The Beginning of TEDxBatonRouge

They aren’t sure who said it first. They aren’t sure how long they kept skirting around it. All they know is that by the third time Morgan Almeida and Melissa Thompson met to discuss “potentially” bringing a new TEDx event to Baton Rouge, Melissa had already applied for the license. After working on the TEDxLSU team for a combined 10+ years, Melissa and Morgan wanted to take what they learned and apply it to a new community-wide event, and they found it; TEDxBatonRouge was happening. While the pandemic altered the timing a bit, they both feel everything is falling into place. “There's this palpable momentum and energy going on in Baton Rouge,” Morgan said. “After the pandemic, people came back with a vengeance ready to start and tackle new things in the community. We wanted to capitalize on it. And TEDxBatonRouge is the perfect platform to build upon that momentum.”

So what exactly is TEDx?  

TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience, TED being a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading, often in the form of short talks delivered by leading thinkers and doers. And if it sounds familiar, it’s most likely because TEDx events are found throughout the world, with dozens across the state and at least four different ones in the Capital Region in the last decade and a half. “Each TEDx event is independently organized and has its own mission, with TEDxBatonRouge’s specific mission of focusing on homegrown Baton Rouge ideas,” Melissa shares.

Some TEDx events bring speakers from outside communities to share ideas, whereas TEDxBatonRouge operates differently. “We want to give a local spotlight and a national stage to our own community members,” Melissa shared. “All the talks are filmed, added to the TEDx YouTube channel, and distributed to the world.” Melissa goes on to add how the ideas shared at TEDxBatonRouge might not be ones you’ve heard before. “We want to help share untold stories. We also hope it sparks a conversation. TEDxBatonRouge is just one night, but we hope the experience carries on for days, weeks, years to come because it helps form new connections and gets people to think differently.”

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

With its inaugural event taking place this September, it’s easy to focus solely on the speakers and the ideas, specifically who is going to be on stage. However, Morgan believes the players behind the scenes are just as important. “One of the valuable things about TEDxBatonRouge is we are building a team of thinkers, doers, and dreamers in our community to make this experience a reality,” Morgan mentions. “It may be a one-day event, but it's a highly-curated experience that’s only possible with a team who is dedicated to Baton Rouge and sparking conversations.” One thing has been clear since the beginning of their work - a commitment to community. “We are both dedicated Baton Rouge advocates,” Melissa stresses. “We want this to be a celebration of Baton Rouge ideas and to have a team that is equally committed to Baton Rouge.”

What’s next?

With a strong team in place, date and venue set, TEDxBatonRouge is on track for the September 14 event at the Manship Theatre. We’ll share more news and behind-the-scenes stories here, so follow along. To sign up for our TEDxBatonRouge newsletter, click here.