TED’s Monique Ruff-Bell (left) and Helen Walters host Session 1 of TEDNext 2025 on November 9, 2025, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Erin Lubin / TED)
At the opening session of TEDNext 2025, we explored two big themes: wonder and wisdom. With speakers ranging from a digital artist and a biotech entrepreneur to an Oscar-winning costume designer and a world-famous ballerina, this session had it all.
What exactly is TEDNext? A vibrant, three-day exploration of what’s next, propelling the “future you” to think expansively at every level, from personal to global. The second-ever TEDNext conference, held in Atlanta, continues an expansion of the annual slate of conferences from TED, with a conference designed to spark imagination, embrace possibility and foster dreams about what the next version of “you” can be.
Watch TEDNext 2025 on TED Live, check out more photos from the event and learn more about attending a future TED conference.
Some key takeaways from day 1:
David S. Kim speaks at TEDNext 2025 on November 9, 2025, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Erin Lubin / TED)
We might be able to turn sunlight and CO2 into lifesaving drugs. Humans learned to “program” biology nearly a century ago by inserting human genes into microbes, turning cells into tiny factories for life-saving drugs like insulin. Today, these methods are costly, resource-intensive and inaccessible to many, says physician and biotech entrepreneur David S. Kim. He presents a potential solution: by reprogramming a cell known as cyanobacteria, which feeds on sunlight and CO2, we could unlock a sustainable “biological factory” for making medicines. He explains the science behind his team’s breakthrough and its potential to manufacture everything from food and fuels to materials and more.
Paul Tazewell speaks at TEDNext 2025 on November 9, 2025, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Ryan Lash / TED)
Design is never neutral. What makes someone wicked? Costume designer Paul Tazewell probes this question in his work, demonstrating how clothing speaks a subconscious language that shapes who we view as heroes — and villains. From the period silhouettes of Hamilton and blending colors of West Side Story to the visual dualities of Wicked, Tazewell’s creations challenge stereotypes and inherited perceptions. His main message? If wickedness can be designed, then maybe we can redesign it together, too.
Dave Jorgenson speaks at TEDNext 2025 on November 9, 2025, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Ryan Lash / TED)
Media literacy is an essential skill of our time. With each leap of technology, humans have had to work double-time to keep up, says journalist and comedian Dave Jorgenson. He explains why media literacy — which he defines as “the ability to access, analyze, evaluate and create media in various forms” — is a crucial skill in an age of proliferating misinformation. With his own short, absurdist sketches that explain the news, he shows how humor can cut through fear, spark curiosity and cool down hot takes in order to explore nuanced truth.
Misty Copeland speaks at TEDNext 2025 on November 9, 2025, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Ryan Lash / TED)
The stage belongs to all of us. Ballerina and activist Misty Copeland made history in 2015 as the first Black woman to become a principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre. Just last month, she retired from the company with a farewell performance, dancing for a world she helped reshape. In a moving talk, she charts the quiet roots of resilience — nourished not by invulnerability but by persistently showing up despite pain, pressure and rejection. She shows how to transform “you don’t belong here” into “this stage is yours, too.”
Sean Bankhead (and friends) perform at TEDNext 2025 on November 9, 2025, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Ryan Lash / TED)
Atlanta has serious moves. In an incredible mid-session performance, choreographer and cultural architect Sean Bankhead brought music to life through movement, dancing to “On My Mama” by Victoria Monét.
Watch TEDNext 2025 on TED Live, check out more photos from the event and learn more about attending a future TED conference