TED, the nonprofit renowned for spreading 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.
Monique Ruff-Bell, TED’s chief program and strategy officer, spearheaded the vertical.
“I have never been an athlete,” Ruff-Bell said in an interview with the Indianapolis Recorder. “However, I absolutely love sports and sports documentaries.”
Her fascination revealed a disconnect.
“If it’s appealing to me, the less likely person, someone who may not have an athletic bone in their body, then there’s something there,” Ruff-Bell said. “It’s about human potential, technology health care.”
Indianapolis emerged as the ideal host city for the inaugural sports conference. Ruff-Bell highlighted its “percolating” sports culture.
“Indy is becoming such a sports destination,” Ruff-Bell said. “There’s this passion you can feel for sports in Indiana.”
She cited the recent WNBA All-Star Weekend and NCAA headquarters as proof of community and business fervor. The city’s central location and accessibility further cemented its selection.
The event will transcend traditional sports narratives.
“It goes beyond winner or loser,” Ruff-Bell said. “It’s about the connective tissue of humanity.”
Attendees will examine leadership, adversity and innovation through athletics.
Over three days, they’ll experience curated ‘discovery sessions,’ workshops and networking alongside 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
Ruff-Bell noted talks comprise only “30% of the experience,” with immersive activities forming the remainder. These include curated dine-arounds and collaborative workshops designed to spark unexpected connections.
Curating speakers posed timing challenges.
“People are 100% within their sport,” Ruff-Bell told the Indianapolis Recorder. Yet TED’s brand reputation ensured engagement.
The event aligns with TED’s refreshed mission: “Ideas change everything.” Sports, Ruff-Bell argued, naturally distill universal concepts like resilience and teamwork.
Ruff-Bell hopes attendees leave recognizing TED as a “playground for the curious.” Her advice: “Put down your phone. Hear what idea is being shared.”
The most impactful moments often emerge unexpectedly.
Applications remain open for the inaugural event, which is limited to 1,000 attendees. With its fusion of athletic insight and intellectual exploration, TEDSports Indianapolis could redefine how society perceives sports’ cultural footprint.
“This is transformational,” Ruff-Bell said.
Learn more at 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, 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.
