Program | TED Fellows

We prepare

We prepare Fellows with tools and training

Our program prepares TED Fellows with the kind of specialized abilities needed to take the global stage. Through workshops and one-to-one mentoring, Fellows hone their skills in public speaking, media relations, team leadership, and more.

We amplify

We amplify Fellows with exposure and content

Our program provides Fellows with access to a massive global audience—scientists, CEOs, designers, inventors, entrepreneurs, artists, and other curious minds—through TED Talks (which attract two million views every day), other TED-produced video content, and TED events held around the world.

We connect

We connect Fellows with community and industry

Through a year-round calendar of conferences, events, workshops, and informal gatherings, TED Fellows gain extraordinary access to colleagues, collaborators, industry leaders, and potential sponsors. What many Fellows find equally valuable is the friendship and sense of belonging they gain as part of the TED Fellows global community.

TED Fellows impact at a glance

Change that gets noticed

200M

200M people impacted by Fellows work annually

451M

451M TED Talk views

2,234

2,234 articles published by/about Fellows per year

1,303

1,303 speaking engagements each year

234

234 businesses launched

The groundbreaking work of a TED Fellow does not stay in the shadows. Each year we study the impact Fellows have on their respective fields, as measured by tangible forms of recognition. Here are some highlights from the past few years.

Fellows report greater self-confidence and a clearer sense of vision after joining the fellowship.

Our purpose

What makes a TED Fellow?

TED Fellows are some of the brightest, most ambitious thinkers, future-shapers and culture-shakers from nearly every discipline and corner of the world.

Whether it’s discovering new galaxies, leading social movements or making waves in environmental conservation, with the support of TED, Fellows are dedicated to making the world a better place through their innovative work. In 2024 the program will shift to a nomination-based application process.

Qualifications

We look for the emerging leaders working on-the-ground on world-changing ideas -- the doers, makers, inventors, technologists, filmmakers and photographers, musicians and artists, educators, scientists, entrepreneurs, nonprofit leaders, and human rights activists. Here is what we look for in a TED Fellow:

1

Emerging leaders. We focus our efforts on individuals who are in the earlier phases of their career, those who have a track record of excellence but have not received a numerous other fellowships and accolades. We search for those who are not already on the global stage.

2

Originality and authenticity. We look for proximate leaders with a unique approach to solving humanity’s greatest challenges. We look for the people working on-the-ground on world-changing ideas, putting ideas into action.

3

Kind, collaborative character. We look for individuals who have an early track record of great work in their field. We look for individuals from all disciplines, who have collaborative, kind personalities. Many Fellows claim that the community of other Fellows is the most valuable aspect of the fellowship. We try to nurture this collaborative spirit in the community.

4

Poised to grow. Since this is not a granting fellowship, we look for individuals who would best be able to use the TED community and this opportunity as a launching pad. The TED Fellowship is best for candidates who are prepared to grow with TED’s forms of support: amplification, network-building, communication training, professional development coaching and mentoring.

Meet hundreds of the world’s most innovative people.

Whatever fascinates you—from invention to education, agriculture to the arts, public health to social justice, climate change to urban planning—there’s someone in the TED Fellows community you should know.

Explore the community

Watch their TED Talks

Browse more Fellows Talks

Joy Sun

Should you donate differently?

Technology allows us to give cash directly to the poorest people on the planet. Should we do it? In this thought-provoking talk, veteran aid worker Joy Sun explores two ways to help the poor.

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Shereen El Feki

A little-told tale of sex and sensuality

“If you really want to know a people, start by looking inside their bedrooms," says Shereen El Feki, who traveled through the Middle East for five years, talking to people about sex. While those conversations reflected rigid norms and deep repression, El Feki also discovered that sexual conservatism in the Arab world is a relatively new thing. She wonders: could a re-emergence of public dialogue lead to more satisfying, and safer, sex lives?

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Mei Lin Neo

The fascinating secret lives of giant clams

When you think about the deep blue sea, you might instantly think of whales or coral reefs. But spare a thought for giant clams, the world's largest living shellfish. These incredible creatures can live to 100, grow up to four and a half feet long and weigh as much as three baby elephants. In this charming talk, marine biologist Mei Lin Neo shares why she's obsessively trying to turn these legendary sea creatures into heroes of the oceans.

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