decisions. “Leadership looks like whatever we want it to look like. So be yourself,” she says.

Anjali Sud in conversation with Stephanie Mehta at TEDWomen Presents. October 24-28, 2022. Photo Courtesy of TED.

Join the TEDWomen Community newsletter list to be the first to hear updates from the community and announcements about TEDWomen 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia — October 11-13, 2023.

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TEDWomen Presents: Women leading change, with Tamana Ayazi and Kat Craig

Filmmaker Tamana Ayazi speaks at TEDWomen Presents. (Photo Courtesy of TED)

If there’s a constant in our lives, it’s change.

The first day of TEDWomen Presents — an online festival featuring interviews with leading women, interactive workshops, specially curated film screenings and more — focused on change and the challenges that come with it, culminating in a moving conversation between filmmaker Tamana Ayazi and human rights lawyer Kat Craig.

Big idea: The women of Afghanistan need solidarity and global support more than anything. Hope for a brighter future remains — despite all odds.

How? One of the good memories Tamana Ayazi has of growing up in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan, is playing soccer in the street with friends; another is of participating in a program for documentary filmmaking. Both memories inform who Ayazi is today, what she seeks to capture behind the lens of her camera and her hopes for her country’s future. Interviewed by Kat Craig — who was part of a team that helped to evacuate the women’s national football team from Afghanistan in 2021 — Ayazi discusses her feature-length documentary debut In Her Hands (which premieres on Netflix on November 16), which chronicles the harrowing reality of Afghanistan’s youngest female mayor months before the Taliban’s resurgence. Whether it be on long strips of desert road controlled by the Taliban, standing atop crags of mountainous expanse or nestled in a village room lined with stacks of books, Ayazi reflects the hearts and voices of the Afghan people fighting for their country — those who believe in making right the many wrongs that led to its takeover, even as they are ideologically opposed. (Among the subjects of her film, she threads the perspective of a Taliban commander named Musafer.) “When the government collapsed, it wasn’t just the government. It was the people, full of hopes and dreams,” Ayazi says. “The future collapsed in front of us. My biggest dream is to go back to Afghanistan and live the way I used to live.” Ayazi reaches toward a future where light overwhelms the current shadow that looms over her country, a future where she can once again embrace the loved ones she was forced to leave behind. She believes the way forward is female and calls for solidarity for all women, anywhere in the world. “We are the ones who can make change,” she says.

Q&A: Following the interview, the TEDWomen Presents audience had the opportunity to ask Ayazi questions during a live Q&A, hosted by TEDWomen Editorial Director Pat Mitchell. Ayazi spoke on the current Taliban-enforced gender apartheid in Afghanistan, lamenting how the pathways to knowledge have become restricted for women, as well as the dramatic rise of forced and child marriage due to poverty and lack of education. This taking of basic human rights has spurred protests comprised of brave, resilient and determined women within the country and around the world in solidarity — and Ayazi believes and feels these courageous efforts will lead to something positive. She’s hoping that her film In Her Hands will open a conversation about the situation in Afghanistan, amplify the voices in need of support, change policies and put pressure on the Taliban.

Naturally, however, Ayazi harbors deep concerns. Much has changed since filming, and everything has become more serious. She still has loved ones and colleagues in the country. But speaking with the women and girls still fighting back home gives her hope and drives her to keep going to do the most of what she can in her current position. To her, leaving is as difficult as staying because you lose everything in a single day — your home, job, identity, the certainty of the future. “I cry sometimes,” she admits. “But then I’m like: Tamana, if they can do this, you should be able to do this.”

Filmmaker Tamana Ayazi speaks with human rights lawyer Kat Craig at TEDWomen Presents. (Photo Courtesy of TED)

Join the TEDWomen Community newsletter list to be the first to hear updates from the community and announcements about TEDWomen 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia — October 11-13, 2023.

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Climate challenges and solutions: The talks from the TED Countdown London Session 2022

TED Global Curator Bruno Giussani and Countdown co-founder Logan McClure Davda host the TED Countdown London Session on October 3, 2022. (Photo: Jason Gardner / TED)

Countdown, TED’s climate action initiative founded in partnership with Leaders’ Quest, launched three years ago with a focus on accelerating solutions to climate change. The goal: to build a better future by cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 in the race to a zero-carbon world — a world that’s safer, cleaner and fairer for everyone.

Countdown set off to London to tackle the many challenges of confronting climate change — but also to present the many solutions. Nine speakers (and two performers) took us inside their innovative work, from the power of socially engaged art and the importance of centering Indigenous expertise to the latest on direct air capture technology and the potential of establishing a multi-billion-dollar carbon removal industry.

The event: Talks from TED Countdown London Session 2022, hosted by TED’s Bruno Giussani and Logan McClure Davda

When and where: Monday, October 3, 2022, at the Barbican Centre in London

Speakers: Xavier Cortada, Jade Begay, Colin Averill, George Monbiot, Huma Yusuf, Heidi Sørensen, Ksenia Petrichenko, Jan Wurzbacher, Stacy Kauk

Artists MyVerse and Kristen Warren perform at the TED Countdown London Session on October 3, 2022. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Music: From artists MyVerse and Kristen Warren, who perform their original song “Mother’s Mind” — a rousing message told from the perspective of Mother Earth.

The talks in brief:

Xavier Cortada speaks at the TED Countdown London Session on October 3, 2022. (Photo: Jason Gardner / TED)

Xavier Cortada, eco-artist

Big idea: Art can help people engage with the future consequences of climate change.

How? It took a voyage to Antarctica for artist Xavier Cortada to appreciate just how dire the situation was in his home city of Miami. When he returned home, he founded the Underwater Homeowners Association: an art project designed to get his fellow Miamians to think about where all that melting Antarctic ice is going to end up. Using Cortada’s “ice paintings” as a backdrop, participants created signs displaying their homes’ height above sea level. These weren’t political signs — they were simple elevation markers — yet their unsettling message quickly excited controversy. Many realtors and homeowners were terrified the signs would affect property values. Even when the city reconsidered its support for the project, the Underwater HOA continued to meet and strategize. Cortada’s work provides a blueprint for how socially engaged art can generate a sense of collective responsibility and agency.


Jade Begay speaks at the TED Countdown London Session on October 3, 2022. (Photo: Jason Gardner / TED)

Jade Begay, Indigenous rights expert

Big idea: Our obsession with carbon footprints isn’t getting us any closer to net zero emissions. Climate work should focus on people and communities, not carbon.

Why? Jade Begay works with the people affected “first and worst” by the climate crisis: Indigenous communities from the Arctic to the Amazon. And these communities tell her that the carbon markets aren’t working to reduce the devastating impacts of climate change. Begay wants to better align the climate solutions designed in corporate buildings and government halls with the needs of those on the frontlines. She offers two starting points. First, we must understand how climate change impacts Indigenous peoples’ lives and identities and conduct surveys to fill in gaps in our understanding. Second, we should allow Indigenous expertise to guide our climate actions in a way that builds trust and centers native voices without co-opting their knowledge.


Colin Averill, forest microbiologist

Big idea: If we want to understand the environment, we should be looking deeper underground. 

How? Most trees have a symbiotic partnership with what’s known as mycorrhizal fungi — microscopic networks that help plants access soil resources with their roots. If we knew which of these fungi were most beneficial to forest health, explains Colin Averill, we could reintroduce the necessary microorganisms into forest soil, enhancing tree growth and helping fight climate change. Averill has been studying soil microorganisms for years, using DNA sequencing to understand what lives in the soil of various forests and how that life relates to forest health, particularly tree growth rate and carbon capture. After identifying which fungi are most likely to enhance these metrics, his team started a randomized controlled field trial in Wales, with 27 acres of newly planted trees. Since planting in spring 2021, they’ve found that adding a small handful of soil that’s rich with high-performing fungal communities upon seeding has helped to accelerate tree growth and carbon capture aboveground by 30 to 70 percent, depending on the tree species. These results are early, but the data suggests that there’s potential to increase yields and carbon capture in managed timber forestry systems, as well as food agriculture systems. By rewilding the soil with its natural fungal biodiversity, we could improve our management of the land and, in the process, help fight climate change.


George Monbiot, journalist

Big idea: By ending our dependence on traditional (and destructive) farming practices, we can solve two of our great existential problems: mass extinction and the risk of global food collapse.

How? Can we find a way to feed ourselves that won’t destroy the planet? Environmental writer George Monbiot says we can, but we’ll have to radically reimagine food production. Currently, crops and pasture for farmed animals occupy 38 percent of the planet’s land — in contrast, all of our homes, businesses and infrastructure occupy just one percent. This makes farming the single greatest cause of habitat destruction, wildlife loss and extinction. Our global food system isn’t just bad for the planet, Monbiot says — it’s also vulnerable to collapse. Four corporations control 90 percent of the global grain trade, by one estimate, and much food trade passes through vulnerable chokepoints like the Suez and Panama Canals. The good news is there are solutions: developing technologies that can improve our food system’s resilience and reduce environmental impact. One of the most promising, according to Monbiot, is a technique called precision fermentation: a refined form of brewing that can produce protein-rich foods using a tiny fraction of the land, water and fertilizer required to raise either crops or animals.


Huma Yusuf speaks at the TED Countdown London Session on October 3, 2022. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Huma Yusuf, columnist

Big idea: Pakistan is drowning in the wake of catastrophic, biblical flooding. We need a new era of climate diplomacy and a new recognition that we, as a global society, are in this together.

How? One-third of Huma Yusuf’s native Pakistan is currently underwater due to climate injustice: an exceptional monsoon coupled with flash-flooding due to the accelerated melting of Himalayan glaciers has led to vast devastation. To put it in perspective, the area that’s now underwater is larger than the entirety of Britain. Three million people have been stripped of homes and livelihoods. Hundreds have died, and survivors are dying from disease. What does the future hold? Food insecurity, famine, climate migration and conflict, says Yusuf. Pakistan needs billions in relief funds, and G20 countries (responsible for 80 percent of global greenhouse emissions, compared to Pakistan’s less-than-one-percent contribution) that have profited from fossil fuel development should be the ones to foot the bill when climate disaster strikes climate-vulnerable countries. “Let’s be clear: developing countries are not asking for charity,” says Yusuf. “Having polluted only marginally, they are climate creditors, and that credit is now due.” To move in the direction of justice, an expanded definition of reparations is the only logical, albeit politically complicated, way forward. But in order to truly make headway, the global south must acknowledge its own shortcomings and struggles with poor governance, inadequate planning, corruption and lack of infrastructure and accountability. Together is the only way to make progress, and it will take countries rising to the occasion to achieve true climate justice. ”Are we ready for a new social contract within countries and between countries?” Yusuf asks.


Heidi Sørensen, climate bureaucrat

Big idea: Confronting climate change is about creating better cities for everyone.

How? Picture a construction site, except without the noise pollution because the machinery and the trucks are all electric. That’s what a climate-conscious worksite sounds like in Oslo, Norway. With the goal of removing 95 percent of carbon emissions by 2030, Heidi Sørensen is spearheading Oslo’s green future, making sure the necessary infrastructure and policies are in place. From a carbon-capturing facility set to launch in 2026 to electric transport, Sørensen details the measures taken so far and shares five lessons to becoming an emissions-free city. First, climate measures upgrade quality of life for everyone. Second, set ambitious goals. Third, keep all stakeholders accountable. Fourth, never underestimate what you can change as a demanding customer — the market is adaptable. And last, incentivize green mobility. Sørensen invites all cities to join Oslo in creating a future of cleaner, better cities.


Ksenia Petrichenko speaks at the TED Countdown London Session on October 3, 2022. (Photo: Jason Gardner / TED)

Ksenia Petrichenko, energy efficiency policy analyst

Big idea: Buildings are responsible for more than one-third of global carbon dioxide emissions, but we can transform how buildings consume energy to reduce their high environmental impact.

How? Ksenia Petrichenko has a three-tiered strategy for reducing direct emissions from the buildings where we live and work. First, she says we need to improve our buildings’ energy efficiency through better insulation, more efficient windows and appliances that require less energy for heating, cooling, cooking and lighting. Second, we need a massive shift towards electricity. And, third, of course that electricity needs to be clean, powered by wind, solar and other low-carbon energy sources. Petrichenko envisions a future where energy resources aren’t concentrated around a single power plant, and where buildings have roof-top solar panels or wind turbines that help produce some of the energy they consume. We have the technology to create smarter grids, implement peer-to-peer electricity sharing and start improving buildings’ efficiency, she says. Next up? “We need the policies, the investments, the will and a new way to look at buildings not as passive energy users but as active players in the energy system,” she says.


Jan Wurzbacher, carbon removals entrepreneur

Big idea: The carbon removal industry is still in its infancy, but think of early smartphones — technology that started out clunky, inefficient and expensive ultimately became sleek, affordable and ubiquitous, changing everything. Jan Wurzbacher thinks nascent carbon capture technologies could be on that same trajectory.

How? While it still needs to scale by many orders of magnitude in order to make a significant impact, carbon capture plants like Orca in Iceland, built by Jan Wurzbacher’s company Climeworks, will become a crucial part of our carbon reduction toolkit. The technology is relatively easy to understand — suck in a bunch of air, filter the carbon out, store it (for now, mostly in rocks underground) and then put the carbon-free air back into the atmosphere. This is expensive, and there are other obstacles to scaling and implementation. CO2 is present in low concentration in the air — one CO2 molecule out of every 2,500 in the atmosphere. And materials used to absorb carbon are also tough to find, and they need to last a long time. Nature offers us some solutions — forests and oceans — but it needs help, and there isn’t enough area to plant entire continents of forests. Carbon removal technology is a “must-have” tool to scrub carbon from our atmosphere.


Stacy Kauk speaks at the TED Countdown London Session on October 3, 2022. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Stacy Kauk, innovation accelerator

Big idea: We need to make carbon removal a multi-billion-dollar industry.

How? How much money does removing carbon from the atmosphere actually cost, and how do we create a profitable carbon removal market? As the lead for sustainability at Shopify, Stacy Kauk wanted to not simply pay “carbon credits” that force someone to pollute less to mitigate the mess someone else already created. In addition to cutting emissions, we must also take carbon out of the atmosphere. But creating a global carbon removal industry is incredibly expensive. Borrowing an idea created by the vaccine industry, Shopify (in partnership with Meta, Alphabet, Stripe and McKinsey) have created Frontier — a $925 million Advanced Market Commitment (AMC) to grow future carbon markets through purchase guarantees. This approach faces obstacles: clean power currently doesn’t exist at the scale to accompany carbon removal; there hasn’t been much deployment at this stage of carbon removal technology; and existing manufacturing facilities for the technology can’t keep pace with the scale the market requires. Nonetheless, Frontier is an important first step to making carbon removal a future multi-billion-dollar industry.

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Brighter future(s): The talks from TED@BCG 2022

Hosts Julia Dhar and Whitney Pennington Rodgers speak at TED@BCG: brighter future(s) at the TED World Theater in New York City on September 15, 2022. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Predicting the future can sometimes feel impossible, but there are clear paths we can follow to take action on the issues of the day. In a day of talks and performances, 16 leading minds gathered to present promising and hopeful solutions to problems related to health care, the economy, modern leadership and more.

The event: TED@BCG: brighter future(s) is the thirteenth event TED and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) have co-hosted to uplift forward-thinking speakers from around the globe. Hosted by TED current affairs Curator Whitney Pennington Rogers and BCG managing director and partner Julia Dhar (a past TED speaker herself!).

When and where: Thursday, September 15, 2022 at the TED World Theater in New York City

Speakers: Aparna Bharadwaj, Gareth Thomas, Tolu Oyekan, Dave Sivaprasad, Phnam Bagley, Tessa Clarke, Alex Koster, Gitte Frederiksen, June Sarpong, Zineb Sqalli, Will Guidara, Cristina Junqueira, Elena Crescia, Keenan Scott II, Veronica Chau, Nithya Vaduganathan, Paul Catchlove

KERA performs at TED@BCG: brighter future(s) at the TED World Theater in New York City on September 15, 2022. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Music: Musician KERA performed their serene and soulful songs “Bright Future Ahead” and “Vitamin T” for the audience.

The talks in brief:

Aparna Bharadwaj speaks at TED@BCG: brighter future(s) at the TED World Theater in New York City on September 15, 2022. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Aparna Bharadwaj, global consumer strategist

Big idea: People can benefit from finding the hidden connections and secret similarities.

Why? Businesses tend to focus on what separates consumers in one country from another. Aparna Bharadwaj shows that it’s much more interesting for businesses to instead look for unexpected similarities across borders. Her research has revealed insights like: Chinese and Indonesians like to share snacks in groups, rather than eating alone; car-buying habits in China look similar to those in Nigeria, motivated by status more than utility; and Americans and Russians share similar motivations when shopping for clothes, looking for on-trend apparel instead of performance wear. “These are patterns where you least expect them,” Bharadwaj says, as businesses wouldn’t normally think to group consumers in these countries together. These commonalities go beyond commercial opportunities — they provide a message of hope for the world. “If only people knew that we are similar in the most profound ways, in our everyday activities … maybe we would understand and empathize with each other,” she says.


Gareth Thomas speaks at TED@BCG: brighter future(s) at the TED World Theater in New York City on September 15, 2022. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Gareth Thomas, former pro rugby player, stigma challenger

Big idea: Together, we can tackle stigma.

How? The tattoo on Gareth Thomas’s knee is dark, ghoulish and threatening — a skeleton that represents the imminent death he felt when he first was diagnosed with HIV. The wings beneath it symbolize the freedom he felt once he finally found his voice: “Like a dead man coming back to life,” he says. The crown atop the skull embodies leadership against discrimination and misinformation. Each adornment represents his journey living, celebrating and reclaiming his truth in the face of stigma and shame. Now he’s on a mission to fight for the same for others. Thomas demystifies and redefines what it means to live with HIV, urging us to normalize conversation around all vilified conditions. The more people who know the facts — and stand up against stigma — the more the truth can spread, reducing shame and giving the world more of a fighting chance to make right what has been wrong for so long.


Tolu Oyekan speaks at TED@BCG: brighter future(s) at the TED World Theater in New York City on September 15, 2022. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Tolu Oyekan, inclusive finance promoter

Big idea: To meet developmental goals on the African continent (and beyond), historically non-profit objectives must be treated with the same urgency that for-profit initiatives enjoy. 

How? In the for-profit sector, a business’s top priority is ensuring that the benefits of their efforts outweigh the investments. Tolu Oyekan believes that non-profits should borrow a page from their playbook. He sets up a crucial example of this approach: access to financial services across his native Nigeria is extremely scarce. Oyekan shows us how data-driven and scalable solutions can transform banking for rural and urban communities alike. Treating this critical lack of access with a lean approach that empowers citizens, Oyekan explains how agent banking — an individual acting on behalf of a bank and providing financial services from established local businesses — could be an affordable fix, as opposed to expensive solutions like adding physical ATMs and bank branches. This way, people can access banking resources at their local grocery store, barber shop or anywhere an agent sets up shop. “When we include the profit motive in the development work that we do, we can go fast and far, together, to address development challenges and change the world for the better,” Oyekan says.


Dave Sivaprasad speaks at TED@BCG: brighter future(s) at the TED World Theater in New York City on September 15, 2022. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Dave Sivaprasad, coastline resilience advocate

Big idea: When it comes to mitigating the impact of climate change on coastal areas, it’s not about finding a singular solution — it’s about finding the right mix of solutions.

Why? Around forty percent of humanity lives near a coast, and their livelihoods are dependent on the conditions of the environment. From flooding and ocean acidification to stronger storms and changes in wind patterns, Dave Sivaprasad lays out the ever-increasing risks climate change poses to these areas. To deal with these more intense conditions, he shares a multitude of approaches coastal populations can implement to brace themselves for the (metaphorical and literal) storm. Sea walls, stone barriers, mangrove restoration, land reclamation are all viable options, but the challenge is choosing the right mix to meet each community’s needs. “No two coasts are alike” says Sivaprasad — and neither are their respective paths to climate resilience.


Phnam Bagley speaks at TED@BCG: brighter future(s) at the TED World Theater in New York City on September 15, 2022. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Phnam Bagley, designer and creative director

Big idea: With creative thinking and innovative design, people traveling beyond Earth could eat nourishing, flavorful food reminiscent of home.

How? When astronauts are hurtling through space, they typically eat what Phnam Bagley kindly calls “goop-in-a-bag.” The lack of gravity, limited storage and distance from Earth make it difficult for an explorer to enjoy a fresh, delectable meal. Meal time becomes even more complicated when you plan to send astronauts to Mars, a roundtrip journey of 2.5 to 3 years. To take on the challenge of making better astronaut grub, Bagley and her team designed the Space Culinary Lab with flavor, nutrition and practically in mind. The system can mix coffee granules, hot water, ghee and collagen powder to make a coffee with both satisfying flavor and healthy omega-3 fatty acids. A hydroponic garden grows lettuce and microgreens for salad, while lasers cook rehydrated freeze-dried chicken with the same enticing pattern of grilled meats. For snacks, they grow carbon-negative microalgae like spirulina onsite, then mix it with oats, nuts, powdered berries and spices. Bagley’s designs have the potential to make space feel more human. They could improve life here on Earth as well, replacing non-regenerative agricultural methods with low-resource creative cooking.


Tessa Clarke speaks at TED@BCG: brighter future(s) at the TED World Theater in New York City on September 15, 2022. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Tessa Clarke, sharing economy entrepreneur

Big idea: There’s a super simple solution to the climate crisis – sharing.

Really? Household consumption is directly responsible for 65 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions. Tessa Clarke thinks the most effective solution is something humans have been doing for thousands of years: sharing more and wasting less. Globally, one-third of all the food we produce each year is thrown away, a trillion-dollar squandering that ends up in landfills, producing carbon dioxide’s deadlier cousin, methane. And half of that waste comes from households. According to leading scientists, solving the food waste problem is even more important than transitioning to electric cars, solar panels or plant-based diets. To take on the problem, Clarke cofounded Olio, a free app that connects local communities around giving food away before it’s thrown away. They’ve empowered people to share 66 million portions of food, and this is just a tiny fraction of what’s possible. Users can also share home items, books, appliances, toys and more. “Sharing instead of shopping needs to become the default,” she says.


Alex Koster speaks at TED@BCG: brighter future(s) at the TED World Theater in New York City on September 15, 2022. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Alex Koster, mobility and software visionary

Big idea: The automobile industry is busy building the “Software Dream Car.”

How? The future of the automotive industry goes beyond clean fuels software is poised to be a transformational force as well. If we take driverless cars as an eventual given, it’s time to dream up what their interior spaces will look like, says Alex Koster. As computer vision technology continues to advance, we’re moving towards what he calls the “Software Dream Car” an augmented reality vehicle that fuses science fiction and luxury into a real-world environment overlaid with information and entertainment. What we see out our window will be limited only by our imaginations, says Koster, as our cars pilot us through rich virtual worlds in addition to taking us from point A to point B.


Gitte Frederiksen speaks at TED@BCG: brighter future(s) at the TED World Theater in New York City on September 15, 2022. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Gitte Frederiksen, leadership champion

Big question: Modern organizations are complex, multidirectional organisms, so why are we so invested in hierarchical leadership structures?

Some thoughts: When it comes down to it, leaders are only human. And when there’s only a small group of leaders moving at their own speed, bottlenecks are inevitable, organizational decisions flounder and leaders lose sight of the great ideas that often lie unnoticed in the margins. Gitte Frederiksen offers an innovative solution: leadership networks without labels, replacing the power of the few with the influence of many by emphasizing sharing and kindness. These complex human networks not only increase feelings of ownership, reduce stress and create better products, but they’re also “more beautiful, more multidimensional, more dynamic, more like nature,” says Frederiksen.


June Sarpong speaks at TED@BCG: brighter future(s) at the TED World Theater in New York City on September 15, 2022. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

June Sarpong, diversity leader

Big idea: The next big disruption in business is in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

How? “Rock star” leaders are those that disrupt business as usual — and June Sarpong thinks the same strategy can be used to move us forward on DEI. It all starts with uncomfortable connections, breaking with the status quo and developing a vision for a better future. When it comes to the workplace, people in power need to make the big leaps first. Consider FX Networks, which disrupted its previously lily-white programming roster and invested significantly in diverse directors and writers. In the process, it created critically and commercially successful content – which Sarpong says is truly “rock star behavior.”


Zineb Sqalli speaks at TED@BCG: brighter future(s) at the TED World Theater in New York City on September 15, 2022. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Zineb Sqalli, gender and climate researcher

Big idea? The next few decades will see trillions invested in infrastructure improvement in the name of fighting climate change, but women will only benefit from these policies and programs as much as men if we are intentional about their inclusion.

How? Climate action has historically been designed with a “gender neutral” lens, but continuing in this manner could set gender equality back by fifteen years, says Zineb Sqalli. We need to consider women’s specific needs upfront, involve women in the design process and measure results so that we can correct course if needed. Cities like Vienna, Austria have already done this. With a diverse urban planning board, Vienna restructured its parks so teenage girls would feel more welcome; created a public campaign to educate the city on the new approach; and integrated a gender assessment into social housing and infrastructure contracts. These changes benefit everyone. By abandoning the gender neutral mindset and intentionally designing for women, Sqalli says, we could build both an environmentally sustainable and gender equitable world.


Will Guidara speaks at TED@BCG: brighter future(s) at the TED World Theater in New York City on September 15, 2022. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Will Guidara, restaurateur, author

Big idea: Unreasonable hospitality turns ordinary transactions into extraordinary experiences.

How? What does it take to earn the title “best restaurant in the world?” Ask Will Guidara, and he might tell you that the secret is a two-dollar, off-menu hot dog. Guidara is the former owner of Eleven Madison Park, a restaurant that claimed this distinction in 2017 under his leadership by pursuing a strategy of “unreasonable hospitality.” It all started when Guidara overheard a table of out-of-town guests regretting that their trip to New York City hadn’t included a taste of one of the city’s finest (and cheapest) culinary classics: a New York City hot dog. Eleven Madison Park is an exceptionally fancy establishment, but Guidara decided that if his guests wanted a hot dog, he’d make it happen. He ran out to the street, bought a hot dog from a sidewalk vendor and persuaded his chef to serve it. This simple gesture gobsmacked his guests — and it forever changed Guidara’s approach to service. He recounts other incredible experiences the Eleven Madison Park orchestrated for their patrons and offers strategies for anyone to make their hospitality a little more “unreasonable” — whether it be serving a guest or buying a gift (and creating a memory) for a loved one.


Elena Crescia (left) interviews Cristina Junqueira for TED@BCG: brighter future(s) at the TED World Theater in New York City on September 15, 2022. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Cristina Junqueira, entrepreneur, in conversation with Elena Crescia, social entrepreneur

Big idea: To disrupt an industry’s status quo, take customers’ pain seriously. 

How? “It felt a little bit like going to prison,” says Cristina Junqueira, describing the heightened security and long wait times that were typical at Brazilian banks when she cofounded her online bank, Nubank. She was drawn to banking by this pain, which she identified as an opportunity to disrupt a stagnant industry in need of improvement. Fast forward nine years and Nubank has redefined how Brazilians access their money and participate in commerce. In conversation with social entrepreneur Elena Crescia, Junqueira discusses the transformative impact her decision to center customers’ experience has had in Brazil. According to Junqueira, Nubank serves more than five million people who had never previously engaged with the country’s financial system. The company’s efficient digital platform is imitable, she says, but what’s harder to emulate is Nubank’s customer-first mindset. As she puts it: “That’s where the real competitive advantage lies.”


Keenan Scott II speaks at TED@BCG: brighter future(s) at the TED World Theater in New York City on September 15, 2022. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Keenan Scott II, playwright, poet, TED Fellow

Big idea: As a kid, Keenan Scott Il loved words, stories and superheroes — a passion that fueled his journey to becoming a celebrated playwright, producer, director and actor.

How? In every superhero narrative, says Keenan Scott II, there’s always an event that pushes the superhero to realize their power. For Scott, it was a poetry assignment in his eighth-grade English class. He struggled with dyslexia as a kid, but he soared when it came time to write a poem. He discovered that he already understood advanced literary devices like simile, assonance and slant rhyme because he’d encountered these techniques in the music he loved by artists like Tupac Shakur and Lemon Andersen. Scott continued to develop his craft outside the classroom by paying attention to words and the world around him. He listened to speech patterns in different parts of the city and heard the stories of his neighbors; he explored the work of other artists, poets and jazz artists whose creativity inspired his own. On the TED stage, Scott performs three stunning spoken word pieces that testify to the superheroic talent he cultivated despite the obstacles (read: kryptonite).


Veronica Chau speaks at TED@BCG: brighter future(s) at the TED World Theater in New York City on September 15, 2022. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Veronica Chau, sustainable investment professional

Big idea: To improve financing for sustainable and equitable housing, we need policies that stimulate demand and create a favorable investing environment.

Why? Faced with the climate crisis, financial institutions have pledged trillions to transform the economy — but right now, says sustainable investing expert Veronica Chau, that money is not flowing at the speed it needs to. Taking the housing sector as a case study, Chau explains that the US is facing two challenges at once: housing is scarce and the buildings we live in are a major contributor to climate change. To reconcile and overcome these two challenges, we need to radically increase financing for sustainable housing. Banks want to reach net-zero, she says; the problem is that government housing policy is not doing enough to create a low-risk environment for investment. By creating robust investment incentives; strengthening requirements for energy efficiency; investing in programs that help low-income communities retrofit their homes; and offering permits for affordable, energy-efficient housing, local governments can create a favorable financing environment and ensure financing flows to areas where it’s needed most.


Nithya Vaduganathan speaks at TED@BCG: brighter future(s) at the TED World Theater in New York City on September 15, 2022. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Nithya Vaduganathan, talent strategy expert

Big idea: To find hidden talent, take a fresh look around.

How? Something interesting is happening in the labor market: there are lots of job openings, yet many employers are struggling to find the right people to fill them. Why is that? Nithya Vaduganathan thinks it’s in large part because employers are using outdated practices to retract and retain talent – for instance, by focusing on features like college degree or time in role, which are not necessarily predictive of success. Vaduganathan offers five tips that will actually help employers fill open positions — while also helping job seekers advance their careers. First: leaders and managers must figure out what actually needs to get done, as opposed to listing Frankenstein job posts searching for impossibly qualified candidates. Second: “screen in” candidates, as opposed to screening out based on certain criteria like college degrees. (Great candidates don’t need to check every box, she says.) Third: start with coffee – or, in other words, start small. Try out micro-internships: small-scale, paid projects that create a low-risk path to hiring, particularly of college and grad students from overlooked schools. Fourth: look beyond your floor – there may be talent hiding inside your organization, just a floor above you. And, lastly: let your people go so they can grow. Companies that allow their people to move around internally report more diverse, innovative and effective teams. 


Paul Catchlove speaks at TED@BCG: brighter future(s) at the TED World Theater in New York City on September 15, 2022. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

Paul Catchlove, reflective leader

Big idea: Self-reflection can add value to your work life, increasing performance and helping you make better decisions and build better relationships.

How? Reflection is about learning, says Paul Catchlove: looking at our lives without judgment, but with a critical lens. So how do we do it? Catchlove recommends making reflection a habit, whether it takes the form of purposeful thinking, journal entries, audio notes or discussions with a mentor or friend. In the workplace, this would look like consistently setting aside time to distill learnings on what worked, what didn’t and why – and then making a personal commitment to do things differently next time. So next time a meeting leaves you feeling agitated, take some time to sit down, take a breath and reflect (whether it’s after work or the next morning). Over time, cultivating a habit of reflection will glean deeper insights as you begin to recognize patterns of behavior – whether it’s a problematic relationship with a boss or client or an aspect of your job that you begin to realize leaves you feeling happy and fulfilled.

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