The annual TED Conference in Long Beach, California, brings together some of the world’s most innovative and influential entrepreneurs, scientists, educators, artists and thinkers. Since the first TED Conference in 1984, speakers have ranged from former United States President Bill Clinton and Microsoft founder Bill Gates to architect Frank Gehry, jazz musician Herbie Hancock and genomics pioneer Craig Venter. 

A Canadian entrepreneur and scientist, Jose Rueda focuses on technology applications and venture development “for meaningful purposes.” He has been a consultant for many private-sector organisations, as well as the Government of Canada and the Government of Manitoba. For eight years, he was Director of Operations and Research at TRLabs Manitoba, a consortium of industry, university and government. He was Chief Executive Producer and Director of Game Design and Production for PlayLab in Hong Kong, leading the production of commercial console games and research applications. 

How did you first learn about TED, and how are you involved today?
I first learned about TED at Hong Kong Polytechnic University and started to use TEDTalks in my classes to complement case studies and guest speakers.  Soon, I realised the power of TED, which is that because people truly believe that ideas can change the world, they are compelled to act on those ideas to accomplish incredible goals.

I am the license holder for TEDxPearlRiver, and I am in constant communication with TED and the network of TEDx organisers around the world. I have been to the annual TED Conference twice, and I am going to be at TED 2011 and related events.

Is there a significant TED community in Hong Kong?
Yes, very significant. It is a community of passionate, highly motivated, action-oriented, talented people from many different backgrounds and sectors. They recognise TED and immediately show their enthusiasm and interest in anything TED. The community is growing very rapidly, particularly because TEDTalks are used in many schools.

Where does TEDx fit into the TED world?
There are various types of TEDx events. In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a programme of local events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local events are branded TEDx, where x equals an independently organised TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx programme, but individual TEDx events are self-organised and subject to certain rules and regulations.

Why did you decide that Hong Kong needed a TEDx event?
Because I live in Hong Kong, and I wasn’t aware of an event that offered a TED-like experience. TED transformed me, and I had to do something to help other people experience the power of the platform. I feel that TED offers the right model to help spread ideas worth spreading without a specific agenda. I like the concept of providing a platform for great people to spread their ideas and inspire others.

We operated under the overall vision of “ideas worth spreading” and, in consultation with our team, we settled for "explore” as the theme for our event.  We wanted to signal exploration from many different perspectives, from the limits of human endurance to the limits of imagination. This theme seemed to resonate very well with the speakers and the audience.

Was TEDxPearlRiver well-received? Will there be more TEDx events for Hong Kong?
Yes. As curator, I focused on relevancy to Hong Kong. The programme consisted of local voices that needed to be heard at the TED stage, local voices that see the world from a different perspective than other people in their field, people of various backgrounds born and raised in Hong Kong or with strong connections to Hong Kong. They included Annabelle Bond, who grew up in Hong Kong and, among her many accomplishments, conquered the top seven peaks in the world, including Mount Everest, in one year; Po Chi Wu, a Hong Kong University of Science & Technology School of Business Adjunct Professor and former Silicon Valley venture capitalist, who co-founded the Global Innovation Research Centre at Peking University; William Mak, who contributed greatly to the Human Genome Project in Canada and Hong Kong and has the world’s top laboratory for educating children about biotechnology; Celina Jade, a talented Hong Kong-born actress, singer and composer; and Hong Kong marketing specialist Dominic Purvis. In the spirit of TED, Dominic is contributing to the worldwide quest to enhance opportunities for children to use their imagination.

We plan to offer the TEDxPearlRiver experience to the community in Hong Kong yearly. The response was overwhelming and very motivational, and we feel that we must continue to provide a platform to spread ideas worth spreading.  We are organising a small event, TEDxPearlRiverWomen, in Hong Kong on 9 December. It will coincide with TEDWomen, 7-8 December, in Washington, DC. This is the first time that TEDWomen will be offered, and we anticipate that there will be significant interest in Hong Kong for an event that brings the community together to discuss issues relevant to women in our region. We will announce the venue soon. The event will be available on a first-come-first-serve basis through registration on our web site, www.tedxpearlriver.com. 

Does TEDx have anything to say to mainstream business, especially small business?
TEDxPearlRiver is a platform suitable to promote business. There are many opportunities to promote mainstream and especially small businesses. For example, we invited a number of outstanding small businesses to demonstrate at the venue and also to sponsor various offerings for the audience, from coffee to motion capture. Po Chung talked about his experience building DHL International from humble beginnings to a major international player. Claus Nehmzow explained his vision for virtual education by using the example of his small company, which is only a few months old. TED is also a major platform for promoting small businesses and new models in developing economies and also well-developed economies such as Hong Kong.