What inspired you to curate a TEDx event? I was so inspired when I first visited the TED.com website. I saw people from all walks of life speaking on such varied topics – and they were all interesting to me. I was then asked to speak at a TEDx in Princeton. Soon after, I applied for a TEDx license to hold my own event, hoping that I could create some of the inspiration for other people.

Why the theme Learning from History and why TEDxBroadStreetNY? I’m inspired by the history, architecture, and stories of downtown Manhattan.  Sometimes people see the newness of the skyscrapers and might forget that this is where it all began for New York.  I thought that the theme of Learning from History could remind us that there are stories in these streets.  In fact, Jacqueline Langholtz from the Seaport Museum is going to speak about that very topic – Mapping Manhattan: Downtown Streets and Stories. Broad Street itself and the surrounding neighborhood is rich with history. We can explore some of these stories at our event.

What can an attendee who has never attended a TEDx event expect from the day? There’s a specific mood that seems to exist at every TED-related event. Attendees can expect compelling speakers, great conversations, and the opportunity to network with like-minded curious folks. One of my favorite things will be the conversations throughout the day.  We’ve planned plenty of time for attendees to discuss their reactions to the speakers and topics.  The speakers themselves will be available for these discussions too.  We thought we’d host a sort of historical break in the middle of our program, so we’re offering a modified “afternoon tea.”  Before we enjoy the tea, Tea Historian Marjorie Wilkov will give us some explanation about the history of tea.  One of our sponsors, GlobalFashionBrands.com, is hosting a cocktail hour at the end of our program, so they’ll be more time to network and share thoughts about the speakers.

Tell us a little about some of the speakers.  Is there a speaker you are particularly excited to hear? Of course, I’m excited to hear all of the speakers.  When I curated the event, I tried to strike a balance between speakers sharing historical stories and facts with a few speakers who were will share their personal histories.  We’ll have Jennifer S Wilkov sharing her personal history as a Riker’s Island inmate, for example, and Michele Mattia Melis will share her personal story about witnessing the events on 9/11 from one block from Ground Zero. Will Corrente will talk about the rewards of failure and Malcolm Arnold will share some insights about using the old-fashioned apprenticeship model to teach technology in his social entrepreneur projects. The New Yorker Cartoonist Liza Donnelly’s talk is called Cultural Codes and The New Yorker Cartoon and Melanie Stiassny from the Natural History Museum will share some lessons we can learn from ancient fish.

How can people get tickets for the event? You can visit
http://TEDxBroadStreetNY.eventbrite.com for a $75 ticket. The ticket includes the four-hour program, the afternoon tea, and the reception with cocktails and appetizers. I’d also encourage you to join our Facebook page- http://www.facebook.com/TEDxBroadStreetNY – that’s where we’re sharing a lot of our event information and hope to continue the conversation after the event.

Any future plans for more TEDx events? I’m glad you asked! I’ve already been considering a few possible TEDx themes that could be interesting and inspiring like The Art of Technology, Survival & Renewal, and Words. Stay tuned.

C2C was created to address the ever-present need in Haiti for clean water, healthcare, housing and schools. But this is only the beginning. Our ultimate goal is to equip the people of Haiti with the tools for self-sufficiency. We believe it can happen. It starts with community.

“We’re passionate about supporting the leadership efforts of heroic humanitarians like C2C’s Marie Eusebe and her team,” said Landau Leadership CEO Holly Landau.  She also stated, “We look forward to playing even a small role in rebuilding communities in Haiti, and we know that the C2C community rebuilding approach is being used as a blueprint to rebuild communities worldwide – this is a great example of leadership in action.”

SURVEY FINDINGS: Based on the respondents’ results, we did see some trends. A significant number of respondents stated that they desire more interactivity within an eCourse and wished there was a way to connect with fellow learners (who share a common interest in the topic).  We also confirmed that our eCourse pricing will be some of the lowest in the industry – which is important to us as we try to share leadership skill building with everyone who wants access to it.

We’re taking the survey feedback seriously as we get ready to launch our first eCourses in 2011.  Stay tuned for engaging eCourses on topics like Communicating as a Leader, Identifying & Working to Your Strengths, and Building Your Team, to name a few.

We held a random drawing (special thanks to Curriculum Designer and Master Facilitator Joe McIver for randomly picking the name!) And the winner is…Aubrey Allmond, Worldwide Support & Training Manager at Trimble Navigation.  Aubrey wins a Landau Leadership Prize Pack (a .mp3 player, Holly Landau’s American Express OPEN Book on Leadership, and other goodies). Thanks, Aubrey, we’re so glad you completed our survey!

About TEDx, x = independently organized event

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized. (Subject to certain rules and regulations.)

About TED

TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Started as a four-day conference in California 25 years ago, TED has grown to support those world-changing ideas with multiple initiatives. The annual TED Conference invites the world’s leading thinkers and doers to speak for 18 minutes. Their talks are then made available, free, at TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Al Gore, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Nandan Nilekani, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Isabel Allende and UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The annual TED Conference takes place in Long Beach, California, with simulcast in Palm Springs; TEDGlobal is held each year in Oxford, UK. TED’s media initiatives include TED.com, where new TEDTalks are posted daily, and the Open Translation Project, which provides subtitles and interactive transcripts as well as the ability for any TEDTalk to be translated by volunteers worldwide. TED has established the annual TED Prize, where exceptional individuals with a wish to change the world are given the opportunity to put their wishes into action; TEDx, which offers individuals or groups a way to organize local, independent TED-like events around the world; and the TEDFellows program, helping world-changing innovators from around the globe to become part of the TED community and, with its help, amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities.

Follow TED on Twitter at twitter.com/TEDTalks, or on Facebook at facebook.com/TED.

Complete our survey and you could WIN this .mp3 player (you could use it to listen to a Landau Leadership podcast!). Thanks, in advance, for your opinion.

ACCESS THE SURVEY HERE: quick survey

Survey closes on Oct. 31, 2010. Random drawing takes place the same day.

How do I lead engaging meetings where decisions are made, there’s active participation, and everyone leaves feeling motivated and energized, and glad that they attended?

We thought we’d answer this question by creating a podcast just for you called “Don’t Lead Another Meeting Without Listening to this Podcast.”  In the 30-minute, free podcast, Joe McIver, Landau Leadership’s Director of Innovation & Collaboration, asks Leadership Expert Holly Landau to share tips and techniques to about how to lead successful meetings and avoid the common mistakes that leaders make when leading meetings.

Download our free podcast! Click here to learn->> how to lead a meeting.

Don’t lead another meeting without listening to this podcast!

Landau Leadership NYC Office

Summer, 2010: It is with great excitement that we announce our second office location – 55 Broad Street, 13th Floor, New York, NY 10004!

“We’re located right in the heart of New York’s Financial District near Wall Street, it’s really a beautiful location,” said Joe McIver, Landau Leadership’s Director of Collaboration and Innovation. “The conference space is where we’ll hold our public workshops this fall,” he added.

Fall Public Workshops in NYC:

• Public Speaking BootCamp
• Defining & Refining Your Leadership Style
• Working to Your Strengths
• Six Sigma Strategies: Process Improvement for Everyone

Leadership Experts who will facilitate the workshops include Holly Landau, Joe McIver, Karen Bowser, and Timothy Dey.

Registration for the fall workshops starts in early August!