Last week, we asked all of our Spark Plaza members to share their favorite Ted Talks for some motivation and inspiration to close out the summer. The results did just that! Here is a roundup of our #SPARKTalks series for your dose of weekend motivation. (see YouTube playlist below)
“The Danger of a Single Story” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, suggested by Shashank Mohan. She speaks on the dangers of knowing only a single story about something – people, issues, countries. Shashank says that “although she gives this talk in the social context, I think it is applicable in business as well where you see most entrepreneurs start by solving problems which are hidden by the dominant narrative.”
“Breaking Down Risk” by Steve Fisher, suggested by David Nelson. Finish this year ready to take risks! “Let’s discuss a way to practice taking risks, because after all, practice makes perfect right?”
“The problem with trickle-down technomics” by Jon Gosier, suggested by Edwin Williams. The burning question: does technology actually make everything easier for everyone?
“All Marketers are Liars” by Seth Godin, suggested by Jose Castillo. This talk was given at Google nine years ago, and its quite interesting to look at in today’s context. Think about it…
“The Worst-Designed Thing You’ve Ever Noticed” by Roman Mars, suggested by Travis Rother. “Roman Mars is obsessed with flags — and after you watch this talk, you might be, too. These ubiquitous symbols of civic pride are often designed, well, pretty terribly. But they don’t have to be. In this surprising and hilarious talk about vexillology — the study of flags — Mars reveals the five basic principles of flag design and shows why he believes they can be applied to just about anything.”
“Underwater Astonishments” by David Gallo, suggested by Brad Batt. “This is the first TED talk I ever watched. I’m not a marine biologist or even particularly interested in octopuses, but I was blown away!”