In the new issue of Fast Company, Anya Kamenetz calls TED “the first new top-prestige education brand in more than 100 years.” As she writes in the story titled “How TED Connects the Idea-Hungry Elite”: “The instant popularity of TED talks might say something … promising about both our collective consciousness and our collective attention span.”

In a video accompanying the story, Kamenetz reveals the secret of why TEDTalks are 18 minutes long — and shares 7 tips for giving your own TEDTalk. See the video on FastCompany.com or on iTunes.