DESCRIPTION:
In 1981, just a year into one of the most important of all musical decades, Mark Kelly was plucked from the psychedelic group Chemical Alice to play keyboards in one of the most influential British rock bands of the time -- Marillion. In 1997, when the internet was still very much in uncharted economic territory, Kelly came up with and implemented an idea that would -- albeit some 15 years later -- revolutionise and democratise the way creative projects were funded. No-one, had yet uttered the compound noun 'crowdfunding', yet it was Mark Kelly who tuned into the idea and even more impressively managed to harness its power. Admittedly, it has been around since the collective financing of book print in the 17th century, but, coupling it with the power of the information superhighway, Kelly invented a phenomenon. By tapping into the collective power of their US fan base, Kelly changed the game. He posted a simple message online regretting that Marillion would not be able to tour the US due to lack of record company financing. He went on to coordinate a campaign that raised $60,000, enough money to underwrite an entire American tour. Internet Crowdfunding was born.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)