TEDxOrlando Returns with Horizon West Connections and a Conversation About the Region’s Future
TEDxOrlando Returns Oct. 17 with a Full-day Event Exploring Growth, Connection and the Future of the Region
TEDxOrlando Lead and co-organizer Nick Rogers on stage at TEDxKingston
TEDxOrlando returns Oct. 17 with a Full-day Event Exploring Growth, Connection and the Future of the Region
After nearly eight years away, TEDxOrlando is returning this fall with a full-day event centered on ideas, connection and the future of Central Florida.
The TEDxOrlando Flagship event will take place Oct. 17 at the Linda W. Chapin Theater at the Orange County Convention Center. This year’s theme, “The Space Between,” will explore “the connections, tensions and opportunities shaping the future of Orlando and the people who live here,” according to Nick Rogers, director of curation for TEDxOrlando.
For Horizon West readers, the event also comes with several local connections. Lead and co-organizers Liam Rogers and Nick Rogers are in the process of relocating to Horizon West from Londonto run Story Circle, their Orlando-based events and marketing company. Several members of the TEDxOrlando team also have Horizon West ties, including Head of Performance Curation Erich Miner, an airline pilot by day, and Curator and Speaker Coach Afreen Huq, CEO of HERD Ventures.
The speaker lineup includes Ken Pozek, CEO of The Pozek Group and founder of The Orlando Real, who will serve as the opening speaker and talk specifically about Orlando as a city. The event will feature 13 speakers, all from Florida and most from the Greater Orlando area.
2026 TEDxOrlando Team Left to Right: Dr. Keita Joy, Erich Miner, Afreen Huq, Angela Robbins, Liam Rogers, Nick Rogers, Dr. Carrie Rose, Lechon Kirb
Bringing TEDx Back to Orlando
TEDx has been part of Nick and Liam’s lives for more than a decade. The two founded TEDxKingstonUponThames in southwest London, growing it from a 100-person event in a university lecture hall to a program that repeatedly sold out the largest theater in the area. Nick also gave a TEDx Talk in 2024.
“When we decided to relocate to Florida to run our business, we assumed our TEDx journey had come to an end, until Liam saw that the TEDxOrlando license had been vacant for several years,” Nick said. “We’ve both been visiting Orlando since we were kids and have developed a deep affection for the city that goes far beyond the theme parks.”
For them, bringing TEDxOrlando back felt like a way to give something meaningful to a community they have long admired.
“Bringing TEDxOrlando back felt like a wonderful way to repay a community that has brought us so much happiness over the years,” Nick said. “Plus, we know first-hand just how many inspiring people are out there in Orlando waiting to tell their stories and share their ideas.”
A Moment to Pause and Reflect
The timing also feels important, he said, as Orlando continues to grow quickly.
“Things are moving so quickly that it’s more important than ever to create intentional moments for people to pause, reflect and think about the future they want to build together,” Nick said.
That idea is especially relevant in Horizon West, where rapid growth has shaped much of the community’s story. Nick described Horizon West as “a microcosm of Orlando itself,” with many of the same questions facing the wider region.
“Many thousands of homes have been built in the area over a short space of time, but although houses and roads and other infrastructure might build a suburb, they can’t build a community,” Nick said. “People must create that themselves, intentionally and collaboratively.”
The Space Between
For Nick, “The Space Between” reflects both the region’s geography and the role TEDx can play in a busy, growing city.
“It naturally evokes the excitement of the Space Coast and the launches we see from our back yards here in Orlando,” he said. “For me personally, it also describes the role TEDx can play in our lives. We spend so much time rushing from one obligation to the next that we rarely create space to think, reflect and explore new ideas.”
TEDxOrlando, he said, is meant to be that pause.
“It’s an opportunity to set aside assumptions, step away from daily life and spend a day engaging with ideas and people who might change how you see the world,” Nick said. “It’s like a spa retreat for your mind.”
Horizon West Magazine readers can receive 15% off tickets to the TEDxOrlando Flagship event with the discount code HW15 at checkout.
Nick hopes attendees leave feeling energized about the future of Orlando and their role in shaping it.
“The lineup we have curated really will make you laugh, cry and think,” he said. “But my biggest hope is that people will come away feeling energized and empowered, and optimistic about the future.”
For tickets and additional information, visit TEDxOrlando online.
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