Techno-sociologist Zeynep Tufekci asks big questions about our societies and our lives, as both algorithms and digital connectivity spread.

Anindya Kundu suggests all students can succeed if provided collective support systems and opportunities.

Global scholar, University of Pennsylvania civil rights sociologist and law professor Dorothy Roberts exposes the myths of race-­based medicine.

David R. Williams asks: What if we decided to tackle the striking levels of early death and poor health that are due to the color of one's skin?

Alice Goffman’s fieldwork in a struggling Philadelphia neighborhood sheds harsh light on a justice system that creates suspects rather than citizens.

Liene Ozoliņa teaches sociology and researches post-socialist politics and culture.

The author of "Angry White Men," Michael Kimmel is a pre-eminent scholar of men and masculinity.

Sam Richards is a sociologist and teacher of the largest race relations course in the US. He argues that empathy is the core of sociology.

BCG's Sylvain Duranton thinks that only human input can save us from a high-tech bureaucracy.

Anna Malaika Tubbs is a multidisciplinary expert on current and historical understandings of race, gender and equity.

Danielle Allen is an expert on the intersection of ethics and democracy.

Michèle Lamont studies group boundaries to understand how we can all do better at all our relationships.

Chetan Bhatt teaches and writes about the numerous dangers human rights face today from resurgent Far Right movements.

Victor Rios seeks to uncover how to best support the lives of young people who experience poverty, stigma and social exclusion.

Kevin Bales is the co-founder of Free the Slaves, whose mission is to end all forms of human slavery within the next 25 years. He's the author of "Ending Slavery: How We Free Today's Slaves."

Ayah Bdeir is an engineer and artist, and is the founder of littleBits and karaj, an experimental art, architecture and technology lab in Beirut.

Roman Krznaric writes about the power of ideas to change society.

Sociologist and philosopher Renata Salecl scrutinizes our individual and societal neuroses, and suggests ways out of our current paralysis.

Christine Carter teaches high-achievers how to craft sustainable lives as leaders.

Noreena Hertz looks at global culture -- financial and otherwise -- using an approach that combines traditional economic analysis with foreign policy trends, psychology, behavioural economics, anthropology, history and sociology.

As a direct descendant of Chief Redheart in the Nez Perce Tribe of Idaho, Tai Simpson takes great pride in serving her community as an organizer, activist and advocate.

Robb Willer's political research has investigated various topics, including economic inequality, racial prejudice, masculine overcompensation and Americans' views of climate change.

Reuben Jonathan Miller is a sociologist, criminologist and social worker whose work centers on race, democracy and the social life of the city.

Whether speaking to barbers about early literacy, entertaining strangers at comedy clubs, or reading to kindergarteners at a local school, TED Resident Alvin Irby endeavors to make learning relevant and engaging.

Amanda Gorman made history at the presidential inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, becoming the US’s youngest inaugural poet.

Darrick Hamilton crafts and implements innovative routes and policies that break down social hierarchy and move society towards greater equity, inclusion and civic participation.

Kristalina Georgieva has helped shape the agenda of the European Union.

Tanya Menon speaks, writes and consults on collaboration. Her research focuses on how people think about their relationships and the habits that allow them to build positive connections with other people.

Enthnographer + qualitative researcher

Ethnomusicologist