TEDxChicago

TEDxChicago In the spirit of "Ideas worth spreading", TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bri

05/12/2026

She grew up farming in Iowa. Now she's helping smallholder farmers around the world use AI to feed communities and build resilience.

Alesha Miller spent eight years at the Gates Foundation and now leads strategy at , scaling an AI-powered farm advisor called Farmer Chat to some of the most food-insecure communities on the planet.

Her roots and her mission are the same story. Watch it on TED's YouTube now. Link in bio.

05/07/2026

She negotiates billion-dollar deals for a living. She also flies planes.

Since 2003, Alla Adam has been future-proofing humans across the globe, helping generate over $12 billion in venture capital for startups worldwide. She’s a Harvard Law and Yale-certified negotiator, a published author, a mentor, and yes, a licensed pilot.

Her TEDxChicago talk is a masterclass in what it actually means to be ready for what's next.
Streaming now on TED's YouTube.

Link in bio.

04/17/2026

Chicago gave the world house music. DJ Lady D () made sure the gift never stopped arriving.

An international DJ, producer, and recording artist, Darlene Jackson has toured five continents, earned a master’s degree from Northwestern, and serves as a Chicago Chapter Governor for the Recording Academy.

She’s not just a keeper of the sound. She’s one of its architects.

Watch her TEDxChicago Global Idea Search talk, streaming now on TED’s YouTube. Link in bio.

04/14/2026

Chicago didn’t just birth house music. It gave the world a movement.

DJ Lady D (Darlene Jackson ✨ DJ Lady D) speaks to the sound, the culture, and the responsibility of carrying it forward.

Hear more in her full TEDxChicago Global Idea Search talk on TED’s YouTube. Link in bio.

She disrupted two industries with T***Y and THINX. Her next target is the entire planet 🌎 Miki Agrawal’s (Miki Agrawal |...
04/08/2026

She disrupted two industries with T***Y and THINX. Her next target is the entire planet 🌎

Miki Agrawal’s (Miki Agrawal | Regenerative Entrepreneur) latest venture, HIRO Technologies, uses plastic-eating fungi to break down disposable diapers, the number one household plastic waste item. Every baby goes through roughly 6,000 in their lifetime. They take 500 years to decompose. HIRO is designed to eat them.

This is what it looks like when a serial entrepreneur turns their sights on the global plastic crisis. Streaming now on TED’s YouTube. Link in bio.

04/06/2026

Disposable doesn’t mean consequence-free.

Miki Agrawal’s (Miki Agrawal | Regenerative Entrepreneur) idea is bold, weird, and exactly the kind of rethinking this moment needs.

Watch the full TEDxChicago Global Idea Search talk on TED’s YouTube. Link in bio.

What if your failures aren’t just detours, but actually help you find yourself?After facing frustration, Chris Jones red...
04/02/2026

What if your failures aren’t just detours, but actually help you find yourself?

After facing frustration, Chris Jones rediscovered himself through a simple act of returning to his true self.

Watch his full Global Idea Search talk on TED’s YouTube. Link in bio.

03/31/2026

Failure is part of his journey.

Then chrisjones (yes, one word, all lowercase ) hypnotized a germophobe into shaking hands on live national television. The rest is history.

He’s performed in all 50 states and ten countries. And his TEDxChicago talk makes the case that your failures might be the most important thing about you.

Streaming now on TED’s YouTube channel. Link in bio.

03/27/2026

“Why not?”

Joshua Johnson didn’t need a speech. Just two words.

TEDxChicago’s PR & Comms Director sat down with the TED Global Idea Search North American winner on the skill that makes democracy work.

Watch the full interview at the link in bio.

And drop your biggest takeaway in the comments!

IdeasWorthSpreading

03/27/2026

Joshua Johnson didn’t need a speech. Just two words.

TEDxChicago’s PR & Comms Director sat down with the TED Global Idea Search North American winner on the skill that makes democracy work.

Watch the full interview at the link in bio.

And drop your biggest takeaway in the comments!

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