TED WOMEN 2023TED WOMEN 2023

Two Steps Forward

As the quest for true equity remains elusive — TEDWomen is a joyful space for all leaders at the top of their field across industries, genders, generations, geographies and disciplines.

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OCT 11

Discovery Sessions

Uncover new skills, create connections or express your creativity through an array of in-depth workshops. This is your opportunity to dive deeper into an area of interest or explore a new challenge. *Start times may vary.

Options include: Women of Atlanta bike tour • Walk through Civil Rights history • World of welding • Equity and the chocolate factory • The robo-shop • Black girl magic: A mural tour • Tai chi meditation • A time for wine • Graffiti, shall we? • Fashion behind the scenes • Two steps together • TED Explores: A New Climate Vision • Clear-eyed leadership • Turn your passion into policy • Reimagining philanthropy • Designing an inclusive future beyond Earth • VOICES • Climate Wayfinding • Finding resilience as a working parent

 

OCT 12

Discovery Sessions

Choose your own adventure from an array of in-depth workshops, bucket list activities and innovative offerings. Try something new or dive into a topic you already love. *Start times may vary.

Options include: Sustainability in action bike tour • A walk in the woods • The Center for Civil and Human Rights • Hip hop spin class • Pickleball party! • The flower hour • Biomimicry in the botanical garden • Fashion behind the scenes • A more perfect justice system • Generation unknown • TED Explores: A New Climate Vision • The inner journey to more conscious investing • Upholding Indigenous entrepreneurs • VOICES • When women lead, action follows • The science of resilience • Exploring digital intimacy

 

TED Talks We LovedTED Talks We Loved

My Mission to Change the Narrative of Mental Health | Glenn Close

With her legendary starring roles in film and television, Glenn Close has made an indelible imprint on Hollywood. Now she wants to help transform society’s negative perceptions of mental illness.

Fireflies: wonders of nature | Wan Faridah Akmal Jusoh

Entomologist and conservationist Wan Faridah Akmal Jusoh explores and documents the amazing diversity of fireflies.

Wild, Intricate Sculptures — Made Out of My Hair | Laetitia Ky

Laetitia Ky’s mesmerizing artistic creations use hair as a medium to address issues of race, sexism and social justice.

What’s Your Leadership Language? | Rosita Najmi | TED

Rosita Najmi helps companies drive equitable social, environmental and economic development.

Reed’s Healing Journey | Lindsay Morris & Reed J. Williams

Lindsay Morris is a freelance photographer and photo editor who captures the fascinating stories and personal histories of everyday humans. Reed J. Williams is a writer, student and advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.

How Film Changes the Way We See the World | Ava DuVernay | TED

Ava DuVernay is a writer, producer, director and founder of ARRAY, a Peabody Award-winning arts collective centering work by women and people of color.

Inspiring Change through Wellbeing: Insights from Fundación FEMSA’s Breakfast in Mexico City Inspiring Change through Wellbeing: Insights from Fundación FEMSA’s Breakfast in Mexico City

Guest Post by

Alejandra Garza & Fernanda Martínez

Last week, on July 27th, we had the honor of attending a remarkable breakfast organized by Fundación FEMSA in Mexico City. The event brought together more than 100 participants working in the field of social change in Mexico, making it an inspiring and timely occasion.

Since 2008, Fundación FEMSA has been working on the premise that “a sustainable company can only exist with sustainable communities.” Over the years, they have made significant strides in Sustainable Development, Early Childhood, Arts & Culture, Circular Economies, and most recently, Wellbeing, which was the focal point of this enriching event.The session was inaugurated by Sebastian Viramontes, Global Wellness Manager at FEMSA, who shared FEMSA’s wellbeing model, integrated by 5 areas: Healthy Body, Psychological Wellbeing, Workplace Wellbeing, Financial Wellbeing and Social Connection. He highlighted the far-reaching impact of this model, not only on FEMSA’s workforce, but also on their families and the broader community.

After this presentation, Dr. Rosalinda Ballesteros, Director of Instituto de Ciencias del Bienestar y la Felicidad of Universidad Tecmilenio, México, elaborated on the challenges of work-related stress and the implications of this in social change work. Drawing on her expertise in positive psychology, she shared practical strategies for promoting personal wellbeing, emphasizing the importance of curiosity in exploring one’s own emotions, needs, as well as unique perspectives, and learning how to do this in normal everyday life.

Both presentations highlighted the link between personal flourishing and the sustainability of collective efforts, affirming that only by taking care of ourselves and each other can we hope to build a future where transformative change becomes a reality.

The event ended with a psychodrama exercise led by David Ordaz, Social Psychologist and Master in Political Sociology. Through role-playing and embodiment exercises, participants connected with their emotions and shared their visions for the future of the social change sector in Mexico.

It was a real honor and pleasure to attend this wonderful event. We are inspired to see wellbeing as a topic that is growing strongly in this region and to have witnessed how everyone present was genuinely interested in exploring ways to incorporate and enhance wellbeing on both a personal and organizational level. The enthusiasm and commitment shown by all attendees and speakers was wonderful and it is heartwarming to see a growing community that values the wellbeing of individuals and organizations alike. 

We are very grateful to have been part of such an uplifting experience and are excited to witness the continued growth of a community that values the wellbeing of all its members.

Guest Post by Alejandra Garza

I had the privilege to represent The Wellbeing Project in the Latin American Impact Investment Forum (FLII) a few weeks ago (Feb 28th – March 2nd, 2023) in Mérida, Mexico and am still reminiscing over all the shared encounters, stories, people, music and color that I got to meet and experience during this inspiring event.

It is with deep admiration and gratitude that I remember each person I met, each story I heard, and each dream that was shared with me so kindly during this wonderful event. It was a short pause for all of us who care so deeply for our region, to meet, share and explore our possible collaborations and hopes towards creating positive change in Latin America today and in the future.

I am especially grateful for being invited to share about The Wellbeing Project’s work in the region in a shared discussion titled “Burnout in the era of Wellbeing.” I had the privilege to share this beautiful space and conversation with Juan Carlos de la Hoz from the Inter-American Development Bank, Nicolas Demeilliers, founder of &you, Anna Corona from ayam, and Daniela Peralvo from IMPAQTO. Through our engaging conversation and Daniela’s key questions, we shared about the importance of wellbeing for social changemakers in Latin America, and the key characteristics that make this region so special and unique.

It was particularly inspiring to hear a collective awe from the audience when sharing that at The Wellbeing Project we truly believe that Wellbeing Inspires Welldoing. I could feel that the phrase clicked with everyone present, and they too recognized the importance of inner wellbeing, as it relates to the success of their projects and work. The conversation ended with a shared mindfulness meditation imparted by Anna from ayam, and we all got 5 minutes to pause, give thanks and reset, amid this lively and exciting event. This helped all of us present to recognize that it is something we have in us and that we can do every day. No matter the situation, it just takes a minute to pause and connect with our breath in the present moment. We all have that superpower within us.

Thank you, New Ventures for organizing this amazing event, and for this opportunity. Thank you everyone in the audience for attending, for your passion, your commitment, and your willingness to be a part of this important conversation for our region. I am honored to have connected with each and every one of you, and I look forward to continuing this amazing journey of inner wellbeing together.

Global Summit on Dance Movement Therapy for Change – Reflections Global Summit on Dance Movement Therapy for Change – Reflections

By: Anubha Agarwal , Research & Learning Manager at The Wellbeing Project

Date: January 2023

Last month I had the pleasure to represent The Wellbeing Project at the Fourth Biennial Global Summit on Dance Movement Therapy for Change in the eclectic and colorful city of Jaipur, Rajasthan in India. 

The two-day event was co-hosted by Kolkata Sanved – a non-profit organization based in India promoting holistic well-being through Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) and Center for Lifelong Learning (CLL), Tata Institute of Social Sciences – a unit of the leading public research university in India.  

The fourth biennale held on January 12-13th , 2023 in Jaipur was focused on exploring the role of DMT and other creative expressions in building our collective resilience for navigating a world that seems to be at a heightened risk of diminished ecological health and well-being. The 2023 Fourth Biennale DMT for Change was attended by a diverse global audience comprising of development sector professionals, including DMT practitioners, Creative Art Therapy (CAT) practitioners, social scientists and public health experts.

With a colorful mix of experiential sessions, workshops, panel discussions and art installations, the Summit events wove together seamlessly in a rich tapestry. While ecological well-being of planet Earth and the looming danger of the climate crisis was the dominant theme at the Summit, the event was peppered with participatory sessions and workshops employing music, visual arts and storytelling to express individual reflections. 

That artistic underlying theme at the Summit was evident, when at the time of registration, each Summit attendee was offered an option to choose a handheld musical instrument ( displayed below ). I found it amusing to briefly fiddle with the wide range of percussion instruments and select one, even though the intended use was not entirely clear to me. It became clear in time as the attendees enthusiastically sounded the percussion tools to endorse a speaker or an idea, infusing fresh energy and cheerfulness into the Summit events in the process. 

Before the Summit, I was unfamiliar with the role of dance movement therapy as a psycho-therapeutic healing practice. Even though it is commonly known that dancing releases mood-enhancing hormones in humans, I was curious to understand how DMT was different in terms of providing subsistence to trauma victims and survivors of violence in our communities. 

While I was quite thrilled to avail an opportunity to experience DMT through an experiential workshop at the Summit, I was also mindful not to participate in the workshop with the possibly unfair expectation to fully imbibe the therapeutic benefits of dance movement therapy. Considering DMT is a therapy, it might need longer duration support and intervention, than joining in one hour and a half long session. Having personally experienced the de-stressing effect of many dance forms in the past despite having two left feet, I was looking forward to experiencing DMT first hand. 

During the workshop, free flowing movements that came naturally to each one of us were encouraged, the underlying thought being that DMT is a safe space where in every individual is free to express themselves in the way they want. In line with this tenet, an unfamiliar yet intriguing section of the workshop encouraged each participant to imagine their physical body as a paint brush and to use their limbs and torso to paint a limitless, imaginary canvas. Shifting my mental lens to think of my physical form as a paint-brush took some getting used to but eventually the infectious energy of the workshop cohort took over.  

I admit to feeling mentally relaxed and exhilarated post-workshop but still curious to understand how DMT could potentially serve as an antidote to counteract violence in our vulnerable communities. In a country like India, society norms can be quite restrictive of womens’ movement outside the society- or family-ordained ‘safe’ physical spaces, so I felt it would have been insightful to know how the DMT practice can support individuals in freely expressing their possibly repressed agency and take better care of their holistic well-being. In retrospect, I think hearing narratives from DMT practitioners who use DMT as a tool to navigate everyday threats to their physical and mental well-being, would have been of immense value in understanding the practice better. 

It is entirely possible that such narratives may have already been shared in the past Summit editions, but as a first-time participant, I missed the absence of such narratives. I did get to interact with a couple of DMT practitioners who mentioned that the practice helps them cope with everyday stress and shift the lens on how they view their lives. 

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One of the key learnings for me during the Summit was the reinforcement that approaches to enhance one’s well-being are quite individualized. Availing the opportunities to experience different expressive art forms at the Summit was a constant reminder that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to well-being. An art therapy that might have a profound impact on one, might fail to put a dent on another individual’s well-being. 

There is also the question of lack of funding to support well-being – the proverbial elephant in the room. However, until the world decided to acknowledge the presence of the aforementioned elephant and fully awaken to the mental health crisis we are in, one of the speakers at the Summit offered a slightly simpler solution to cope, “Art therapy is expensive… a good place to start is to start noticing what art tools you have easy access to at home such as fallen leaves, spices or other readily accessible elements of nature often overlooked. Art material could be taken from elements that are part of an individual’s environment or identity.” 

The two-day DMT Summit for Change feels like a great step in the right direction as such gatherings help mainstream conversations on mental well-being and facilitate the oft-forgotten human connect. Overall, the two days left me feeling happier, joyous and craving for more opportunities to rekindle the deeper human connect, that often gets overlooked in our everyday lives, but that such events help us remember. 

The reigning emotion for me at the end of the two-day art-based DMT for Change Summit and 2022 The Wellbeing Summit was that of HOPE. Hope for mental well-being taking center stage at a global level, specifically in cultures that in the aftermath of the pandemic are slowly opening up to talking about mental health and well-being.

GUIDING NEW DAILY RITUALS IN COVID-19 AND BEYONDGUIDING NEW DAILY RITUALS IN COVID-19 AND BEYOND

By Alana Cookman, Organisational Wellbeing Lead for The Wellbeing Project

“I miss my commute” is something I thought no-one would ever say.  But now it feels like everyone is saying it. Why is something that was the bane of many a working day, suddenly being remembered as a cherished time? Did the crowded metro provide that much needed human contact? Perhaps it is one of the many everyday things we have lost and are mourning. It’s actually quite likely that we are missing the transition from Place A to Place B because it allowed us time to depart Role A and psychologically and emotionally arrive in Role B.  

It turns out that role transitions pre-pandemic had a much more important task in our everyday lives than we gave them credit for. They supported crucial psychological detachment and a mindset shift that we are fast realizing is missing, as we live out all our roles from one confined place. Whether it was a walk in the park, or a gym session after a stressful day, or listening to music on our way to work, these activities, whether accidentally or intentionally ritualized, help support us ‘land’ in our various roles in a way that feels spacious – with less chance of stress and tension from the various parts seeping in to each other. How do you manage the crossing of your roles now?  A cup of tea, a five minute meditation, a listen to your favorite podcast on a walk round the block, as you used to do on your morning commute, that helps you get into ‘work mode’? My daughter misses her many daily and weekly rituals from school. The activities that separate morning and afternoon, play time and work time, celebration and connection, endings and beginnings.  The ‘golden time’ that makes work time that much more motivating. Ritualised activities can be invigorating or calming depending on what you need,  and provide a welcome element of predictability for centering and grounding in times of such flux, and for honouring and acknowledging the change and loss happening so rapidly around us.  

“Ritual practice is the activity of cultivating extraordinary ordinariness. It is necessary, because human activity has a kind of entropy about it; life, like love, runs down. Things get tiresome and difficult. Body and soul cry out for something different, hence the impetus to ritualize. But if the ritually extraordinary becomes a goal or is severed from ordinariness, it loses its capacity to transform, which, after all, is what rites of passage are supposed to do.” Ronal Grimes

There is a finer sense of awareness on what nourishes us, energises us and depletes us, as we tend to all parts of our lives in one physical space, too. Our shifting understanding of what work-life balance means to us is on our minds.  What do we want this to look like when some more predictable routine returns? Rather than think of work-life balance as another thing to be achieved or fixed, it’s helpful to think of it as a continuum, with integration on one end and segmentation on another. While we are more on the integrated end of things at the moment, what can we learn from segmentors? 

This is where the concept of micro transitions come in handy, because they help ease or put up the boundaries we need to support us transition from one role to another, depending on where on the continuum you want to sit.  And that’s the beautiful thing with continuums; polarities aren’t problems to be solved, but rather parts of the same whole that can be managed, depending on your own needs and contexts.  Polarity mapping is a tool that helps us adopt a ‘both, and’  as opposed to an ‘either,or’ mindset, something that is increasingly helpful in these complex times where many outcomes are likely to emerge in ways we aren’t accustomed to.  It is a helpful process to use when you are faced with what seems like an opposing or contradictory situation and need a moment to reflect on where feels like a healthier place for you to be, both personally and in your professional lives. 

The urgency of attending to immediate, and often unknown, needs (whilst being very distracted) during the first two months of the Covid-19 pandemic unfolding, is making way for different concerns, as we continue on in our worlds of ‘sheltering in place’. Many people emerging from what felt like a months of back-to-back Zoom calls are craving an element of sustainability to their days and weeks ahead. Accepting a possible longer haul at home has us wondering how we can create space in between our calls, roles, days and weekends, to enable a healthier way of being, working, and living. How are you showing up and switching off in this time of blurred boundaries?  What do your in-between spaces look like? Do you even have any?  Are your kids sharing breakfast with your team in little squares on your laptop screen? Are your work issues seeping into your relationships? How many times have you checked email in bed recently? Perhaps you aren’t working right now, which could be causing worry or guilt.  Some of us don’t want to do anything and are anxious we aren’t being creative, productive or even reflective enough. Some of us want to be doing much more to help others in more pressing need. We are craving human connection but are drained by virtual meetings. It seems our working selves are in a flux of paradox and polarity. 

Even though lockdowns are easing globally, it’s very likely that it will be a slow process and remote work in some form, is here to stay for many of us. Given this largely unplanned merger  of life and work, it’s a good time to think about how we approach our different roles, wherever you sit on the compress or expanse scale.  How are you embodying your various roles in ways that you want to, without leaving the physical space you are in? How are you creating in-between spaces, or micro-transitions, that help you show up and switch off in ways that support you and those around you? Can you share any rituals that support these transitions in your extraordinary everyday life?  Being well and working well do not have to be separate ends of the pole.

What differences can you make now that your body and soul will be thankful for? Whatever your answer might be, know that this is the moment where you can design the new you.

About the author:
Alana Cookman is Organisational Wellbeing Lead at The Wellbeing Project  which is exploring and demonstrating how individual and organisational wellbeing can be cultivated, to catalyse a shift towards a more human-centred culture in the social change sector.