Connect with us

People & Blogs

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…

Published

1 year ago

on

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 He’s proving that it’s possible to replace the outdated food pantry model with a data-driven system that delivers high-quality food — so your zip code doesn’t decide how long you live.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)

Join us in person at a TED conference:
Become a TED Member to support our mission:
Subscribe to a TED newsletter:

Follow TED!
X:
Instagram:
Facebook:
LinkedIn:
TikTok:

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.

Watch 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 #Sustainability

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Advertisement
17 Comments

17 Comments

  1. @SirineLebada

    October 3, 2025 at 11:02 am

    Firrst🎉

    Reply

  2. @AndogaSpock

    October 3, 2025 at 11:10 am

    Live long and prosper 🖖

    Reply

  3. @lymonk41

    October 3, 2025 at 11:11 am

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

    Reply

  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.

    Reply

    • @ArmanTombo

      October 5, 2025 at 1:31 pm

      Strong feeling dear, I appreciate it.
      Thanks😊

      Reply

    • @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.

      Reply

  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.

    Reply

    • @evelanpatton

      October 4, 2025 at 10:07 pm

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

      Reply

  6. @Campaigndifferently

    October 3, 2025 at 7:51 pm

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

    Reply

  7. @VIETNAMESE-STORYTELLERS-t4v

    October 3, 2025 at 9:30 pm

    👍

    Reply

  8. @IamnotJokic

    October 3, 2025 at 10:49 pm

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

    Reply

    • @pencil1758

      October 5, 2025 at 10:42 am

      lol bro watch the video first

      Reply

  9. @jamesellison4575

    October 3, 2025 at 11:04 pm

    Thank you for contributing so greatly to the world.

    Reply

  10. @ahayn618

    October 4, 2025 at 1:44 pm

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

    Reply

  11. @codeandcoffeechats

    October 4, 2025 at 6:04 pm

    this video deserves million views

    Reply

  12. @papalecius16

    October 5, 2025 at 4:22 am

    ❤❤❤

    Reply

  13. @adihaislam9275

    October 5, 2025 at 7:14 pm

    💜

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

People & Blogs

The Shape-Shifting Sounds of the Accordion | Maria Telesheva | TED

Musician Maria Telesheva plays the accordion like a second set of lungs, showcasing this powerhouse instrument and its impressive 226 buttons — whether she’s playing Bach or the Beatles. In this talk and performance, she discusses how she fell in love with this musical acrobat and plays two beautiful songs. (Recorded at Play@TED on May…

Published

16 hours ago

on

October 3, 2026

By

Musician Maria Telesheva plays the accordion like a second set of lungs, showcasing this powerhouse instrument and its impressive 226 buttons — whether she’s playing Bach or the Beatles. In this talk and performance, she discusses how she fell in love with this musical acrobat and plays two beautiful songs. (Recorded at Play@TED on May 14, 2026)

Join us in person at a TED conference:
Become a TED Member to support our mission:
Subscribe to a TED newsletter:

Follow TED!
Instagram:
LinkedIn:
TikTok:
Facebook:
X:

The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less) — plus originals, podcasts and exclusive content. Look for videos on Technology, Entertainment and Design as well as science, business, global issues, the arts and more. Visit for our entire library, transcripts, translations and personalized recommendations.

Watch more:

TED 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 the TED Talks Usage Policy: . For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), submit a request at

#TED #TEDTalks #Music #Performance

Continue Reading

People & Blogs

Life, like music, was never made to run in straight lines #TEDTalks

Grammy-winning musician Jacob Collier has a name for the feeling that moves through a great piece of music: the wiggle. Watch him break down the idea into its three parts — melody, rhythm and harmony — with nothing but his own voice, a grand piano and Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World.” Turns out life,…

Published

1 day ago

on

October 2, 2026

By

Grammy-winning musician Jacob Collier has a name for the feeling that moves through a great piece of music: the wiggle. Watch him break down the idea into its three parts — melody, rhythm and harmony — with nothing but his own voice, a grand piano and Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World.” Turns out life, like music, was never made to run in straight lines.

Continue Reading

People & Blogs

Good news: Even moving as little as 1 minute every 60 minutes can have health benefits #TEDTalks

Can a five-minute walk change how you feel all day? Exercise scientist Keith Diaz shows how your body is built for the kind of movement that modern life has quietly erased — and suggests something refreshingly doable: making time for small doses of movement sprinkled throughout the day, as a way to boost your brain…

Published

2 days ago

on

October 2, 2026

By

Can a five-minute walk change how you feel all day? Exercise scientist Keith Diaz shows how your body is built for the kind of movement that modern life has quietly erased — and suggests something refreshingly doable: making time for small doses of movement sprinkled throughout the day, as a way to boost your brain and body.

Continue Reading

Trending