TED Stage with speakers from Audacious Project Session 4

About

A collaborative Approach to funding big ideas

Introducing the Audacious Project

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The Audacious Project is a collaborative funding initiative catalyzing social impact on a grand scale. Every year we select and nurture a group of big, bold solutions to the world’s most urgent challenges, and with the support of an inspiring group of donors and supporters, come together to get them launched.

Housed at TED, the nonprofit with a long track record of surfacing ideas worth spreading, and with support from leading social impact advisor The Bridgespan Group, the funding collective is comprised of several respected organizations and individuals in philanthropy.

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Our goal is to match bold ideas with catalytic resources.

We encourage the world’s inspirational changemakers to dream bigger than ever before.

Help shape their best ideas into viable multi-year plans.

Present those solutions in a compelling way to potential supporters.

The Process

Every year, we work with proven changemakers to surface their boldest ideas for tackling global problems.

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Sourcing & review

Projects are sourced from public applications and a global network of partners and donors. They are narrowed down to a group of finalists whose ideas are representative of a broad range of geographies and issue areas while elevating leaders with proximity to the communities they serve.

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Idea shaping & investment support

Each finalist project goes through a rigorous due diligence, ideation and investment support process, to ensure their proposal is achievable and compelling.

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Funding & launch

Finalist projects are presented privately to groups of donors and are then publicly unveiled at TED. Funded projects then pursue their plans and share regular updates on key milestones reached with donors and the public.

Partners & Individuals

We would like to recognize the many parties who have come together to make The Audacious Project possible. They have contributed in various roles: as donors, thought partners, in project sourcing, due diligence, as catalysts, and more.

Acton Family Giving
Additional Ventures
Anne Wojcicki Foundation
Ballmer Group
Barbara and Amos Hostetter
Children’s Investment Fund Foundation
Chris Larsen and Lyna Lam
Climate Leadership Initiative
Craig and Susan McCaw
Crankstart
Dalio Philanthropies
Delta Philanthropies
ELMA Philanthropies
Emerson Collective
Gates Foundation
Hansjörg Wyss and Rosamund Zander
High Tide Foundation
James Family Charitable Foundation
Joe Gebbia
Joe and Clara Tsai Foundation
Laura & John Arnold
Laura and Gary Lauder and Family
Lyda Hill Philanthropies
MacArthur Foundation
MacKenzie Scott
Mike and Sukey Novogratz
Nat Simons and Laura Baxter-Simons
Nathan and Elizabeth Blecharczyk
Oak Foundation
Overdeck Family Foundation
Pivotal Ventures
Quadrature Climate Foundation
Reed Hastings & Patty Quillin
Rippleworks Foundation
Robertson Foundation
Science Philanthropy Alliance
Sea Grape Foundation
Seadream Family Foundation
Skoll Foundation
Someland Foundation
Steve and Genevieve Jurvetson
The Bridgespan Group
The Samueli Foundation
UBS Optimus Foundation
Valhalla Foundation
Virgin Unite

Team

Contact us
Adrienne DiCasparro

Adrienne DiCasparro

Managing Director, Donor Community
Alexandra Tillmann

Alexandra Tillmann

Director, Brand and Communications
Angelina Njoku

Angelina Njoku

Associate Director, Discovery & Insight
Anna Verghese

Anna Verghese

Executive Director
Crystal Yang

Crystal Yang

Director, Donor Community
Deonta Wortham

Deonta Wortham

Chief of Staff
Diana Reynoso

Diana Reynoso

Associate, Portfolio Impact
Eshanthi Ranasinghe

Eshanthi Ranasinghe

Managing Director, Discovery & Insight
Hasiba Haq

Hasiba Haq

Associate Director, Portfolio Impact
João Martinho

João Martinho

Director of Evaluation & Learning, Portfolio Impact
Karen Andrade

Karen Andrade

Director, Portfolio Impact
Kylerose Delaney

Kylerose Delaney

Specialist, Learning and Evaluation
Lilah Doblin

Lilah Doblin

Program Associate, Portfolio Impact
Lucien Chan

Lucien Chan

Managing Director, Portfolio Impact
Max Richards

Max Richards

Director, Discovery & Insight
Paula-Raye O'Sullivan

Paula-Raye O'Sullivan

Executive Assistant & Operations Associate
Rebecca Gonzalez

Rebecca Gonzalez

Manager, Discovery & Insight
Tanvi Monga

Tanvi Monga

Director, Portfolio Impact

2024 Reviewers

We are deeply appreciative of the many individuals who helped review the bold ideas submitted for this cycle. While the pool of reviewers changes cycle-to-cycle, their diverse array of insights deeply enriches our understanding of the potential of the ideas. Along with continued support from our TED colleagues collaborators and various partners, the perspectives shared by the extended network of experts listed below are invaluable to the process.

Neha Agarwal
Kathryn Baltes
Bridget Baumgartner
Clara Bennett
David Biello
Marina Campos
Adam Cohen
Celina de Sola
Edith Elliott
Rebecca Firth
Caroline FitzGerald
Rachel Gasana
Audrey Glynn
Roni Goldshmid
David Gruber
Adrian Haugabrook
Becca Heller
Safeena Husain
Gautam John
Adam Jones
Natasha Joshi
Lia Kelinsky-Jones
Akhila Kosaraju
Aarathi Krishnan
David Kroodsma
Jess Kutch
Lucy Lake
Brendan Lehan
Emma Leiken
SaraT (ST) Mayer
Lisa McCandless
Claudia Miner
Nate Mook
Kyle Muther
Pradeep Nair
Enyi Okebugwu
Camilo Ramirez
Nonette Royo
Pardis Sabeti
Karen Sack
Rachael Sears
Anjli Shah
Rachana Shah
Ashif Shaikh
Jess Skylar
Julia Solano
Mary Turnipseed
Maharshi Vaishnav
Rachel Vas
Amrita Vatsal
Elisabeth Vodicka
George Wang
Kiah Williams

Get in touch

audacious@ted.com

Want to learn more, or have a question? Check out our FAQs. Not finding what you need? Reach out to us.

Email the Audacious Project

Press and media

audacious@thenumber29.com

For press information, images and media resources, please reach out to No. 29 Communications.

Email No. 29