Chris Anderson Stepping Down as the Head of TED


Skift Take

Chris Anderson, TED’s curator for the past 25 years, is passing the torch to new leadership. He has issued an open invitation to anyone who believes they have the resources and ideas to guide TED’s next chapter.

Chris Anderson, who took over the annual conference on “Technology, Entertainment, and Design” in 2000, said Tuesday that he’s stepping aside.  In 25 years, he has built TED into a worldwide community that includes a flagship annual conference, TED Talks, original podcasts, and more than 3,000 independently run TEDx events. 

Its reach spans continents, with a library of more than 4,000 TED Talks and 250,000 TEDx Talks.

TED Has Transformed Business Events

TED has based its annual event in Vancouver since 2014. About 1,700 TED delegates take over the Vancouver Convention Center with satellite events around the city. Speakers have included Bill Gates, Al Gore, and Elon Musk.

TED's stage is located in the heart of the Vancouver Convention Centre. Outside the theater, the focus is on spaces for connections, conversations, and deeper exploration of ideas.

TED focuses on building community before, during, and after its conferences. Many meeting professionals have followed TED’s example in their own events, looking at its talks when curating content. They try to keep presentations short and pithy, similar to TED Talks, which are no more than 18 minutes long.

Open Call 

Anderson has extended an open call for the next leader of TED..

“Chris Anderson's decision to pass on TED's stewardship reflects the same visionary generosity that defined his 25-year leadership. He transformed TED from an exclusive conference into a global platform for freely sharing world-changing ideas, and now he's ensuring TED's future by seeking the best vision for its next chapter — not the highest bidder. That's quintessential Chris,” said Monique Ruff-Bell, TED’s chief program and strategy officer.

Any funds raised from this transition will directly support TED’s mission and growth. TED is a nonprofit organization.

This leadership transition invites those who feel they have the resources to build upon TED’s legacy, with goals outlined by Anderson: global reach, editorial independence, and inclusivity. He also calls out the need for new funding for future growth. “How large of a capital commitment can you make to TED’s future?” asks Anderson in a blog post about the transition. 

TED has retained LionTree Advisors to manage the transition process. Stakeholders are invited to join the conversation on LinkedIn or email nextchapter@ted.com. 

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