TED’s recordings of speakers at its annual conferences are already well-known: the 10- to 20-minute videos by speakers with new, provocative ideas, ranging from Stephen Hawking contemplating the universe to James Cameron contemplating James Cameron, made their way from YouTube well into the mainstream on Netflix.
Toronto’s TEDx event has the same focus on ideas and innovation but on a local scale, offering a platform for innovators to speak and share to a wider audience. Nominations are now open, closing May 10, for you to choose local figures who you think deserve stage time.
The year’s theme is Thresholds, defined by this year’s mission statement as “the point where personal decisions are confronted and public movements are launched.”
Toronto’s version of the conference has been running for the past seven years, growing from a sparsely-attended conference in the Theatre Passe Muraille to its current iteration at the Royal Conservatory of Music in front of an audience of more than 1000.
There’s no real criteria – in fact, Matt Ryan, co-chair of this year’s event, encourages those who think they have something to contribute to nominate themselves. The application is intentionally short, letting nominators get to the point quickly.
“We’re looking for those innovators, collaborators, changemakers that have a great story to tell, and ideas that relate to Toronto and help make our city and our country a better place,” Ryan says.
Speakers in the past have included Tonya Surman, director of the Centre for Social Innovation, Raptors superfan and community philanthropist Nav Bhatia and comedian Sabrina Jalees. While some of these speakers are solicited by the conference’s program team, their focus remains on the city and the ideas of those inside it.
“Part of the goal of the community nominations is to enable people, no matter who they are or what they have to offer, to get their city involved and make change locally and internationally,” says Ryan.
The one-day conference will take place October 22.
“We want people up there that can generate conversations, discussions, debates with issues and those around the city.” says Ryan. “What better way to do that than get those who live it, every day?”
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