TedxTampaBay: creativity, community and love

27 Apr

Tampa Bay’s own Tedx event was nothing short of inspiring. As an independently organized TED event (technology, entertainment and design), the organizers aimed to synthesize, mobilize and humanize. The locally organized event brought people together to learn from others who are making a significant difference in the community. Each talk had a unique message that sparked emotion, connection and conversation. Here are just a few of the inspirational stories:

Former Creative Tampa Bay chair Peter Kageyama talked about emotional capital and falling in love with our cities. A relatively small group of people can make a big difference in a community.  These “co-creators”  are the type of people who get involved, create change and collaborate to make things happen. What would it take for you to truly love your city – and not in an attachment sort of way, but actual love? If you do love your city, what can you do to help others realize its potential?

Vineet Sigal, a Stanford University student discovered a pattern of chronic, curable diseases while volunteering at a free health clinic. He observed that patients are motivated to change, they just need the right resources to do so. At the age of 19, he and a team of student volunteers started Anjna, a non-profit organization that provided free, focused health education materials to clinics across the country. A perfect example of a co-creator, Vineet’s talk was motivating: “The things that bring us together are far stronger than the things that divide us.”

Saeid Nadjafi and Shayan Amini, musicians in the group The Casualty Process, performed as part of a North American tour. Their music is banned in their home country of Iran because the lead singer is a woman, but they continue to play because of their love for the art music. To them, it’s not about the government. It’s about passion.

Robert Fogarty of “Dear World, Write our Future,” shared hope-filled images of people displaying their love notes for New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and in Haiti after the earthquake. Their mission is to break down barriers by giving people a chance to express themselves through photographic art. TedxTampaBay participants were fortunate enough to be a part of this project on a local level. Look for the results soon.

These are just a few of the amazing speakers who shared their passion and projects. For more information about the speakers, visit: www.tedxtampabay.com. Videos of the talks will be available soon.

If that doesn’t inspire you to contribute to your community, what will?

More information about TedxTampaBay.

by: Megan Hendricks
BUZZ editor, Creative Tampa Bay
Also published in Creative Tampa Bay’s buzz, April 27, 2011

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