Socially responsible geeks converge on Shanghai

Yesterday, over a hundred technologists converged on Shanghai for TEDxShanghai at M1NT. Venture capitalists and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs from the Geeks on a Plane tour, along with the cream of China’s technocracy, were treated to inspirational presentations about how social media and technology can influence the future of the human race.
Some of the speakers included twitter residents such as Isaac Mao and Andrew Lih who addressed their unique perspectives of the development of social media and the future of communication.
A good mix of topics were addressed throughout the day, many of which not only explored inspiring technology driven projects in China but also mixed social media with social responsibility. A great example of using online communities for the good of society was the talk by An Zhu who is building a network of travelers via 1KG.org to bring school books to impoverished children in south-west China.
Also discussed during the forum were topics such as Shanghai’s urban development, the essence of design and an eye opening (if not slightly confusing) presentation by Dave McClure on securitizing the income potential of the worlds population to finance education and welfare throughout the world.
The organizing team that put together the program together also broke the program up with acts from the percussion troupe Jammala and blind folk musician Zhou Yunpeng.
You can see some of the presentation videos here or visit either Christine Lu‘s or the official TEDxShanghai twitter stream to read about what transpired.