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. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized (subject to certain rules and regulations).

Playaskool
9:45 and Esplanade
Black Rock City, Nevada
United States

Esther Perel & Isabel Behncke

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Brian Baker

Brian is a West Point Graduate, Army veteran and an Episcopal Priest who has been working on increasing diversity and creating communities of compassion for over 25 years. He was a leader in the Episcopal Church’s move to marriage equality and has helped facilitate LGBTQ conversations in Africa where homosexuality is still criminalized. He was awarded the Stonewall Democrat’s Four Freedom’s Award for his work opposing Prop 8 in California. He works to bridge divides between faiths, participating regularly in events with Muslims and Jews. He has taught extensively with Buddhist monks and is included in the documentary Journey of the Heart that explores the importance of the Heart Sutra. In 2005 he facilitated a conversation between the Dalai Lama and religious leaders in Idaho where he was living at the time. Brian is a popular speaker on issues of spirituality in yoga studios and festivals, such as Wanderlust and the Sun Valley Wellness Festival. Last year, Brian’s tattooed, dreadlocked, “I’m more of a Buddhist” Daughter came into two tickets to Burning Man and she asked him to go with her. The video of the sermon he preached the day after he returned from his eye-opening experience has been seen over 33,000 times.

Chip Conley

The founder and former CEO of Joie de Vivre Hospitality, Chip Conley at age 26 took an inner city motel and turned it into the 2nd largest boutique hotel brand in the world. The author of four books, including PEAK and The New York Times bestseller, EMOTIONAL EQUATIONS, he shares his theories on transformation and meaning with audiences around the world. Chip joined Airbnb as Head of Global Hospitality & Strategy in 2013, where he's been instrumental in turning it into the world’s largest hospitality company – teaching his award-winning methods to hundreds of thousands of hosts in nearly 200 countries. Chip founded Fest300 in 2013 to share his passion for travel and the world’s best festivals. He received his BA and MBA from Stanford University, and holds an honorary doctorate in psychology from Saybrook University. He serves on the boards of the Esalen Institute, Burning Man Project and NeueHouse.

Darren McBride

Darren McBride, 54 is an electrical engineer, computer designer, and the CEO of Highly Reliable Systems, a manufacturer of storage appliances that backup server data. He also founded Sierra Computer Group, an IT services company based in Reno Nevada. Darren was the long time host of the Computer Bytes radio show, a guest lecturer at the University of Nevada, Reno, and past president of Entrepreneurs Organization (EO).

Julia Shaw

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