ED (Technology, Entertainment, Design), founded in 1984, with a mission - ideas worth spreading - has been at the vanguard of seeking out singular ideas that will facilitate bring a change in the world - make a difference globally. The ideas emerging from different sources, however small, or springing from remote parts of the world or from highly-placed sources, all receive a global platform of presentation and are then assisted to the next levels of delivery. TED is an internationally respected name in giving wings to seminal ideas of people from across the world. Its mission nurtured by curator Chris Anderson is to spread great ideas. In 2005 the non profit, non-partisan organisation initiated the TED Prize, a one million dollar bounty, to the originator of any far-reaching idea. Heading this arm of TED is 33-year-old, of Indian origin, Anna Verghese, whose maternal family hails from Kochi. Anna helms the process that sifts through the umpteen entries to this prestigious prize and with the winner helps fructify the idea to its logical conclusion. She oversees and guides the process.
A musician - pianist and flautist - Anna studied in England and worked for a year assisting noted journalist Christiane Amanpour, an experience she describes as one that helped her in character building. In a free wheeling chat Anna talks with The Hindu MetroPlus on the nature of her work, the challenges she faces and of Kerala’s unrivalled seafood .
How did you join TED?
I joined TED through my work with renowned journalist Christiane Amanpour. TED was holding Pangea Day, an international multimedia event in 2008, which linked cities across the world through music, films and talks. Christiane was host at the London event. TED asked me to move to New York with her to host Pangea Day. I moved in 2008 and joined TED. That time there were only 10-15 persons working with TED; we are now 150 and many freelancers and contractors. TED has expanded significantly.
How was your experience working with Christiane Amanpour?
It was a great learning. I was her assistant. When I returned from New York after the Mountbatten Internship Programme, I saw a posting online which required a PA for Chief International Correspondent. I applied and got the job. I didn’t then know so much about Christiane and that helped me. She is one of the most respected female journalists. The one rare quality about her that impressed me the most is that she is the same person in front or behind the camera. She is a mother and a wife and juggles the roles well. With an eye for detail, she helped me in character building.
To observe someone with such a strong sense of self, I think was pivotal in shaping the manager and professional I have striven to be over the years.
What’s unique about TED Prize?
It begins with the fact that you get one million dollars as prize money. We focus not so much on the money but what it can leverage for the winner. Winning the prize gives you a platform, specially the TED stage at the annual conference in Vancouver the opportunity to make a "wish" for the world. In that moment with the world leading CEOs, philanthropists, business leaders in the audience and our global community watching in live, the winner makes a passionate, direct ask for their support in granting it.
What is the selection process you follow to choose that one unique idea?
We have an open, rolling nomination process. People can self-nominate for the prize or others can nominate people with unique ideas. The whole research process takes six to nine months. We interview candidates and take them through a brain storming exercise with us. I have a team of six people and we create a brief. Then we select the most impressive ideas. The final selection is made by an independent panel, which has been the same over the years. What is incredible about the judges is that they have managed to identify the issue that is going to have its time in the year ahead. We gave the prize to an anti-corruption activist in 2014 and the Panama Papers were out just after that.
The challenges you face in selecting that one idea?
TED looks at people who are at a tipping point in their field of work. So we can shift a person’s issue and career to the next level. Our winner for 2017 is Raj Panjabi, from Liberia who has created a model for expanding healthcare access to remote regions by training, employing and equipping community health workers. We chose him because we are entering a stage when we risk global pandemics and we can shine a light on community healthcare. Ebola was a scare. Last year a satellite archaeologist Sarah Parcak who using infra-red imagery from satellites, identified ancient sites lost in time won the award. The challenge really is that there are so many ideas and we have to sift through them.
What’s TED Prize looking forward to?
The prize helps the worlds’ largest philanthropists to take big bets on big issues, unlike governments who have to be measured. TED Prize identifies the individual with the X factor. We spend time and money behind the unique idea. We look at current issues facing the world like climate change, migration, refugee crisis, education, gender- women and girls, the future of jobs. AI is threatening to take away jobs. These are vital, alive issues that we are following very closely. The world of philanthropy looks at both the negative and positive aspects of an issue and of course what is ethical. I am definitely working on different things in TED especially on how to influence philanthropists with that one big idea. There is so much more we can do than one prize.
You qualify yourself as a concerned citizen. What is your current concern?
Right now what is troubling me is the role of the media. We noticed with the last US election and Brexit how important their role was, and the role of the social media. I think of Christiane and of her principle of speaking the truth in the face of opposition. What excites me is that who will be the activists from our generation, what will their activism be? What will they do for the world? With that comes hope too. I am lucky to be on the table to see these things.
It feels pretty natural to be overwhelmed by the headlines right now. But I inhabit a world and profession where concerns can feel like opportunities.
Your India-Kerala connect? Tell us a little about your music and interests.
I was born in England and grew up there. For the last ten years I have been working in America. I travel across the world on work. My father is from Malaysia and my mother is from Kerala and I visit India not so often.
This is my longest holiday and I visited Rajasthan, which is beautiful. Kerala is home. I am being pampered by my grandmother, with whom I visited the art Biennale. I come from a musical family and play the piano and flute, but unlike my sister I did not study music.
I am a foodie and believe that Kerala’s seafood is unrivalled.
