Tampa Bay In Global TEDx Talks, Poynter Institute

Thought leaders from around the world will gather in Germany on April 5, 2012, to take a step back and look at the Big Picture. And Tampa Bay is invited to participate. 

Ted.com's Tedx Change will host the global discussion called The Big Picture from Berlin, which will feature an international panel of speakers addressing global issues such as environmental planning, healthcare, family planning, nutrition and human trafficking. TEDxTampaBayChange will stream the webcast from The Poynter Institute at 801 3rd St. S. at 10 a.m., with lunch and a panel discussion that will conclude at 4 p.m. 

Berlin panelists include philanthropist Melinda Gates, green industrialist Sven Giegold, environmental designer Jeff Chapin and Tedx's Chris Anderson. The Tampa Bay panel includes Cesar Hernandez, CEO and founder of the Seraph Foundation; Blane Friest, whole food activist; Dr. Bruce Ramshaw, founder of the Transformative Care Institute; and Erik Proulx, documentary filmmaker. 

Gina Clifford, a Ted.com licensee and organizer of the Poynter event, says Tampa is the perfect site to discuss world change, particularly economic change. "The way Tampa is fostering an entrepreneurial spirit in spite of one of the highest unemployment rates in the country makes it the perfect place to host a global discussion about world change. We have a lot to offer the debate. My thought process was to have some local people and some outside people with ideas that were relevant to this area."

Clifford, who also hosts a monthly salon in Ybor City, says her initial interest in Ted.com got her interested in becoming involved as a licensee for the Tampa Bay region. "I’ve been a TED fan for many, many years. I signed up on the website for their free membership and then I received an email that TED was offering licenses and I applied and was successful. From there I went out and built a team who was inspired to share big ideas throughout the community. I don't do it alone. I have a great team who help."

Tickets to the event at Poynter are available online. A $25 cash donation is requested at the door. 

Writer: Missy Kavanaugh
Source: Gina Clifford, Ted.com