More than three dozen researchers, artists, executives and politicians tackled issues ranging from AI ethics to menopause before an equally influential audience at the Woodruff Arts Center. But last week’s TEDWomen Conference didn’t just elevate pressing issues, it thrust Atlanta up on the world’s stage.
Around 1,200 people descended on the Midtown complex over three days, the first time the conference was held in Atlanta. People came from at least 49 countries for the event that is not necessarily about women’s issues, but about highlighting female experts across industries.
Attendees filled Atlanta Symphony Hall, from the floor seats all the way to the balcony. Some sessions were even held in the Museum of Design Atlanta, across the street from the High Museum.
About half of all the attendees were senior leaders in their organizations, and the vast majority of people who came were not from Georgia. Pat Mitchell, co-founder and editorial director of TEDWomen, has lived off and on in Atlanta since the 1970s. She said it was fabulous to be able to bring so many people to the city, many of whom told her they always wanted to visit Atlanta.
“Many also said that for the first time they felt the conference was in a place that felt inclusive,” Mitchell said. “And I love that because that’s what Atlanta means to me too. It’s an inclusive city.”
TED, which stands for technology, entertainment and design, is a global family of conferences and educational content. TEDWomen is one of its flagship conferences and started in 2010. It was created at a time when most of the speakers at the TED conferences were men, in order to give a platform to women.
Unlike the main TED conference, which has been held in Vancouver, Canada, since 2014, TEDWomen has rotated around the country. To deepen its impact, TEDWomen chose Atlanta as its first multi-year host city and will continue to hold the conference at Woodruff through 2025.
“Our history as a transportation crossroads and a cradle for civil rights makes metro Atlanta a natural setting to come together over new ideas and challenging conversations,” Abby Turano, spokesperson for the Metro Atlanta Chamber, said in an email. “We are a prime destination for national events like TEDWomen, and the marketing value of hosting them is immense, solidifying Atlanta as a top-tier global region.”
The conference organizers also gave away dozens of tickets to students from local HBCUs, like Jasmine Forbes, a junior at Spelman College.
“I’ve just been smiling the whole time I’ve been here,” Forbes said.
The talks and performances were split among five sessions, each with a different theme. The style of the talks all varied — the first night of the conference, the head of TED gave away $1,000 to an attendee during his talk — and the topics were wide-ranging, from generosity to AI ethics, from menopause to hair sculpting.
Credit: Mirtha Donastorg
Credit: Mirtha Donastorg
The former first lady of Chile spoke about reforming the role and then resigning though her partner is still president. A Ukrainian human rights lawyer whose organization won the Nobel Peace Prize last year gave a talk on rethinking how the international community prosecutes war crimes. A firefly researcher from Malaysia discussed the wonder and importance of the insects, and the threat of climate change on their existence. The gemstones on her outfit flickered under the stage lights like the insects she studies.
But the thread that ran through all the speakers was that they were ordinary people doing extraordinary things, and everyone else can, too. They highlighted that hard moments reveal the best of ourselves.
There was also a strong Georgia presence at the conference, at least on the stage. Two of the three hosts of the conference, Mitchell and Maya Penn, are from Georgia. Local speakers included Mayor Andre Dickens; Tracie Revis, director of advocacy for the Ocmulgee National Park and Preserve Initiative; U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath (who appeared via video conference from Washington, D.C.); Paige Alexander, CEO of The Carter Center; and Jay Bailey, president and CEO of the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs.
Atlanta-based writer Charles Blow advocated for a reverse migration of young Black Americans to the South.
Credit: Gilberto Tadday / TED
Credit: Gilberto Tadday / TED
Atlanta area businesses Delta Air Lines, Coca-Cola and UPS were sponsors. Local feminist bookstore Charis Books ran the in-conference bookstore, and Just Add Honey, a Black-owned tea shop on the Beltline, provided hot beverages. TEDWomen also organized field trips to museums and memorials around Atlanta and in the evenings, the conference held dinners, exposing attendees to the city’s culinary scene.
TEDWomen also included a few fireside chats with notable women, like director Ava DuVernay, actress Glenn Close and Chief Diversity Officer of Google Melonie Parker. DuVernay discussed her new film “Origin” which was based on the book “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents.” She said she wanted every 16-year-old in the country to be able to see it for free.
But going to TEDWomen took more than just buying a ticket. Attendees needed to first fill out an application and if approved, then purchase a TED membership, which gave them access to the three-day conference as well as the video archives. The standard membership cost $2,800, though some tickets were available at a slightly discounted $2,200.
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