Eulogies for the living: how to move through grief
Imagine hearing your eulogy—while you’re still able to savor it. In this funny, touching 2021 TEDxSeattleWomen talk, Andrea Driessen shares a story about what she calls Gracenotes, or living eulogies. And how to write such a note to lessen grief and regret. Through humor and poignancy, Andrea challenges us to honor others by telling them that they #matter—and HOW they matter—while we’re all still alive. Andrea is a longtime hospice volunteer with Providence Hospice of Seattle. Through her interactions with people who are dying—and their loved ones—she’s developed this compelling, how-to practice for easing grief and boosting peace. She’s also a learning, training, and development expert who helps people and organizations worldwide become more capable, communicative, and connected. An internationally award-winning business owner who built her business from the ground up, she’s dedicated her career to helping others grow. Her 3x award-winning book, The Non-Obvious Guide to Event Planning: For Kick-Ass Gatherings that Inspire People, is in its second printing.
Learn more about Eulogies for the Living at https://www.grace-notes.org/.
TEDxSeattle + TEDxSeattleWomen (Live!)
Experience TEDxSeattle and TEDxSeattleWomen live at the Meydenbauer Theater in Bellevue, WA in a unique, live studio setting. Both events will be virtual again this year—but the talks by the Northwest’s boldest innovators and change makers are being recorded in front of a live audience on Sunday, November 7, and you’re invited to be a part of it!
With two events in one day, choose to join TEDxSeattle in the morning for nine speakers and live entertainment, or take in TEDxSeattleWomen in the afternoon for three talks and a chance to network and mingle with like minded attendees. You can also make a day out of it with both events for the full spectrum of conversations and live performances. Either way, you’ll enjoy speakers and entertainment in a talk show studio-like setting as camera crews and production staff capture every moment.
Tickets will be selling fast–so reserve your seat today to view this year’s talks live.
Please note that strict COVID safety protocols will be in place for the event. In accordance with King County protocol, all attendees, volunteers, and staff will be required to show proof of vaccination or negative test results upon arrival and will need to wear a mask while indoors. Please visit our FAQs for more information.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I attend this event?
There is a magic to seeing TEDxSeattle speakers and entertainers perform live; it’s an experience that cannot be matched. And this year will very likely be the only time our event will be held in a small, intimate theater setting ever again.
What is the difference between this event and TEDxSeattle on Nov 20th and TEDxSeattleWomen on December 8th?
This event on November 7th will be in-person at a small theater in Bellevue. Speakers and Entertainers will be performing live in front of a small audience and our film crew. These performances will be recorded and then the videos will be debuted at the virtual events on November 20th (TEDxSeattle) and December 8th (TEDxSeattleWomen).
Should I attend the in-person event on November 7th or the virtual events?
This really depends on whether you would prefer to see the speakers and entertainers perform live and in person, or if you’d prefer to watch the talks from the comfort of your home at a later date. While the talks and performances will ultimately be the same, the experiences will be completely different.
Why are there separate events?
We feel that the best way to create an incredible event experience is to design each event for a specific audience. By hosting both in person and virtual events on separate days, we can create the best experiences for each audience.
What is the COVID safety protocol for this event?
Entry requirements
We will be strictly following the King County COVID protocol. All attendees will need to provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test (no more than 72 hours old) upon entry, along with a government issued ID (school IDs are also accepted).
Do I need to wear a mask?
Yes. All attendees will be required to wear a mask at all times over their noses and mouths while indoors. We plan to provide snacks and beverages during the breaks. During these breaks, there should be plenty of space in the lobby to socially distance while consuming. You can go outside and take off your mask during breaks if you'd like.
Will I be able to socially distance?
Given the nature of the intimate theater environment in which the event is taking place, socially distancing will not be possible. Please be prepared to sit next to people. Again, masks will be required at all times.
Will this event provide captions and translation services?
Yes. We will provide real-time captioning and translations via Microsoft Translator. More info coming soon!
TEDxSeattleLive: Watching TED 2018 "The Age of Amazement"
To introduce TED2018, TED owner Chris Anderson and TED Head of Curation Helen Walters asked the audience to complete a simple task: to turn to someone whom they didn’t know and state what, over the last year, the main emotion is that they’ve felt. In Seattle, the crowd that was gathered at TEDxSeattleLive followed suit. Strangers exchanged quick greetings and with just a few minutes for the exercise began sharing their hope—and fears—from the past year. 
While there was plenty of apprehension in the crowd, there was also hope for what the next year would bring despite an increasingly divisive global culture. Seattle has long been known as a city filled with forward-thinking innovation and passion for change, so it’s no surprise a day full of learning and inspiration was met with such an openness to how an idea can shape the future.
The event screened two different sessions over the course of the day: “Doom. Gloom. Outrage. Uproar.” then “Wow. Just wow.” Between the two sessions, the audience listened to topics ranging from the #MeToo movement by Tracee Ellis Ross, to how artificial intelligence can upheave the job market as we know it today by Kai-Fu Lee.
Putting more diversity in stock photography
How do images in advertising – or the lack of them – influence our perceptions of diversity? In this revelatory talk, Karen Okonkwo shows us the hidden power of stock photography to shape culture. She explains why seeing people who look like us is critically important to engendering inclusivity and greater empathy in our world.
Karen is a first-generation Nigerian-American who was an avid blogger in college. She struggled to find stock photos that represented the diversity she saw in everyday life. In 2016, she co-founded TONL, a stock photography company, to provide access to beautiful, real-world images of individuals of diverse ethnicities, cultural backgrounds, body types, sexual orientations, genders, and ages. The company complements some of the images with personal narratives of the subjects. Their goal is to create a deeper understanding of the cultural context for people choosing pictures.
Karen has founded various companies and continues to support and encourage inclusive diversity through her businesses and volunteer efforts. She’s passionate about being a voice for the voiceless.
Karen Okonkwo is a Nigerian-American social entrepreneur based in Seattle. She became an avid blogger in 2013 while in college. However, she struggled to find photos that represented the existing diversity she saw in real life around her. Her experience and concern with the disparity of image diversity in the online world impassioned her to provide what the web has been missing. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
Can beauty save our planet?
Chris Jordan is all in on beauty. After photographing sea birds dying by the dozens from consuming bits of plastic, Chris had a revelation: It was time to refocus in his lens on the awesome beauty of the planet. Now, he searches out natural places that can inspire us to treasure and protect them from the devastating effects of pollution and climate change.
Special thanks to core the TEDxSeattle organizing team, 100+ volunteers, and our generous partners – without you, this experience would not be possible. Find out more about our talks, speakers, entertainers, activities, and year-round events at TEDxSeattle.com.
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TED Talks video and live speakers combine to spark in-depth discussion and connection in a community setting. These events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.
Chris is an internationally acclaimed photographer and filmmaker whose works are exhibited and published worldwide. His work walks the fine line between beauty and despair while exploring the dark undercurrents of our consumer culture’s focus on disposable goods and mass consumption. Chris’s first foray into the subject was the project Intolerable Beauty, which demonstrated the enormous amount of waste in various areas throughout Seattle. His next project, Running the Numbers, used innovative perspectives to illustrate the vast magnitude of our mass consumption.
Chris’s largest project to date is a series of photographs, Midway: Message from the Gyre, and the companion film, Albatross. The project was inspired by a stunning environmental tragedy that’s taking place on a tiny atoll in the North Pacific Ocean. He and his team photographed and filmed thousands of young albatrosses that lay dead on the ground, their stomachs filled with plastic, underscoring the destructive power of our culture of consumption, and our damaged relationship with the living world.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx Chris Jordan is an internationally acclaimed photographer and filmmaker whose works are exhibited and published worldwide. His work walks the fine line between beauty and despair while exploring the dark undercurrents of our consumer culture’s focus on disposability and mass consumption. Jordan’s first foray into the subject was a project Intolerable Beauty which featured the enormous amount of waste in various areas throughout Seattle. This led to Running the Numbers that used innovative perspectives to demonstrate the enormous magnitude of our mass consumption. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
Behind the Scenes with Luly Yang, Fashion Designer [SOLD OUT]
Luly Yang is a multi-award-winning artist and internationally known fashion designer based in Seattle.
Her most recent project: the exciting and highly visible new uniform design for Alaska Airlines’ 19,000+ employees. (Learn more about the uniform design project in this video.)
In this one-of-a-kind experience, you’ll go behind the scenes of Luly’s studio in the heart of Downtown Seattle to see firsthand how she transforms her vision and fabric into art. As you tour her space with fellow art aficionados, you’ll learn about her creative process, as well as how designs are conceived, and then made real. All along the way, you’ll hear Luly tell her compelling story of leveraging her role as a graphic designer in the field of architecture into an internationally award-winning fashion design career.
Luly has been named a “Women of Influence" by the Puget Sound Business Journal, "Best Custom Dress Designer" by Seattle Bride Magazine for 13 consecutive years, and has received the Nellie Cashman Woman Business Owner of the Year Award. She has also designed costumes for Seattle-based Teatro ZinZanni, and was commissioned by Pan Pacific Hotel to design their new uniforms for their grand opening. Her shows have benefited non-profit organizations such as Camp Korey, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Swedish Hospital, Fred Hutch, and others.
Luly Yang couture, ready-to-wear, accessories, bridal, cocktail, evening wear and menswear are available in Seattle, Beijing and Europe.
Light appetizers and drinks will be available during your adventure with Luly.
This adventure is capped at 40 so we suggest registering soon.
Location: Luly Yang’s private studio (closed to the public)
Explore, Play, and Tinker Again! Create Art out of Anything.
The first adventure filled up almost immediately, so artist barry johnson is holding a second session to share ideas on creating art from found materials.
Johnson will lead a hands-on exploration of Seattle ReCreative, the Creative Reuse Store and Community Art Center. Learn about, and create artwork from reclaimed objects. And, through the practice of tinkering, learn new ways to think about how to solve problems and create all while having fun. Each participant will create a work of art out of recycled and reclaimed material that they can then bring home. Please wear clothing suitable for doing art.
About TEDxSeattle Adventures
Adventures are unique events designed to offer participants unparalleled, behind-the-scenes access to the people and places making the local community so dynamic. The goal of every adventures is for participants to meet and interact with the masterminds behind the future of technology, business, art, and entertainment (to name a few). As many of our adventures are cross-generational by design and open to all, we can stimulate conversations amongst people of all ages, professions, and neighborhoods.
Play, explore and tinker - Create art out of anything
During this adventure, artist barry johnson will share ideas on creating art from found materials.
johnson will lead a hands-on exploration of Seattle ReCreative, the Creative Reuse Store and Community Art Center. Learn about and create artworks out of reclaimed objects and through the practice of tinkering, learn new ways to think about how to solve problems and create all while having fun. Each participant will create a work of art out of recycled and reclaimed material that they can bring home. Wear clothing suitable for doing art.
About TEDxSeattle Adventures
Adventures are unique events designed to offer participants unparalleled, behind-the-scenes access to the people and places making the local community so dynamic. The goal of every adventures is for participants to meet and interact with the masterminds behind the future of technology, business, and entertainment (to name a few). As many of our adventures are cross generational by design and open to all, we can stimulate conversations among people of all ages, professions and neighborhoods.