TEDx Salinas

What is TEDx?

Ideas worth spreading, locally organized

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TED has created a program called TEDx. TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TED Talks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection. 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.

Our Mission

Salinas is more than its stereotype

Salinas is a place full of rich history, agriculture, literature, and incredible community members. What the rest of the world sees though, is its struggles with poverty, homelessness, and gang violence.

TED and TEDx are known for their ability to bring together communities of incredible game changers and global thinkers, and this is something that Salinas truly needs to show the world that it is so much more than its negative stereotype.

TEDx Salinas brought together 14 remarkable speakers from diverse backgrounds — academics, bestselling authors, entrepreneurs, and musicians — many from the local community, to share their ideas, stories, and visions for a better world.

Organizer

Michelle Serna

TEDx Salinas was organized by Michelle Nicole Serna, a speaker, activist, and organizer from Salinas. She gave her first TEDx talk at 16, her second at 17, and executive produced her first TEDx at 18 — making TEDx Salinas one of the youngest-organized TEDx events in the country.

Serna curated a diverse speaker lineup assembled to confound media-saturated expectations of what Salinas is about, with the theme connecting Silicon Valley innovation to Salinas Valley agriculture. As she put it: the millennial generation has a lot of complaints, but they are smart, driven individuals who can change their futures.

Press & Coverage

In the news