It’s perhaps ironic that if it weren’t for the suppression of ideas, TEDxOrangeCoast, an event that is all about showcasing “Ideas worth spreading,” may never have happened. At least not here.
TEDxOrangeCoast’s co-founder, Mojdeh Eskandari, was at college in Iran when the Iranian revolution began and the universities were shut down. Not willing to end her studies in mechanical engineering, Eskandari moved to France to continue them. After graduation, she landed a position with tech giant Oracle, quickly moved up within that and other high-tech companies and relocated to Southern California.
Flash forward to 2011, following a stellar career in senior management positions with leading high-tech companies, and a fair share of philanthropy, Eskandari had also become a fan of TED, a nonprofit organization started in 1984 and devoted to spreading worthy ideas in technology, entertainment and design through conferences and other activities. Particularly popular have been the TED Talks, which are 18-minutes-or-less presentations by everyone from leaders in industry, young inventors, amazing athletes… the list goes on. In fact, on and on, as there have been, to date, more than 1.5 billion views of TED Talks, which now are even available through Netflix.
So popular, in fact, that TEDx events – the x stands for “independently organized” – were authorized. TEDxOrangeCoast is the local event, now in its fourth year and attracting more than 2,000 attendees. This year’s event takes place at Soka University of America, from September 19 to 20, and with 25 or more speakers, as well as opportunities to meet and interact with them, it promises to be an exciting time. So we sat down with Eskandari to ask how it all came about and why people should listen up.
How did you start TEDxOrangeCoast?
I was always interested in TED Talks, and when I moved to Orange County they gave access to individuals to hold individually organized TED-like events. That’s what TEDx means. And I applied, got the license and held our first event in 2011.
Why is your event important?
Bringing hope and optimism is a fundamental need for our community, to be innovative as a whole. TEDxOrangeCoast showcases thinkers, doers and people who have a can-do attitude. I would think any community would need a platform like this.
You didn’t have much time to organize your first event in 2011. Did you consider it a success?
We only had five months to organize the first event and even our supporters thought it couldn’t happen that quickly. But we had 1,290 guests, and one of our talks went to TED.com, so yes, the event was a success. To date, TEDxOC talks have been viewed three million times.
What should people expect to leave with?
There are so many amazing speakers who come from all different horizons. So the point is to come and be surprised. Find innovating ideas, ask yourself why you didn’t think about that, and most of all hopefully leave inspired to follow your own dreams.
One way you find speakers is people nominating them online?
Yes. We are crowdsourcing part of it with a nomination application online. The whole purpose of TED talks is not featuring only well-known people, but really digging and bringing people with ideas that haven’t been heard before.
How many speakers do you traditionally have?
Historically we have had 25 to 30 speakers. Last year we had close to 200 applications. So these are really the most interesting voices around.
What’s the theme this year and why?
This year the theme is tipping points. Melinda Gates said once that optimism plus empathy is the beginning of change. Tipping points are a sign of change, and we are here to celebrate that. How Orange County is becoming a magnate of new, engaged and great ideas that are going to make a huge difference in the world.
TED Talks have a unique format.
Yes, they are a maximum of 18 minutes long. It was initiated by TED, and it has been working for over 30 years. The model has been copied by universities and corporations. The thought is that as strong or important as an idea is, there is no reason you can’t communicate it in 18 minutes. So people can take a quick break, go online and watch a TED talk instead of wasting that time.
So how long are most talks?
We have talks starting at three minutes. The sweet spot is really eight to 12 minutes. So 18 minutes is the maximum. Every second, 17 people in the world are watching a TED talk. Since 2006, TED Talks have had 1.5 billion views. So I guess the model is working.
What have been a few of your favorite TEDxOC Talks?
The first year we had Amy Purdy. The theme was Innovation Without Borders, and we didn’t mean just geographical borders. It was all boundaries: physical, emotional, religious. And Purdy has overcome her own boundaries in losing her legs at the age of 19 and bouncing back to become an Olympic champion, actress, model, and author. She was one of the highlights of the first year.
And 2012’s theme was Redefining Relevance.
Right, and that year, Jack Andraka was very inspiring. I discovered him on NPR saying there are simple solutions to complex problems. At age 14 he invented a simple sensor costing three cents that is 99 percent accurate in detecting pancreatic and other cancers early, when they are most treatable.
What aspect of this year’s event are you most excited about?
Interacting with other attendees is a huge part of the conference and really makes it special. We are lucky to have a license allowing us to have a two-day event, because it makes it a lot easier to connect amazing people who are coming as attendees. We are going to do everything we can to facilitate connecting partners, attendees and speakers.
Are most of the attendees from Orange County?
No. And that’s one important aspect of the event. Less than half, 48 percent, of the attendees are coming from Orange County. In the last three years we have brought thousands of people from outside Orange County and California. They’ve come in from all over the country, Europe, and even Asia. Our goal has always been to present OC as a hub where you can come and have conversations about innovation, sharing, change. That’s a well-deserved image for Orange County.
How do you attract thousands of attendees when there are so many competitive events?
It’s true that we live in a place where if you wanted to spend your life in conferences you could. And that’s why the first year it was a big challenge for us. We hadn’t had proof of concept yet. But since that year’s success, we haven’t had trouble finding speakers or attendees. It’s because I don’t think we have a lot of events like TEDx. We have a lot of events where people exchange business cards. And don’t get me wrong, I’m not against networking. But when you make a connection with likeminded people on this level, networking just comes naturally.
TEDxOC Talks will be on YouTube. So why should people attend?
I can watch the TED Talks a week later but I still take the time to go to some of the events, because the connection you make and the conversations you have during those few days is really so much more than just watching the talk. Listening to the speakers. Having time to ask them questions. Mingling with the other attendees. That’s what you’re going to the event for. There’s an energy and synergy with the event that you won’t get watching online.
You also have the TEDxOC Teen Challenge. Explain what that is.
Yes, we had it for adults the first few years and we realized that there are many venues for adults to get support for their ideas. So we are offering it for teenagers. If they have an innovative project, with a positive impact in our community, they can apply. Our goal is just giving them visibility, so of course we will give them a cash prize, and also some of our sponsors are offering in-kind services like law offices or marketing. But we also mentor them through the years in the hopes that they can get to the next level for their project. Our goal is to foster a culture of STEAM – Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. l
spread ideas.
