The 10 most popular TED Talks about diversity
Lawrence Sumulong // Getty Images
The 10 most popular TED Talks about diversity
A TED talk inside the David Rockwell designed theater at TED 2018.
With a mission to share “ideas worth spreading,” TED (short for technology, entertainment, and design) has become a phenomenon in and of itself.
Since it was first staged by Richard Saul Wurman and Harry Marks in 1984, TED has become a behemoth initiative housing its iconic 18-minute TED Talk videos, conferences, podcasts, a collaborative funding project, and more. A look at the organization’s many moving parts is a testament to the power of a fresh idea to help solve prevailing issues—such as the urgency of building more diversity into systems and processes.
Tovuti LMS ranked the 10 most popular TED Talks about diversity using data from TED to show the breadth of what addressing diversity issues could mean. Diversity efforts are multi-pronged affairs with myriad options for execution. It can mean teaching AI values and ethics, calling for more representation of different cultures in Hollywood, or seeing the world through the eyes of a person on the autism spectrum.
Data shows the average time of the top 10 most popular TED Talks on diversity has been 11 minutes and 44 seconds—and that nonwhite women led the top four most popular discussions. While the call to action seems to have been rung during the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for more differences in perspectives has always been there. Nine of the top 10 most popular TED Talks on diversity took place before 2020.
From women such as Kriti Sharma, an AI powerhouse who built her first robot in India when she was just 15, to Reniqua Allen, an author and producer who writes about Black millennials and issues of race, here are the 10 most popular TED Talks about diversity.
NurPhoto // Getty Images
#10. ‘Want to truly succeed? Lift others up while you climb’
Amber Hikes, Director of Philadelphia’s Office of LGTBQ Affairs, speaking at an event.
– Speaker: Amber Hikes
– Views: 2,241,095
– Duration: 5:34
– Year: 2021
Lawrence Sumulong // Getty Images
#9. ‘The story we tell about millennials — and who we leave out’
Attendees watching a live talk in the Community Theater at TED 2018.
– Speaker: Reniqua Allen
– Views: 2,251,788
– Duration: 11:19
– Year: 2019
Lawrence Sumulong // Getty Images
#8. ‘How to keep human bias out of AI’
Attendees watching a live talk via lounge at TED 2018.
– Speaker: Kriti Sharma
– Views: 2,303,918
– Duration: 12:01
– Year: 2019
Lawrence Sumulong // Getty Images
#7. ‘What it’s really like to have autism’
The Community Theater at TED 2018.
– Speaker: Ethan Lisi
– Views: 2,323,276
– Duration: 9:43
– Year: 2020
Lawrence Sumulong // Getty Images
#6. ‘3 ways to be a better ally in the workplace’
Attendees reacting to a talk in the TED Theater at TED 2019.
– Speaker: Melinda Briana Epler
– Views: 2,670,006
– Duration: 9:28
– Year: 2018
Stefanie Keenan // Getty Images
#5. ‘What baby boomers can learn from millennials at work — and vice versa’
Head of Global Hospitality & Strategy, Airbnb, Chip Conley speaking onstage.
– Speaker: Chip Conley
– Views: 2,712,980
– Duration: 12:13
– Year: 2018
Carlos Alvarez // Getty Images
#4. ‘The beauty of human skin in every color’
Angélica Dass smiling while onstage.
– Speaker: Angélica Dass
– Views: 2,828,000 views
– Duration: 11:18
– Year: 2016
Lawrence Sumulong // Getty Images
#3. ‘My identity is a superpower — not an obstacle’
Actress America Ferrera walking backstage following her talk at TED 2019.
– Speaker: America Ferrera
– Views: 3,231,277
– Duration: 14:02
– Year: 2019
Marla Aufmuth // Getty Images
#2. ‘How to overcome our biases? Walk boldly toward them’
Activist Verna Myers speaking on stage.
– Speaker: Vernā Myers
– Views: 4,561,369
– Duration: 17:40
— Year: 2014
Michael Kovac // Getty Images
#1. ‘Color blind or color brave?’
Mellody Hobson speaking onstage.
– Speaker: Mellody Hobson
– Views: 4,720,330
– Duration: 14:02
– Year: 2014
This story originally appeared on Tovuti LMS and was produced and
distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
