Organized independently from TED – the semiannual global conference that attracts speakers from around the world to share their innovative ideas and projects in lectures lasting no longer than 18 minutes – TEDx events are organized locally in the spirit of "ideas worth spreading," the non-profit's tagline.
AMHERST — A CEO, a best-selling author, a formerly drug-addicted NBA basketball player turned motivational speaker, a State Department musical ambassador, and a handful of others will speak today at TEDxUMassAmherst.
Organized independently from TED – the semiannual global conference that attracts speakers from around the world to share their innovative ideas and projects in lectures lasting no longer than 18 minutes – TEDx events are organized locally in the spirit of "ideas worth spreading," the non-profit's tagline.
Speakers at the Amherst conference – which is set to be held at the Mahar Auditorium near the center of the state's flagship campus – include Chris Herren, a former player for the Boston Celtics whose career was complicated by drug addiction, Toni Blackman, who traveled to Africa delivering lectures on hip-hop music and culture on behalf of the State Department, and Steve King, one of Facebook's first 20 employees.
Tickets are no longer available but a live-streaming of the event will be held next door in the Flavin Auditorium, room 137 in the Isenberg School of Management, according to the event's Facebook page. Attendees to that event will be given priority to fill any empty seats at the conference.
Stay with MassLive.com for a wrap-up of the event later this weekend.
