TEDx Vancouver is Taking a More Instructive Approach This Year

Speakers will tell personal stories of failure and success

Though our collective obsession with TED talks might have waned a bit, I don’t think anyone can dispute that the conferences have spawned some fascinating, insightful, and weirdly beautiful moments. Vancouver’s own TEDx conference is turning ten this year, and focusing on the practical to inspire us in these anxious times. The theme is “How²” bringing a range of speakers to answer the questions “how did they do that” and “how did they get there.”“I wanted to leave something that was more than inspiration, I wanted this year to be instructional,” says Christopher Bennett, a co-founder and producer at TEDx Vancouver now in his tenth year with the conference. The speakers were challenged by Bennett not just to think of speaking from a podium, but of speaking to a classroom. “What they’ve come back with,” he says, “has been great.” Among the speakers are a range of inspiring women, including Canada’s first female Prime Minister Kim Campbell, Indigenous actress Grace Dove (of The Revenant fame), and our own fearless leader Anicka Quin, who will be speaking about why we need magazines more than ever.“That was a conscious choice,” says Bennett, “we always try to improve diversity and match the audience with issues that are du-jour.” Speakers also include boxer and fitness entrepreneur Dave Brett, YouTube personality and social media marketer Rachel David, and bee inspector (!!!) Dr. Margriet Dogterom. Attendees can expect a range of fascinating and unexpected subjects to be covered in talks they can rewatch later in videos shot with a lot of low angles. Bennett says a personal, visceral take is a common thread throughout the talks. Speakers will share personal stories of their biggest life decisions, the value of failure, and how to learn to take a literal punch.

TEDx Vancouver is Saturday September 8th at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at UBCTo buy tickets ($99), you’ll find more details here.