CELEBRATING OUR VIBRANT COMMUNITY.
When we come together, change happens
We came together.
You made it unforgettable.
On October 4, 2026, Tinley Park hosted its first TEDx.
What began as one person's idea became a day filled with powerful stories, new perspectives, laughter, music, connection and community.
Thank you to our speakers, attendees, volunteers, students, partners and everyone who helped make the inaugural TEDx Tinley Park possible.
One idea started it. A community brought it to life.
A Special Thank You to Tinley Park High School
TEDx Tinley Park would not have been possible without the extraordinary support of Tinley Park High School and Principal Dr. Theresa Nolan.
Dr. Nolan believed in the vision from the beginning and opened the doors of the school to bring our community together. She and her team gave us a beautiful place to gather, welcomed us with breakfast and an unforgettable cookie break, and helped create an environment where everyone felt comfortable from the moment they arrived.
The student volunteers were an incredible part of the experience. They welcomed guests, helped our speakers, guided people throughout the school, served food and jumped in wherever they were needed. Their enthusiasm and generosity were felt throughout the entire day.
What they created went far beyond a venue. They helped turn a high school into a gathering place for our entire community. A place where 14 speakers could share their ideas, where people could connect with one another, and where everyone felt welcome.
We are deeply grateful to Dr. Nolan, the faculty and staff, and the amazing students of Tinley Park High School for believing in what we were trying to create and helping make our first TEDx Tinley Park such a memorable day.
Thank you for giving us not just a place to gather, but a place that felt like home.
Stay Connected
The ideas shared at TEDx Tinley Park don't end when the lights go down.
We're waiting for TED's approval to release the recorded talks. Once they're approved, we'll share them on our website, YouTube and social channels.
Follow TEDx Tinley Park on Facebook and LinkedIn to see photos from the event, hear when the talks are released, and stay connected to what comes next.
And if TEDx Tinley Park sparked an idea in you whether you'd like to partner, volunteer, or explore becoming a speaker at a future event we'd love to hear from you.
The future of TEDx Tinley Park is still being written. We'd love for you to be part of the conversation.
News
Who We Are
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In the spirit of discovering and spreading ideas, TED has created a program called TEDx. TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. Our event is called TEDxTinley Park, where x = independently organized TED event. At our TEDxTinley Park event, TED Talks video and live speakers will combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events, including ours, are self-organized.
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TED is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to discovering, debating and spreading ideas that spark conversation, deepen understanding and drive meaningful change. Our organization is devoted to curiosity, reason, wonder and the pursuit of knowledge — without an agenda. We welcome people from every discipline and culture who seek a deeper understanding of the world and connection with others, and we invite everyone to engage with ideas and activate them in your community.
TED began in 1984 as a conference where Technology, Entertainment and Design converged, but today it spans a multitude of worldwide communities and initiatives exploring everything from science and business to education, arts and global issues. In addition to the TED Talks curated from our annual conferences and published on TED.com, we produce original podcasts, short video series, animated educational lessons (TED-Ed) and TV programs that are translated into more than 100 languages and distributed via partnerships around the world. Each year, thousands of independently run TEDx events. Through the Audacious Project, TED has helped catalyze $6.6 billion in funding for projects that support bold solutions to the world's most urgent challenges — working to make the world more beautiful, sustainable and just. In 2020, TED launched Countdown, an initiative to accelerate solutions to the climate crisis and mobilize a movement for a net-zero future, and in 2023 TED launched TED Democracy to spark a new kind of conversation focused on realistic pathways towards a more vibrant and equitable future. View a full list of TED’s many programs and initiatives.
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Every community has ideas.
Ideas born around kitchen tables. In classrooms. In businesses. In neighborhoods. Ideas that solve problems, inspire hope, spark innovation, and change lives.
Too often, those ideas never travel beyond the people who first hear them.
TEDx Tinley Park was created to change that.
We believe world-changing ideas don't only come from famous authors, scientists, or celebrities. They come from teachers, entrepreneurs, artists, students, healthcare professionals, veterans, community leaders, and ordinary people who have discovered extraordinary ways to make a difference.
Our mission is simple:
To bring our community together to discover, share, and celebrate ideas worth spreading.
As an independently organized TEDx event, TEDx Tinley Park provides a stage where remarkable local voices can share ideas with our community—and potentially with the world through the TEDx platform.
Our annual event is more than a series of talks. It is a day of curiosity, conversation, learning, and connection. Guests enjoy inspiring speakers, engaging Discovery Zones, opportunities to meet neighbors and innovators, and conversations that continue long after the event ends.
Our 2026 theme, Come Together, reflects what we believe our communities need most. Different backgrounds. Different experiences. Different perspectives. One shared desire to learn from one another.
Whether you attend as a guest, volunteer, sponsor, speaker, or community partner, you become part of something bigger than a single event.
You become part of a movement built on the belief that one idea, shared at the right moment, can change a life.
Sometimes even the world.
We invite you to join us as we discover the next idea worth spreading—right here in Tinley Park.
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Tinley Park sits at the crossroads of the southwest suburbs, bringing together people from dozens of neighboring communities. It is a place where businesses grow, families put down roots, students prepare for their futures, and neighbors support one another. We believe this region is filled with untold stories and remarkable ideas. TEDx Tinley Park exists to give those ideas a stage and to showcase the talent, creativity, and spirit of our community to the world.