Back with a vengeance, TEDxDetroit proved to be another example of the line of people, places and events that are supporting the idea of innovation and looking at the inspirational side of Detroit— a city of pioneers with the DIY ethos etched in its lifelines, a city of opportunity, a city of importance, a city that will not just survive but thrive. The efforts of those behind the gathering– Charlie Wollborg, Hubert Sawyers III, Elena Wollbor, Terry Bean and a whole lot of others– need to be commended and supported. With more efforts like this to shine a light on the thought, ingenuity, dedication and innovation coming from Detroit, the quicker the city will move forward.
The day was a mish-mash of presenters discussing their ideas worth spreading. The came from all backgorunds– visionaries, entrepreneurs, writers, poets, technologists, teachers and even 13-year olds. See a full list of the speakers here. Webcasts are available of the afternoon and eventually every talk with be available on YouTube. In the meantime, here are some insightful (occasionally lightly paraphrased) snippets indicative of the discussion going on over the course of the afternoon.
“When you’re almost dead, companies tend to innovate the most” – Jeff DeGraff, Professor at UofM
“The younger I start with entrepreneurship, the more time I have to make it perfect.” Will Smedlein, the 13-year old entrepreneur
“You know, we’re all beautiful in a lot of ways and good enough in the others.” Steve Kahn, director of the WSU Center for Excellence and Equity in Mathematics
“We’ve got to sensationalize hope.” Erik Proulx, director of the film “Lemonade: Detroit”