TEDxSendai 2012 Theme:
Natural Disasters

On March 11, 2011, the largest earthquake in Japan’s history, measuring a staggering 9.0 on the Richter scale, wiped out thousands of lives and erased entire communities. Almost 18 months later, in Sendai and the Tohoku region, people are rebuilding their lives, but the lessons from that time are still fresh and resonate across East Asia to countries in the Pacific Ring of Fire and across the world as people in communities rich and poor face similar cataclysms and extreme weather events.

TEDxSendai will focus on the theme of natural disasters. In a tightly choreographed 3 hours, TEDxSendai will bring together the most interesting thinkers and leaders from the worlds of business, art, politics and science to share a message about disaster recovery, resilience, and hope. This theme will be explored from multiple perspectives and contribute ideas worth spreading from Haiti to Japan.

About TEDx, x = independently organized event

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, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized 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. (Subject to certain rules and regulations.)

About TED

TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Started as a four-day conference in California 26 years ago, TED has grown to support those world-changing ideas with multiple initiatives. At TED, the world's leading thinkers and doers are asked to give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. Talks are then made available, free, at TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Benoit Mandelbrot, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Isabel Allende and former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Two major TED events are held each year: The TED Conference takes place every spring in Long Beach, California (along with a parallel conference, TEDActive, in Palm Springs), and TEDGlobal is held each summer in Edinburgh, Scotland.

TED’s media initiatives include TED.com, where new TEDTalks are posted daily; the new TED Conversations, enabling broad conversations among TED fans; and the Open Translation Project, which provides subtitles and interactive transcripts as well as the ability for any TEDTalk to be translated by volunteers worldwide.

TED has established the annual TED Prize, where exceptional individuals with a wish to change the world are given the opportunity to put their wishes into action; TEDx, which offers individuals or groups a way to host local, self-organized events around the world; and the TED Fellows program, helping world-changing innovators from around the globe to become part of the TED community and, with its help, amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities.

For information about TED's upcoming conferences, visit http://www.ted.com/registration

About TEDxSendai

TEDxSendai is a TED-licensed event that will be held in Sendai, Japan. It will take a thematic look at natural disasters and bring together a diverse group of global and local thinkers and doers to share their perspectives and ideas on a serious development challenge.

Maya Brahmam, TEDxSendai Curator
Maya Brahmam is a Senior Communications Officer at the World Bank. She has managed communications for a range of clients within the World Bank, including the Bank’s Chief Economist and the high-level independent Commission on Growth and Development, chaired by Nobel Laureate, Michael Spence. Currently, she leads the Open Development work in External Affairs and develops and leads innovative campaigns for the Global Engagement team. Examples include the Nike-World Bank "Party in the Park" for gender equality, the first global Open Forum 2010, which opened up the Bank-Fund Annual Meetings to a broader public, and Arab Voices and Views, a high-level forum on the Middle East and North Africa, which brought in fresh viewpoints to a critical discussion on accountability and jobs in the region. Her areas of interest include youth and development, growth and development, gender and education, and knowledge for development.

Kalliope Kokolis, Presenter Coordinator/Online Marketing
Kalliope Kokolis is a consultant to the World Bank's External Affairs Operational Communication department.  She has several years of experience in marketing and communications outreach. Kalliope holds her undergraduate degree in Media Studies and Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia and a master’s degree in Communication, Culture and Technology from Georgetown University. 

Angelica Silvero, Registration and On-Site Coordinator Angelica Silvero, a Brazilian national, is the Head of the World Bank Speakers Bureau. Her role is to educate and inform audiences about the World Bank. She organizes, trains speakers, and delivers presentations to more than 12,000 students and professionals a year.

Edita Andreis, Visual Media
Edita Andreis joined the World Bank in Washington, D.C., in 2000 after years of regional experience working for the World Bank and UNHCR in Zagreb, Croatia. She manages creative projects and develops marketing strategies and products for different departments within the World Bank. She holds a degree in Advertisement and Public Relations.

Mika Iwasaki, Japanese Presenter Coordinator
Mika Iwasaki is a Senior Communications Officer at the World Bank Tokyo Office. After having worked on various development projects in Asia and Africa, she joined the World Bank to promote knowledge sharing and partnership. Mika has worked on a number of programs for youth and academia in Japan to achieve both a better dissemination of the World Bank research findings and project information and a greater participation of Japanese scholars in the Bank research projects and other knowledge exchange activities.