Tedtalks Business

"You are constantly becoming a new person," says journalist Shankar Vendantam. In a talk full of beautiful storytelling, he explains the profound impact of something he calls the "illusion of continuity" -- the belief that our future selves will share the same views, perspectives and hopes as our current selves -- and shows how we can more proactively craft the people we are to become. Stay tuned after the talk as Modupe shares a clear-eyed and empowering perspective on your future self’s feelings.

You may need to hear this (if you haven't already): your job is not your family. While you can develop meaningful relationships with your colleagues, calling work your family can actually breed burnout and be detrimental to your mental and emotional health. Mental wellness educator Gloria Chan Packer walks through the exercises you need to shift your perspective and redraw the boundaries between your work and personal life, so you can feel freer and more empowered. Join Modupe after the talk, as she shares how to practically set boundaries in your own life.

Have you had your daily dose of fun? It's not just enjoyable, it's also essential for your health and happiness, says science journalist Catherine Price. She proposes a new definition of fun -- what she calls "true fun" -- and shares easy, evidence-backed ways to weave playfulness, flow and connection into your everyday life. After the talk, TED Health host Shoshana R. Ungerleider dives into what happens to your body when you play. This is an episode of TED Health, another podcast in the TED Audio Collective. For more episodes, follow the podcast wherever you're listening to this.

From the return of nomadic living to a climate-disrupted world, author and global strategist Parag Khanna has some predictions for humanity. Get a fascinating glimpse at the future as he tackles an urgent question: Where on Earth will eight billion humans live in the uncertain times ahead? This conversation, hosted by TED current affairs curator Whitney Pennington Rodgers, was part of an exclusive TED Membership event. After the interview, TED Tech host Sherrell Dorsey highlights the importance of investing in young talent as science and tech continue to advance. This is an episode of TED Tech, another podcast in the TED Audio Collective. For more episodes, follow the podcast wherever you're listening to this.

Some days, it's hard to be optimistic. But cynicism -- the idea that people are inherently selfish, greedy and dishonest -- is making humanity lonelier and more divided, says psychologist Jamil Zaki. In this episode of TED Business, we are revisiting fascinating research on cooperation, empathy and trust, as Zaki makes the scientific case for optimism and shows us how to break out of the cynicism trap. Stay tuned after the talk to hear Jamil Zaki and our host Modupe Akinola delve into the high cost of cynicism.

We hardly ever talk openly about our money. Wendy De La Rosa thinks that’s a costly mistake. She is a behavioral scientist who helps people understand and rewire their relationship with money. A former researcher at The Wharton School and a private equity investor at Goldman Sachs, Wendy is now the co-founder of Common Cents Lab, which works to improve financial well-being for low- to moderate-income people. In this episode, Wendy shares actionable insights on how to prepare and invest in your financial future, explains why the emotional aspect of decision-making impacts how we spend or save, and breaks down why financial insecurity should not be a source of shame—and why the issue of wealth inequality cannot be solved merely by budgeting. This is an episode of How to Be a Better Human, another podcast in the TED Audio Collective. For more episodes on how to be a little less terrible, follow the podcast wherever you're listening to this.

"When teachers and families work together, everyone wins," says education technology entrepreneur and TED Fellow Heejae Lim. She shines a light on an underutilized resource in US public education -- a family's love for their children -- and shows that, with the right tools and tech, schools can remove language barriers, foster meaningful connections and help every student thrive. After the talk, educational tech entrepreneur Shani Dowell joins our host Modupe to share insights on tools that schools and families can use to work together.

This week on TED Business we are revisiting an infectiously joyous talk. Milk Bar founder Christina Tosi shares the sugary jolt of her first food memory and behind-the-scenes stories of her bakery's famously inventive cakes, cookies and treats. This talk may make you hungry -- but it'll also leave you a resonant message about how breaking the rules and challenging your assumptions can make for a sweet life. Stay tuned to hear from our host Modupe Akinola on how we can all be inspired to make our workplaces a bit more magical.

The housing market can be vexing: while some neighborhoods get ridiculously expensive and price out longtime residents, others have historic homes sitting vacant without demand. Equitable housing developer and TED Fellow Bree Jones shares how she found a way to revitalize neighborhoods experiencing hyper-vacancy while preventing gentrification -- supporting home buyers and transforming communities along the way. After the talk, Modupe shares some more organizations uplifting communities.

Is capitalism a good thing? Journalist Katherine Mangu-Ward makes the case that "weirdos" left alone to innovate and explore far-out ideas in a free market system are our best hope for the future. She asks us to reconsider our qualms about capitalism, failure and corporate death, analyzing the recent history of General Motors and Facebook to illustrate why we're better off with a lot less government intervention. After the talk, our host Modupe Akinola introduces an organization that encourages 'weird' ideas -- and shares insights on their unique process.

A 2016 survey of freelancers in six countries found that those who freelance by choice– 70% of respondents– were happier than people in traditional jobs, specifically when it came to things like independence and flexibility in terms of where and when they work. So what does it take to be a successful freelancer? Explore the benefits and drawbacks of the gig economy. This was originally an animated TED-Ed lesson. It was directed by Christoph Sarow, AIM Creative Studios, narrated by George Zaidan and the music is by André Aires. After the lesson, our host Modupe shares more things to consider before plunging into freelance work.

What does it mean to lead in this new age of employee activism? Megan Reitz offers a four-point crash course on what employees want from their organizations and how leaders can rise to the challenge of building proactive and productive workplaces where every voice and perspective has the chance to make a difference. After the talk, Modupe shares lessons for leaders -- from activists.

Only four percent of construction workers are female -- that's totally unacceptable, but it's also a huge opportunity both for women and for the trades, says youth educator and builder Emily Pilloton-Lam. She makes the case for putting power (and power tools) into the hands of young women and gender-expansive youth, dreaming of inclusive construction sites and daring to ask: What if women built the world they want to see? (The power tool sounds you are hearing are Pilloton-Lam sharing live demo of her own woodworking skills ... while giving the talk.) Stay tuned after and hear from our host Modupe on some other programs that are creating opportunities for career-readiness.

Legendary hip-hop producer Swizz Beatz is on a mission to revolutionize the way artists do business. In this glorious talk, he shares some of the ways he's helping fellow creatives thrive, including a roving art fair that gives artists 100 percent of their sales, a new commission system for galleries to fund living visual artists and Verzuz, online musical celebrations that bring joy to fans -- and sales to musicians. "If we're not protecting the arts, we're not protecting our future," he says. After the talk, join our host Modupe in conversation with art world expert Alexandra Giniger as they discuss the importance of supporting living artists.

Why do we trust some companies and not others? Using real-world examples, digital trust advisor Marcos Aguiar decodes this make-or-break quality -- and offers seven tools to help leaders design a foundation of trust into their business ecosystems in order to achieve long-term success. After the talk, Modupe shares how to weave trust-building tools into company culture (even after damage has been done).

As the saying goes, less is more. The same goes for words. Listen as Politico and Axios co-founder Jim VandeHei shares what he's learned leading two media companies -- and how to radically rethink the way you write to keep people's attention in a distracted digital world. After the talk, our host Modupe Akinola dives into how brevity can get you ahead in your work life.

Even with public trust at an all-time low, Wikipedia continues to maintain people's confidence. How do they do it? Former CEO of Wikimedia Foundation Katherine Maher delves into the transparent, adaptable and community-building ways the online encyclopedia brings free and reliable information to the public -- while also accounting for bias and difference of opinion. "The seeds of our disagreement can actually become the roots of our common purpose," she says. After the talk, Modupe gives a few process hacks for organizations looking to improve their decision-making.

The weekend. Social Security. Health insurance. What do these things have in common? They all exist thanks to the advocacy of labor unions. Political economist Margaret Levi explains how these organizations forge equality and protect worker rights, calling for a 21st-century revival of the labor movement in order to build a more equitable future. After the talk, Listen to our host Modupe dive into the role of affinity groups (or groups that are united by a common purpose) and how they make for a more inclusive workplace.

Are we witnessing the slow death of Facebook? Does Adam Neumann (WeWork) deserve a second chance? Is the War for Talent real? Plus, thoughts on everything from Serena, to Kim Kardashian, to House of the Dragon, and more. This is an episode of After Hours, a weekly chat show about the intersection of business and culture hosted by Harvard professors Youngme Moon, Mihir Desai, and Felix Oberholzer-Gee.

Mark Cuban has gone from selling garbage bags door-to-door to selling internet companies for billions, acquiring an NBA team, and becoming a beloved “Shark” on Shark Tank. Mark reveals to Adam how he turns problems into opportunities in entrepreneurship, basketball, and investing. They discuss his latest venture–disrupting the healthcare industry with an online pharmacy and a price-slashing philosophy that makes hundreds of drugs affordable–and why following your passion is not the best way to maintain your motivation. This is an episode of ReThinking with Adam Grant, another podcast in the TED Audio Collective. For episodes on the psychology of the world's most interesting minds, follow ReThinking wherever you're listening to this. For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/RTWAG1