TED and TEDx for ideas worth spreading

I love that the mission of TED/TEDx is “ideas worth spreading”. Speaking at a TEDx event is a dream for many people (myself included!) and is an awesome opportunity to get your ideas and message out in a big way and spread them far and wide!

What is TED?  This is the information on the TED About page: 

TED is a nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out in 1984 as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design. Since then its scope has become ever broader. Along with two annual conferences — the TED Conference and TEDGlobal — TED includes the award-winning TED Talks video site, the Open Translation Project and TED Conversations, the inspiring TED Fellows and TEDx programs, and the annual TED Prize.

TED conferences bring together the world’s most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes or less.

What is TEDX is and why it was launched? TED launched the TEDx program :

to help individuals, schools, and organizations create and host their own local, unofficial, TED-style events, using a mix of TED video and live speakers — and in doing so, release TED free to the world.

Created in the spirit of TED’s mission, “ideas worth spreading,” the TEDx program is designed to give communities, organizations and individuals the opportunity to stimulate dialogue through TED-like experiences at the local level.

TEDx events are fully planned and coordinated independently, on a community-by-community basis.

Many TEDx speakers agree it can be a life-changing experience and many see incredible success as a result of standing on that stage. Here are a few of my favorite TEDx videos and why I like them.  Do take note on the number of views and you’ll see these really are “ideas worth spreading” !

• Minding Your Mitochondria: Dr. Terry Wahls at TEDxIowaCity – 1.5 million views

I really like this one because the message – eat real food – is so fundamental and so powerful and yet so forgotten. I enjoy how she shared her story of recovery from MS with food and loved her call to action to make changes now

I am thrilled and honored to be interviewing Dr. Terry Wahls for my upcoming “Speak NOW!” series. She is going to share her amazing TEDx experience and how it led to her incredible book deal with a big publisher.  Her new book The Wahls Protocol will be released in March 2014.

• “Real Food” evangelist: Robyn O’Brien at TEDxAustin 2011 – 770 000 views

Robyn is so passionate about sharing how the quality of food in the U.S. is affecting our kids and contributing to food allergies.  I like that she shares facts and figures as well as tying it all back to what she saw happen to her kids 

•  What’s Wrong With Our Food System: Birke Baehr at TEDxNextG – 1.4 million views

Birke’s message is compelling despite the fact that his talk is too rehearsed and a little too fast.  But I still find it so inspiring to see a kid on the stage delivering a message like this. I also really enjoyed some of his quotes. Two of my favorites: “I wanted to be a NFL player but I think I’ll be an organic farmer” and “Pay the farmer or pay the hospital”.

What do you think?  Are these “ideas worth spreading”? 

Do you dream of being a TEDx speaker?

Or are you a TEDx speaker?  Has it changed your life?