TEDxVictoria – Cultivating Evolution

I was first introduced to Carol-Lynne Michaels, co-organizer of TEDx Victoria, by my friend and fellow Victoria Fringe volunteer, Rose Jang, who mentioned that we shared many ideas about community and connecting

Carol-Lynne had just applied, with Dylan Wilks, another student in the Camosun College Applied Communication Program, for a license to host a TEDx event in Victoria.  At the same time TEDx UVic, TEDx Juan de Fuca and TEDx Mile Zero were planning similar events.

What are TED and TEDx?

TED is “the original ideas conference” and TEDx an off-shoot.

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 in Long Beach and Palm Springs each spring, and the TEDGlobal conference in Edinburgh UK each summer — TED includes the award-winning TEDTalks video site (started in 2006), the Open Translation Project and TED Conversations, the inspiring TED Fellows and TEDx programs, and the annual TED Prize.

Each TEDx event is individually licensed and follows a format determined by TED which includes speakers, videos from TED and break out discussions. Programming must be bias-free.  TEDx events are community driven, and specific to the community in which they are held.  We’ve been very fortunate in Victoria to have three TEDx in the past year.

Carol-Lynne and Dylan have been successful in including other local TEDx organizers on their committee, as they work to bring TEDx Victoria –  Cultivating Evolution to fruition.  As a result of this collaboration, and with the co-operation of John Mardlin, organizer of TEDx Juan de Fuca, they are able to open this event to more than 100 people. John has attended a TED event in person (an important distinction in the guidelines to hosting).

What can you expect at TEDx Victoria and what does a theme of Cultivating Evolution mean?

Cultivating Evolution

Actively working together on ideas to bring together community and create action.
Ideas. Community. Action.
Cultivating the evolution of Victoria and ourselves.

The purpose of this event is to cultivate and foster individuals, businesses and not-for-profit members around sharing ideas and breaking open how we all use and share the space that is Victoria – so that we might grow stronger together.

South Vancouver Island and the surrounding areas have a bounty of community enthusiasts, ideas people, inventors, philosophers, do-gooders, young minds and wise hearts. TEDxVictoria intends to bring this spectrum of passion into one room, on one day in November.

Please join us in creating an event with the caliber to inspire action. Change is around us, let’s make it a part of us.

I’m extremely interested in this topic and believe it to be crucial to the very fabric of our society in these changing times. If we do not evolve, how will be able to address the challenges present today?  It’s a welcome bonus to be present with others who are just as passionate.

The speaker line-up is impressive and includes Raffi Cavouikian, Alexandra Samuel , Derek Jacoby, Jason Guille and Dave Morris.

I’m happy to be a TEDx Victoria ambassador, and look forward to meeting you for further discussions on Cultivating Evolution.

Tickets are $50 through Ticket Rocket online or by phone 250 590 6291, and include a lunch.

TEDx Victoria takes place November 19th at the Victoria Conference Centre.

It will be followed on November 20th (International Children’s Day) by  TEDxYouth@Victoria, one of 80 similar events around the world.

Disclaimer:  As a TEDx Victoria ambassador, I have been provided one free ticket to attend. I was not required to write a blog post. As always, I retain editorial control over all the content published on this blog.