Superbloomin' Xperiment

It was, in its essence, a grand experiment—an audacious endeavor to harness the power of the TEDx platform I had cultivated for sixteen years. We sought to raise funds for Earth by amplifying the voices of women conservation leaders, each a beacon of wisdom and courage in their own right. Their names, and the organizations they are so dedicated to serving their local and global communities for, stand proudly above.

Rebecca Kormos, a storyteller of rare depth, penned Intertwined. She curated the speakers, selecting fourteen from the fifty she interviewed—each woman chosen not just for her work, but for the truth she carried. We, Rebecca and the her gathering of girls grown in wisdom and empathy, first spoke of fundraising in a Zoom meeting that June. She called it a Superbloom—that miraculous season in the desert when, after a generous winter of storms and perfect temperatures, the California poppies erupt in wild celebration, golden and defiant. The vision was clear: to create an abundant flow of resources, equitably shared, sustaining the work of these extraordinary women.

In concept, the experiment held great promise. In execution, it revealed the ever-present challenge of translating vision into reality. The 604 attendees gave a total of $1,240. Not a fortune, but not nothing. Beyond dollars, we gave voice. We shared skills, coached the speakers, guided them as they crafted and filmed their TEDxVail Talks from Nepal to Hawaii. The funds, though modest, were a gesture—a beginning. A sign that, next time, the framework must be stronger, the process refined.

And then the world tilted.

On November 4, 2024, the United States elected a great Disuniter-in-Chief. Donald John—Drumpf (his original family name before they changed it to TRUMP), before history was rewritten—would take the oath on January 20. The day before, TEDxVailNEXT would go live, a defiant act of light in an encroaching storm. On his first day, the new president installed Elon Musk at the helm of a radical new initiative: the Department of Government Efficiency—DOGE, in a dark parody of its namesake. With a swift stroke, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) was dissolved, dismantling critical support for global conservation efforts, including those of our speakers. One filmmaker in Africa was devastated and questioning her own way forward. Would she have a job, a home, a purpose beyond this presidential Xecutive order?

What lasting impact will $1,240, divided among a dozen women, have? Perhaps little in material terms. But to those whose work was suddenly threatened by an unelected co-president’s whim Mr. Musk, let it be a reminder: even in a storm, seeds take root. May this small offering sustain them in ways unseen, keep them steady as the world shifts beneath our feet.

And shift it will. The Earth is burning. The old order is unraveling. But in times of upheaval, there is power in intention. So I invite you to imagine what's NEXT with this Xercise—a map through the chaos:

Write a letter to your present self from the year 2030 (the year the KOGI elders tell us we humans must right our relations in Earth) just 5 years into your finer future. Ask: What actions did you take? What guided your choices? What did you think and feel in those moments of decision? What outcomes did you design and deliver? And then, write from the deepest part of yourself—from the wisdom carried in your womb, your bones, your breath. Quietly, truthfully, measure how far you have come. Celebrate the future you dared to create.

Superbloom your instincts. We are listening.

And Earth thanks you.