The TEDxSanMateo Challenge

TEDxSanMateo is just a week away and we’re putting our final touches on what should be an outstanding opportunity for people to gather and learn from each other as well as the speakers.  At this TEDx we will be focusing on how to build a better city.  Ideas ranging from more social innovation to green building to anti-human trafficking to just plain playing outside more will serve as starting points for conversation.

You, the attendees are actually the main attraction as you will be the ones taking all of this back to your communities and work places to help build better cities.  While the presenters will be good, your experience will hinge on the connections you build and ideas that come from you.  We will have foam boards, sharpies, stickies and sticker dots around for you to record and share great ideas.  Think of TEDxSanMateo as one big innovation session.  Your challenge will be to implement what you talk about.  Are you ready?

Introducing Our Venue

Open Door Church San Mateo (ODCSM) is a relatively newly remodeled facility at 4150 Piccadilly Lane in the BelMateo neighborhood of San Mateo.  It is located in a retail area between 41st and 42nd avenues near the Mollie Stone’s Supermarket and BelMateo Bowl.  This space used to belong to the San Mateo Foster City School District before they moved to their Chess Drive facility in Foster City.

ODCSM completely redesigned the space with a large open lobby, a 260 seat worship center and dedicated spaces for nursery, preschool, elementary and student ministries.  The worship center is designed as a video venue where the Sunday sermons (from Senior Pastor John Ortberg, Menlo Park Presbyterian Church) are projected onto three screens.  We will primarily be using the worship center and the lobby space with a possible hang out space in the student ministry room.

This facility is designed more like a comfortable meeting space/conference center than a traditional church and thus fits our event well.  Outside events that have been held here include concerts, an Association for Women in Science Leadership Seminar, and most recently the launch of the San Mateo County Zero Tolerance Community with the Not For Sale Campaign and Congresswoman Jackie Speier’s office.

We thank Open Door Church San Mateo for supporting our event by opening up their space and their home for our use.  We look forward to a great event at a great venue.

TEDx comes to the Peninsula

TEDxSanMateo is an independently organized TED event.  Technology, entertainment, design influence every aspect of our lives.

TEDxSanMateo: Building a Better City brings together speakers from across many disciplines to talk about how they are making things better where they live and work. Our speakers will address subjects such as leadership, education, social innovation for our free and invitation-only event.

Our vision for TEDxSanMateo is for this gathering to be a catalyst for creative and innovative teaming to build a better city in San Mateo and the surrounding areas.

Please contact us if you have any questions for would like to submit an application to register for this event.  We’ll see you on September 17th at Open Door Church San Mateo.