About me
Tom Rielly
TED Conferences Partnership Director & Humorist
Currently, Rielly is Partnership Director at TED Conferences. He is responsible for sponsorships, gifts and marketing. Reach him at tom[at]ted[dot]com.
Tom Rielly is best known as the Founder and former CE ... More »
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Location:
United States, New York, NY -
Current organization:
TED -
Current role:
Partnership Director, Founder, CEO, Chairman, EVP, CEO, Sales and Marketing Directors -
Past organizations:
PlanetOut, Acronym Media, SuperMac/Radius/Farallon/Voyager, Griot Digital -
Gender:
Male -
Areas of expertise:
entrepreneurship, Marketing, sales, Business Development, comedy , Humor, satire , producing , non-profits , gay and lesbian issues
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I am:
Filmmaker, Gay, Global soul, Performer, Philanthropist, Photographer, Producer, Single -
Associations:
TED Community -
Languages:
English, French -
My website links:
TED Conferences, PlanetOut Inc., Just in Tom: Personal Site -
Universities:
Georgetown University, Yale University, La Sorbonne -
TED Conferences Attended:
TED2010, TEDIndia 2009, TEDGlobal 2009, TED2009, TED2008, TEDGlobal 2007, TED2007, TED2006, TEDGlobal 2005, TED2005, TED2004
Comments
TEDCred score: 0
TEDCred gives you a total score on all your comments on TED.com.
A comment on Blog: William Kamkwamba in the Wall Street Journal
William is 20 and has been out of school for five years. Our group of private individuals is following his wishes as outlined in his presentation. His first priority is to finish his secondary school education. We are helping him do that. His second priority is to build a larger windmill to pump water to irrigate his farm so that his family can grow more food. We are helping him do that, too.
The WSJ slightly mischaracterized things in that we did not rewire his home; he and his helpers did that, showing the very entrepreneurial spirit you think is a good idea. We have indeed provided low cost components to upgrade his windmill, such as a treadmill motor which allowed him to quadruple the power output of his windmill. We didn't "shower him with gadgets" as much as provide tools for him to achieve his entrepreneurial goals for himself and his family.
A mobile phone and a computer are essential tools to build skills he needs to succeed in life. They also permit him to attend school away from his parents and still stay in close touch with his family. Also, his windmill and solar power generate 100% clean energy, so it doesn't really matter that the devices consume energy, as he is making it without causing any pollution.
Finally, Willam's stated goal after school and college is to start a company to bring power to other rural Malawians. Rest assured, a more entrepreneurial spirit we have seldom encountered.
A comment on Talk: Tom Rielly delivers a comic send-up of TED2006
A comment on Talk: Jill Sobule sings to Al Gore