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Your Zip Code Shouldn’t Determine Your Lifespan | Dion Dawson | TED

What if ending food insecurity meant ditching charity models that haven’t been updated since the 1960s? Dion Dawson, TED Fellow and founder of Dion’s Chicago Dream, shares how he turned a spontaneous idea for giving back to his community into a thriving social enterprise, delivering top-quality produce to thousands of Chicago households every week and…

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What if ending food insecurity meant ditching charity models that haven’t been updated since the 1960s? Dion Dawson, TED Fellow and founder of Dion’s Chicago Dream, shares how he turned a spontaneous idea for giving back to his community into a thriving social enterprise, delivering top-quality produce to thousands of Chicago households every week and reaching a million dollars in revenue in just 18 months. He’s proving that it’s possible to replace the outdated food pantry model with a data-driven system that delivers high-quality food — so your zip code doesn’t decide how long you live. (Recorded at TED Fellows Films 2025 on April 7, 2025)

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#TED #TEDTalks #Sustainability

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17 Comments

17 Comments

  1. @SirineLebada

    October 3, 2025 at 11:02 am

    Firrst🎉

  2. @AndogaSpock

    October 3, 2025 at 11:10 am

    Live long and prosper 🖖

  3. @lymonk41

    October 3, 2025 at 11:11 am

    This is truly why our creator placed us on this earth ! To help each other!

  4. @lifemotivation6789

    October 3, 2025 at 11:53 am

    This is powerful. Dion didn’t wait for a broken system to change—he built something better. Serving people with dignity, providing quality food, and listening to the community… that’s true leadership. A reminder that real change starts with action, not excuses.

    • @ArmanTombo

      October 5, 2025 at 1:31 pm

      Strong feeling dear, I appreciate it.
      Thanks😊

    • @lifemotivation6789

      October 5, 2025 at 9:28 pm

      @@ArmanTombo Appreciate that 🙏😊 True leadership always starts with heart and action. When you serve people with purpose, the impact goes far beyond business — it inspires real change.

  5. @urbanwolfep7195

    October 3, 2025 at 6:07 pm

    The current system is clearly meant to harm the lower class, poor, underprivileged. We need true equality.

    • @evelanpatton

      October 4, 2025 at 10:07 pm

      He IS ACTIVELY DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT!
      👇U could COPY in your area…👍🤞🫶✌️🎉

  6. @Campaigndifferently

    October 3, 2025 at 7:51 pm

    How can I be a volunteer ? I love this ! ❤

  7. @VIETNAMESE-STORYTELLERS-t4v

    October 3, 2025 at 9:30 pm

    👍

  8. @IamnotJokic

    October 3, 2025 at 10:49 pm

    Then take accountability and stop blaming other people for your own people’s problems.

    • @pencil1758

      October 5, 2025 at 10:42 am

      lol bro watch the video first

  9. @jamesellison4575

    October 3, 2025 at 11:04 pm

    Thank you for contributing so greatly to the world.

  10. @ahayn618

    October 4, 2025 at 1:44 pm

    This!!!! ❤ Needed the motivation for better. Inspired again!!!!

  11. @codeandcoffeechats

    October 4, 2025 at 6:04 pm

    this video deserves million views

  12. @papalecius16

    October 5, 2025 at 4:22 am

    ❤❤❤

  13. @adihaislam9275

    October 5, 2025 at 7:14 pm

    💜

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Studying the universe for a living? Sounds like a pretty big job #TEDTalks

The universe started with a bang — but how will it end? With astonishing visuals, cosmologist and TED Fellow Katie Mack takes us to the theoretical end of everything, some trillions of years in the future, in a profound meditation on existence, wonder and the legacy of humanity within the immensity of time and space.

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The universe started with a bang — but how will it end? With astonishing visuals, cosmologist and TED Fellow Katie Mack takes us to the theoretical end of everything, some trillions of years in the future, in a profound meditation on existence, wonder and the legacy of humanity within the immensity of time and space.

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Where’s the best free comedy show in town? Tom Sullam, cofounder of the annual Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards, shares hilarious animal photos that dissolve the distance between humans and nature. The result? A joyful case for caring about what we’re at risk of losing.

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How to Change Someone’s Perspective | Buenos Aires | TED Idea Search

The TED Idea Search arrives in Buenos Aires, a city with a fierce intellectual tradition, as 10 speakers deliver talks in a stunning warehouse that’s home to the city’s iconic opera sets, competing for a chance to speak on the TED main stage. Watch as a Gen Z voice reframes “brain rot” as a secret…

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The TED Idea Search arrives in Buenos Aires, a city with a fierce intellectual tradition, as 10 speakers deliver talks in a stunning warehouse that’s home to the city’s iconic opera sets, competing for a chance to speak on the TED main stage. Watch as a Gen Z voice reframes “brain rot” as a secret diplomatic tool and a surgeon explores the future of robotic medicine, reminding us why the human touch still matters — and much more. Choosing just one to represent Buenos Aires to the world turns out to be one of the hardest decisions yet.

Watch the full talks from the TEDxRiodelaPlata Idea Search:

00:00 – Intro
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The most interesting ideas often come from the most unexpected places. We searched the globe for ideas with the power to inspire, motivate and change lives — and we found them at @TEDx events around the world. The TED Idea Search follows extraordinary speakers from 9 countries competing for a spot on the TED main stage in Vancouver this April.

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Join us in person at a TED conference:
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The TED Talks channel features talks, performances and original series from the world’s leading thinkers and doers. Subscribe to our channel for videos on Technology, Entertainment and Design — plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more. Visit to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized talk recommendations and more.

TED’s videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with our TED Talks Usage Policy: . For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), please submit a Media Request at

#TED #TEDTalks #TEDIdeaSearch

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