This year's TEDxUF conference is centered around the theme of Pursuing Passion. As novelist E.M. Forester said, "One person with passion is better than forty people merely interested.” We hope that by putting one person with passion on our stage, we will spark passion in forty - or more - interested people in the audience. The event is intended to be a conversation, not a one-way dialogue. Whether they are a UF dropout or gene therapy researcher, the thread that unites our speakers is tenacious passion. In addition to listening to the speakers on stage, audience members will be able to explore innovative businesses and research in the Lab, engage with our art exhibit, and collaborate over a working lunch.