Insights from TED2017

As this newsletter lands in your in-box, Meredith (ProSocial Founder & CEO) is sitting with thought leaders from around the globe excitedly listening to dozens of accomplished speakers deliver 18-minute talks on “ideas worth spreading.” Exhausting and rewarding, the TED conference is the world’s flagship annual Technology, Entertainment, and Design convening. It is an extraordinary meeting of ideas, minds, networks, and institutions and a catalyst for a better future.

TED is being held in Vancouver, and presenters, including scientists, activists, artists, authors, entrepreneurs, and others, are addressing the theme of “The Future You”—with talks exploring technology advances, medical discoveries, tools for personal growth, and the priorities of our planet.

At TED, surprises are the norm. This year (as you may have already seen in the news), Pope Francis joined virtually—appropriate to the theme—to share a TED talk recorded in Vatican City. He spoke passionately about the dangers of being “centered around money and things, instead of people,” the need to overcome a “culture of waste,” and the values of equality, social inclusion, and compassion for others. Ultimately, he suggested, our brightest future will come from the recognition that we are all connected.

He encouraged each individual to hold out hope for that vision of the future. “And then there will be another ‘you,’ and another ‘you,” and it turns into an ‘us.’ And so, does hope begin when we have an ‘us?’ No. Hope began with one ‘you.’ When there is an ‘us,’ there begins a revolution.”The Pope was modeling the very behavior he is espousing. By encouraging hope and imagining aloud a better future, he is changing the world and creating change makers. His intended audience was not only the “grasstops” influencers in the room but also others across the globe. It’s a powerful and energizing example that mirrors the work we do.

Follow along with the latest news and videos from TED2017 here.