As part of the Ripple Effect community summit, the Boettcher Foundation will bring together Alumni and Scholars to connect, learn, and be inspired to tackle our toughest challenges together.
The event will be held February 28-March 1, 2025 at the CSU Spur campus in Denver.
In recognition of the diverse talents and
accomplishments of the Boettcher community, the Foundation is inviting proposals for TED-style talks from Alumni and others whose experience and expertise highlights and inspires community contributions in the areas of leadership and/or service.
Event Dates: February 28-March 1
TED-Style Talk Details: Talks should be 12 minutes long. Individual presentations are preferred, though small group proposals will be considered. Please note that a visual presentation will be required for each talk.
Submission Deadline: 5 p.m. on Sunday, September 15, 2024
A committee comprised of Boettcher Foundation staff and Alumni will review all
proposals and set the lineup. All presenters submitting a proposal will hear
from the committee no later than Tuesday, October 1.
Audience: In attendance will be current Boettcher Scholars, Alumni,
and Trustees of the Foundation. Attendees will range in age from late teens to
those in their 70s and 80s who either work in or have worked in all sectors and
a multitude of industries.
General Submission Guidelines: Proposals must be completed using the online form.
Proposals will be selected based on the overall quality, topic relevance, and
number of open sessions in the schedule. With regard to specific criteria, the
committee will consider the following: relevance, clarity, objectives,
takeaways, engagement, and applicability.
What types of sessions are we looking for? One goal for the event is to have participants gain
inspiration, knowledge, and resources connected to one of the three program
strands -- personal growth, professional development, or Colorado
issues. In the process, sessions should provide applicable learning opportunities
for participants in the areas of leadership and/or service.
You might conceive of a presentation
proposal as a high-level synopsis on a particular passion or area of expertise
from which others will be able to distill tangible skills or knowledge that
could empower positive change in their lives and in the lives of others.
What is a great, well-informed idea? It can actually be one of two things:
- Something that's new and surprising; an idea or invention that your audience has never heard about.
- A great basic idea (that your audience has maybe already heard) with a compelling new argument behind it that challenges beliefs and perspectives.
Rules to Remember:
- Promote ideas, not commercial agendas: While speakers are welcome to discuss what they do and the business they're in when relevant to their presentation, speakers may not use this platform to promote their products or books, or request funding.
- Promote respectful and inclusive dialogue: For topics that can be perceived as religious or political, please ensure that talks focus on discussing concrete problems and solutions in an inclusive, non-polarizing manner while avoiding extremist or inflammatory positions. Speakers may not attack or advocate for political parties, platforms, ideologies, or political leaders and may not promote violence or oppression. While speakers are welcome to be honest about their beliefs, they may not use the stage to promote them, disparage those who don't share them, or attempt to prove or persuade the correctness of a single religion, deity or other belief system.
- Use credible science: Speakers should ensure that scientific claims are testable, peer-reviewed in a respected journal, and based on theories considered credible by experts in the field. They should be supported by enough experiment-generated evidence to convince other experts of their legitimacy and should acknowledge areas of doubt or need for further investigation.
Thank you for your interest. Please complete the form below to submit a proposal to serve as a presenter. Once you have clicked the "Submit" tab, you will receive a confirmation e-mail. For questions about completing the proposal, please email events@boettcherfoundation.org.