TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from those three worlds. Since then its scope has become ever broader. www.TED.com
The annual conference now brings together the world’s most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the talk of their lives (in 18 minutes).
This site makes the best talks and performances from TED available to the public, for free. Almost 200 talks from our archive are now available, with more added each week. These videos are released under a Creative Commons license, so they can be freely shared and reposted.
The digital revolution has changed much more than technology, entertainment, and design — it has completely transformed business, in ways that could scarcely have been imaginable at the first TED conference, in 1984. And now, what’s next? Charles Leadbeater looks for a new generation of business innovation in the talented amateurs who suddenly have access to professional tools and markets. Juan Enriquez and Ray Kurzweil both look at way-new technology’s effects on our future economies and cultures.
Meanwhile, nonprofits and for-profits have begun to learn from one another. Iqbal Quadir argues that business and philanthropy need to overlap — and that to a poor farmer, a mobile phone is more empowering than a check. Sasa Vucinic says that solid business principles are the key to a truly free press, especially in repressive or anarchic countries. And Jacqueline Novogratz makes a case for investing in home-grown solutions to poverty.
Meanwhile, Malcolm Gladwell reminds us that, new or old, business will always be about selling a customer something they really, really want.
