TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Started as a four-day conference in California 30 years ago, TED has grown to support its mission with multiple initiatives. The two annual TED Conferences invite the world's leading thinkers and doers to speak for 18 minutes or less. Many of these talks are then made available, free, at TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Nandan Nilekani, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Sal Khan and Daniel Kahneman. The annual TED Conference takes place each spring in Vancouver, British Columbia. TED's media initiatives include TED.com, where new TED Talks are posted daily; the Open Translation Project, which provides subtitles and interactive transcripts as well as translations from volunteers worldwide; the educational initiative TED-Ed. TED has established the annual TED Prize, where exceptional individuals with a wish to change the world get help translating their wishes into action; TEDx, which supports individuals or groups in hosting local, self- organized TED-style events around the world, and the TED Fellows program, helping world-changing innovators from around the globe to amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities. Follow TED on Twitter, or on Facebook.
x = independently organized event In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TED Talks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized. (Subject to certain rules and regulations.)
inspiration
Inspiration is an important emotion for motivating. When people are inspired, they have more energy and more willpower to change and open their minds. There are several ways to inspire people – but we believe that ideas are a beautiful way to inspire minds. Instead of telling people what should be important to them, influencing them to adapt to societal beliefs, people should be inspired to reflect on their own opinions. In the spirit of “Ideas Worth Spreading”, we feel it is important to give people a local platform to present their ideas and discuss them with others, instead of keeping them to themselves. Inviting others into our minds can be a path to inspiration. And inspiration is a path to new ideas, which can lead to small, but significant changes.
fun
Since there are so many serious topics and so many upsetting things in this world, we believe that inspiring others needs to be fun – for us and our participants! At TEDxUniHeidelberg, we consider our team a group of friends! We regularly watch TEDTalks, cook, and discuss and debate interesting topics. Since we work so closely with one another, and because we want to offer inspiring content, we know we need to find passion in what we do. And to stay passionate, we have fun as a group and with our topics!
community
It is our goal to not only host one TEDx event, but to build a foundation for other TED lovers to continue our work. In other words: We would like to build a community of people who are dedicated to spreading and discussing ideas of all subjects. The community we wish to build is open to anyone - people of different nations, generations, and social backgrounds. With this in mind, we welcome new team members that are interested in helping us build a community! If this sounds like a job for you, just get in touch!
Annika Mehr
Co-Organizer, Speaker Liaison & Design
♥ My favourite talk ♥ Charisma versus Stage Fright
"Deborah is fierce and funny and I will take all the advice I can get from her on how to rock the stage as a lion. She also hosts the hilarious podcast "The guilty feminist" and I can only recommend it for a boring train ride or when washing dishes. "
Rebecca "Becky" Alvarado
Organizer, Speaker Liaison & Public Relations
♥ My favourite talk ♥ A Call to Men
"So many people believe feminism is a woman's thing - we should focus on women, how they're treated and how we need to change in order to maker sure they're treated differently by society as a whole. But, in order to have true equality of genders, we need to be looking at men's role in society as well and help them get outside of the "man box", as tony porter puts it."
Haniyeh Yazdanparast
Speaker Liaison & Fundraising
♥ My favourite talk ♥ Inside the mind of a master procrastinator
"In an absolutely unscientific but extremely funny way, Tim Urban explains how our brain works when we procrastinate. Despite knowing that, Tim still keeps on procrastinating in his everyday life, while he even has become a successful blogger. However, Tim makes clear that the real danger lies in postponing our personal dreams, which are usually not checked by others. Despite the seriousness of this warning, Tim transfers his idea with lightness, stays self-deprecating and hilarious throughout his whole talk – which makes it the perfect TED talk for me."
Maxi Knödler
Speaker Liaison & Newsletter
♥ My favourite talk ♥ Different ways of knowing
"In this day and age, especially with regard to the past recent years and the fundamental changes they have brought upon our society, economically as well as politically, it is hardly surprising that people turn a blind eye to everything that is going on in the world around them. However, as Daniel Tammet points out in his TED Talk, the ”world is richer, vaster than it too often seems to be”. Sometimes, all it needs is a little push, an opportunity, an impulse to stop accepting, to start doubting and to dare changing our current situation. I personally believe that TED epitomizes this opportunity — that it can help people all over the world to open up their eyes to things they were not able to see before. "
Sara Ciprut
Speaker Liaison & Fundraising
♥ My favourite talk ♥ What I learned when I conquered the world's toughest triathlon
"Have you ever considered doing a triathlon which consists of 2,4mile swim, 112 mile cycling and a whole marathon distance running?! Let's face it: most of us would consider this crazy and impossible. But not Minda Dentler. Minda is an amazing triathlete who conquered the toughest Ironman despite being paralyzed below the hips due to polio. She was born in India; however, she was not able to receive the necessary treatment. Now living in the US since the age of three, Minda is raising awareness to polio, and defeating all the "obstacles". Because she is strong; because she is motivated to finish not Ironman, but polio! Well... What is your Ironman? What is your inspiration? What gives you the strenght against all odds?"
Simona Schindler
Fundraising & Promotion
♥ My favourite talk ♥ The secret to desire in a long-term relationship
"Esther is very charasmatic and funny in the right moments. It is easy to listern to her because everything she says she points out in a very catchy way. What Esther is talking about in this talk is something everyone is confronted with sooner or later. She explains how relationships and especially expectations on relaltions changed in the last decades. Her talk will make you to rethink your feelings and the image of a prefect relationship we always face on TV. Also, Esther talks about topics which a lot of people do not dare to say out loud in public. "
Valentina Giunchiglia
Event & Promotion
♥ My favourite talk ♥ Success, failure and the drive to keep creating
"Elizabeth is a writer. Her work is to be “creative”. As a writer, she went through all the phases of working in the art sector: failure, success and doubt on the future. She risked to lose herself along her career path because of the continuous pressure. But she found a solution to this problem: artists shouldn’t see art as a work, but as their home. Because art represents their freedom. As long as you feel at home while working, pressure and fear can’t touch you, because you are just doing what you are meant to do. "
Max Richter
Technical Support, Webdesign
♥ My favourite talk ♥ How to use a paper towel
"Sometimes it is simple to change things! Just do it!"
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