TEDxRVA is an independently organized event licensed from TED by longtime TEDster, Andy Stefanovich and organized by a network of fellow thinkers and other long time collaborators. The TEDxRVA mission, like the TED mission, is to share Ideas Worth Spreading; to inform and inspire. Our more specific vision for TEDxRVA is to create and foster a sense of community amongst the people and organizations who have gathered (and continue to gather) around this event; to provide a cultural focus and impetus for conversation and debate. TED is a not-for-profit enterprise devoted to the propagation of Ideas Worth Spreading. TED started out in 1984 as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment & Design. Started as a four-day conference in California 28 years ago, TED has grown to support those world-changing ideas with multiple initiatives. The annual TED Conference invites the world’s leading thinkers and doers to speak for 18 minutes. Their talks are then made available, free, at TED.com.