TED Speakers

William Kamkwamba's story exemplifies the power of resourcefulness and innovation in action. Faced with a critical challenge in his Malawian village, he didn't wait for external solutions. Instead, his ingenuity was sparked by a library book on windmills....

Philippe Petit has – literally – seen a view of the world no one else ever has or ever will: from a quarter of a mile in the air walking a ¾” steel cable rigged illegally between the...

Jamil Zaki is a Stanford Professor and a preeminent authority in the study of empathy. He provides science-backed tools that any leader can utilize to connect more wisely and effectively, building bridges between people and fostering communities to...

Karen Eber is a captivating force in the world of storytelling and leadership. She is an expert at helping people become memorable and engaging communicators, leaders, and storytellers. Eber shows audiences how to inform, influence, and inspire others. She breaks down the...

Ariel Waldman transports audiences from the icy realms of Antarctica, where she films otherworldly life beneath the surface, to the vast expanse of space, tapping into her insights and experiences with NASA. An Antarctic explorer and filmmaker, Ariel’s...

Jane Ferguson is an award-winning war reporter, national security expert, broadcaster, and writer on international affairs, media, female leadership in the world, and human rights. 

In a world that is changing faster than ever, Dr. Beau Lotto’s unique and exceptional skills enable him to empower and motivate corporate audiences to challenge their perceptions about change while engaging them to take ownership for creating...

Dan Ariely embodies an unusual balance of a serious academic, business professional, and engaging storyteller. He leads cutting-edge research in behavioral economics and social science and readily incorporates its application into institutional bottom lines and governments. To date, he...

As we face threats like climate change, economic disruption, and polarization, we need our public institutions to work. Jennifer Pahlka shows how government – or any large bureaucracy – can shed its decades-old culture, move into the modern...

Learn how Alex Honnold took on and achieved “one of the greatest athletic feats of any kind, ever."

What makes Jia Jiang unique and extremely effective is the way he teaches. Instead of pushing concepts down to the audience, he relates with them using humor and authenticity. He pulls the audience into his own stories and...

How can we lower the temperature in these polarizing times? Daryl Davis has an answer: get to know those who don't share your values. As a black musician who befriended KKK leaders and other white supremacists, Daryl built...

Empowering leaders to create more innovative, collaborative, and joyful work cultures (and lives).

Dr. Leana Wen is an emergency physician and public health professor at George Washington University. She is a CNN medical analyst and contributing columnist for The Washington Post, where she writes a weekly column and anchors the new Post newsletter, "The Checkup with Dr. Wen"....

A master storyteller, Dan Goods leaves his audience in a state of awe and wonder through his inspiring stories interweaving the cosmos, creativity, risk taking, and what it means to be human.

"We will see virtual, distributed or hybrid, and global work become significant parts of work arrangements that will expand our repertoire, digital skills, and performance, promising to make us and our organizations that much better." – Tsedal Neeley

An international authority on workplace culture, Jennifer's passion and energy engage audiences with relatable storytelling, data, and research, confirming that healthy and happy workforces are higher-performing ones. Attendees leave inspired and motivated to act on what they've learned.

Dr. Enric Sala is a former university professor who saw himself writing the obituary of ocean life, and quit academia to become a full-time ocean conservationist as a National Geographic Explorer in Residence.

Bruce Feiler is one of America's most popular voices on contemporary life; the author of seven consecutive New York Times bestsellers; the presenter of two prime-time series on PBS; and the inspiration for the drama Council of Dads...

Throughout his career, Greg Asner has strived to produce science capable of generating conservation actions worldwide. Today he shares with audiences the importance of taking care of the environment and how any organization can contribute.

One of the top workplace belonging speakers in the world, Smiley helps companies foster belonging and human connection in an ever-evolving workforce. Smiley’s keynotes provide a practical and actionable toolkit for leaders to attract and retain top talent,...

With his expertise in enigmas and magic, David Kwong delights and challenges audiences around the world with his intellectual brand of “puzzles and prestidigitation.”

Carla Harris has extensive industry experiences in the technology, media, retail, telecommunications, transportation, industrial, and healthcare sectors. In August 2013, Ms. Harris was appointed by President Barack Obama to chair the National Women’s Business Council.

"Failure is likely — so face it, learn from it, and get stronger for next time. Without failure, there is no growth." – Arthur Brooks