A TEDx talk is an idea, conveyed in a short and focused talk, delivered so well it can travel beyond the room and inspire, change, or challenge how someone thinks forever. A TEDxABQ talk is that, plus a process built to get you there. From the moment you’re selected to the day you take the stage, you’re paired with a dedicated speaker coaching team and guided through a structured journey, not just a moment of preparation. Together, we narrow your focus from topic to idea to core message, build a talk structure that takes your audience on a journey instead of just informing them, and find the thread that makes your story both deeply personal and universally true. By the time you step on stage, you’ve moved past memorization into internalization, so what people hear isn’t a script. It’s you.

The Application Process

Applications for TEDxABQ open every April. From there, select applicants are invited to Speaker Speed Dating, an interactive audition experience where bold ideas meet rapid feedback. In this fast-paced, rotation-style event, each candidate pitches their idea across five mini-interviews with members of our curation and coaching team, three minutes to share the core idea, followed by three minutes of focused Q&A at each station. It’s a chance to test your concept, make an impression, and show the potential of your idea worth spreading. Our evaluators debrief over the following weeks, and final speaker selections are announced from there.

Alongside our open application process, we also curate a select number of speakers directly, individuals already doing work we believe belongs on the TEDxABQ stage.

Have someone in mind? We take speaker recommendations year-round.

Just email us at info@tedxabq.com.

Speaker Coaching

A TEDxABQ talk isn’t like any presentation, lecture, or speech you’ve ever given, and that’s exactly why we require coaching, even for seasoned speakers. Our program unfolds in three phases over about 12 weeks, taking you from raw concept to stage-ready delivery through a minimum of 8 required sessions.

  • Shaping (Weeks 1–4) — Nail down your content, format, and your Big Idea.
  • Embodying (Weeks 5–8) — Develop your flow, gestures, voice, and any media or props.
  • Internalizing (Weeks 9–12) — Rehearse, refine, and finalize, ending with a mandatory Dress Rehearsal before you take the stage.

Being a TEDxABQ speaker is a commitment, not just to your talk, but to the team and audience counting on you. We ask every speaker to meet every deadline, attend all required coaching sessions, stay within your allotted time (just because 18 min is the max for TED doesn’t mean your talk gets to be 18 min), participate in the mandatory rehearsal, and engage all day at the event.

It’s a demanding process, but it’s how we make sure every speaker walks away from that red dot having given the best version of their talk, and the best version of themselves.

TK O’Geary

Lead Speaker Coach

TK O’Geary is an MBA, LSSMBB, and communications consultant, a Certified World Class Speaking Coach, and proud ABQ native. President of TKO Performance Group and a TEDxABQ Speaker Coach since 2011, she brings over 35 years of experience using authentic storytelling to transform topics into messages that connect and inspire. TK has worked with hundreds of TEDx speakers, experts, entrepreneurs, and leaders so they are heard, understood, and believed.