Program Overview

We’ve converted a weeklong, in-person conference into an eight-week virtual extravaganza, all held in the company of your fellow TEDsters.

Weekly schedule

Mon, Tues, Wed

12pm ET (4pm GMT)

A series of 45-minute live interviews, talks and debates on the theme, BUILD BACK BETTER. Help shape the real-time conversation with your questions and comments.

Thursday

8pm ET (12am GMT)

A longer MAINSTAGE TED session packed with unexpected moments, performances, TED Fellows and visual treats as well as a core of provocative talks and interviews.

Friday

11am-5pm ET (3-9pm GMT)

An all-day a la carte Community Day where we’ll offer a beautiful array of choices including Discovery Sessions, speaker meetups and more...

Discovery Sessions

Some of the deep dive Discovery Sessions you can expect to sign up for:

Reimagining the future

with author, academic and futurist, Juan Enriquez

Interdependence, a key to human experience

with business leader Lorna Davis

How contagion spreads and why it stops

with infectious disease scientist, Adam Kucharski

Awaken your inner musician

with community organizer, Michelle Moghtader and multi-instrumentalist, Jeremy Thal

Understanding mother trees

with ecologist, Suzanne Simard

Indoor recess and Restorative play

with improv master, Anthony Veneziale

How to cut carbon and get happier

with happiness researcher, Elizabeth Dunn and environmental sustainability researcher, Jiaying Zhao

Monthly climate conversations

with political strategist, Tom Rivett-Carnac and social entrepreneur, Lindsay Levin

Psychedelics for mental health

with psychedelics researcher, Rick Doblin

Make your own bitters

with bartenders extraordinaire, Lauren Mote and Jonathan Chovancek

Expression in color and form

with artist, Melissa Mahoney

Antarctica, the unprecedented frontier

with polar explorer, Ben Saunders

Emotional intelligence: Overrated or underrated

with organizational psychologist, Adam Grant

Make your own bitters

with bartenders extraordinaire, Lauren Mote and Jonathan Chovancek

The TED Puzzle Club

with TED's own puzzle master, Alex Rosenthal

Monthly journaling practice

with software developer, Erine Gray

Applied empathy

with author, Michael Ventura

How to communicate effectively in a time of crisis

with TED speaker coach, Briar Goldberg

The design of human connection

with Creativity Catalyst Keith Yamashita

Design studio

with humanitarian design activist and author Emily Pilloton

And more...

Special program for the young people in your life

TED2020 members receive special access to the TED-Ed Student Talks program which helps students all over the world discover, develop and share their ideas in the form of TED-style talks. Kids and grandkids (ages 8‑18) of TEDsters can participate in a series of interactive sessions led by the TED-Ed team and culminating in the delivery of each participant's very own big idea.