If you’ve been hearing the buzz circulating around UTSC about the upcoming TEDx conference, you’ll know that we’re currently on the search for passionate, enthusiastic, and ambitious individuals to represent UTSC while we create a platform for “ideas worth spreading,” at our own campus! By submitting a nomination form, you’ll be catapulting UTSC on to the TEDx stage – this means that you are the driving force behind the slingshot that will launch ideas, voices, and dialogue from UTSC on to the grand TED platform. You can nominate yourself, a friend, colleague, or a professor – anyone who you believe embodies the TED spirit – a sprit which uses ideas to engage, inspire, and stimulate the mind, while using dialogue as a vehicle to tie our campus together.
We are looking for talks that are:
- Shorter than 18 minutes
- Contain informative material, not just inspiring messages
- Powerful stories
- Brilliant Explanations
- Meaningful “A-ha moments”
- Art and Design
- Entertainment
- Environmental Science
- Biology and Chemistry
- Finance and Marketing
- Leadership
- Entrepreneurship
- Technology
Who are we looking for?
- THE INVENTOR … sharing an innovation with world-changing potential
- THE TEACHER … sharing valuable knowledge in a memorable way to teenagers or adults
- THE PRODIGY … young talent ready to break out
- THE ARTIST … who can showcase their work in a compelling, new way
- THE PERFORMER … music, dance, comedy, drama … or something entirely different
- THE SAGE … wisdom the world needs from those who have learned it the hard way
- THE ENTHUSIAST … with an infectious passion about a topic they can share
- THE CHANGE AGENT … helping shape the world’s future with work that matters
- THE STORYTELLER … vivid, original, meaningful … with a talent for connection
- THE SPARK … with a powerful idea worth spreading
Brené Brown: The power of vulnerability
Hans Rosling: Stats that reshape your worldview
Re-order the ordinary. Submit your nomination form by October 1, 2012.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Who is this TED?
TED isn’t a who, it’s a what. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design, three broad subject areas that are, collectively, shaping our future. The TED conference is an annual gathering of big brains and cool creators in California. Get the full story at TED.com
How is a TEDx event different from a TED conference?
TED conferences are organized and run directly by TED. TEDx events are fully planned and coordinated independently, on a community-by-community basis. The goal of TEDxUTSC is to inspire a passion for spreading ideas in the local UTSC community.
How long are the talks at TEDXUTSC?
All talks are 15-20 minutes – the lengths are determined by our Productions and Speaker Relations team.
Who is presenting at TEDxUTSC?
Cool people. Interesting people. People at the top of their game. People just starting out. People who’ve done it all and can live to tell the tale. It’s a mix of speakers you won’t see anywhere else. We’ll be announcing members of our top shelf line-up as we get closer to the event.
Can sponsors be speakers?
We love to have sponsors who are aligned with the TEDx mission, but we do not include speaker positions as part of our sponsorship programs. You can learn more about becoming a sponsor here.
Can I speak at TEDxUTSC?
Maybe. Do you have an idea worth spreading? Is it remarkable? Will it entertain, inspire and inform us all at the same time? There are no canned pitches at TEDxUTSC. Leave your boring powerpoint at home. Watch a few TEDtalks BEFORE you consider reaching out to us. This is NOT your average conference. If you think you have what it takes, nominate yourself here.
Can I recommend someone else as a speaker?
Absolutely! Please nominate them here.