TED Fellows program supporting the next generation of innovators with $3M investment from Ballmer Group

TED Fellows celebrate at a TED event. The program will support the next generation of leaders with support from the Ballmer Group.

At TED, we’re after big ideas and systemic change. To create the generational impact that we want to support in our communities, we cannot go at it alone. For the past 15 years, the TED Fellows program has been committed to finding and supporting the next generation of emerging talent pushing the boundaries in their fields and working to solve the greatest challenges in their communities. 

From criminal justice reformers to education entrepreneurs, conservationists to maternal health innovators, TED provides these emerging leaders with transformational support in the form of communication training, network-building, professional coaching and amplification of their ideas and influence. To date TED Talks by Fellows have been viewed more than 450 million times. TED then nurtures this community of 500+ Fellows from more than 100 countries, connecting and supporting these changemakers over the course of their careers with the goal of having this collective braintrust create systemic change and lasting impact. Fellows directly serve more than 200 million people worldwide annually with their work.

Through their Community Impact vertical, Ballmer Group is committed to building leadership pipelines that help communities address complex issues and achieve measurable and lasting change. Announcing a $3 million commitment to fund the TED Fellows program, Eshauna Smith, Ballmer Group’s Director of Community Impact, said, “Our investment in this effort reflects our belief that advancing economic mobility at scale requires investment in the core supports and platforms needed to grow the innovations being put forth by the diverse set of talented leaders that the TED Fellows program supports.” She added, “We are excited by this partnership and look forward to learning from and with past and future Fellows.”

Lily James Olds, Director of the TED Fellows program, said, “This meaningful investment from Ballmer Group will help TED Fellows evolve and grow over the next three years in new and exciting ways. As we face the most pressing issues of our times – climate change, wealth inequality, social justice and misinformation among them – TED is more committed than ever to supporting these talented innovators pushing boundaries in their fields to create a more informed, creative and just future.”

Ballmer Group’s $3 million investment will strengthen the TED Fellows program by:

1. Elevating investment in community- and network-building among Fellows, with the goal of greater collaboration and impact
2. Providing enhanced support to Fellows who wish to broaden their audience and expand their networks
3. Evolving Fellows content through new formats, distribution models and partnerships — not only to win greater visibility for these innovators’ work but also to inspire the next generation of up-and-coming changemakers globally
4. Committing to field-building through innovative partnerships and convenings, to tackle pressing problems collectively

The Ballmer Group funding will support the TED Fellows program to continue to identify and support 10 new Fellows and 500+ alumni Fellows per year. These Fellows include innovators such as:

• Shivani Siroya, financial inclusion entrepreneur and founder of Tala, a tool that allows anyone with a cell phone to build a financial track record
• Jeffrey Gibson, multidisciplinary artist creating paintings, sculptures, installations and performances that celebrate queer and Indigenous communities
• Larry Irvin, education innovator and the CEO of Brothers Empowered to Teach, providing pathways to careers in education for Black men
• Brittany Young, socioeconomic engineer, disrupting the prison pipeline by creating opportunities in STEM and motorsports

For more information about the TED Fellows, program visit fellows.ted.com and follow on Instagram or LinkedIn.