TED Circles is an open platform of small groups that meet for conversations about ideas.
Hosted by volunteers, these weekly or monthly gatherings empower us to dream and debate. Each TED Circle is unique and all are virtually connected through the TED Circles platform - making it possible for local conversations to reach a global scale.
Host a pilot TED Circle
We are thrilled to co-create the new TED Circles initiative with the TED community. Together we will build a global movement to connect people and conversations through the power of ideas. More than 150 volunteers in over 40 countries stepped up to host TED Circles -- an incredible response that speaks to the passion and the potential of this initiative!
The pilot program (September-November 2019) will shape how the program expands in January 2020. Being a TED Circles Pilot Host is an important role because you are responsible for facilitating a productive conversation. We want to help you be a great host.
September | World of wonder
Greta ThunbergThe disarming case to act right now on climate change
Conversation starters
- Why do you think we "carry on like before" when it comes to climate change?
- How persuasive do you find Greta's argument?
- What do you think about students striking on behalf of the climate?
- What are some ways to change the rules and save the world? (Think local, then global)
Jennifer KahnGene editing can now change an entire species — forever
Conversation starters
- Are you encouraged or concerned about the impact of gene drive technology editing human nature?
- What are the benefits and risks of using the technology and of not using the technology?
- What decisions about this technology can be made at a local level versus those that require regional or global governance?
- Is there a species on which you would feel comfortable experimenting with this technology?
Barbara J. KingGrief and love in the animal kingdom
Conversation starters
- Are we anthropomorphizing animals by assigning them human-defined emotions?
- Do you believe that animals grieve? Why?
- Is it necessary/helpful to empathize with another species?
- Has this talk changed your mind about eating meat?
Stephen WebbWhere are all the aliens?
Conversation starters
- How does the idea of intelligent life beyond humans — or the idea of humans being alone in the universe — make you feel?
- What's the value of looking for alien civilizations if we're actually alone?
- If it turns out there is intelligent life on other planets, what's the first thing we should ask them?
- Do you agree with Stephen's conclusion that we're all alone? Why (not)?
October | How to be a better human
Margaret HeffernanThe human skills we need in an unpredictable world
Conversation starters
- What is your view on the priority governments, companies, organizations and people place on technology-driven efficiency?
- In what areas could the world stand become more efficient?
- How has technology affected human skills such as preparedness, coalition-building, humility, imagination, and bravery? How could technology empower human skills?
- Having considered this idea, which skills will you intentionally engage?
Maja JovanovicHow apologies kill our confidence
Conversation starters
- How often do you find yourself making unnecessary apologies? What leads you to apologize in these moments?
- If a colleague is 20 minutes late, would you rather them say, "I'm sorry for being late" or "Thank you for waiting for me?"
- Do you find this phenomenon of saying "sorry" is related to gender? In your experience, do women tend to apologize more than men?
- Additional resource: Ideas blog post
Matt WalkerSleep is your superpower
Conversation starters
- Would you be willing to have brain surgery to get the implant that amplifies deep sleep? Why or why not?
- How often do you get the recommended 7-8 hours of sleep a night?
- What keeps you from sleeping more?
- What social/technological/lifestyle changes might result if people got enough sleep?
Christer MjåsetWhy your doctor needs your help to battle over-treatment
Conversation starters
- Have you asked your doctor these questions? If not, why not? If so, what was their response?
- Do you have a relationship with your doctor that supports these conversations?
- Having considered this idea, how much more inclined are you to ask your doctor these questions?
- Additional resource: Ideas blog post
November | Justice and society
Carole CadwalladrFacebook's role in Brexit - and the threat to democracy
Conversation starters
- Is there a way to harness social media for democratic good? (Additional resource: Pia Mancini's Talk)
- How do you think social media has generally changed the global political climate?
- What is your stance on Facebook given the meddling supported by the platform's technology?
- Do you think your elected officials are capable of addressing these issues to re-establish democracy?
Bryan StevensonWe need to talk about an injustice
Conversation starters
- If justice is the opposite of poverty, what are you doing/think needs to be done to fight the injustice of poverty?
- How can you begin to solve poverty and incarceration given their disproportionate effects on marginalized communities?
- Where does courage come into play with tackling injustice?
- How can our visions of technology, entertainment, and design connect with our visions of humanity, compassion, and justice?
Benedetta BertiDid the global response to 9/11 make us safer?
Conversation starters
- Are human rights core to the political discourse in your country?
- Do you feel more or less secure than you did before 9/11, 10 years ago, last year?
- What changed for you after 9/11? Share your thoughts, experiences, perspectives, and/or patterns you’ve noticed in the wider world.
- How achievable are the suggested solutions? Do you have suggestions of what could be implemented in your own communities now?
Melanie NezerThe fundamental right to seek asylum
Conversation starters
- What parallels are there between the refugee crisis in Europe and the Mediterranean?
- What responsibility do countries have for stabilizing these regions beyond accepting asylum seekers?
- How does storytelling factor into shaping the refugee conversation?
- What do you hope is the future of the refugee crisis - politically and generally?
Suggest other themes and Talks here
Find a pilot TED Circle
More than 150 volunteers in over 40 countries stepped up to become Pilot Hosts between September and November. Here’s when and where they are happening.
- Kat HaberHomer, AK01 Sep 2019
- Alyssa HamptonNY, NY03 Sep 2019
- Suzanne CliffordIndianapolis, IN04 Sep 2019
- Suzanne CliffordIndianapolis, IN04 Sep 2019
- Victor MironCluj-Napoca08 Sep 2019
- Justin EichornWichita, KS09 Sep 2019
- Irena KomitovaSofia, Bulgaria09 Sep 2019
- Ellen MaloneyEdinburgh, Scotland09 Sep 2019
- Alyssa HamptonNY, NY09 Sep 2019
- Yusuke SuzukiTokyo, Japan10 Sep 2019
- Laura ColcordBoston, MA11 Sep 2019
- Florentina NiradewiJakarta11 Sep 2019
- Carrie SorensenNY, NY12 Sep 2019
- Jerry Almendarez & Paul LuceroBloomington, CA12 Sep 2019
- Elena CresciaSão Paulo, Brazil12 Sep 2019
- Bob VasileLancaster, PA12 Sep 2019
- Cindy AndersonMason City, IA13 Sep 2019
- Suzanne PiotrowskiRochester, NY13 Sep 2019
- Becca WilliamsColorado Springs, CO14 Sep 2019
- Alyssa HamptonOnline14 Sep 2019
- Alyssa HamptonOnline15 Sep 2019
- Carl Joshua NcubeJohannesburg15 Sep 2019
- Jimmy TanShanghai15 Sep 2019
- Elisa SantosOnline15 Sep 2019
- Elisa SantosOnline15 Sep 2019
- Alyssa HamptonOnline16 Sep 2019
- Anna AndersonLondon16 Sep 2019
- Trevor MaberSaskatoon, SK16 Sep 2019
- Karen MinvielleFayetteville, GA16 Sep 2019
- Justin EichornWichita, KS16 Sep 2019
- Melissa StanisSaratoga, CA17 Sep 2019
- Anna AndersonLondon17 Sep 2019
- Vanessa NorthDubai17 Sep 2019
- Alyssa HamptonOnline17 Sep 2019
- Travis Baird & Kelly WaltersSan Antonio, TX17 Sep 2019
- Ozay OzaydinIstanbul, Turkey18 Sep 2019
- Trevor MaberSaskatoon, SK18 Sep 2019
- Alyssa HamptonOnline18 Sep 2019
- Michael RyanAstoria, NY18 Sep 2019
- Susan PriceSan Antonio18 Sep 2019
- Caroline McCarthyBrooklyn, NY19 Sep 2019
- Tal HemoRamat-Gan19 Sep 2019
- Julie WilsonNY, NY19 Sep 2019
- Mark AndersonPrague19 Sep 2019
- Morgane QuilfenAntwerp, Belgium19 Sep 2019
- Judit MihalikBudapest19 Sep 2019
- Trevor MaberSaskatoon, SK20 Sep 2019
- Andres F. Giraldo B.Pereira20 Sep 2019
- Trevor MaberSaskatoon, SK20 Sep 2019
- Jay KlaphakeKyoto20 Sep 2019
- Vivian Lim & Kwek Jim SeeSingapore20 Sep 2019
- Belen ArroganteValencia, Spain20 Sep 2019
- Jade ZhaoShanghai21 Sep 2019
- Lisa QinSuzhou21 Sep 2019
- Carl Joshua NcubeGaborone21 Sep 2019
- Mengjia MaShanghai22 Sep 2019
- Travis Baird & Kelly WaltersSan Antonio, TX22 Sep 2019
- Fen YuanNingbo22 Sep 2019
- Jeri HammondChicago, IL22 Sep 2019
- Becca WilliamsManitou Springs, CO22 Sep 2019
- Jessica LederhausenChicago, IL23 Sep 2019
- Michael RustOshkosh, WI23 Sep 2019
- James LloydLondon, UK23 Sep 2019
- Justin EichornWichita, KS23 Sep 2019
- Sonja ToussaintNantes23 Sep 2019
- Fabien BoutardTours23 Sep 2019
- Kaushal (Ken) MajmudarSpringfield, NJ24 Sep 2019
- Anna AndersonLondon24 Sep 2019
- Bob VasileLancaster, PA24 Sep 2019
- Van NguyenTokyo25 Sep 2019
- David ChooSeoul25 Sep 2019
- Désirée ZucchiVerona25 Sep 2019
- Suzanne PiotrowskiRochester, NY25 Sep 2019
- Tim DuehrkoopZurich25 Sep 2019
- Kimberley OwenLeamington Spa, UK25 Sep 2019
- Jennifer BowieAthens, OH25 Sep 2019
- Marie StaplesNY, NY25 Sep 2019
- Alice Hsu & Arvind SureshHanover, NH25 Sep 2019
- Changkun ShenChengdu25 Sep 2019
- Kate ThielOnline25 Sep 2019
- Kennan SalineroPalo Alto, CA25 Sep 2019
- Elena CresciaSão Paulo, Brazil26 Sep 2019
- Amanda Wrathall & Debbie RoseEdinburgh26 Sep 2019
- Ariane LaxoMinneapolis, MN26 Sep 2019
- Heather NivenYork, UK26 Sep 2019
- Jasraj SinghChandigarh27 Sep 2019
- Bob AngusSonoma, CA27 Sep 2019
- Laura ColcordWarner, NH27 Sep 2019
- Cristina JuesasVitoria-Gasteiz27 Sep 2019
- Delphine FillouxLa Baule27 Sep 2019
- Elisa SantosSão José dos Campos, Brazil27 Sep 2019
- Orsolya FaludiBudapest27 Sep 2019
- Leonardo TeodoroBelo Horizonte, Brazil28 Sep 2019
- Eriko TsukamotoTokyo28 Sep 2019
- Marco Antonio RizzoFerrara28 Sep 2019
- Hugh ChoiSeoul28 Sep 2019
- Brian KinghornHuntington, WV29 Sep 2019
- Dani DieguezVerín (Ourense, Spain)29 Sep 2019
- Stefania BettiFirenze29 Sep 2019
- Eszter EndrodyKapolcs29 Sep 2019
- Richard LucasKrakow, Poland29 Sep 2019
- Carol ClevelandBremerton, WA29 Sep 2019
- Carrie HamptonPawleys Island, SC30 Sep 2019
- Susanne ThornesStavanger30 Sep 2019
- Jeffrey HardestyScottsdale, AZ30 Sep 2019
- Rosie HawkinsExeter30 Sep 2019
- Pal HontiBudapest30 Sep 2019
- Justin EichornWichita, KS30 Sep 2019
- Karen MinvielleFayetteville, GA01 Oct 2019
- Anna AndersonLondon01 Oct 2019
- Vanessa NorthDubai01 Oct 2019
- Kat HaberHomer, AK01 Oct 2019
- Alyssa HamptonOnline02 Oct 2019
- Suzanne PiotrowskiRochester, NY03 Oct 2019
- Ariane LaxoMinneapolis, MN03 Oct 2019
- Alyssa HamptonOnline03 Oct 2019
- Carl Joshua NcubeBulawayo04 Oct 2019
- Leonardo TeodoroBelo Horizonte, Brazil05 Oct 2019
- Florentina NiradewiJakarta05 Oct 2019
- Alyssa HamptonOnline05 Oct 2019
- Alyssa HamptonOnline05 Oct 2019
- Alyssa HamptonOnline05 Oct 2019
- Anna KozlovaMinsk06 Oct 2019
- Elisa SantosOnline06 Oct 2019
- Florentina Niradewi & Vivian LimSingapore07 Oct 2019
- Justin EichornWichita, KS07 Oct 2019
- Irena KomitovaSofia, Bulgaria08 Oct 2019
- Terry MooreNY, NY08 Oct 2019
- Vanessa NorthDubai08 Oct 2019
- Bruno TorresMexico City09 Oct 2019
- Morgane QuilfenAntwerp, Belgium09 Oct 2019
- Sonja ToussaintNantes10 Oct 2019
- Elena CresciaSão Paulo, Brazil10 Oct 2019
- Jerry Almendarez & Paul LuceroBloomington, CA10 Oct 2019
- Julie WilsonNY, NY10 Oct 2019
- Carrie SorensenNY, NY10 Oct 2019
- Bob VasileLancaster, PA10 Oct 2019
- Brian KinghornHuntington, WV11 Oct 2019
- Delphine FillouxLa Baule11 Oct 2019
- Victor MironCluj-Napoca13 Oct 2019
- Mengjia MaShanghai13 Oct 2019
- Ellen MaloneyEdinburgh14 Oct 2019
- Tomas AgoteCiudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires15 Oct 2019
- Mark AndersonPrague15 Oct 2019
- Trevor MaberSaskatoon, SK15 Oct 2019
- Ozay OzaydinIstanbul, Turkey16 Oct 2019
- Changkun ShenChengdu16 Oct 2019
- Jose Fernandez-CalvoMiami, FL16 Oct 2019
- Trevor MaberSaskatoon, SK17 Oct 2019
- Ronald GrossNY, NY18 Oct 2019
- Trevor MaberSaskatoon, SK18 Oct 2019
- Bob AngusSonoma, CA18 Oct 2019
- Matteo MaggioVenice18 Oct 2019
- Travis Baird & Kelly WaltersSan Antonio, TX19 Oct 2019
- Leonardo TeodoroBelo Horizonte, Brazil19 Oct 2019
- Lynn TabbaraLondon, UK19 Oct 2019
- Ariane LaxoMinneapolis, MN19 Oct 2019
- Fen YuanNingbo19 Oct 2019
- Shyam SundarChennai19 Oct 2019
- Eva De MarcoUdine19 Oct 2019
- Livia CamposSão José dos Campos, Brazil19 Oct 2019
- Ellen MaloneyEdinburgh21 Oct 2019
- Van NguyenTokyo21 Oct 2019
- Lisa QinSuzhou21 Oct 2019
- Elena PawetaWarsaw22 Oct 2019
- Melissa StanisSaratoga, CA22 Oct 2019
- Bob VasileLancaster, PA22 Oct 2019
- Carol ClevelandBremerton, WA22 Oct 2019
- Lynn TabbaraBeqaa, Lebanon23 Oct 2019
- David ChooSeoul23 Oct 2019
- Jo Dee DavisColumbus, OH23 Oct 2019
- Amir BanifatemiLos Angeles, CA23 Oct 2019
- Marie StaplesNY, NY23 Oct 2019
- Susanne ThornesStavanger24 Oct 2019
- Sally Coffman and Lindy BoeckChandler, AZ24 Oct 2019
- Amanda Wrathall & Debbie RoseEdinburgh24 Oct 2019
- Emilia GaritoRoma24 Oct 2019
- Yusuke SuzukiTokyo, Japan24 Oct 2019
- Jennifer BowieAthens, OH24 Oct 2019
- Elena CresciaSão Paulo, Brazil24 Oct 2019
- Suzan BrandtMountain Brook24 Oct 2019
- James LloydLondon, UK24 Oct 2019
- Suzanne PiotrowskiRochester, NY24 Oct 2019
- Zsuzsa SzendiEger, Hungary25 Oct 2019
- Alice Hsu & Arvind SureshHanover, NH25 Oct 2019
- Cristina JuesasVitoria-Gasteiz25 Oct 2019
- Jasraj SinghChandigarh25 Oct 2019
- Paula RinconBogotá25 Oct 2019
- Yitong Lu & Jessie OnceXi'an, China26 Oct 2019
- Waleed KhalidOxford, UK26 Oct 2019
- Richard LucasKrakow, Poland26 Oct 2019
- Hugh ChoiSeoul26 Oct 2019
- MarcoFerrara26 Oct 2019
- Tomás AgoteBuenos Aires, Argentina28 Oct 2019
- Karen MinvielleFayetteville, GA28 Oct 2019
- Fabien BoutardTours28 Oct 2019
- Caroline McCarthyBrooklyn, NY28 Oct 2019
- Oriana AscanioExeter29 Oct 2019
- Antonia FluturicaBucharest29 Oct 2019
- Travis Baird & Kelly WaltersSan Antonio, TX29 Oct 2019
- Rocio Rivera and Sandy EscobarStockholm29 Oct 2019
- Becca WilliamsColorado Springs, CO30 Oct 2019
- Hui DongMelbourne30 Oct 2019
- Richard LucasTaipei30 Oct 2019
- Mel RosenbergRamat Gan30 Oct 2019
- Hui DongMelbourne31 Oct 2019
- Irena KomitovaSofia, Bulgaria01 Nov 2019
- Ronald GrossNY, NY01 Nov 2019
- Leonardo TeodoroBelo Horizonte, Brazil02 Nov 2019
- Jade ZhaoShanghai02 Nov 2019
- Victor MironCluj-Napoca03 Nov 2019
- Terry MooreNY, NY04 Nov 2019
- Jose Fernandez-CalvoMiami, FL05 Nov 2019
- Bob VasileStrasburg, PA05 Nov 2019
- Sandeep RoyBristol, UK06 Nov 2019
- Carrie SorensenNY, NY07 Nov 2019
- Suzanne PiotrowskiRochester, NY07 Nov 2019
- Pal HontiBudapest08 Nov 2019
- Elisa SantosOnline10 Nov 2019
- Alyssa HamptonOnline10 Nov 2019
- Mengjia MaShanghai10 Nov 2019
- Ariane LaxoMinneapolis, MN12 Nov 2019
- Alyssa HamptonOnline12 Nov 2019
- Changkun ShenChengdu13 Nov 2019
- Marie StaplesNY, NY13 Nov 2019
- Elena CresciaSao Paulo, Brazil14 Nov 2019
- Bob VasileLancaster, PA14 Nov 2019
- Alyssa HamptonOnline14 Nov 2019
- Suzanne PiotrowskiRochester, NY14 Nov 2019
- Julie WilsonNY, NY14 Nov 2019
- Eszter EndrodyBudapest15 Nov 2019
- Shyam SundarChennai16 Nov 2019
- Lynn TabbaraLondon, UK16 Nov 2019
- Fen YuanNingbo16 Nov 2019
- Yitong Lu & Jessie OnceXi'an, China16 Nov 2019
- Kat HaberEdwards, CO18 Nov 2019
- Lisa QinSuzhou18 Nov 2019
- Elena PawetaWarsaw19 Nov 2019
- Simona SinesiMilano19 Nov 2019
- Ozay OzaydinIstanbul, Turkey20 Nov 2019
- Mark AndersonPrague21 Nov 2019
- Delphine FillouxLa Baule21 Nov 2019
- Jennifer BowieAthens, OH21 Nov 2019
- Paula RinconBogotá22 Nov 2019
- Cristina JuesasVitoria-Gasteiz22 Nov 2019
- Waleed KhalidOxford, UK23 Nov 2019
- Hugh ChoiSeoul23 Nov 2019
- Antonia FluturicaBucharest26 Nov 2019
- Bob VasileLancaster, PA26 Nov 2019
- Mel RosenbergRamat Gan27 Nov 2019
- Pal HontiBudapest27 Nov 2019
- David ChooSeoul27 Nov 2019
- Jo Dee DavisColumbus, OH27 Nov 2019
- Elena CresciaSao Paulo, Brazil28 Nov 2019
- Susanne ThornesStavanger28 Nov 2019
Want to host a pilot TED Circle?
Email usAbout TED Circles
We believe that meaningful conversations create interpersonal connections that collectively strengthen communities. Through TED Circles, a host can invite their friends, neighbors, strangers, or a mix - many who have not attended TED or TEDx events - into their home, school, office, and more to discuss a variety of interesting topics. TED provides monthly themes, recommended Talks, and specific conversation starters so the host can focus on engaging everyone in constructive conversations. Here’s a summary of what TED Circles are and are not:
- They are volunteer-hosted, small, face-to-face (in-person, online) gatherings where topics are safely discussed.
- They are not a TED event, they are not a club or a one-off gathering, and they do not sell things or raise money.
FAQs
TED Circles are purposefully easy to adopt so they occur regularly plus they are easy to adapt so they reflect hosts’ and participants’ style. With many possibilities come many questions:
Who can host a TED Circle?
In January 2020, there will be online registration available to anyone who wants to host a TED Circle.
Who can participate in a TED Circle?
In January 2020, there will be online registration available to anyone who wants to participate in a TED Circle.
What is discussed during a TED Circle?
TED provides monthly themes with aligned Talks and questions to support, not limit hosts. Hosts are welcome to select any content that relates to the monthly theme. Further, hosts may suggest participants watch the content independently beforehand or together at the beginning of the TED Circle.
Where do TED Circles take place?
Locations for TED Circles include yet are not limited to: homes, parks, cafes, bars, schools, workplaces, library, etc... and extend to online spaces through video calls!
When do TED Circles take place?
Scheduling can be set by the host or collaboratively agreed with the participants. TED Circles are intended to last between 1-2 hours and occur at least monthly.
If you have additional questions, please email tedcircles@ted.com
Rules of engagement
TED Circles is an open platform which welcomes everyone who believes in TED's values and wishes to engage in constructive conversations about ideas. A volunteer-powered platform calls for some ground rules.
Each Circle is independent but all TED Circles are connected virtually and through a shared brand. Hosts and Circles that do not adhere to the spirit and rules of the program or harm the community in any way will be removed from the program and must discontinue the use of the TED Circles brand. If you notice non-compliance, please email tedcircles@ted.com.
Tell the world about your Circle
Every TED Circle Host is required to annually register their Circle on TED.com and list each gathering. This does not mean that the Circle is open to the public - hosts decide if the Circle is closed (by invitation only) or open (accepting new participants) - but it provides official designation as a TED Circle.
Show off your TED Circles affiliation
When a TED Circle is registered and active, the host may present themselves as a TED Circles Host and use TED-provided TED Circles logo and designs. Always be clear that TED Circles are volunteer-hosted gatherings, not TED events produced by TED staff, and accordingly use the TED Circles logo, not the TED logo.
Be cool
Hosting is a big opportunity and responsibility. Each TED Circle Host must ensure the safety and comfort of their Circle.
Do it for public good
TED Circles are a volunteer endeavor and free to attend. Hosts may ask for in-kind contributions (such as food and meeting space). Hosts and participants may not use TED Circles to gain revenue sponsorship, make money, raise funds, or organize crowdfunding.
Focus on ideas
TED Circles uphold the spirit of TED, focusing on the power of ideas. Welcoming a wide range of perspectives, TED Circles encourage equal participation within a safe environment that promotes curiosity, open-mindedness, debate, inclusion, and generosity. Agendas and self-promotion have no place in these conversations.