Is TED nice, or is TED essential?

So how many people, show of hands, think that

TED is nice? (Laughter)

Anyone?

Okay. How many people think that TED is essential?

Alright. I do, too.

We're gonna talk about horizontal relationships quickly.

This is three-minutes by the way.

This is my chance to write a pop song.

Finally, three minutes.

I don't mean the Hue Hefner kind of horizontal relationships,

I mean the kind of horizontal relationships

that exist between vertical groupings.

Whether we're talking about industries or cultural groups, right?

When those verticals come together

then we start to seed relationships across them.

And we start to see ideas flow.

That's what we're talking about horizontal relationships.

And that what you see there is TED,

technology, entertainment, design brought together,

seeded relationships across to allow

ideas to flow and inform one another,

spark new thinking, innovation etc.

That's why for everyone who raise their hand,

you are right, TED is essential.

What you see on the screen is, some of the connectors

that Boston World Partnerships has created.

18 months ago Greater Boston made a formal investment

in seeding horizontal relationships to grow

the Greater Boston economy.

We gathered these high achieving people,

from all different industries, all different countries of origin.

Big thinkers who love Boston,

who are passionate about Greater Boston as

a capital of innovation and entrepreneurship

and business excellence and big ideas.

And they come together, they share their expertise and their contacts

to help other people grow their businesses and

achieve their dreams.

How many people that sounds nice?

Well, we say, "No, it's not nice."

We say, "This is essential."

We say this is about railroads. See?

The smart cities, the cities that are gonna succeed

and this is true for companies too,

they're redefining the way that they think about

what constitutes essential infrastructure.

So if essential infrastructure historically

were the tunnels and the bridges and the roads

that accelerated the people and the products

they could lead to economic growth and

the creation of more opportunities for all of us.

Well, in a global knowledge economy, the raw materials of growth

are not inherently physical,

they are transformative ideas.

And the only infrastructure that accelerates the flow of transformative ideas

are high quality people networks,

horizontal relationships.

Like TED, like the Connector Network of Boston World Partnerships.

So this is indeed essential.

This is the railroad and the national highway system for big ideas.

I'd like to ask the connectors that are here from

Boston World Partnerships just to stand up,

I invite you to use this people during the day,

I invite you to think of today as essential.

Thanks very much.

(Applause)