Reporting back from TED 2026 – Changemaker Founder Deb Benson
“I ate my first mango in the hole.” That’s how Reginald Dwayne Betts opened his TED talk…and in an instant, the room shifted. Because that’s what great storytelling does. It doesn’t just inform—it invites us to see.
Over the course of a few days, that invitation kept unfolding.
Her Deepness, our own Dr. Sylvia Earle, reflected on her 2009 TED Prize wish… and how “Hope Spots” are shaping a global movement to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030.
TV host and author Van Jones challenged us to bridge the divides between us—reminding us that artificial intelligence needs a dose of “asphalt intelligence” to ground it in the human experience.
Supreme Court litigator Neal Kumar Katyal offered something quietly radical: “Meet people where they are. Listen deeply before you respond and be sure to ‘answer the worry.’” A practice that could change not just courtrooms… but conversations everywhere.
Deep tech entrepreneur D. Scott Phoenix shared that we must merge with A.I. to succeed: “Mergers that succeed leave descendants. Mergers that fail leave fossils.”
There was joy, too.
Former NASA JPL engineer Mark Rober brought science to life—igniting wonder (and a few explosions)! Through CrunchLabs, he’s sparked a generation. Now, with Class CrunchLabs, he’s making high-quality STEM education free for students everywhere.
Musician Jacob Collier got 1,700 of us on our feet, exploring “the wiggle”—that invisible thread between rhythm, harmony, and feeling.
And there was truth.
TOMS founder Blake Mycoskie shared his journey from success through deep despair—and the call for help that saved his life—now fueling his mission with We Are Enough.
Beloved author Ann Patchett shared, “Books are the rock on which I built my church.”
And our Changemaker Angus Hervey curated a session bringing something we don’t hear enough of—evidence of progress, stories of resilience, and a reminder that the future is shaped not only by what’s broken… but by what’s working.
Also in attendance, Changemaker and Reinvention Queen Dr. Nadya Zhexembayeva, helping organizations monetize volatility in a world that won’t settle down.
After two years on the TEDx Council and coaching dozens of speakers toward their red circle moment, I felt it again, so clearly:
This work matters.
To those of you curating stages—
You’re not just booking speakers.
You’re shaping what people believe is possible.
The stories we tell—and the ones we amplify—shape the future we’re building together.
If you’re building for the year ahead, we’d love to contribute to your success.
