It’s time to wake up to the fact that the current state of work isn’t working. The future of work won’t be better if we don’t do things differently. But how do we shift the way we work? Social entrepreneur, Joe Mechlinski, believes that by humanizing the workplace, we can change the way we work and live. The reality is that the future of work begins with you. In this mesmerizing talk, Joe will inspire you to think differently about the future of work, take back your power, and embrace your role in shaping a workplace that works for you. Joe Mechlinski, Founder and CEO of SHIFT and New York Times bestselling author, wants to change the way we work to transform the way we live. At SHIFT, a tech-enabled management consulting firm nationally recognized as a ‘Best Workplace,’ Joe helps leaders build healthy and high-performing organizations by disrupting outdated norms, building engaged teams, and using technology to unlock human potential. Passionate about equity in the workplace, Joe is a partner at Conscious Venture Partners: a group that invests in minority and female-founded businesses. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

The American election system is complicated, to say the least -- but voting is one of the most tangible ways that each of us can shape our communities. How can we rebuild public trust in the American election system and move toward a more transparent, accountable and inclusive democracy? Former Chairman of the Federal Election Commission and current President of the nonpartisan organization Campaign Legal Center Trevor Potter and journalist Jane Mayer share a frank conversation about what’s needed to advance democracy and fight for every American’s right to participate in the democratic process. Trevor Potter is one of the nation's best-known and most experienced campaign and election lawyers. He is the President of the Campaign Legal Center, a former Commissioner and Chairman of the Federal Election Commission, and counsel to several Presidential campaigns. The American Bar Association Journal has described Trevor Potter as “hands-down one of the top lawyers in the country on the delicate intersection of politics, law and money.” During the 2020 election season, Trevor was named to the cross-partisan National Task Force on Election Crises. He is a member of the DC Bar and the U.S. Supreme Court Bar. Jane Mayer is the chief Washington correspondent for The New Yorker, where she covers politics, culture, and national security. Previously, she worked at the The Wall Street Journal where she covered the bombing of the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, the Gulf War, and the fall of the Berlin Wall. In 1984, she became that paper’s first female White House correspondent. Jane is the author of four best-selling books including “Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right,” which in 2016 the Times named as one of the ten best books of the year. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

While others are looking up, Chelsea Ritter-Soronen is looking down. For Chelsea, the pavement beneath our feet is the most underrated canvases in the world. In this delightful and charming talk, Chelsea explores the unknown history of pavement art as a vehicle for placemaking and protest. You will learn about the various types of pavement art: chalk art and painted, and then in the form of memorial, beautification, protest, expression, campaigning, community connections and education. Chelsea will help you become inspired by the very ground you walk, drive, bike and roll on, and understand its full potential to connect our communities and world. Chelsea Ritter-Soronen is a multi-disciplinary visual artist living and working in Washington, D.C. When not creating large scale murals, Chelsea Ritter-Soronen stays busy with Chalk Riot, her pavement art business that specializes in chalked street art and semipermanent ground murals. Formally trained by scenic artists and informally trained by graffiti artists, Chelsea's murals often combine trompe l'oeil elements with modern playful twists. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

Team USA Rugby player Ilona Maher shares the highs and lows of competing in the Olympics, and how she used the social media app TikTok to document her journey by giving the world a behind the scenes look at life in the Olympic Village. Ilona Maher is a Professional Rugby Player who recently represented the USA at the Tokyo Olympics. While there, she shared her journey on Tik Tok and became a viral sensation through her witty commentary and insightful view into the Olympic Village. Originally from Burlington, Vermont, Ilona received her Bachelors of Nursing from Quinnipiac University. Two weeks after graduating, she decided to pursue her Olympic dream and focus solely on rugby. She has become very open about her struggles with mental health after the Olympic Games and is a champion for Women’s Empowerment. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

NOTE FROM TED: TEDx events are independently organized by volunteers. The guidelines we give TEDx organizers are described in more detail here: http://storage.ted.com/tedx/manuals/tedx_content_guidelines.pdf How do you transport people during the pandemic from their home to the beaches of Bora Bora or to a rainy evening in Seattle so that they feel the peace and joy of a vacation? And how, in doing so, do business founders create multi-million-dollar global brands? The answer lies with Mei’s story on applying design thinking to everyday mundane products. Her theory is that the most ordinary products people use cannot deliver the perfect solution unless more innovation and passion driven businesses make them more desirable and enjoyable, while providing better sustainability, local jobs, and more thoughtful consumption! As the new consumers look for transparency, transformative experiences and meaning social connections, this is a moment to explore such opportunities! Mei Xu is a Chinese American entrepreneur. The founder and CEO of three global companies, Yes She May, BlissLiving Home® and Chesapeake Bay Candle®. Xu successfully negotiated the sale of Chesapeake Bay Candle to Newell Brands in 2017, a conglomerate with a $14 billion portfolio of consumer goods. Mei is now focused on helping women-owned consumer product companies grow and prosper with the Yes She May product platform. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

In recent years, the United States has witnessed a significant rise of domestic extremist political movements, seen most clearly in the uptick in violent attacks from supporters. At the heart of this growing political polarization and mainstreaming of extremist beliefs is the internet. Jared Holt has spent countless hours in some of the darkest places on the internet, exploring the scope and nature of domestic extremism in order to help develop long-term strategies to respond to and counteract its resulting violence. In his research, he has critically examined how the design of social media platforms has fueled the rise in domestic extremism. In this powerful talk, he shares his ideas on how we can combat extremism’s threat to our democracy. Jared Holt is a senior research manager at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, where he researches domestic extremist movements in the United States and their usage of the internet. His work carries a reputation for its aggressive lines of inquiry and its ability to innovate in the field of extremism reporting and research. Jared is one of the nation's most visible experts on modern domestic extremism, frequently speaking to national broadcast media and journalists about his work. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

What do healthcare and policing have in common? For communities of color, the answer is a lot, especially as it relates to inequality. By looking at the parallels, these systems can learn solutions to advance equity from each other and inform the fight for institutional equity and social justice across the board. In this inspiring talk, Dr. Melissa Clarke invites us to expand our thinking to consider that intersectional solutions exist to racial inequity. Dr. Melissa Clarke is a Harvard educated Emergency Medicine physician, with over 30 years of healthcare experience. She has been on the frontlines in addressing health disparities, health literacy and improving the way doctors and patients work together. Dr. Clarke is passionate about health equity for communities of color and empowering individuals to be their best health advocates. Her book, “Excuse Me, Doctor. I’ve got WHAT?!” is a roadmap for how to be a smart healthcare consumer. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

There is a problem with climate crisis messaging––to the extent it is getting through at all, it is driving too many to despair, apathy, or polarization. By radically reframing our climate conversations around three simple principles, we can help people recognize their personal stake to the changing world around them, inspiring greater and more immediate connection to the issue and the collective buy-in for the rapid action society must take while we still can. After all, climate change is personal. Solving climate change’s many threats isn’t about “saving the Earth,” it’s about saving us and our place within nature before it’s too late. In this inspiring talk, Will Hackman shows us how we can take action, change beliefs, regain our optimism for a hopeful future, and see our own personal role in the changing world around us while inspiring new conversations and ways of looking at climate solutions. Will Hackman is a conservation and climate policy expert with more than a decade of global environmental issue advocacy. Will first developed a love for the ocean working as a commercial Alaskan fisherman, and since has dedicated his career to advancing public policies related to ocean and public land conservation as well as clean energy and the environment. He has attended four United Nations climate conferences and is a frequent climate policy expert voice online and in the media. Will is working on a book about radically reframing the climate conversation. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

Two weeks before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, Dawn Laguens laid the foundation for how to rebuild the movement for reproductive rights in a post-Roe world. Since losing the constitutional right to abortion on June 24, 2022, the U.S. is reckoning with devastating fallout from government overreach into our private lives, and the fight for reproductive freedom has been irrevocably redefined. In this hopeful presentation, Dawn describes what the new fight for reproductive rights might look like, explains why we have to be truly transformative in our approach, and inspires us to engage in three strategies used successfully by reproductive freedom fighters in surprising places like Kenya, Peru and Burkina Faso. While our fights may not be exactly the same, our goals—such as securing rights like gender equity, agency, and access to necessary health care—are universal. Dawn Laguens is the Chief of Global Strategy and Innovation for Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Planned Parenthood Global, and Planned Parenthood Action Fund and is changing the way cultures view sex, health and equality in the U.S. and around the world. A social impact strategist, award- winning writer and director, mother of triplets, and passionate advocate for people’s sexual and reproductive health and rights, Dawn has dedicated her life’s work to fighting for access to care for millions of patients and advance reproductive rights and freedoms for all people. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx