TEDxGEORGETOWN PRESENTS

RISK TAKERS

Saturday, October 24, 2015 | Gaston Hall

Taking a risk is scary. That’s what makes it a risk. It implies that a very real possibility of not succeeding looms over the decision in question. In some cases, sustaining the status quo appears much more preferable than running the risk of failure. After all, the status quo is familiar and known, providing a sense of comfort. But what is it that pushes some to forgo the comfort of continuity in exchange for the uncertain?

The theme of TEDxGeorgetown 2015, Risk Takers, will give twelve speakers an opportunity to answer that question on the historic Gaston Hall stage. It will be broken into three different sessions, each highlighting different stages or factors of the risk taking process. There will be four speakers in each session and each TEDTalk will last approximately 13-17 minutes. After each session, there will be Breakout Sessions in which the event attendees will have a chance to interact more closely with the speakers they just heard on stage.

1st session: Inspiring the Uninspired

The first session seeks to address the underlying factor behind those who decide to take a risk - motivation. Speakers in this session will share their “Aha moment” as it relates to a chance they took and how it provided inspiration to move forward.

2nd session: Fail Forward

The second session will focus on the very real possibility of failure that comes along with risk. Speakers in this session will talk about how part of taking a risk is opening oneself up to failure, and how that failure can be channeled into something more productive in the future.

3rd session: High Risk, High Reward

The third and final session will culminate in talks from those who have taken a major gamble in their life and came out on top. Speakers in this session will discuss moments in their life in which taking a risk paid off big time.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. TEDx is a new program that enables local communities such as universities, businesses, libraries, neighbourhoods or just groups of friends to organise, design and host their own independent, TED-like events.