Enter the world of TED and the TED Fellows program

Learn all about the TED Fellows program -- in this video, hear from our inaugural class of Fellows (from TED2009) and from TED Fellows Director, Tom Rielly.

"TED Intro"

This is the most

precious...

mind opening

mind blowing experience,

I've ever had...

It's like..., one week...,

you meet...

tons of people, who are doing

amazing things, across the globe!

TED is about, bringing together...

Ahhh...

not only a variety of disciplines and approaches

to transforming the world...

It's about the diversity of people that get to come...!

All these amazing ingredients

of raw ideas are just thrown in together...

And it's going to be presented on this...

wonderful...

flavorful...

nourishing...TED.

It's been emotional,

inspiring,

curiosity driven and it's got a food for the brain.

You kinda... see the future, and pull it toward the present, you know,

but you know, that's what TED does!

(instrumental music playing)

Tom Rielly: TED, originally stood for technology,

entertainment and design.

But, since then we speak about how to...

Science, Humanities, the Arts,

NGOs and business.

First and foremost,

TED is a place, where people share ideas.

Sheila Ochugboju: They are very passionate of giving knowledge.

Taghi Amirani: It's connecting people. I think whatever you do...

I mean, the Kalibu people here are successful.

Bcoz, they have certain focus, concentration

You could be in your own bubble

And suddenly, the bubble bursts and expands to all these other areas, and

see parallels, even though you might be from a different discipline.

Tom Rielly: What's cool about TED is

as you see an unfolding sequence of these people

one after the other

the connections between them start to become apparent.

Taghi Amirani: It's incredible to spot a parallel theme,

that matches with what I am doing.

Even talking about things, spreading ideas

Ideas worth spreading, is not a bad slogan to have

Tom Rielly: We have a new international fellows program

that we call TED Fellows, that brings together

extraordinary individuals from around the world

to participate in the TED community, both by different conferences and...

being part of an on-going social network.

Sheila Ochugboju: The Fellows program allows

a kind of, a seedling process

to go on and cultivate

and sustains the kind of passion.

Bcoz, there was something about TED, being a place where already brilliant people

met other already brilliant people, too!

Yeah!

And, and, if you are NO already brilliant people, then there was no process whereby

you could be nurtured, mentored and grow along with the group.

Tom Rielly: The TED fellows program is focusing on

attracting candidates from five parts of the World.

Asia Pacific

Africa

Caribbean

Latin America

and the Middle East, all the people from Rest of The World are also welcome to apply!

We are also searching for candidates who are 21-40 years old.

or anyone 18 years and older...

is also welcome to apply.

We are looking for Makers and Doers...

not just Talkers or not just people that are having amazing potential.

We wanna see someone who has already something extraordinary.

And then we see a trajectory for them to increase the effectiveness

of whatever they are... studying or pursuing...

Yatin Sethi: At TED, I believe, they are showing us the opportunities.

And, I could take that learning back

and show others what opportunities do exist.

So that they can move forward.

Tom Rielly: There is the incredible community of people, who

genuinely want to see these Fellows thrive.

So, whether they are wealthy, or incredibly accomplished...

or whether they want to mentor or coach....

This community is coming together around the TED Fellows that are volunteering to help.

Juliana Machado Ferreira: The Fellows program was funded by people...

who didn't need to care about Earth!

They just could have come to TED and enjoy with all the wonderful people.

They didn't need to care.

You know, they are just, took their attention...

They said, they are worth something...

maybe we should listen to them!

And, set up this wonderful program!

And, we are here... and, they are thanking us for being here!

Tom Rielly: One of the most powerful ways, in which we can help the

TED Fellows is, offering them the platform of TED.com,

in-addition to putting up, a directory of their profiles, and

letting them blog... in a continuous narrative on the

TED Fellows blog.

We also offer them the opportunity to speak at TED,

record what they say,

and then put it up on TED.com

where they will reach an audience much larger than they ever reached before.

Kyra Gaunt: I am in Love with TED Talks.

I mean like, I try to watch, one a week.

And I use them in my anthropology courses all the time.

I have never seen something that is so.... palpable to students

that make them feel connected to the world, beyond

the classroom, so readily!

Esther Chae: I really want to be as present and engaged as possible

as I can as just a student of life year.

I won't need mentors or teachers like these.

all in one well.

Tom Rielly: In a nutshell, TED is four days

intellectual...,

stimulation...,

creativity...,

conversations.

They are some of the best Talks, you have

ever seen in your life, that literally

leave your brain ready to explode

with all the new creative connections that inspired you to get back to your own world with..

great new ideas...,

great new creativity...

and a new sense of optimism and hope about the world.

It's like what Einstein has said, when you think differently, you know different things happen

You need a different way of thinking, if you want the world to Change!

And, it actually is as powerful as that!

"TED Intro"