About Us

TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to 'ideas worth spreading'. Originally a 4-day conference on Technology, Entertainment, and Design, it is now a global stage for the world’s leading thinkers and doers to curate an environment of sharing and ignite curiosity. TEDx events are independent, local, and licensed conferences. These local events have become a truly international phenomenon, taking place in more than 130 countries.

Founded in 2011, TEDxUW is the University of Waterloo's official TEDx experience. We aim to put the extended UW community onto a new type of global activity map that is being watched, shared, and talked about by the world's top thought leaders. With many of our Talks published on TED.com, YouTube, and other websites, TEDxUW continually triggers innovation in all corners of the globe beyond our conference date.

TEDxUW 2017 will be a milestone year for TEDxUW as we escalate our audience from 100 to 700 delegates for the first time ever. This falls in line with our theme, DEFYING CONVENTIONS, where we look to explore how individuals across different industries and walks of life are creating throught provoking ideologies that is changing how we approach traditional knowledge and common concepts.