TED Circles is an open community of small groups that discuss big ideas.
Hosted by volunteers, Circles discuss a TED Talk about the monthly theme. By considering each other’s perspectives, they create a global conversation. That conversation needs everyone so we hope you join as a host or as a guest.
Circles help communities stay connected, especially now. The video illustrates how you can host your own!
Host a TED Circle
Anyone can host a TED Circle! Hosts invite guests, select a talk about the monthly theme, and facilitate a productive conversation...it's that simple! Our host resources are available if you want to learn more.
Hosting is an important role and TED wants to help you be a great host! After you register as a host, you receive a welcome email confirming your hostname, granting access to our Circles registration and invitation generator, and inviting you to join our host community group (a special online space for hosts from around the world to connect).
Want to host a TED Circle?
Register hereThis Month
August | Irrational?Join an online Circle hosted by TEDWant to change climate change? Host TED Circles about Countdown
Julia GalefWhy you think you’re right -- even if you’re wrong
Conversation starters
- Per Galef’s talk, do you consider yourself a scout, a soldier or is there another way you’d describe yourself?
- Like scout and soldier, are there other creative metaphors you’d use to describe other interactions / mindsets?
- Identify a time you doubled down on a viewpoint, even though you knew you were wrong. What were the factors that led you to doing so and does Galef’s talk help demystify that moment?
- Where do you think this talk would be most useful in your own life or even in the wider world? Additional resource: Tara Haelle's Talk
Robert SapolskyThe biology of our best and worst selves
Conversation starters
- What do you think spurs people to be cruel or altruistic?
- How do you think your life and circumstances have influenced the way you treat others?
- What do you know about your ancestors and how they lived — what do you feel has been lost or gained in terms of values?
- If comfortable, share a story from youth or adulthood that affected you deeply. Would you say that moment positively or negatively altered you, and do you feel like you have (or have not) changed since then?
Chetan BhattDare to refuse the origin myths that claim who you are
Conversation starters
- What origin myths have influenced your life? Share an example or two.
- Drawing from Bhatt’s talk or your own observations, what are the dangers of holding on too tightly to origin myths?
- Bhatt describes when a British nationalist turns on an American television network, owned by an Australian, broadcast to a South Korean television set, bought with a Spanish credit card and paid off monthly to a local bank headquartered in Hong Kong. If these connections were revealed to the hypothetical nationalist, do you think they would reconsider their ideas around who or what does and does not belong in their community? Why or why not?
- Bhatt says: “If we don't need origin stories and fixed identities, we can challenge ourselves to think creatively about each other and our future.” How might things be different if the myths that prescribe where we do and don’t belong weren’t there? What does that world look like to you?
Laurie SantosA monkey economy as irrational as ours
Conversation starters
- Santos’ research found that capuchin monkeys are susceptible to the same financial mistakes as humans. Do you find this to be reassuring or humbling? Additional resource: TED-Ed animation
- Santos highlights loss aversion, which biases humans (and monkeys) to do anything to avoid loss, even if it risks and diminishes success. Have you found yourself in a similar situation? Knowing what you know now, do you think you would do anything differently?
- What are some ways you have found to stop making the same errors over and over again?
- Santos encourages us to recognize our limitations and to use the world of design to overcome them. What is one human limitation that you would like to see surmounted? What is one idea for a design that might solve it?
Upcoming months
September | ImaginationJoin an online Circle hosted by TEDWant to change climate change? Host TED Circles about Countdown
Manoush ZomorodiHow boredom can lead to your most brilliant ideas
Conversation starters
- When did you last spend an extended period of time away from your phone? What were the circumstances? How did that feel?
- Why might so many of us be fearful of being bored?
- Zomorodi shared that she felt the most creative while engaging in long, monotonous tasks. What are the moments or conditions when you feel most creative or generate your best ideas? Do they also take place during instances of “boredom”?
- The most difficult task for the “Bored and Brilliant” participants was deleting “that” app; the time wasting, bad habit one. Which app would that be for you? Do you think you could do it? Try it for a while and report back at next month’s Circle!
Christopher RobichaudHow I used Dungeons & Dragons to teach ethics
Conversation starters
- Do you play Dungeons & Dragons, or something similar? If so, share what you love about the game. If not, has Robichaud piqued your interest to try?
- What are your favorite games to play with friends and/or family and why?
- What experience and skills do you feel you have gained from the games you have played? Explain. Additional resource: Steven Johnson's Talk
- What other games could teach you life skills or help you learn more about topic you care about?
Ethan HawkeGive yourself permission to be creative
Conversation starters
- Hawke notes that poetry can be overlooked until we’re looking for empathy and guidance. What forms of creativity (poems or otherwise) do you turn to in moments like this?
- Hawke’s work as an actor showed him how much we all have in common. Have you bonded with an unlikely stranger over a shared creative connection? What was that experience like?
- Creativity exists even in highly regimented spaces like the Army where Hawke’s step brother was a creative leader. What are other unexpected places that you’ve encountered passionate creativity?
- When was the last time you played the fool? How did it make you feel? Has this talk inspired you to do it again soon? Additional resource: Elisabeth McClure's Talk
Theaster GatesHow to revive a neighborhood with imagination, beauty, and art
Conversation starters
- What things in your community do you wish could be revived with art and beauty? Brainstorm ways to make this a reality. Additional resource: Helen Marriage's Talk
- Do you agree with Gates that beauty is a basic service? Explain why or why not.
- Which community hubs in your locale are most popular or have a lot of cultural activity, and why do you think that is? If none come to mind, why do you think that is (or, what would your ideal one look like)?
- What are your favorite buildings in your neighborhood or location? Try to describe them in vivid detail and share why they appeal to you.
Previous months
July | Agree to disagreeJoin an online Circle hosted by TEDWant to change climate change? Host TED Circles about Countdown
Betty HartHow compassion could save your strained relationships
Conversation starters
- What are the pros and cons of Hart’s perspective?
- If comfortable sharing, who in your life would you use Hart’s advice with and why?
- How has using compassion in your relationships improved them? When in your life do you think people extended compassion to you and how did it feel?
- Has Hart’s talk convinced you to reach out to loved ones and friends? Who would you share this talk with?
Julia DharHow to disagree productively and find common ground
Conversation starters
- Dhar cites research that suggests listening to someone's voice during an argument helps to humanize them. The TED Audio Collective podcast Conversations with People Who Hate Me is in part based around this premise. Why do you think stepping away from the keyboard and literally hearing someone speak can be so impactful?
- Dhar notes that in order to reach people, you have to find common ground. Think about a topic that you feel strongly about. Perhaps something in Technology, Entertainment or Design. Can you think of at least one thing that you and someone with the opposite view might agree on?
- What's something you've changed your mind about, and why? Additional resource: Julia Dhar's 2021 Talk
- Thinking back to the topic you chose for the common ground question. What would it take to change your mind on that subject?
Jonas Gahr StøreIn defense of dialogue
Conversation starters
- Why, in your opinion, is dialogue so important?
- What is it that makes people trust each other?
- Gahr Støre notes the importance of inviting NGOs and everyday people to join discussions because they represent a point of view not already at the table. With that in mind, who's missing from your decision making tables at work, in your school, at your home, or in your community?
- Gahr Støre mentions developing a dialogue at a time when there is only low-key tension in order to establish a bond to deal with issues when tensions increase. Is there someone or some group with whom you could forge a dialogue right now, in spite of any tensions in the past that might be beneficial in the future?
Isabel Behncke IzquierdoEvolution's gift of play from bonobo apes to humans
Conversation starters
- How do you think play affects relationships between people, or even just yourself?
- What are ways we could incorporate play into our day-to-day lives, from small-scale interactions to larger-scale society?
- What are your go-to ways to play with others (eg. sports, board games, word games, video games, etc.)? What makes them so appealing?
- Imagine you’ve just finished doing one of your favorite play activities. How do you feel? Describe those emotions and sensations to the group.
June | Our bodiesJoin an online Circle hosted by TEDWant to change climate change? Host TED Circles about Countdown
Talithia WilliamsOwn your body's data
Conversation starters
- What's one biological thing in your life that you would be curious to track? What are some ways you could measure it?
- Williams urged her audience to not be afraid to ask doctors to show them the data. Where else might this mantra be useful? Additional resource: Abraham Verghese's Talk
- Williams’ talk demonstrates how tracking your own data helps you advocate for your medical health. Are there times when you've used your own expertise in a topic to negotiate with an authority figure?
- Many apps enable this kind of data collection, from counting steps, to measuring heart rate, to tracking ovulation. Have you used one? If so, how was your experience with it? Do you know if the company has access to your data? If it does, how does it make you feel?
Aimee MullinsMy 12 pairs of legs
Conversation starters
- How do you think the conversation around bodies has changed in the last 20 years?
- How might society better support and normalize differently abled bodies?
- What kind of prosthetics or modifications would you like to see as technology progresses? Get futuristic with it. Additional resource: Olivia Arthur's Talk
- Which pair of legs Mullins showed were your favorite? Can you offer a new material or design that she could add to her collection? Be imaginative!
D-L StewartScenes from a Black trans life
Conversation starters
- How much trans and Black history were you aware of before this talk? Additional resource: Karissa Sanbonmatsu's Talk
- Did Stewart’s journey bring any realizations or new understandings about Black and/or trans lives today? Why or why not? Additional resource: Lee Mokobe's Talk
- Which scene or piece of information from Stewart’s talk stands out to you the most? Why?
- Who would you share Stewart’s talk with and why?
Paul KnoepflerThe ethical dilemma of designer babies
Conversation starters
- Is there anything about genetic modified humans that worries you? What might that be? If not, why not?
- Would you support allowing genetically modified 'designer' babies in your country? Are there any medical exceptions that you would allow? Why or why not?
- Since Knoepfler’s talk, the first genetically edited babies (twins) were born with genes the doctor hoped would make them immune to HIV. Investigations found that the doctor did it in secret, broke laws, misled the parents, and failed safety protocols. Whatsmore, the children’s genes might fail to provide HIV immunity and their altered genes can be passed on. Does this real-life example make you support Knoepfler’s suggestion to halt “designer” babies or give you reason to legalize the practice so it happens under careful scrutiny?
- Do you trust humans to make good choices with this technology? Why or why not?
May | Risk-takingJoin an online Circle hosted by TEDWant to change climate change? Host TED Circles about Countdown
Kashfia RahmanHow risk taking changes teenager's brain
Conversation starters
- Has Rahman’s talk changed how you view teens today or the decisions you made in your own adolescence? Why or why not? Additional resource: Gever Tulley’s Talk
- Despite being about teens, how could you adopt some of Rahman’s learnings into your own life and understanding of yourself? Or if you know a teen, how could this talk influence how you connect with them?
- We were all teens once. Do you have an outrageous or reckless story that you’d like to share with the group?
- How do you think the risks you made as a teen changed you, if at all?
Tim FerrissWhy you should define your fears instead of your goals
Conversation starters
- Will you adopt Ferriss’s fear-setting practice? Why or why not?
- Do you have a method for making hard choices or taking risks? If so, consider sharing with the group. If not, has Ferriss convinced you to develop one?
- What is one fear that stops you from pursuing something you want to do? How do you bypass it? Or, conversely, as a group, brainstorm ways to figure out how.
- Share a time you conquered a fear, took a risk or made a hard choice that paid off well. Additional resource: Tina Seelig's Talk
Sviatlana TsikhanouskayaHow to be fearless in the face of authoritarianism
Conversation starters
- When was the last time you felt fearless? What was it about that context or circumstances that made it so? Additional resource: Yvonne Aki Sawyerr's Talk
- If you've never felt fearless, or if it's a rare occurrence, why might that be? What might it take for that to happen (again)? How might your life be different if you and those in your community were more fearless more often?
- Tsikhanouskaya says, “Our courage is born from unity.” How much unity do you feel in your community? If you need more unity to be courageous, how might you foster that unity?
- What do you think it takes to sustain such fearlessness and courage in the face of opposition month after month, and even year after year?
Shekinah ElmoreThe courage to live with radical uncertainty
Conversation starters
- Elmore revisits the idea of ‘the worst thing that could happen’. Think of a pressing or worrisome situation in your life. When you imagine the worst case, how likely is it to actually occur? If it did transpire, how could you cope with it?
- What might you say to your younger self to convince them that a particular risk was worth taking? Communicate how you overcame your reluctance and the good (or the lesson) that came out of it.
- What were some of the ways that Elmore propelled herself through tough situations? How can her tenacity be replicated in your own life?
- How might you approach doctors appointments differently as a result of this talk?
Suggest other themes and talks here
Find a TED Circle
The Circles listed below are registered by hosts who invite their own guests. If you want to attend a Circle, join one hosted by our team! Also find out what Circles are discussing by visiting our community takeaways.
- David PeñaOnline06 Aug 2021
- Rosalyn KomolOnline06 Aug 2021
- Mohamed SalemOnline06 Aug 2021
- Hershey Pamela BuenaOnline06 Aug 2021
- Wiputra CendanaOnline06 Aug 2021
- 子杰 黄Nanjing06 Aug 2021
- Abhinandan KumarOnline06 Aug 2021
- Ozay OzaydinIstanbul06 Aug 2021
- Germana LavagnaBarcelona06 Aug 2021
- Mohamed SalemOnline06 Aug 2021
- Julie Wilson and Alyssa HamptonNew York07 Aug 2021
- Paramitha High SchoolOnline07 Aug 2021
- Chinmayi VaghasiyaSurat08 Aug 2021
- Pushti VoraOnline08 Aug 2021
- Humera RiyazOnline08 Aug 2021
- Hao Yan PheeOnline08 Aug 2021
- Mihalik JuditBudapest08 Aug 2021
- Renata MoerbeckOnline08 Aug 2021
- Gopi Krishan BaliNew Delhi08 Aug 2021
- KriativeseOnline09 Aug 2021
- Renata MoerbeckOnline09 Aug 2021
- Djazia BelhocineOnline09 Aug 2021
- Brandy DavisOnline09 Aug 2021
- Andre PiazzaOnline09 Aug 2021
- TEDxChicagoOnline10 Aug 2021
- Mohamed SalemOnline10 Aug 2021
- Geevarathna GeevarathnaBengaluru10 Aug 2021
- PUC MinasOnline10 Aug 2021
- Varun YadavOnline10 Aug 2021
- TED Circles teamOnline10 Aug 2021
- Simon Wang and Hejian MaHong Kong10 Aug 2021
- Simon Wang and Hejian Ma @ HKBUHong Kong10 Aug 2021
- Miro LeiteOnline10 Aug 2021
- Legal Learning CenterOnline11 Aug 2021
- Blakehurst Residents' Association: Committee on Climate ChangeOnline11 Aug 2021
- Marina MusaievaOnline11 Aug 2021
- Ancy CherianOnline11 Aug 2021
- TED Circles teamOnline11 Aug 2021
- TEDxSunnyvaleOnline11 Aug 2021
- XR BanburyOnline11 Aug 2021
- PUC MinasOnline11 Aug 2021
- Viya QuMontreal12 Aug 2021
- Voicing YouthOnline12 Aug 2021
- Johan StuveOnline12 Aug 2021
- Centene INSPIRE EIGOnline12 Aug 2021
- TEDxLancasterOnline12 Aug 2021
- TEDxISMACOnline12 Aug 2021
- TEDxPortHarcourtPort Harcourt13 Aug 2021
- Ireremena Felix-OtuorimuoOnline13 Aug 2021
- PUC MinasOnline13 Aug 2021
- International STEAM ResearchOnline13 Aug 2021
- Winston LiewOnline13 Aug 2021
- TEDxPortHarcourtPort Harcourt13 Aug 2021
- Ozay OzaydinIstanbul13 Aug 2021
- MemyselfmomOnline13 Aug 2021
- Jeremy CloptonCape Fair13 Aug 2021
- Preeti ChaudharyOnline13 Aug 2021
- Ghalia TurkiDamascus14 Aug 2021
- JoAnn RolleOnline14 Aug 2021
- RAHUL NOnline14 Aug 2021
- TEDxGuangzhouShanghai14 Aug 2021
- Kritika RavichandranOnline14 Aug 2021
- TEDxBalneárioBarraDoSulOnline14 Aug 2021
- Hilary HaoOnline14 Aug 2021
- Robotics Society of KenyaKisii14 Aug 2021
- Gunjan SyalOnline14 Aug 2021
- Activate Mental HealthPerth14 Aug 2021
- Amit MohlaOnline14 Aug 2021
- Rajeev YSROnline15 Aug 2021
- CircleXNew Delhi15 Aug 2021
- Brandy DavisOnline16 Aug 2021
- Shena NicoleOnline16 Aug 2021
- Silvia Solana and Fabiola GarciaOnline16 Aug 2021
- University of the Third AgeOnline16 Aug 2021
- Katy O'LearyOnline16 Aug 2021
- Politeknik Negeri Tanah LautOnline16 Aug 2021
- TEDxChicagoOnline17 Aug 2021
- TEDxTangamangaSan Luis Potosi17 Aug 2021
- Hershey Pamela BuenaOnline18 Aug 2021
- Virtasant Inc.Online18 Aug 2021
- Rick BrooksPrinceton18 Aug 2021
- TEDxMidAtlanticOnline18 Aug 2021
- TEDxSunnyvaleOnline18 Aug 2021
- Eboni HendersonOnline19 Aug 2021
- Lucila CaceresOnline19 Aug 2021
- Johan StuveOnline19 Aug 2021
- F and C Consulting GroupOnline19 Aug 2021
- Lyrium Venture Partners LimitedOnline19 Aug 2021
- Katrin WindsorOnline19 Aug 2021
- F&C Consulting GroupOnline19 Aug 2021
- Mel De JongOnline20 Aug 2021
- Roselin CabralesOnline20 Aug 2021
- Julia AtallaOnline20 Aug 2021
- TEDxPUCMinasOnline20 Aug 2021
- Luis Vicente GarciaOnline20 Aug 2021
- TEDxWinchesterOnline20 Aug 2021
- Bryant A. GonzalesOnline20 Aug 2021
- Amit VermaOnline21 Aug 2021
- Naveen SamalaHyderabad21 Aug 2021
- TEDxUdineUdine21 Aug 2021
- Chakilam Vasavi SandhyaOnline21 Aug 2021
- Bill WongOnline21 Aug 2021
- Kathie MurteyOnline21 Aug 2021
- TEDxHamamatsuHamamatsu22 Aug 2021
- TEDxKankeOnline22 Aug 2021
- Yoel Ben-AvrahamOnline22 Aug 2021
- Paramita High School's TED-Ed ClubOnline22 Aug 2021
- TEDxAnjoOnline22 Aug 2021
- Rasha TiozonOnline22 Aug 2021
- Brandy DavisOnline23 Aug 2021
- Antoinette SarpongOnline24 Aug 2021
- Lead from InsightsOnline24 Aug 2021
- TEDxLancasterOnline24 Aug 2021
- Luis Vicente GarciaOnline24 Aug 2021
- Township Library of Lower SouthamptonFeasterville25 Aug 2021
- TEDxSunnyvaleOnline25 Aug 2021
- Báltico IdeasBogota25 Aug 2021
- ATD Golden Gate Chapter - North Bay GIGOnline25 Aug 2021
- SkydeaOnline26 Aug 2021
- Giriraj AsarOnline26 Aug 2021
- Lukasz MastalerzOnline26 Aug 2021
- Sylvia HendersonOnline26 Aug 2021
- TEDxTheBundOnline26 Aug 2021
- OvalhoPorto26 Aug 2021
- Lauren Anders BrownOnline27 Aug 2021
- Aliza MasoodOnline27 Aug 2021
- Meenear Sao, FAN TED CirclesOnline27 Aug 2021
- Lucas TibiriçáOnline27 Aug 2021
- Ireremena Felix-OtuorimuoOnline28 Aug 2021
- Chintan OzaOnline28 Aug 2021
- RADIANTISMOnline28 Aug 2021
- Yuliana GaytanOnline28 Aug 2021
- YOUNG CEOOnline28 Aug 2021
- Chintan OzaOnline28 Aug 2021
- Uri NgozichukwukaLagos28 Aug 2021
- Stop NowOnline28 Aug 2021
- TEDxShanghaiOnline28 Aug 2021
- CC WangBeijing29 Aug 2021
- Meadow Hall TED-Ed ClubOnline29 Aug 2021
- Leah StewartOnline29 Aug 2021
- IgnitedNeuronsOnline29 Aug 2021
- South Beach LibraryOnline30 Aug 2021
- Brandy DavisOnline30 Aug 2021
- Luis Vicente GarciaOnline30 Aug 2021
- Xiuhui SunOnline30 Aug 2021
- Robert Barnard-WestonOnline30 Aug 2021
- Meredith CummingsOnline30 Aug 2021
- TEDxTangamangaSan Luis Potosi31 Aug 2021
- Sunil SethOnline31 Aug 2021
- Paramitha High SchoolOnline01 Sep 2021
- Fotis GeorgatosOnline01 Sep 2021
- TED Circles teamOnline03 Sep 2021
- Whitney Senior CenterOnline07 Sep 2021
- TEDxYouth@ACSBeirutBeirut07 Sep 2021
- PUC MinasOnline08 Sep 2021
- PUC MinasOnline09 Sep 2021
- Djazia BelhocineOnline09 Sep 2021
- Julie Wilson and Alyssa HamptonNew York09 Sep 2021
- PUC MinasOnline10 Sep 2021
- Preeti ChaudharyOnline10 Sep 2021
- Suzanne PiotrowskiOnline10 Sep 2021
- Kandis DasiOnline11 Sep 2021
- Activate Mental HealthPerth11 Sep 2021
- GreenfestPorto11 Sep 2021
- Muhammad KhanOnline11 Sep 2021
- Amar MeenaKota12 Sep 2021
- TEDxPUCMinasOnline15 Sep 2021
- TEDxCrannTreesforIrelandDublin17 Sep 2021
- Juan AbdelAzizOnline20 Sep 2021
- The New York Public LibraryOnline21 Sep 2021
- ELARAKI school TED-Ed clubMarrakesh22 Sep 2021
- WorkHere - Hereford Coworking SpaceHereford22 Sep 2021
- Scott Place and Scott EvichOnline22 Sep 2021
- TEDxUNYPOnline22 Sep 2021
- Charles Shasky and Jessica KehererOnline23 Sep 2021
- Stacie SimsOnline23 Sep 2021
- Melissa GokmogolOnline24 Sep 2021
- Melissa GokmogolOnline24 Sep 2021
- Luis Alfaro and Lorna JiménezOnline24 Sep 2021
- Vandana KhannaOnline24 Sep 2021
- CC WangBeijing25 Sep 2021
- RADIANTISMOnline25 Sep 2021
- Yuliana GaytanOnline25 Sep 2021
- Access English StudioOnline25 Sep 2021
- Leah StewartOnline26 Sep 2021
- Rajalakshmi PrithvirajOnline27 Sep 2021
- Farah SheikhOnline30 Sep 2021
- PUC MinasOnline02 Oct 2021
- PUC MinasOnline03 Oct 2021
- HindiependetKota03 Oct 2021
- Environment and Sustainable Development OfficeJeddah07 Oct 2021
- Tiara SilventeOnline07 Oct 2021
- Eszter EndrodyBudapest09 Oct 2021
- PUC MinasOnline13 Oct 2021
- Julie Wilson and Alyssa HamptonNew York14 Oct 2021
- TEDxPUCMinasOnline20 Oct 2021
- Chris Hardy and Aleaka InceOnline28 Oct 2021
- Asociación Cultural Peruano BritánicaOnline01 Nov 2021
- Josiane Couto Silva JosySalvador06 Nov 2021
- PUC MinasOnline09 Nov 2021
- PUC MinasOnline10 Nov 2021
- Julie Wilson and Alyssa HamptonNew York11 Nov 2021
- PUC MinasOnline11 Nov 2021
- TEDxPUCMinasOnline20 Nov 2021
- TEDxSanIsidroOnline21 Nov 2021
- Nobre Ordem para a Excelencia HumanaOnline29 Nov 2021
- TEDxPUCMinasOnline05 Dec 2021
- PUC MinasOnline07 Dec 2021
- PUC MinasOnline08 Dec 2021
- Julie Wilson and Alyssa HamptonNew York09 Dec 2021
- TEDxRankalaLakeOnline11 Dec 2021
- PUC MinasOnline15 Dec 2021
- Go Core Mind Body SoulOnline04 May 2022
About TED Circles
TED Circles is a global community of small groups who discuss big ideas together. We believe in the power of ideas and conversations to positively impact ourselves, our communities, and our world. Through TED Circles, a host can invite their friends, neighbors, strangers, or a mix to an in-person or online location 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 the discussion.
The video illustrates how Circles work and why TED believes in them.
FAQs
TED Circles are purposefully easy to adopt so they occur regularly plus they are easy to adapt so they reflect hosts’ and guests' style. With many possibilities come many questions:
Who can host a TED Circle?
Anyone! Register to host TED Circles.
Who can participate in a TED Circle?
Hosts invite guests to participate in their 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 guests watch the content independently beforehand or together at the beginning of the TED Circle.
Where do TED Circles take place?
Taking place in-person and online, locations for TED Circles include yet are not limited to: homes, parks, cafes, schools, workplaces, libraries, and video calls.
When do TED Circles take place?
Scheduling can be set by the host or collaboratively agreed with guests. TED Circles are intended to occur monthly and last 1-2 hours.
If you have additional questions, please email tedcircles@ted.com
Rules of engagement
TED Circles is an open community 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 Circles host is required to annually register as a host and register each TED Circles event they host. 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 Circles host must ensure the safety and comfort of their guests.
Do it for public good
TED Circles is a volunteer endeavor and free to attend. Hosts may ask for in-kind contributions (such as food and meeting space). Hosts and guests 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, inclusion, debate, and impact. Agendas and self-promotion have no place in these conversations.