About TEDxPennQuarter
TEDxPennQuarter is a local, independently organized event in downtown Washington, DC that strives to re-create the distinctive experience found at TED, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers congregate to share what they are most passionate about. At its core, the fundamental goal of TED is to foster and spread great ideas.
Now in its sophomore year, TEDxPennQuarter brings together a diverse group of speakers from various domains to present their ideas and stories on the theme: REINVENTINGx. The conference will be held at the Woolly Mammoth Theater Company on Tuesday, October 18, 2011. Our goal is for the various groups of speakers and attendees present to learn from one another and leave the conference driven to creatively improve our collective future.
About TEDx
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized. (Subject to certain rules and regulations.)
About TED
TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Started as a four-day conference in California 25 years ago, TED has grown to support those world-changing ideas with multiple initiatives. The annual TED Conference invites the world’s leading thinkers and doers to speak for 18 minutes. Their talks are then made available, free, at TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Al Gore, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Nandan Nilekani, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Isabel Allende and UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The annual TED Conference takes place in Long Beach, California; TEDGlobal is held each year in Oxford, UK, and this November, the TEDIndia Conference will be held in Mysore, India. TED’s media initiatives include TED.com, where new TEDTalks are posted daily, and the Open Translation Project, which provides subtitles and interactive transcripts as well as the ability for any TEDTalk to be translated by volunteers worldwide. TED has established the annual TED Prize, where three exceptional individuals with a wish to change the world are given the opportunity to put their wishes into action; TEDx, which offers individuals or groups a way to host local, self-organized events around the world, and the TED Fellows program, helping world-changing innovators from around the globe to become part of the TED community and, with its help, amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities.
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TEDxPennQuarter 2011 Theme
REINVENTINGx returns for a second year because of the wealth of opportunities it creates. This broad theme allows for a diverse group of speakers to dig deep into a wide variety of topics. From business and politics to sports and art, we offer something for everyone. Attendees leave with a new appreciation for subjects they weren't even expecting to hear about. Last year’s attendees may have come to learn about abstract poetry or marketing, but left with a history lesson on mixology and a cold drink to complement it.
Whether it’s learning how to pick up the pieces and forge on after a personal tragedy, or how to run marathons without shoes; REINVENTION, by its very nature, is inspirational and compelling. But it can be humorous as well. We learned this last year somewhere between a black comedian, an onstage cartwheel, and the “Anatomy Rap.”
Check out 2011's Speakers and Topics.
