[Note: On September 13, from 6-8pm, we will be hosting an event at Forest Room 5 to celebrate the Prize recipient and introduce the plan moving forward! Hope to see you there!]
Everyone loves prizes and seven years ago, TED got involved in the fun. But instead of a giant stuffed Teddy Bear at an amusement park, TED presented the first TEDPrize in 2005 to three individuals “with bold, creative ideas that could inspire and activate widespread support.” Since then, the Prize has been given to 17 individuals and one big idea, City 2.0, and has directly resulted in numerous new organizations that are turning ideas into actions, wishes into realities, and making our world a better place for all.
In the spirit of the TED Prize, we announced the launch of the TEDxMileHighPrize at our June 2 event. The Prize will be awarded annually to an exceptional individual, idea, or organization, which will receive a financial award and use it to make an impactful contribution to the Colorado community.
We carefully considered community leaders, organizations, and major influencers in the Mile High region. After reflection and discussion, we are pleased to announce the Prize has been awarded to ReWork of Boulder, Colorado.
ReWork is the brain-child of Nathaniel Koloc, Evan Walden, and Abe Taleb. The Mile High community had the opportunity to hear about the idea behind the organization in an inspired talk from Evan and Nathaniel at this year’s event. The organization specializes in placing high-impact, socially-minded professionals in organizations that share a similar mindset. According to Nathaniel, ReWork “helps talented people find meaningful work by connecting them with projects and full-time jobs that are a good fit for them, at companies that are making the world a better place through business. ReWork offers career support to its community through work opportunities, network-building events, and other kinds of professional development resources.”
With the help of talented local business leaders and organizations, the focus of this first TEDxMileHigh Prize will be to mentor outstanding young entrepreneurs through a program that will be crafted and executed over a period of three months. As a start-up, ReWork understands the value of mentorship, community, and real conversation.
Using their network built over the last few years, and the community leaders involved with TEDxMileHigh and Social Venture Partners (SVP) Denver, ReWork’s entrepreneurial training program will help to galvanize the direction of the socially-minded start-ups involved. Evan says, “The TEDxMileHigh prize is directly in line with the mission and vision of ReWork. We exist to build community, and to make connections between exceptional professionals and organizations making a difference in the world. This prize will further our goal of helping young entrepreneurs in the Rocky Mountain region accelerate their ventures by supplying them with local talent through partnerships with TEDxMileHigh and SVP Denver. We’re cooking up something huge with this Prize and we can’t wait to announce more details in the coming weeks.”
Stay tuned for more information and congratulations to ReWork!
