2021 Theme

Theme: Thinking, doing the ordinary extraordinarily

In 1997, Apple launched its 'Think different' campaign with these iconic first words: "Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules and they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do”.

'Disrupt' means 'to prevent something from continuing its usual way', and although the word is often associated with negativity, destruction and interruptions, it can be viewed in a different light. Positive disruptions can proffer solutions to challenges faced by the global community. In many ailing societies, unorthodox (disruptive) thinking could be the salve to gaping wounds, and we think this should be encouraged.

With this TEDx event, we seek out ideas from people who challenged the status quo in different fields and undertakings, who were crazy enough to think and act differently in order to make bad, good and good, better. By sharing their stories on the path they took to challenge the norm, the results they got and the obstacles they had to face, we hope to stimulate conversations towards ensuring that people think unusually and do things in completely transformative ways.