TEDxBoston

I'm excited to share that my TEDx talk, given at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) during the 2024 Planet Action Summit, is now live! Learn more about the impacts of black carbon on our environment and what we can potentially do to solve a part of the climate crisis: https://lnkd.in/gkt72sUp Big thanks are in order to Alison Sander, for inviting me as a speaker; Davey B for coaching me for weeks in the lead-up to this; Ricardo Peña for his insights and feedback on the text and on the delivery/performance aspects (as well as all the moral support!); and those able to attend in person, including Rosalinda Araujo Pena, Laura Ackard Saltzman, Laurie Kelley, Mark Ziko, Robin Ziko, Rose Fabian, and Michael Coote. Thank you to PONANT and PONANT Science for providing opportunities to do ship-based research, as well as engage with passengers on-board. Le Commandant Charcot is a state-of-the-art icebreaker, a sustainable hybrid electric ship that has significantly reduced emissions and particulates, paving the way for what is possible for travel in the future.

In 2002, the Hayman fire burned 138,000 acres in my home state of Colorado. Twenty-three years later, the land is still barren. As wildfires intensify, active reforestation is more critical than ever—but there’s a major challenge: we don’t have the seeds. In my recent TEDx talk, I explore how fabricated seeds—enabled by Foray’s plant biomanufacturing platform—could help close the seed supply gap. By complementing traditional seed sourcing, we can ensure access to the right seeds at the right time for successful restoration. 🔗 Watch the full talk here: https://lnkd.in/dYia_anV This challenge requires collaboration across reforestation, forestry, land management, and plant science. If you're working on seed or regeneration challenges, let’s talk. It’s time to start thinking differently about how we engage with our plant systems. 🌿At Foray, we’re introducing a new way to work with plants—an “operating system” to steer plant growth from the cell up, unlocking scalable access to the plants and plant products that power life as we know it. #Reforestation #SeedSupply #FabricatedSeeds #PlantRegeneration #ForestRestoration #PlantCellCulture #Biomanufacturing Thank you for your support in thinking through this talk: Matthew Aghai, Alex Grant, Nico Hawley-Weld, Max Wall, Davey B, Caty Byerly Rezendes, John Werner, and others. I'm grateful to our academic partners for their collaboration and commitment to advancing understanding of forest resilience.

I’m thrilled to have produced this visionary TEDxBoston talk! My longterm friend Ramesh Raskar's presentation, "How a $6 Million Model Upended a Trillion-Dollar Industry," challenges the norm by showing how clever AI algorithms can outsmart brute-force scaling. It’s a game-changing look at efficiency, cost reduction, and the decentralization of AI—a must-watch for anyone interested in the future of technology. Proud to have made this conversation possible. Check it out! https://buff.ly/41b2gtY #AI #Innovation #TEDxBoston #MachineLearning #DecentralizedAI

🚀 My TEDx talk is now live!   This week, Donald Trump signed an executive order bringing plastic straws back—apparently, that’s the priority. But while straws make headlines, they are just a distraction from the real crisis. Plastics are everywhere—clogging our oceans, infiltrating our food, and harming our health. The debate shouldn’t be about nostalgia for plastic straws; it should be about the future we are creating.   In my talk, I explore how cities, companies, and campuses can take the lead in rethinking consumption, creating sustainable alternatives, and driving collective action. The plastic crisis isn’t just about waste—it’s about systems, choices, and responsibility.   ♻️ The good news? We stand at a turning point. A global plastics treaty is on the horizon, and we have the opportunity to shape a future where plastic pollution is no longer the norm.   💡✋ What handprint will you leave?   📺 Watch the full talk here: https://lnkd.in/exfKN9vb   Thank you to the TEDxBoston team, the organizers of Planet Action 2024, and all the brilliant minds working toward a more sustainable world. Special thank you to Innocent Nkurunziza and Benjamin Von Wong for their inspiring work in art and Davey B, Caty Byerly Rezendes, Alison Sander, and John Werner for putting on the amazing event.   Northeastern University School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs Global Environmental Governance (GEG) Project #Ted #TedTalk #TedTalks #TEDxBoston #PlanetAction #Plovdiv #Bulgaria #History #PlasticsTreaty #Sustainability #EnvironmentalLeadership #GlobalGovernance #RethinkPlastics #CollectiveAction #PublicPolicy

That's a wrap on the TEDxBoston PLANET ACTION speaker program. But just the beginning of our work together. 👀 Look out for the talk recordings in the coming weeks and please help us amplify, network, and share these incredible, timely ideas. 👉 Follow these innovators, discuss these ideas, lend your support. 🌎 Let's build a more beautiful world, together. DAY 2: The Power of Human Ingenuity recap ⏪ 🌍 ⏯ by Pricilla Ricapa

That's a wrap on the TEDxBoston PLANET ACTION speaker program. But just the beginning of our work together. 👀 Look out for the talk recordings in the coming weeks and please help us amplify, network, and share these incredible, timely ideas. 👉 Follow these innovators, discuss these ideas, lend your support. 🌎 Let's build a more beautiful world, together. DAY 1: Protecting the Natural World recap ⏪ 🌍 ⏯ by Pricilla Ricapa

Monday was a pretty special day. I got to share the beauty of soil and meet two astronauts! Thank you to TEDxBoston and John Werner for putting together an incredible platform to make connections, tell stories, and scale impact. And thank you to Yvonne Hao and Massachusetts for all you are doing to make MA a center of innovation in climate tech for companies like Indigo!

Yesterday was a big day. Speaking at the TEDxBoston Planet Action conference alongside so many inspiring storytellers and activists was an honor that I dedicate to my students, past and present, and my daughter. I closed with this reminder: "There are more living organisms in a handful of healthy soil than there are people on the planet. When your hands are in the soil, you are touching infinite life. What more abundance can you ask for?" Thank you to all who helped me prepare, and to the organizers John Werner, Caty Byerly Rezendes and Alison Sander! It takes a village. #planetaction #foodsystemtransformation #collectiveaction #storytellingwillsaveus #tedxboston

"Imagine you walked into a shop filled your cart and left without paying. That's what we have done to nature.." that was the start of my TEDx talk that I did yesterday at the Planet Action Summit where I talked about how PlanetaryX can be the cashier for the planet and our Biodiversity Resilience Assets can be the invoice. We need responsible corporate citizens to confidently champion nature regardless of political or regulatory pressures and invest in the ecosystem services that are part of the critical infrastructure essential to their long-term success! Thank you so much Alison Sander John Werner Davey B Caty Byerly Rezendes, all the great speakers, and everyone who made the event so fantastic! #nature #resilience #biodiversity #climateaction #planetaction

Great event recap from our friend, Amos White at 100k Trees fro Humanity.