“Where is this heading? What really matters? Is there more I should be doing?” In this era of political and technological turmoil, these are the challenging questions that this year’s TED conference is seeking to answer, in what is being described as a gathering of minds and souls in search for deeper meaning.
Taking place at Vancouver’s Convention Centre between 15th and 19th April, the 2019 event features a traditionally diverse line up of speakers who will each take to the Mainstage to deliver one of TED’s renowned 18-minute talks. Scientists, architects and entrepreneurs, and comedians, artists and musicians are among those taking part, and who will be exploring the powerful technologies and ground-breaking science that will drive the future, examining the design of our cities and the other human systems that shape our lives, sharing stories of extraordinary creativity and inspiration, and ultimately, considering what ideas are truly worth fighting for.
Happiness researcher, Elizabeth Dunn, is among 2019’s line-up of speakers.
This year’s speakers include Elizabeth Dunn, co-author of ‘Happy Money’, which was selected by the Washington Post as one of the “top 20 books every leader should read”. Dunn is a happiness researcher whose most recent work has focused on how we navigate trade-offs between time and money, and how mobile technology can both support and undermine human happiness. Joining her is Nasdaq’s Adena Friedman, who after serving in a series of management roles, assumed the position of President and CEO of the company just over two years ago, and is credited with significantly shaping its transformation into the global entity it is today.
Entrepreneur and humanitarian Hamdi Ulukaya / Photo: Wall Street Journal.
Among the pioneering entrepreneurs taking part is Hamdi Ulukaya, the founder of Chobani, the name behind the number-one selling Greek yogurt brand in the US. With a mission to make better food more accessible, the humanitarian is also the founder of the Tent Partnership for Refugees, and as a Giving Pledge signatory has committed the majority of his personal wealth to charitable causes. And this year’s political contingent includes Julius Maada Bio, President of Sierra Leone, who as Head of State ushered in multiparty democracy after decades of one-party and military rule.
The five-day schedule kicks off on Monday, 15th April with a series of TED Fellows Talks from up-and-coming world-changers, before the Mainstage program begins that evening and continues through the week in tandem with a series of workshops and exhibitions.
Find out more about TED2019 here.
