TEDTalk’s Monique Ruff-Bell Discusses The Power Of Conversation And Why Talking Will Change The World

Ideas have always been the bedrock of society. They are the catalytic engine for progress, improvement, and human development. But they’re nothing if not conveyed effectively.

That’s where TEDx (Technology/Entertainment/Design) comes in.

The global community that has become synonymous with thought leadership was created to research and discover “ideas worth spreading” through its signature presentation style featuring really interesting people. Monique Ruff-Bell is at the helm of making that all happen.

As the head of conferences at TEDx, she’s responsible for managing, planning, and executing TED’s flagship global conferences that draw thousands of attendees…and millions of views online.

“What people don’t realize is those TEDTalk clips they love to watch all stem from the in-person conferences we have through the year,” Ruff-Bell told ESSENCE. “They’re not just filmed at a studio or anything like that. There’s a whole experience that’s wrapped around the talks that are coming off of our stages.”

The conferences take place in Vancouver, BC, Canada and convene expert thinkers from all walks of life including academics, educators, researchers, philanthropists, environmentalists, scientists, technologists, artists, and activists among many others.

“The conference really is this beautiful melting pot of thinkers that unpack things in a way we’ve never thought about before, and articulate their ideas in a way everyone and anyone can understand.”

The seasoned event producer and former marketer has built a storied career built on curating meaningful experiences. At the core of every event is storytelling.

“We make it a point to choose the most eclectic groups of people to collaborate with,” she explained, sharing that TEDx conference attendees have to submit an application and be selected in the audience. This process aims to spark interesting conversations on and off the stage.

“I always say that there’s wonderful people who are talking on that stage, but the true, true shining star of Ted is the community, the people who are there to listen. Because I’ve never been anywhere where people have such wonderful, authentic conversations and they never ask you what you do. They’re just there. They just want to listen to you because of who you are. It’s just because you have an interesting thought. That’s it.”

More information about upcoming TEDx events can be found at Ted.com.