True Possible Tickets Available Soon - Speaker Applications Now Open
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May 8 - Save the Date! We are back in action in 2026
Every TEDxLaSierraUniversity event has a theme. Our theme for our upcoming event is "True Possible" The idea of our 2026 theme relates to the search for and revelation of undiscovered ideas and worlds that go on behind the scenes and beneath the surface. Our speaker committee is curating ideas that will inspire our audience, tap into their curiosity with a visit behind the scenes about how things work, or reveal powerful examples of new approaches. Our most recent past event was themed "Through it All," and was a search for the victories, humanity, and lessons that can be found when we push through to the other side of fear, destruction, apathy, and pain. Our event themes have been visioned within a seven-part series, and our live audience will feel a forward progression into our newest theme.
Each of our events feature a diverse range of talks and topics, but all are unified in some way by the theme for our event. Our one-day conference experience in 2026 will divide our talks and activities into three sessions, each with a subtheme (1) Behind-the-Scenes, (2) Beneath the Surface, (3) Revelation.
Watch this Space
Our organizing team at TEDxLaSierraU is hard at work behind the scenes to make our upcoming event our best yet! We are currently working to finalize our speaker curation (interested speakers keep reading below!), and will be opening up our ticket and conference registration by early 2026. Thank you to our incredible local community who have been part of our journey and continuing thematic story since 2014!
Do you have an idea worth spreading? Speaking at TEDxLaSierraUniversity
Our call for speakers response form is now available here. Our team encourages you to review the guidelines information below and theme information in the form before submitting your idea.
Speaking at TEDxLaSierraUniversity
TED recommends to our organizing team that it’s actually not the person we should be searching for, but the person’s idea or innovation. This is a great way to decipher between a TEDx speaker, and an interesting person with an “okay” idea. What will the audience walk away knowing – that this person exists, or a new idea? For example, if you were to describe a potential talk to a stranger and say more about the speaker (“this lady who runs that local charity,” “this guy who made this film”) than a specific idea, that's a clue that you need to go back to that speaker and find their idea, not their identity.
So, what ideas are we looking for?
- We look for new ideas that originate in our local community but are widely relatable
- We look for ideas that need to be defended – not something self-evident, but an interesting argument, perhaps with an antagonist.
- We look for an idea the TED world hasn't heard before (In other words, not a copy of a TED Talk you like!).
- We look for ideas that change perceptions (e.g., a scientific discovery that changes how you think about frogs).
If you are interested in speaking at a TEDxLaSierraUniversity event, it is highly recommended that, before applying, you review the resources and guidelines outlined here, content rules here, and in particular download and view the speaker guide here. If you plan to deliver a talk on a scientific topic, please review TED's science standards for speakers.
As you complete our speaker response form, please know that a local voice with an idea worth spreading is preferred by our speaker committee over professional speakers seeking a new venue for a message they share regularly. And demonstrating that you are willing to take the time to understand our theme and goals to help us better understand the authentic you who is interested in this opportunity will have an important impact on our consideration.
TEDx Program
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TED has created a program called TEDx. TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. Our event is called TEDxLaSierraUniversity, where x = independently organized TED event. At our TEDxLaSierraUniversity event, TEDTalks content and live speakers will combine to spark deep discussion and connection. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events, including ours, are self-organized. Learn more about the global TEDx program at https://www.ted.com/about/programs-initiatives/tedx-program
TEDx, x = independently organized event
This independent TEDx event is operated under license from TED. For information about the global TEDx program, click here.
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