Atembe Giles is a communications professional with 15 years of experience crafting brand messages and communications strategies for various organizations and industries around the world, including education, healthcare, fashion, travel & tourism, and AEC (architecture, engineering, and construction). A former educator in the US, France, and South Korea, she loves learning and teaching about multicultural experiences and storytelling in all forms, from history to dance to television. She is passionate about using the power of words and expression to help people become better connected with themselves, each other, and the world around them. Read more to learn about Atembe’s volunteer experience with TEDxAtlanta.
I’ve always been a fan of TED Talks and TEDx experiences. I experienced my first TEDx event as a student at UNC-Chapel Hill, and my most recent TEDx experience was a few years ago in Seoul, South Korea. I really appreciated that no matter where in the world you are, you can find a place with other people who are also interested in sharing ideas, self-improvement, and learning more about the world and making it a better place. I’m new to Atlanta, so I wanted to find a space where I could meet new people and connect with others, but also learn more about what’s brewing in Atlanta and play a role in giving back to the community.
“The Power of Introverts” by Susan Cain. She verbalized so many of my lived experiences and feelings about myself that I never knew how to express, and made me feel more comfortable and empowered about who I am.
Welcoming, educational, and collaborative.
Besides finally working my first TEDx conference, I’d say it was my first time meeting the team in person. It was at a storage facility to move all the TEDxAtlanta props and decorations to another location. It may seem like an insignificant experience, but it was my first exposure to seeing how these different personalities got along, worked together, considered each other and other people, and really cared about what we’re doing with TEDx. We met at another volunteer’s house after to have dinner and some social time, and I enjoyed the genuine conversations we had about our cultures, life experiences, and plans for the future. It made me excited about continuing to work with everyone on future TEDxAtlanta events.
Absolutely everything that you see is due to the work of volunteers: months of planning, dedicating weekend and evening hours outside your regular 9-5, scheduling meetings virtually and in-person, fundraising and sponsorships…it’s a lot of work. But everyone’s time is respected and appreciated, whether you can dedicate 10 hours a week or one hour. It’s cool to see how passionate people are about their work with TEDx.
It’s another outlet of creativity for me. I get to do work that I don’t normally get to do in my job, and it’s nice to activate those other parts of my brain throughout the week, which helps with mental health and feeling like I’m part of something bigger than myself. It’s given me an outlet to fine-tune skills I don’t use everyday in my current job, but are still valuable skills to have, such as photography, social media content creation, and sales. I’ve learned how effective partnerships work between organizations and between people. I’m seeing, through our speakers, how opportunities are limitless when it comes to using your passion and knowledge as a force to bring about positive change. And I’m growing more confident in sharing my ideas and opinions, especially when it comes to trying to make something better.
It’s a great way to be an active part of your community, gain exposure to new perspectives, and improve or learn new skills. Everyone’s contribution is significant, no matter the task, and it all goes towards a mission that’s about helping people and communities grow. The likely and unlikely connections you’ll make is definitely one of the best parts of volunteering with TEDx.
ATLANTA — TEDxAtlanta, Georgia’s largest TED affiliate, is pleased to announce its 2024 mainstage conference will be held at Center Stage Atlanta, the iconic performing arts, music, and live entertainment venue that has been a cornerstone of Atlanta’s arts community since 1966.
The conference, themed “The Future We Create,” is Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. It promises to be a day thought-provoking conversations and ideas sharing by encouraging attendees to immerse themselves into a future world that they envision where technology and nature complement each other, where heritage and custom give rise to innovation, and where people, neighborhoods, or communities can find mutual understanding.
“Center Stage is such an important part of Atlanta’s rich cultural legacy and a commemoratory space to its arts community,” said said Jacqui Chew, TEDxAtlanta licensee and curator. “For nearly 60 years, Center Stage has served as the home for artists, musicians, and others who, through their art, brought us on journeys harnessed and expanded our imaginations. We’re honored to present our mainstage event here at such an historic venue.”
Center Stage, which opened in 1966, was originally called Theatre Atlanta. It was built by Frania Tye Lee and dedicated to the memory of her daughter, Helen Lee Cartledge, who was one of 103 Atlanta Art Association members who were killed when Air France Flight 007 crashed moments after takeoff at the Orly Airport in 1962.
The venue has been home to many iconic performers, artists, and musicians, including Sir Elton John, Jay-Z, and Lady Gaga.
Event Details
Date: Friday, Sept. 13, 2024
Time: 9 am – 6:15 pm
Location: Center Stage Atlanta, 1374 West Peachtree St., Atlanta, GA 30309
Theme: The Future We Will Create
For more information about volunteer opportunities click here. Interested in supporting TEDxAtlanta 2024 as an in-kind or financial partner? Email hello@tedxatlanta.com.
About TEDxAtlanta
The TEDxAtlanta conference series is an initiative of Ideas into Action, a Georgia-registered nonprofit founded on the belief in the power of ideas to build stronger communities. Along with interactive experiences throughout the year, the TEDxAtlanta event series is planned by a team of volunteers led by Atlanta entrepreneur and TEDxAtlanta licensee Jacqui Chew. These community-led gatherings are part of TED’s TEDx program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. Since the first TEDxAtlanta conference in 2009 more than 20 speakers have been featured by TED to be amplified globally from a catalog of 200,000 TEDx Talks. For more information, visit TEDxAtlanta.com.
About TEDx
TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TED Talks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized. (Subject to certain rules and regulations.)
About TED
TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading, often in the form of short talks delivered by leading thinkers and doers. Many of these talks are given at TED Conferences, intimate TED Salons, and thousands of independently organized TEDx events around the world. Videos of these talks are made available, free, on TED.com and other platforms. Audio versions of TED Talks are published to TED Talks Daily, available on all podcast platforms.
TED’s open and free initiatives for spreading ideas include TED.com, where new TED Talk videos are posted daily; TEDx, which licenses thousands of individuals and groups to host local, self-organized TED-style events around the world; the TED Fellows program, which selects innovators from around the globe to amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities; The Audacious Project, which surfaces and funds critical ideas that have the potential to impact millions of lives; TED Translators Program, which crowdsources the subtitling of TED Talks so that big ideas can spread across languages and borders; and the educational initiative TED-Ed. TED also offers TED@Work a program that reimagines TED Talks for workplace learning. TED also has a growing library of original podcasts, including The TED Interview with Chris Anderson, WorkLife with Adam Grant, Far Flung with Saleem Reshamwala and How to Be a Better Human.
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Media Contact:
Péralte C. Paul
peralte@gmail.com
