Demystifying the TEDx Process: From Big Idea to Big Stage

Demystifying the TEDx Process: From Big Idea to Big Stage

Two-Day Workshop Details:

Dates: Saturday, October 4 and Sunday, October 5

Time: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM (EST) (4 Total Hours)

Location: Register for Zoom link

Workshop Description

Have you ever dreamed of sharing your idea on a TEDx stage—but felt unsure about how to start, how to stand out, or even how to apply? Join Dawn J. Fraser, nationally acclaimed storyteller, communications coach, and Lead Advisor & Organizer for TEDxStanford, for a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to land and deliver a powerful TEDx talk.In this interactive workshop, Dawn will demystify the TEDx application process and share the exact steps she used to land her own TED Talk—through a competitive application process that she’ll walk you through.

You’ll learn

• What curators actually look for in TEDx applications

• How to identify and frame your “idea worth spreading”

• Why strong storytelling matters more than credentials

• Common pitfalls to avoid in your application and delivery

• How TEDx can be a launchpad for broader speaking, media, and impact

Ideal Participants:

This 2-day workshop is perfect for aspiring thought leaders, speakers, educators, and creatives who want to elevate their message and inspire wider audiences. Whether you’re TEDx-curious or already polishing your pitch, you’ll walk away with actionable tools—and a clearer path toward your own red dot moment.

About the Speakers

Featured Speaker: Dawn J. Fraser is a storyteller, public speaker and a nationally acclaimed communications coach based out of San Jose, California. She is the Creator/ Host of ‘Barbershop Stories’, which features storytellers performing true tales in barbershops and salons around NYC, and the Founder/ CEO of Fraser’s Edge, LLC, which offers programs for businesses, nonprofits, and college students the opportunity to develop their leadership potential through storytelling. Past clients have included companies like Spotify, Vox Media and Google as well as 1 on 1 celebrities including the rapper Common. Dawn currently serves as a Lead Instructor with The Moth and was featured amongst some of the nation’s top change makers at TED@NYC. She loves being a twin, a Trinidadian, and tweetable @dawnjfraser. Dawn received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from UCLA, and a Masters in Public Policy at Harvard University, where she was the recipient of the Barbara Jordan Award for Women’s Leadership due to her commitment to building community and serving as a role model for women aspiring to be leaders.

Host & Moderator: Chevelle Dixon is the Founder and Managing Director of Pan-African Solutions Consulting LLC, a strategic planning consulting services firm that assists organizations access to the Black Diaspora development in Africa, the Caribbean, and urban communities in the United States. Established in 2013, the firm gained Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MWBE) certification with New York City in 2020 and with New York State in 2023. Chevelle is a Black American woman hailing from Brooklyn, New York. She graduated from NYU with a Master of Urban Planning and International Development, from Harvard University with a joint A.B. in Economics and African Studies, and from the Nightingale-Bamford School. She sits on the Alumnae Board of The Nightingale-Bamford School, serves as a Harvard Alumni Admissions Interviewer, is a Harvard Black Alumni Society Board Member Emeritus, and is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. In her spare time, she is as an educator, polyglot, and an avid traveler, having been to over 50 countries (specifically 15 within Africa) on five continents.