TEDx is known all over the world, but Provo has never had its own event, until now.
TEDxProvo made its sold-out debut at the Provo City Library on Mar 15, thanks to organizers Connor Hilton and Braeden Palmer.
The two saw an opportunity to bring something new to the community.
"I think sometimes people in Provo kind of get stuck in their own little bubble," Palmer said. "It's important to get people from out of state, out of the country, to come and speak on some topics that might open some eyes."
Hilton and Palmer said they were thinking small at first.
"We wanted to do a forum-style event at our apartment complex," Hilton said. "So we applied to TEDx."
But TEDx had bigger plans in mind.
"They said we had to do something bigger and better," Hilton explained. "So it's a lot bigger than we imagined, but better than we could have imagined as well."
Putting the event together was a challenge. The team had to get creative, from 3D-printed signs to enlisting friends for the audio-visual team.
"It was a lot more work than I thought it would be," Palmer said.
In the end, everything came together.
The event featured speeches from Mrs. Universe 2025 Amber Uhler, small business owner Ethan Lowder, BYU computer science professor Gordon Bean, social advocate Racquel Williams Jones, language specialist Rāpata Wiri, and ultramarathoner Zachary Frisch.
"It was beautiful to see the final product," Hilton said, reflecting on the experience.
Hilton and Palmer hope to make TEDxProvo an annual event. The speeches are being edited and will be posted soon by TEDx.