July 11-14, 2023
Detroit, MI

TED Countdown Summit 2023

This invite-only gathering will bring together a group of global innovators, business executives, scientists, policymakers, next generation leaders, artists, activists and more who are determined to create a better future.

The 2023 Summit is about

Turning vision into reality

When the Paris Agreement was signed in 2015, the world was on track for a catastrophic 4-5°C of warming. Thanks to spectacular progress made since then, the expected warming has been cut in half.

But we remain in crisis, and have huge work to do to protect our planet and its people. So how do we come together and design a better future? The TED Countdown Summit will explore this crucial question by highlighting the state of climate progress, visualizing a better future, and exploring the solutions, tools and partnerships that will help us move forward.

Our Program

A four-day stage program

Seven sessions of mainstage TED Talks, filled with thoroughly researched and thoughtfully curated climate talks from around the world.

Breakthrough Sessions

Your opportunity to choose from an exhilarating lineup of workshops designed to help you dig deep and tackle specific problems while building new collaborations.

Experiential visits in the city

Head offsite and explore Detroit with local innovators to see how the city at the heart of the American car industry is grappling with building an inclusive, sustainable future.

On Stage

Over 40 speakers will deliver TED Talks across all four days of the Summit. See a selection below.

See All Speakers
Neil Vora
Disease detective, conservationist
Laprisha Berry Daniels
Public health social worker
Sims Witherspoon
Applied AI climate scientist
Paul Hawken
Environmentalist, author
Al Roker
Environmentalist, weatherman
Asmeret Asefaw Berhe
Soil scientist

Off Stage

A few of the dozens of Quests and Breakthrough Sessions you'll be able to choose from throughout the week.

Michigan innovators driving the future of mobility

Get an under-the-hood look at Our Next Energy (ONE), a Michigan-born energy storage company accelerating the EV transition with long range batteries. Meet Founder and CEO Mujeeb Ijaz for an insider tour of ONE’s innovation center, including vintage electric vehicles dating to 1912.

Transforming the economy further and faster

Join an expert team working on positive tipping points that have the capacity to catalyze climate progress in ways that become unstoppable. We’ll dive into specific examples and explore how we can accelerate systemic change.

Food deserts to community oasis

Meet Keep Growing Detroit (KGD), an organization cultivating food sovereignty in Detroit, where over half a million residents lack healthy food options. Together with director Tepfirah Rushdan, we’ll explore a future where food is grown right in the city – strengthening food security, wellbeing and racial equity.

Climate innovators powering a clean future

From smart agriculture to energy storage and circularity, meet the dynamic founders behind early-stage companies. Learn how they’re partnering with larger companies to scale their solutions quickly.

Learning about environmental justice with local leaders

Visit some of Detroit’s “problem sites” – including manufacturing-related environmental hazards, brownfields and refineries – that have plagued city residents’ health and wellbeing for decades. Join Laprisha Berry Daniels, executive director of Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice, to learn how residents are fighting for a healthy, livable future for all Detroiters – and winning.

Radical collaboration with unlikely allies

Climate requires all hands on deck. What does it take to work together with speed, scale and justice across diverse organizations, industries, age groups or countries? Learn practical tools and mindset shifts that enable effective collaboration – despite disagreement – from experts Adam Kahane, Melanie Jamieson and Jon Walton.

Participant Spotlight

Solving the climate crisis requires leadership, creativity and collaboration across every industry. In that spirit, we’re bringing together an exceptional community of 700 global attendees to have candid conversations about the challenges we face.

Together, we’ll explore solutions and new partnerships that will help realize a cleaner, greener, more just world. Below are just a few of the participants who will be attending.

Christiana Figueres

Stubborn optimist

David Lammy

Shadow Foreign Secretary

Gabriel Kra

Climate tech investor

Gabrielle Walker

Carbon removals expert

Hongqiao Liu

Independent journalist, policy advisor

Jim Hagemann Snabe

Chairman, Siemens and Northvolt

Manish Bhardwaj

Manish Bhardwaj

Nigel Topping

Zero by 2039

Nili Gilbert

Investment decarbonization expert

Tom Rivett-Carnac

Political strategist

Payton Wilkins

Labor/climate bridge-builder

Your Summit Experience

Get creative

Connect around art, design and music via performances and exhibits. There is no shortage of talent in this city known globally as both the home of Motown, a UNESCO City of Design and so much more.

Network

From intimate dinners to community celebrations, there’ll be plenty of opportunities to mingle with other attendees and forge new connections.

TED Future Forum

The 2023 Summit will also be the launch of TED Future Forum – a Countdown initiative designed to challenge companies to step up with greater ambition, accelerate progress and share learnings.

View the Schedule

See the schedule and learn more about the astonishing TED Countdown Summit program, including seven sessions of talks, opportunities to connect during interactive Breakthrough Sessions, dinners, parties and more.

View the Schedule

Our Location

Detroit, Michigan

TED Countdown Summit 2023   July 11-14, 2023   Detroit, MI

The Countdown Summit will take place in Detroit, Michigan, the city at the heart of the American car industry that is grappling with building an inclusive, sustainable future.

Events will take place in Michigan Central, the Fillmore Detroit, and other locations around the city. Michigan Central is a hub where experts, startups and community leaders come together to develop solutions and skills that address pressing societal challenges, including how to build a more accessible, sustainable future for all. The Fillmore is a historic building located in Detroit’s entertainment district. Originally opened in 1925 as a movie theater, this elegant venue – featuring a grand lobby and the original Fillmore chandeliers – has since been renovated to offer guests a unique special event experience.