ESSENTIAL EVENT // TEDxBrooklyn Comes To Brooklyn Bowl And Livestream This Friday

This Friday, December 2, the second edition of TEDxBrooklyn comes to Brooklyn Bowl, and, while the in-person event itself is sold out, you can still soak up all of the knowledge, creativity and inspiration from afar.

There will be free live screenings of the entire conference at the Knitting Factory in Williamsburg, 61 Local in Cobble Hill and the Brooklyn Brainery in Carroll Gardens. If you can't make it to any of those places, you'll be able to catch all of the action from anywhere else via a live video stream.

Right now you can peruse the TEDxBrooklyn Program Guide [PDF], which features background information on all of the speakers and presenters, such as host and renowned funnyman Eugene Mirman, Etsy CEO Chad Dickerson, architect and designer Susannah Drake and Creators Project coordinators Julia Kaganskiy and Ciel Hunter.

Take a look at the full schedule after the jump and head to one of the venues mentioned above or to the live stream at TEDxBrooklyn.com on Friday, when things will kick off at 9am.

-- John Ruscher

WATCH THIS NOW // An Animated Look At Education And Creativity

As backers of all creative endeavors, we feel obligated to point you in the direction of this speech by world-renowned education advisor Sir Ken Robinson. It's titled "Changing Education Paradigms," and while it centers mainly around problems in modern education, it's a must-see for anyone interested in creativity, the way we think and how these things relate to the world in which we live.

And, on top of Robinson's amazing insights, the United Kingdom's RSA Animate put together a truly mind-blowing animation to illustrate the entire thing.

Grab a snack, make yourself comfortable, put on those headphones and just watch this video. Think of it as 12 stimulating and inspiring minutes that'll make up for all the unstimulating, uninspiring time spent scrolling through your Facebook feed or playing Angry Birds. A true must watch:

-- John Ruscher

ESSENTIAL EVENT // TEDxBrooklyn Speakers Announced, Tickets On Sale Thursday

This one's still a few weeks away, but tickets go on sale this Thursday and as avid fans of all things TED, we want to make sure you don't miss out.

On Friday, December 2nd, Brooklyn Bowl will host the second TEDxBrooklyn conference. The "x" means that it's an independently organized event granted a license by TED (short for Technology, Entertainment & Design), the world-renowned series of conferences centered around the slogan "ideas worth spreading."

The first TEDxBrooklyn took place last November at the Pratt Institute and featured speakers such as novelist and WNYC host Kurt Andersen, Fabien Cousteau (grandson of Jacques), NYC artist Swoon, and even Richard Saul Wurman, the architect and designer who founded TED back in 1984.

Organizers just announced this year's initial lineup, and we're excited to see that it's got something for everyone, from rooftop farming and aerial acrobats to some of NYC's coolest tech companies and cultural game-changers.

Check out the lineup after the jump, along with a couple video highlights from last year's conference. And remember: tickets go on sale this Thursday, November 10 at 1pm.

TEDxBrooklyn's initial 2011 lineup:

Susannah Drake :: Principal at dlandstudio pllc :: The future of landscape architecture

Blake Whitman :: VP, Creative Development at Vimeo :: Online video community builder extraordinaire

Viraj Puri :: Founder of Gotham Greens :: A rooftop farm in the heart of Brooklyn

Sean Meenan :: Founder of Habana Outpost :: Sustainable hacienda

Lisa Jamhoury and Dana Abrassart :: Independent Aerial Acrobats :: Creatively adorning Brooklyn's airspace, with original musical accompaniment by Philip Joseph Restine III

Jack Walsh :: Executive Producer at Celebrate Brooklyn! :: Legendary performance festival at the Prospect Park Bandshell, produced by BRIC Arts | Media | Bklyn

Chad Dickerson :: CEO of Etsy :: The net’s most prosperous online flea market

Jonny Wilson :: Founder of Eclectic Method :: Audiovisual remix producer/DJ

Jullien Gordon :: Purpose Finder :: Innerview.me + 30 Day Do It

Jen Lyon :: Founder of Mean Red Productions :: Brooklyn’s risk-taking event production

Farai Chideya :: Author/Public Radio Host :: Award winning writer & media personality

Laurie Cumbo :: Founder and Executive Director of MoCADA :: Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Art

Ruth Ozeki :: Author/Filmmaker :: Ordained Zen minister to kick off the event

Paul Steely White :: Executive Director at Transportation Alternatives :: Reclaiming NYC streets

Eugene Mirman :: Comedian :: Smartest funny man in Brooklyn

-- John Ruscher

Registration Discount // Sunday's DIY Business Association Conference

What: Brooklyn DIY Business Association Conference—“a talent show for productivity, a swap meet for arty types, a crucial meeting of the minds, a think tank for the Creative New Economy.”

Who: You and all sorts of aspiring and established creative entrepreneurs. Participate in networking groups and learn from expert panelists including Grace Bonney (founder and editor of Design*Sponge), Andrew Wagner (ReadyMade editor-in-chief), and Chris Kaskie (president of Pitchfork). Click here for a full line-up.

When: Sunday, June 26 with light breakfast, lunch, and beer-and-wine evening reception

Register for HALF DAY: 
Brooklyn DIY Business Association Conference for the Music Industry (3–6:30 pm)
Register for FULL DAY: 
Brooklyn DIY Business Association Conference (10:45am–6:30pm)

Take advantage of a discounted full-day pass ($99; regular price $125) by entering "3rdward" at registration checkout. 

Where: The DUMBO Loft (55 Water St, Brooklyn) and Etsy Labs (55 Washington St, Brooklyn)

Why: “It takes a community to do it together,” says DIYBA founder Amy Schroder. We couldn’t agree more!