TEDx Walden Pond "The Courage to Pay Attention"
October 21, 2026
Lincoln, MA
Tickets are sold out!
TEDx Walden Pond "The Courage to Pay Attention"
October 21, 2026
Lincoln, MA
Tickets are sold out!
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About TEDx Walden Pond
Our 2026 Theme
Do you have a TEDX talk in you?
Our 2026 Theme
"The Courage to Pay Attention"
We are thrilled to announce that our theme for TEDx Walden Pond 2026 is "The Courage to Pay Attention."
This theme can hold conversations about anything from everyday attention to technology, and the quiet power of noticing what’s right in front of us. What becomes possible when we pay attention?
Our event will take place in Lincoln, Massachusetts on October 21, 2026. Tickets are on sale now at a special early bird rate through August 31 at 11:59 pm EDT.
Speaker applications for 2026 are now closed. We will not reply to applications submitted via email, please sign up for our newsletter to be notified of our next open submission period.
Our Board
Do you have a TEDX talk in you?
Our 2026 Theme
Co-founded by Jessica Cooper and Dr. Nick Morgan, TEDx Walden Pond is supported by distinguished board members, including David Meerman Scott. Meet our board.
Do you have a TEDX talk in you?
Do you have a TEDX talk in you?
Do you have a TEDX talk in you?
Our speakers are hand picked to represent a wide variety of topics and offer thought provoking insights and new ideas. Speaker applications for 2026 are now closed. We only accept applications through our open submission process, not via email.
Curious about what makes a good TED talk? Read our "Is a TED Talk Right For You?" guide, our TEDx Walden Pond Speaker Resources and Three Common TEDx Application Mistakes documents, and view TED’s Secret to Great Public Speaking.
We encourage local voices to apply and we will prioritize speakers with roots in our community and region, though superb proposals from outside areas will also be considered. This is an in-person event; speakers traveling from outside Lincoln must plan to arrive at least 24-48 hours in advance and cover their own travel and lodging.
PRADNYA COWLAGI
PRADNYA COWLAGI
PRADNYA COWLAGI
Pradnya Cowlagi is a civic advocate and social entrepreneur. She founded Aptus Design to bring high-quality design to nonprofits and her podcast, The Fine Print Project, aims to demystify the civic, legal, and economic systems that shape our lives. She is an award-winning writer, speaker, and in her spare time, a high school student.
LIANE DAVEY
PRADNYA COWLAGI
PRADNYA COWLAGI
Liane Davey, the "Teamwork Doctor," is a bestselling author and executive advisor who has spent three decades helping people achieve amazing things together. Her work focuses on tackling the messiest people issues holding teams back, including fostering accountability, promoting healthy conflict, and managing overwhelm.
ANDI HESS
PRADNYA COWLAGI
ANDI HESS
Andi Hess is an award-winning hypnotherapist and best-selling author who checked off her entire bucket list by 37, then created the Exhale Code to help women stop holding onto everything and finally exhale.
KAYE KELLY
KAYE KELLY
ANDI HESS
Kaye Kelly is an educator, author, vocalist, and creative leadership speaker with more than 25 years on the faculty at Berklee College of Music. Through her work mentoring artists and creative professionals, Kaye explores artistic identity, wellness, and the mindset shifts necessary to build sustainable, purpose-driven lives in the arts.
ERICA KEY
KAYE KELLY
KATHY PHAM
Erica Key earned her nickname "The Playground Whisperer" over decades supporting children and practitioners in early childhood. As Chief Play Officer of Learning Seeds, she uses human-centered technology to surface best practices for sparking group engagement, and mentors social-impact founders who want to go beyond talking about behavior to start changing people's experiences.
KATHY PHAM
KAYE KELLY
KATHY PHAM
Kathy Pham is a computer scientist, teacher, and caretaker who founded Agents of Purpose after two decades building AI and technology across industry, academia, and three presidential administrations at the White House. At Harvard she teaches “Product Management and Society,” and founded the Ethical Tech group.
KISHORI (KELLY) SKINNER
KISHORI (KELLY) SKINNER
KISHORI (KELLY) SKINNER
Kishori (Kelly) Skinner is an end of life doula, energy healing practitioner, and spiritual teacher devoted to helping others live radiantly, heal deeply, and die gracefully. She weaves together Bhakti Yoga, meditation, energy healing, and compassionate presence to guide people back to the heart through devotional living, conscious endings, and the transformative power of love.
ELISABETH SWAN
KISHORI (KELLY) SKINNER
KISHORI (KELLY) SKINNER
Elisabeth Swan is a speaker, award-winning author, and former improv performer
whose work sits at the intersection of neuroscience, leadership, and human behavior.
Through stories, research, and humor, she explores how praise and recognition shape
confidence, creativity, connection—and ultimately, who people become.
MOLLY TSONGAS
KISHORI (KELLY) SKINNER
MOLLY TSONGAS
Molly Tsongas is a science writer with 20 years of experience in wildlife conservation, including for Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the National Audubon Society. She teaches mindful birding at Weaving Earth and co-produces MURMUR, a dance production exploring human kinship with birds. Her passion for biodiversity began near Walden Pond.
TIM WASHER
TIM WASHER
MOLLY TSONGAS
Tim Washer (Emcee) is a comedy writer and event emcee who's worked on Saturday Night Live, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, and IBM. His award-winning corporate comedy has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and ADWEEK.
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