TEDWomen 2017 Conference Opens in New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 1, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- TED, the nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading, opens its TEDWomen 2017 conference today at the Orpheum Theater in New Orleans. Themed "Bridges," the event will feature a live program of more than 40 speakers and performers over three days. TED will broadcast the TED Talks in real time to more than 200 simultaneous TEDxWomen events held in more than 60 countries in 160 cities around the world.

TEDWomen is produced in association with Pat Mitchell, the editorial director and co-host of TEDWomen, and will feature sessions curated and hosted by members of the TED community, including TED editorial director Kelly Stoetzel, Alaa Murabit, Jacqueline Novogratz, Jean Oelwang, Jess Search and Chris Waddell. All performers at this year's event have roots or associations with New Orleans.

"Today's deep divides and rising global challenges call for ideas from around the world that can help build bridges," said Mitchell. "It's never been more important to sit up and pay attention to ideas like the ones our diverse speaker lineup will present from the worlds of entrepreneurship, innovation, science, art, activism, business, civil society and more."

The TEDWomen 2017 experience will extend well beyond the audience in New Orleans through the TEDx program, which allows communities worldwide to produce independently organized TED events. Talks delivered in New Orleans will be streamed live to several thousand people watching around the globe at more than 200 independently organized TEDxWomen events in 160 cities in more than 60 countries. Events include:

• TEDxNakaseroWomen (Kampala, Uganda)
• TEDxSaoPauloWomen (Sao Paolo, Brazil)
• TEDxCairoWomen (Cairo, Egypt)
• TEDxPrishtinaWomen (Prishtina, Kosovo)
• TEDxSuzhouWomen (Suzhou, China)
• TEDxLytteltonWomen (Centurion, South Africa)
• TEDxDeiraWomen (Dubai, UAE)

In addition to the simulcast, these events will also host local speakers sharing ideas and stories from and about women in their own communities.

The TEDWomen 2017 program includes:

Eve Abrams – Audio documentarian
Luvvie Ajayi – Creator
Shameem Akhtar – Writer and social worker
Justin Baldoni – Actor, filmmaker and social entrepreneur
Avery Bang – Bridge builder
Robin Barnes – Singer
Germaine Bazzle – Modern jazz vocalist
Felice Belle – Poet, playwright, pop culture enthusiast
Joan Blades – Domestic peace advocate
Lera Boroditsky – Cognitive scientist
Gretchen Carlson – TV journalist, women's empowerment advocate
John Cary – Design ambassador
Leah Chase – Legendary New Orleans restaurateur
Dixon Chibanda – Psychiatrist
Deborah Cox – Recording artist and actor
Susan David – Psychologist, researcher, author
Asali DeVan Ecclesiastes – Community servant
Minda Dentler – Athlete, activist
Ples Felix – Peace activist
John Gable – Technologist, activist
Helen Gillet – Cellist
Winona Guo – Social entrepreneur, student activist
Nadine Hachach-Haram – Surgeon, entrepreneur
Judith Hill – Singer
Tara Houska – Tribal attorney and advocate
Musimbi Kanyoro – Women's rights activist
Mwende "FreeQuency" Katwiwa – Writer, youth worker, freedom fighter
Valarie Kaur – Social justice activist
Azim Khamisa – Author, peace activist
Siphumeze Khundayi – Photographer, theatre-maker and performer
Sally Kohn – Political pundit
Anjali Kumar – General counsel, author "idea acupuncturist"
Tiffany Kagure Mugo – Curator, blogger, media consultant
Jennifer Murphy – Writer, performer, private investigator
Anushka Naiknaware – Scientist
Aurora Nealand & The Royal Roses – Traditional jazz band
Teresa Njoroge – Social justice reform advocate
Jean Oelwang – Partnership and systems architect
Liz Ogbu – Designer, urbanist, social change agent
Sunni Patterson – Poet
Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya – Designer, STEM advocate
The Pinettes Brass Band – Brass band
The Preservation All-Stars – Traditional jazz band
Nancy Rabalais – Marine scientist, educator
Shake 'Em Up Jazz Band – All-star jazz band
Steph Speirs – Solar entrepreneur
Lindsay Stradley – Urban poverty activist
Wendy Suzuki – Neuroscientist and author
Hank Willis Thomas – Artist
Christy Turlington Burns – Advocate, social entrepreneur
Deanna Van Buren – Activist, architect, artist
Priya Vulchi – Social entrepreneur, student activist
Chris Waddell – Speaker, writer, advocate, adventurer
Cleo Wade – Artist, speaker, poet
Clemantine Wamariya – Storyteller and human rights advocate
Mari Watanabe – Jazz pianist
Isabel Wilkerson – Journalist and author
Deborah Willis – Curator and photographer

The full program can be found here: https://tedglobal2017.ted.com/program.

A number of brands and organizations have partnered with TEDWomen 2017 to share ideas and foster an atmosphere of innovation.  This year's partners include: The Boston Consulting Group, Brightline Initiative, Bumble Bizz, IBM, Logitech, Westpac Group, BNY Mellon, Environmental Working Group, The Harnisch Foundation, Louisiana Economic Development, Google's Made with Code and Snap Inc., Morgan Stanley and P&G.

Live blog coverage of the conference will be updated throughout each day at blog.ted.com. The detailed TEDWomen 2017 program and more information can be found online here: https://tedwomen2017.ted.com/program. The event hashtag is #TEDWomen.

About TED
TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading, usually in the form of short, powerful talks delivered by today's leading thinkers and doers. Many of these talks are given at TED's annual gathering in Vancouver, Canada, its TEDWomen and TEDGlobal conferences, and at thousands of independently organized TEDx events around the world, then made available, free, on TED.com and other channels.

TED's open and free initiatives for spreading ideas include TED.com, where new TED Talk videos are posted daily; TEDx, which provides licenses to thousands of individuals and groups who host local, self-organized TED-style events around the world; the TED Fellows program, which selects innovators from around the globe to amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities; The Open Translation Project, which provides subtitles and interactive transcripts as well as translations from thousands of volunteers worldwide; the educational initiative TED-Ed; and the annual million-dollar TED Prize, which funds exceptional individuals with a "wish," or idea, to create change in the world.

Follow TED on Twitter at http://twitter.com/TEDTalks, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TED, on Instagram at https://instagram.com/ted and on Snapchat at tedtalkshq.

About Pat Mitchell
Pat Mitchell has had an award-winning, groundbreaking career as a producer, journalist and media executive committed to optimizing the power of media to further empower women. Mitchell's work has garnered 37 Emmy Awards, five Peabodys, and two Academy Award nominations. In 2000, she became the first woman President and CEO of PBS. She most recently headed the Paley Center for Media in New York and Los Angeles. Mitchell has served as editorial director and host of TEDWomen since its first event in 2010.

SOURCE TED

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