We often speak of legends in the past tense — figures, ideas, and institutions whose stories feel complete, whose impact feels settled, whose myth has hardened into memory. But what happens when the legend is still alive? What can we learn from the active aims to create legendary efforts and build a legacy? When we look down at the shoulders we’re standing on and the dreams we’re weaving in the distance, what can we collectively gain as a community from these achievements and explorations? And how is Akron part of that adventure?
TEDxAkron Presents: Living Legends is not a celebration of an individual or someone’s status. It is an intentional exploration of how legacy is formed, shaped, challenged, and reimagined in real time. This event will invite Speakers who ask:
Who or what decides what becomes legendary?
What systems elevate certain voices and erase others?
How do myths take root?
What does it mean to build something that outlives you?
And what responsibility comes with influence while you are still here to wield it?
In 2026, TEDxAkron is not only celebrating its 15th year, but it’s 8th Speaker’s event. This is an exciting year of looking back while also charting ahead. Some speakers may be names you recognize. Others may be voices you’re meeting for the first time. But each will express and explore a big idea about what makes something — or someone — endure. This is not a lifetime achievement ceremony. It is a live conversation about the making of legacy.
Saturday, October 17th, 2026
Akron–Summit County Public Library Auditorium
Tickets and more details coming soon!
What is TEDx?
The rambunctious baby sibling of TED, TEDx is a localized, grassroots initiative, created in the spirit of TED’s overall mission to research and discover “ideas worth spreading.” TEDx programs bring the spirit of TED to local communities around the globe through their own TEDx events. These events are organized by passionate individuals who seek to uncover new ideas and share the latest research in their local areas that spark conversations in their communities. TEDx events include live speakers and recorded TED Talks, and are organized independently under a free license granted by TED. TED does not control these events, but local event organizers agree to abide by the required format and are offered guidelines for curation, speaker coaching, event organizing, and more. More than 3000 events are now held annually across the globe and around the block.