Twitter. Facebook. Tumblr. Students are no strangers to the rise of social media communities. But just how can communities like these affect change? That’s one of the questions TEDxSanLuisObispo speakers will address at the Christopher Cohan Performing Arts Center on Friday.
The TEDx talks, titled “The Power of Community,” will center around the theme of community in four themed sessions: interpersonal relationships, online communities, communities and the workplace and community and social good.
Each session will have three to four speakers, each of whom will have five to 18 minutes to address their community-related topic.
One of the speakers that organizers are particularly excited about is Neha Sangwan, who plans to address the impact of communities on our health.
According to Sangwan, stress exacerbates 95 percent of all illness in our lives.
“It’s really important to connect and give ideas to the San Luis Obispo community about ways that they can make choices long before they need to see a doctor,” Sangwan said.
Sangwan is excited to be in San Luis Obispo as a TEDx speaker.
“There’s life in communities that have schools and academic settings — I love the energy of students,” Sangwan said.
San Luis Obispo’s incredible sense of community is one of the reasons Experts Exchange, the premier sponsor of the event, chose “community” as a theme, the event’s co-organizer Kimberly Anderson said.
“As a city, what better thing to talk about than the amazing community we have here,” Anderson said, mentioning San Luis Obispo’s recently earned title as the “Happiest Place in America.”
“We in SLO are authority to speak to the world on community,” she said.
While TED is a national brand holding conferences twice a year in Long Beach, Calif. and Edinburgh, Scotland, TEDx events are self-organized events approved by TED that allows local societies to have the “TED-like experience,” Anderson said.
According to event organizer Jenn Prentice, one of the most unique things the TEDxSanLuisObispo offers is the opportunity for the attendees to participate in a “community brainstorm” with the Chamber of Commerce. Each attendee will be welcomed with a packet of Post-its and a pen to jot down ideas for the city during the speeches and then share with the Chamber of Commerce, taking the TEDx theme of community beyond the auditorium.
Tickets can be purchased at tedxsanluisobispo.
Allison Montroy contributed to this article.