Meet TED

Sadly, TED is neither a man, nor Seth MacFarlane's roguish yet much loved teddy bear. Though now that we're on the subject, were TED a man, I think it's fair to say he'd be firmly in dream man territory, the type of man with more fan girls and male admirers than you could shake a stick at and I'd personally care to tackle. Imagine the talent of Matt Bellamy, philanthropy of Bill Gates, voice of Jude Law, intelligence of Stephen Fry, humour of Jon Richardson, vision of Steve Jobs, back catalogue of Zane Lowe - AND if we're really lucky - aesthetics of George Clooney in more recent years (undoubtedly handsome, only less cripplingly so).

Dreamy, isn't he? So dreamy, I can almost guarantee he's not on the market. But as I was to discover, luckily there exists a TED that lives and breathes all these characteristics and then some. Vetted and originally introduced to me by none other than my Dad, it is to this TED (and that Dad) that I owe a broadened outlook and recent leap of faith into the unknown.

For those of you unfamiliar with the work of TED, year-on-year in cities around the world, thousands of thought leaders from every field, culture, and background take to a TED or TEDx stage. Confined to 18 minutes (which tend to look more like 20), these pioneers deliver a talk sharing their unique insight about the world in which we live. From scientists to sportsmen, entrepreneurs to musicians, the likes of Jeff Bezos, David Blaine, and even Victoria's Secrets model, Cameron Russell, have graced a TED stage. Sound like little more than a glorified conference? Then check out this classic by Ron Finley – you'll never look at a shovel the same way again.

Amazing, right? As exemplified by the main man himself, at the very heart of TED lies a fundamental commitment to 'ideas worth spreading'. Originally formed in 1984, TED was intended to be a one-off Cali conference where the best in technology, entertainment, and design could come together. Now in it's 30th year, TED has become a seasoned and internationally renowned not-for-profit, whose passionate talks have inspired millions, encompassing just about everything and gaining over one billion views. Filmed with the purpose of being freely streamed to anyone, anywhere, online TED Talks have succeeded where others have failed. TED Talks have made the inaccessible, accessible; the exclusive, more inclusive; and the inconceivable anything but.

The proof is in the pudding. Take me. I'm in my early 20s, unsure about the 'master plan', wracked with an urge to travel, read, really write, and generally feel a little less ignorant each morning. Of course, I can't sit here and say that streaming TED Talks has made me an intellectual genius, that my dreams have become crystal clear, or that my passport now resembles that of Michael Palin (still working on it). What I can't deny is the seismic shift in my approach to things. The awe-inspiring stories of innovators world-over and the empathy of so many of them, has given me some much needed faith in my own ability. Through these inspiring talks I've gained the confidence to reassess what truly matters, alter my course and appreciate my world won't end when I get a little lost along the way.

The truth is, for the first time in my life I feel like I've understood and had access to cutting edge concepts far beyond my remit - concepts that I would otherwise have not known existed or found too intimidating to digest. Each 20 minute burst - from psychology, to business, to literature – cuts out the middle man, makes me think laterally, explore new found interests and question 'why?' and 'what if?' far more than my formal education.

If I thought my daily date with TED was something, I definitely wasn't prepared for the real deal. The turning point came in January of this year – the month that I caught wind of TEDxBrum. As what I've since come to view as TED's younger, more autonomous, approachable, and affordable brother, the additional 'x' signals an independent and volunteer led event. Founded with the hope of spreading ideas even further, the world's TEDx community spans over 150 countries, galvanising communities and their talent from every rung of the ladder. From cities and towns, to pubs and garages - anyone can organise a TEDx event. Be it grassroots initiatives to the visionaries dedicated to shaking the status quo, TEDx highlights the unsung heroes and 'doers' from every community, no matter how small.

And so there I was on one cold and impromptu January evening, hurriedly making my way towards the Library of Birmingham. I couldn't help but wonder what I'd find when I turned up (unannounced) to a meeting about a TEDxBrum I foolishly hadn't known existed for the past two years. In little over two hours, and unbeknown to me at the time, I had met a large number of the 50 volunteers that I'd grow to respect and truly adore in the coming 10 months. Looking back now, the fact that there was an abundance of talent and different skill sets in the room was amazing – but the base criteria were actually far simpler. When it came down to the essentials, what we'd found were a team of interested and passionate people, committed to hosting an inspiring and unifying day in a city we believe to have bags of potential; the city we are proud to call our home.

It was this very potential that helped us settle upon the all-important TEDx theme. This year, we opted for 'DIY' – or Do It Yourself. Born of the belief that Birmingham is having a moment, we wanted a theme that would not only inspire our audience to make some of their own, but also take inspiration from the magical work of Birmingham's habitual line-steppers, the exciting movements captured quite wonderfully here by friend and TEDxBrum co-curator, Immy Kaur. Over 10 months, time and time again it became clear that we have all the talent and tools right on our doorstep. What the city needs is more get up and go, more collaboration, but for me above all, more confidence and pride in our identity. The Mancunians are proud of Manchester, the Scousers embrace all that comes with Liverpool; why should Brummies feel any differently?

This resonated with me personally. Three years in London and one year in Paris had seen the inferiority complex we Brummies feel compelled to carry, balloon in size. Suddenly, reconciling the love I felt for my city with how much further I felt it could go, and just how negatively it was portrayed everywhere I turned, proved a challenge. It makes me laugh, but if I had a penny for every time I said I was from Birmingham, and the word 'Birmingham' itself was recited back to me in a shoddy attempt at our infamous accent, I'd be living a far more luxurious lifestyle. Okay yes – it's not sexy, not even Cillian Murphy's managed to make it all that sexy, so that's not an accolade we'll be receiving anytime soon. However, one thing is for sure, in looking down on Birmingham people are underestimating the city's incredible residents, the rapid pace of innovation, and most of all, our ability to prove that notion wrong.

Acutely aware I now sound like a poster girl for 'Visit Birmingham', let me proceed with the big day itself. On Saturday, November 8, the Library of Birmingham opened its doors to TEDxBrum. Our incredible home for the day, the nerves, butterflies and excitement were nothing short of palpable at we set up –anxious eating being my personal giveaway of choice. With our t-shirts on and lanyards at the ready, the adrenaline successfully defied the 5.30am wake up call. At 10am, with 300 guests having taken their seats and a further 1,124 joining us via our live stream on site, TEDxBrum 2014 was officially underway.

Now, I was pretty prepared, but I don't think anything could have fully prepared me for the eight hours ahead. With the privilege of leading social media on the day, fellow comrade Naeem and I sat in awe as a whopping 3,288 tweets to our hashtag came our way. I'd be lying if I said a reach of 6.6 million people didn't put a spring in my step, but what truly made my day was what hundreds of people were taking the time to share with us. Within hours it became clear that alongside photos and quotes, the same buzzwords to describe speakers, performers, and the experience as a whole kept cropping up. The likes of 'inspiring', 'creative', 'collaborative', 'moving', not to mention 'brumtastic' were all the rage. It's a pretty incredible feeling when the values your team brainstormed in your very first session of the year are finally realised and recited back to you. The energy of our fabulous hosts and the crackling electricity that I could feel from where I was sat made every last detail so worth it.

And what can one say of the speakers themselves? A total of 15 diverse and talented individuals graced the stage, sharing not only their precious time, but granting us rare and transparent access to the incredible experiences that have shaped their lives. From Leigh Purnell circumnavigating the world in a taxi called 'Hannah', to Lee Kemp's life-threatening perseverance, absolutely every single speaker struck a chord with our audience. To reference the sensational Merici Vinton, we were 'Fired Up, Ready to Go'. No matter how complimentary, a fleeting round up of each talk simply won't do our speakers the justice they deserve. To witness the magic for yourselves, visit www.tedxbrum.org where each of our mesmerizing talks will soon be online.

I'm happy to say that here at TEDxBrum we appreciate the pitfalls of all talk, no action. As a result, we were utterly spoilt with the likes of Boat To Row (new favourite band alert), the dulcet tones of Anthony Marsden and infectious vibes of Lobster to name but a few incredible performances. An unquestionable highlight of the day was a jaw-dropping performance from 'Unhindered Reign', championing yet again why Birmingham is a hotbed for spoken word poetry. If you've yet to experience the magic that is spoken word, I urge you to visit www.birmingham-rep.co.uk/event/level-up/ and get yourself acquainted ASAP. Goosebumps, laughter, tears - prepare to be moved beyond your wildest dreams.

The above quote was from our speaker Mike Tweddle, who unknowingly summed up my sentiments exactly. Volunteering every word in my head for TEDxBrum has been one of the most enriching, surprisingly exhausting, and rewarding experiences I've ever had. I simply couldn't recommend it enough. On the day itself, being a small piece of this big, passionate puzzle was a feeling akin to performing on stage, running my personal best, or the fuzzy warmth I associate with places that feel like home. I want to thank each and every person on this year's team for making this feeling a reality. Few words can convey all the hard work, the synergy I know we felt, or the insane euphoria of the day, but I feel so privileged to have met such wonderful people with whom I could share this. Beautiful, talented, inspiring – dreamy.

For more information regarding this year's event, visit www.tedxbrum.org.

In the meantime, find us at TEDxBrum on Facebook and @TEDxBrum on Twitter for photos, videos and inspiration galore.

If you'd like to be part of the TEDxBrum family next year, contact us at info@tedxbrum.org to see how you can get involved.