Jobs at TED

TED has partnered with Stanford SPARQ, a “do tank” housed at Stanford University. Using insights from behavioral science, SPARQ helps industry leaders reduce societal disparities and bridge social divides. SPARQ is co-led by Dr. Jennifer Eberhardt, a 2020 TED speaker and the author of Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do.

With SPARQ, we are approaching this work like scientists: asking questions, rather than assuming we have the answers. We’ve learned that diversity of people’s backgrounds, perspectives and experiences, is a fact of life. Inclusion, however, is a practice that requires ongoing effort to continuously combat biases in all aspects of our work.

We’re making a habit of disrupting business as usual by applying useful friction to help us pause, reevaluate and redesign our processes in pursuit of a more inclusive workplace. With SPARQ, we have formed two “do tanks” — one focused on TED’s internal processes and another focused on the external aspects of TED’s work.

We have three staff-led groups working to foster a diverse and more inclusive TED.

• Women in Tech: The WIT group shares professional development resources and brainstorms solutions to the unique challenges and opportunities they face.
• BLACK@TED: BLACK@TED exists to provide a safe space for those TED staff who identify as Black. It is a space where everyone should feel comfortable and compelled to drop their mask. There is a strong focus on sharing experiences not just within TED but in the world at large. It is a forum of implicit understanding and compassion based on a common state of being.
• Queer@TED: Queer@TED is a voluntary group for TED staff who are members or allies of the LGBTQIA+ community. The group exists to provide a forum of understanding and compassion for them to converse, build support and advocate for rights inside and outside of the organization.