As Event Chair, TEDxManitoba 2012 was an incredible journey travelled with some very special individuals  – all who shared a passion for showcasing Manitoba and for “Ideas Worth Spreading”.

My sincere thanks and gratitude go to

• Our Sponsors – those who returned from 2011 and those who came on board for the first time this year. As an event that doesn’t generate revenue of any kind, we could not have done this without you. Your support has meant that we can offer our event free of charge —ensuring that money is not an artificial barrier to change-makers who want to attend.

• Our Speakers – their ideas have inspired us, changed us and will forever cause us to think differently

• My Steering Committee – the Committee Leads who took time away from their families and jobs to put in countless hours, leadership and sweat into bringing this event to life

• All of the Organizing Team Members and Volunteers – the contingent of about 30 individuals who worked passionately on one of the six committees or who joined us for the day to ensure everything ran smoothly

• Our Guests – those at the event in person and the close to 1000 who joined us on the live stream from parts all over the world

I am, beyond description, honored to have shared this journey with each of you so far. I say “so far” because the journey is not over. No, the journey now enters its second phase—the one where we all take what we learned from the day, the connections we made and the ideas we heard that are worth spreading, and we put them into action.

Who will be the lone nut doing something great, and who will have the guts to be the first follower?

Let’s keep this journey going…

In the next few weeks, we’ll be processing the videos and putting them up for people to watch (again), share and consider.

But I have a question for everyone. What can we do to stay connected and keep the ideas spreading? How can we work together to take the energy and motivation of February 9th and take it out into the world?

Several times throughout the day, we heard about the need and the strength of collaboration. So let’s collaborate. There are lots of ways this could happen, and I’m hoping that we can have a discussion here about how best to do it.

At the very least, let’s all connect through social media. You can find co-ordinates here and here.

What do you think of setting up a group blog, dedicated to discussing and implementing our (what)if ^x formulae? I can set that up. Would someone want to start a monthly meetup? A weekly tweetchat? There are lots of possibilities. Yesterday, we became a community. Let’s try to keep it going.

If you’re interested, or if you have suggestions about how you think we can do it, please comment below.

UPDATE: The live stream is over, obviously. We will be posting the individual videos sometime in the next three weeks.

Morning Session:

Afternoon Sessions:

Read more attendee profiles here.

UPDATE: We missed Kyle somehow. So we added him. Sorry Kyle!

Why are you volunteering as Chair for TEDxManitoba 2012?

“Lis, how would you like to be a part of bringing the first TEDx event to Winnipeg, Manitoba?”

It was the spring of 2010 when I was first approached for this opportunity and I jumped at the chance. I jumped in deep as Marketing and Communications Lead, Social Media Coordinator, Steering Committee member, and member of the Speakers Committee for TEDxManitoba 2011.

TEDxManitoba 2011 was an incredible amount of work to pull off, but also, incredibly rewarding to be part of. We made a difference to our audience, to our speakers, to our sponsors, and we helped spread some incredible ideas that otherwise would have gone unknown. We showcased Manitoba. We helped make a difference. People were affected for a long time afterwards – the event changed people.

I couldn’t help but want to be a part of that again. So when the past Chair asked me to take on the Chair role, I stepped into those big shoes and began building the team to bring 2012 to life.

Which TED talk do you think everyone should watch?

Derek Sivers: How to start a movement.

More attendee profiles are here.

This is Rachelle’s second year involved with TEDxManitoba, adding that “while it can be very intense work it’s well worth it when you see the end result.”

What’s your role on the organizing committee?

Sponsorship Committee Lead

Why are you volunteering for TEDxManitoba 2012?

I’m volunteering because I believe in TED’s concept of mixing ideas and people to achieve meaningful outcomes. I want to make certain the event is as successful as possible by applying my leadership and management skills.

Which TED talk do you think everyone should watch?

Derek Sivers’s How to start a movement.

More attendee profiles here.

What’s your role on the organizing committee?

Chair, Guest Selection Committee

Why are you volunteering for TEDxManitoba 2012?

My friend and colleague, Lisa MacKenzie asked me to become involved in TEDxManitoba 2012. At that point I had never heard of TED or TEDx, but after doing some research and watching some TED videos, I was very excited to become a part of this incredible event.

Which TED talk do you think everyone should watch?

Ken Robinson on Changing Education Paradigms.

(Changing Education Paradigms, as adapted by RSA Animate, is featured as one of TED’s “Best of the Web” talks. Sir Ken Robinson is a TED speaker and he has delivered two additional talks on education that are definitely worth spreading.)