A first look at the beachside theater, built especially for TEDGlobal 2014. Photo: James Duncan Davidson/TED

TEDGlobal 2014 has officially begun! Today brings our famous TED Fellows sessions, full of fresh ideas from our global network of iconoclasts. As we start to cover this conference here on the TED Blog, on Twitter and on Instagram, here’s a look at what speakers are sharing online — to bring you backstage with them.

Geo-scientist Andrés Ruzo used a very fitting flash drive to turn in his TED Talk. He wrote on Instagram, “Turning in #TEDtalk — #Rio style.”

Cuban hip-hopper Danay Suarez shared a shot of the space where she rehearsed.

Online activist Pia Mancini says that she is both nervous and proud seeing her name in the program guide. “Que orgullo (y cuanto nervio!)” she wrote on Instagram.

Author Taiye Salesi took a moment to relax on a Rio beach the day before her Monday rehearsal.

Melissa Fleming, an activist for refugees with the UNHCR, noted the confluence of timing between TEDGlobal and Brazil’s election:

Filmmaker Vincent Moon announced his homecoming:

Innovation expert Navi Radjou tweeted his badge, which is indeed a high-tech marvel:

Oceanographer Fabien Cousteau shared his general excitement:

Polar explorer Robert Swan snapped a pic of the theater entrance:

TED Fellow Usman Riaz shares the Fellows experience in a collage:

Street artist Mundano gave another view of his latest work in Rio. (Read more about it.)

Filmmaker (and butcher!) Bassam Tariq shared a photo of the TED Fellow rehearsals:

As did food distribution innovator Jose Manuel Moller. He wrote, “Llegó el momento! #algramo #revolutionarywayofbuying #tedglobal2014 #ted.”

Patricia Medici, who works with tapirs (the largest land mammal in South America), shared this article that features her and several other Brazilian TED Fellows:

Photojournalist Boniface Mwangi tweeted this photo of the TED Fellows stage just before he took it, to deliver a standing-O talk …

… as confirmed by fellow TED Fellow Bill “Blinky Bill” Sellanga of Just a Band:

And Fellow Julie Freeman tweeted Asha de Vos on the stage talking about, um, whale poop: