TED@WellsFargo
We face complex challenges every day — in our personal lives, our communities, our businesses and our world. To ignite progress and unearth solutions, we need feats of human collaboration. On February 5, 2020, 13 Wells Fargo team members took to the TED stage at the Knight Theater in Charlotte, North Carolina to share their ideas worth spreading. Our first TED@WellsFargo event showcased how human empathy and problem-solving, combined with technology, can transform lives (and banking) for the better. Together, with diverse perspectives, passionate teamwork and innovative thinking, we can push the boundaries of what's possible. Learn more about the TED Institute.
We’re constantly planning ahead but generally focused on just one outcome: the one we want most to be true. John Puthenveetil says we’d be better off imagining multiple scenarios -- and offers convincing examples from recent history to demonstrate why.
Anybody can help resolve a conflict, says project manager Dorothy Walker. With three simple steps, she shares how you can use positive energy to solve conflicts between friends, coworkers, strangers, kids and beyond.
Too often, American businesses write off older workers as non-digital relics. What would happen if we embraced their experience and teamed them up with colleagues of other ages and backgrounds? Jeanne Goldie says we might be surprised at the problems they could solve -- and the innovation that could result.
In this imaginative talk, Aeris Nguyen wonders what our future could look like if we verified our identities using DNA -- and examines the risks such a system would pose.
"Complete silence is very addictive," says Rebecca Knill, a writer who has cochlear implants that enable her to hear. In this funny, insightful talk, she explores the evolution of assistive listening technology, the outdated way people still respond to deafness and how we can shift our cultural understanding of ability to build a more inclusive world. "Technology has come so far," Knill says. "Our mindset just needs to catch up."
In much of the world, gender is viewed as binary: man or woman, each assigned characteristics and traits designated by biological sex. But that's not the case everywhere, says France Villarta. In a talk that's part cultural love letter, part history lesson, he details the legacy of gender fluidity and inclusivity in his native Philippines -- and emphasizes the universal beauty of all people, regardless of society's labels.
The world is more connected than ever, but some communities are still cut off from vital resources like electricity and health care. In this solution-oriented talk, tech activist Johanna Figueira discusses her work with Code for Venezuela -- a platform that helps Venezuelans gain access to vital information and medical supplies -- and shares ideas for how it could be used as a model to help other communities in need.
Recounting her story of finding opportunity and stability in the US, Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez examines the flaws in narratives that simplify and idealize the immigrant experience -- and shares hard-earned wisdom on the best way to help those around us. "Our world is one that flourishes when different voices come together," she says.
By some estimates, work-related stress drains the US economy of nearly 300 billion dollars a year -- and it can hurt your productivity and personal health too, says wellness advocate Rob Cooke. He shares some strategies to help put your mental, physical and emotional well-being back at the forefront.
When you stop comparing yourself to others, you can accomplish great things, says wheelchair athlete Dean Furness. He shares how, after losing the use of his legs in an accident, he discovered a powerful new mindset focused on redefining his "personal average" and getting better little by little.
Veterans in the United States take their own lives at an alarming rate. Suggesting new ways to prioritize mental health in the military, veterans advocate Charles P. Smith offers a data-driven plan to help prevent suicide and ensure service members get proper care before, during and after active duty.
No matter your industry, you've experienced drama at work. In this funny and all-too-relatable talk, community leader Anastasia Penright outlines five steps you can follow to better coexist with your coworkers and focus on what's really important.
How can we disagree with one another, respectfully and productively? In this thoughtful talk, team builder Matt Trombley reflects on "agonism" -- the tendency to take a rigid stance on issues -- and shares why finding aspects of agreement can be the first step in resolving conflict. "When you can find even the smallest bit of common ground with somebody, it allows you to understand the beautiful wonder and complexity and majesty of the other person," he says.
Dancer Simone Cooper wows the TED@WellsFargo audience with the soaring beauty of contemporary dance, in a piece she choreographed herself.
Jason Jet and his band take the TED@WellsFargo audience on a trip to the funky ’70s with his original song “Time Machine.” (Bell bottoms and macramé belt optional.)