Many people ask, "How do you select the speakers for TEDWomen?" The answer is not a simple one. I read everything I can find that has to do with women, our work, books, research, stories ... and I hear recommendations from fellow TEDsters and friends around the world. There are so many great choices, women and men with ideas worth spreading and stories worth sharing. The challenge, truly, is in the selecting.
As the editorial director and curator, I work with the amazing TED team of curators and my awesome colleague, Betsy Scolnik, to make selections of speakers, and we're thrilled to present this year's speaker program: 40* extraordinary speakers, women and men, in six sessions.
I believe this year's program further affirms that TEDWomen is not a conference about women so much as it is a conference where women and their ideas -- on everything from race to nuclear weapons to philanthropy and time management -- are the reason that nearly 1,000 women and men will gather in San Francisco in October.
This is not a conference about well-known people, though you may recognize a few names and faces. It is a conference whose speakers are working hard to make the presentation of their stories and ideas memorable and important for you to hear. The TEDWomen team and I can't wait to share them with you.
Warm regards,
Pat Mitchell, Betsy Scolnik and the TED Team
*And we have a few surprises that we are not announcing today ... so watch for other names to come!
The conference is sold out now but we have decided to offer discounted registrations that include all conference activities except for guaranteed seats in the theater. These registrations provide comfortable viewing in the Simulcast Lounge where everyone gathers during breaks between sessions. Find out more at the TEDWomen website.