TED, the nonprofit known for sharing transformative ideas, launches its first sports-focused conference in Indianapolis this September.
The TEDSports event, scheduled for Sept. 9-11 at the historic Old National Centre, aims to explore athletics’ intersection with technology, leadership, and social impact.
Indianapolis emerged as the ideal host, a choice strongly championed by local curator Neelay Bhatt, founder and CEO of Next Practice Partners and TED Sports Indianapolis co-chair.
“Very few things bring people together the way sports does,” Bhatt emphasized in an exclusive interview, highlighting the city’s unique ecosystem. “With the Sports Corp, NCAA headquarters, racing, Pacers, Fever and our sports tech scene — all of that put together really made Indy the best choice.”
Monique Ruff-Bell, TED’s chief program and strategy officer, spearheaded the vertical. “I have never been an athlete,” Ruff-Bell told the Indianapolis Recorder. “However, I absolutely love sports and sports documentaries.” Her fascination revealed a deeper connection: “If it’s appealing to me, the less likely person … then there’s something there. It’s about human potential, technology, health care.”
Ruff-Bell echoed this, citing Indianapolis’ “percolating” sports culture.
“Indy is becoming such a sports destination,” Ruff-Bell said. “There’s this passion you can feel for sports in Indiana.”
Ruff-Bell pointed to the recent WNBA All-Star Weekend as proof of community fervor, while Bhatt credited collaborative storytelling.
“Patrick Tolley and the Sports Corp team helped tell the Indy story … and that really resonated,” Bhatt said.
The event will transcend traditional narratives.
“It goes beyond winner or loser,” Ruff-Bell said. “It’s about the connective tissue of humanity.”
Bhatt expanded on this philosophy, contrasting TED with conventional conferences.
“TED conferences are not transactional. They’re not about the business of business cards,” she said. “They’re about genuine connections and curiosity and ideas that can change the world.”
Attendees will examine leadership, adversity and innovation through athletics over three days of curated ‘discovery sessions,’ workshops, networking and mainstage talks. A star-studded lineup embodies this vision:
- Charlie Baker, NCAA president
- Jeremy Bloom, X Games CEO
- Paul “Triple H” Levesque, WWE’s chief content officer
- Cindy Ngamba, Olympic medalist and refugee
- Angelo Pizzo, filmmaker of Rudy and Hoosiers
- Many others from six continents
Curating speakers posed significant challenges. Yet TED’s brand reputation ensured engagement. Bhatt described the process as “both incredible and incredibly challenging,” emphasizing curation beyond titles.
“It’s not the titles, it’s the ideas of the speakers,” Bhatt said. “There are so many stories, and this is not a business conference where you’ll hear the same things repeated.”
Both leaders stressed that talks comprise only a fraction of the experience. Ruff-Bell estimated that the TED talks would encompass 10-20% of the event, with immersive activities forming the remainder. These include curated dine-arounds, collaborative workshops and unique “discovery sessions” designed to spark unexpected connections.
Bhatt passionately advocated for the immersive model.
“I can sit in a room and have somebody talk to me about teamwork all day long, or I can be at the Indy Motor Speedway listening to Tony Kanaan, then watching an Arrow McLaren IndyCar pit crew… and you may actually get to do a pit stop yourself,” Bhatt said. “That’s real immersion.”
Other sessions include field goal kicking on the Colts’ turf with a Super Bowl-winning kicker.
The event aligns with TED’s refreshed mission: “Ideas change everything.” Sports, Ruff-Bell argued, naturally distill universal concepts like resilience and teamwork.
“We want audiences to create those sparks, those connections … ideas from innovation to equity to social justice. .. that can bring about long-term change,” Bhatt said. “Once you’re at a TED event, you will never be the same person again.”
Ruff-Bell hopes attendees recognize TED as a “playground for the curious.”
“This is one of those pieces where you can either be there or hear from those who were there and wish you were there … It’s the first ever in the world,” Bhatt said. “What is that feeling like to say ‘I was there when it first happened’?”
He also noted scholarship opportunities through partners to ensure accessibility.
With its fusion of athletic insight, intellectual exploration, and unprecedented immersive experiences, TEDSports Indianapolis aims to redefine how society perceives sports’ cultural footprint.
“The ideas you encounter will forever transform how you see the world,” Bhatt said.
For more information, visit tedsports-indianapolis.ted.com.
Contact Multi-Media & Senior Sports Reporter Noral Parham at 317-762-7846. Follow him on Facebook and TikTok @HorsemenSportsMedia. For more news from the Indianapolis Recorder, click here.
Noral Parham is the multi-media & senior sports reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder, one of the oldest Black publications in the country. Parham has worked with various leagues to provide a diverse perspective in sports, including the Big Ten, Big East, IHSAA, IndyCar, MLB, NHRA, NFL, NBA, WNBA, WWE and the Olympics. Prior to joining the Recorder, Parham served as the community advocate of the MLK Center in Indianapolis and senior copywriter for an e-commerce and marketing firm in Denver.
