TEDxUofM

The TEDxUofM team is proud to announce that our 2013 theme is Untapped_.

Each year the TEDxUofM conference is shaped by a specific theme.  The theme not only embodies what our team hopes to have attendees recognize throughout the day of our conference, but also the emotions and inspirations we hope to pull out of the University of Michigan community throughout that year. With our theme Untapped_ we are looking for individuals to share untold stories of undiscovered potential.  This theme was chosen based on the desire to demonstrate the unknown capacity of our vast and diverse campus, while highlighting the importance of every individual and their unique, important ideas.

The world around us is infinitely “untapped.”  Never can we expect to tap into everything this incredible universe has to offer, but perhaps in this day and age we can tap in a little bit more than we have in the past.  Our society expects us to specialize in one area of study.  Following specialization, we may gain a degree, or earn a lot of money, or even receive some token of recognition in our field. There is something glorifying about being “the best,” and because of this, individuals ignore everything outside of their singular main agenda to become the superior in whichever line of work they are pursuing.  But what if during all the time a person spends obsessing over only mathematical equations, or only art history, or only educational reforms, they are ignoring other screaming opportunities.  An artist doesn’t unleash his scientific side because he is too busy painting.  A doctor doesn’t learn to cook gourmet meals because she never steps foot out of the hospital.

TEDxUofM is an opportunity for individuals to jump far away from their typical day-to-day observations and immerse themselves in everything different.  We encourage everyone to tap into ideas they didn’t know existed, opinions they didn’t know they had, and opportunities they weren’t able to see.

In one sense, our conference is a launching pad, where we hope sparks will form in our attendees that send them off to pursue their craziest ideas. On another level, our conference is a chance for everyone involved to tap into something larger than themselves.  We ask over one thousand people to step away from their busy lives for one day, to learn for the sake of learning, and reflect on the incredible efforts in our community.  We hope they will tap into personal components or skills they didn’t know existed, and find untapped perspectives in their minds that no other event has ever challenged them to notice.