On Dec. 10, NSU will host its first TEDx conference called TEDx Ft. Lauderdale, from 12 p.m. – 9 p.m. in the Club Box at the Don Taft University Center Arena. The event is co-curated by TED@NSU.
TEDx Ft. Lauderdale is an independently organized Technology, Entertainment and Design (TED) event.
Its program focuses on local, self-organized events that bring people together to celebrate ideas worth spreading. These local, self-organized events are branded as TEDx. The “x” represents an independently organized TED event. The TED conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.
Luis Nicola Aguilar, president of the student organization TED@NSU, said TEDx Ft. Lauderdale is an effort to drive and showcase the creative economy that is emerging in Broward County. “I hope to have our own TEDx NSU rather than just having TEDx Ft. Lauderdale in the years to come,” he said.
Aguilar said TEDx events feature video conferencing called TEDTalks and live speakers, which spark deep discussion and connection in a small, intimate group.
“I really want to encourage students to come. It’s important to experience something different. The idea is to have fun and to potentially discover something that is world-changing,” said Aguilar.
Michelle Manley, advisor of TED@NSU, said she is always excited to work with students who want to bring innovative ideas to NSU.
“The students have put a great deal of effort into hosting a TEDx conference on NSU’s campus, and I hope that both faculty and staff come out to support them,” she said.
Guest speakers at the TEDx Ft. Lauderdale event include: Lawrence Gartel, artist; Sarah Frias-Torres, marine ecologist and biological oceanographer; and Davina Leone, musician.
“TEDx is amazing,” said Aguilar. “I think it fosters the mission of TED in general, fostering ideas worth spreading. Sometimes you need to start small. It’s a small event, but it can become something a lot bigger.”
TED is a nonprofit organization started as a four-day conference in California 26 years ago. Today, TED has grown to support world-changing ideas with multiple initiatives. Past TED speakers have included: Bill Gates, British Anthropologist Jane Goodall, and former U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
