Homeless at sixteen. On a TEDx stage by choice.
Dr. India White did pre-calculus by flashlight in a homeless shelter. She built the G.R.I.T. framework from what got her through, turned it into a talk, and delivered it herself. Now she teaches the exact process.
Find your stage
Every leader has a different way in. Pick the group closest to you for the talk angle, three tips, and a direct link to the matching resources on India-White.com.
Your experience is the credential.
Organizers want ideas only you can tell. Build your talk from a turning point, a barrier you moved, or a truth people in your field avoid saying out loud.
Three tips for women speakers
- Start with the moment, not the résumé. One specific scene beats a list of achievements.
- Cut the apologies. Skip “I’m not an expert, but…” and open with your claim.
- End on something listeners can do this week, not only something to admire.
Share the idea, not the company.
A talk that sounds like a sales pitch gets passed over. The stronger talk is a lesson from running your business that changes how people see a problem. Your bio does the selling afterward.
Three tips for business owners
- Pick one lesson from your industry, not the story of your company.
- Use one customer or client story, with permission, and leave the brand name out of it.
- Give your idea a plain name people can repeat to a colleague.
You already teach one idea at a time.
Classroom-tested ideas travel well because you can show what changed for real students. Your job on stage is to translate education language into plain words any leader can follow.
Three tips for educators
- Lead with a student moment (with permission) and what it taught you.
- Swap acronyms and program names for everyday words.
- Show evidence from your own room or school, then name the takeaway for any leader.
Speak to the room you’re in.
A TEDx audience is mixed. Lead with shared human experience such as grief, purpose, forgiveness, or community, and let the idea stand on its own. Organizers generally look for an idea worth spreading, not a sermon.
Three tips for ministry leaders
- Shape your message into one idea a stranger could repeat in a sentence.
- Tell the story first and teach the principle second.
- Read the event’s guidelines and ask the organizer what fits their audience before you pitch.
If you lead people through change, you have a framework.
Coaches, healthcare workers, nonprofit directors and community leaders often have a method that works. A talk is where you prove it, in eighteen minutes, to people who have never met you.
Three tips for coaches and community leaders
- Name your method in plain words and show it working once.
- Anchor it in a single client or community story.
- Give the audience one exercise they can try from their seats.
How you get to a TEDx stage
Each TEDx event is organized locally, and each organizer chooses their own speakers. That makes preparation your advantage. Here is the path.
Find your one idea
Write it as a single sentence. If it needs “and,” it is two talks.
Build the talk
Story, evidence, takeaway. The course and workbook walk you through it.
Record a demo
A short video of you delivering the idea shows organizers how you speak.
Find events
Search TEDx events near you and watch for calls for speakers.
Pitch and rehearse
Send a short, specific pitch. Then rehearse out loud until the talk feels like yours.
Good to know: TEDxSpeakers.org is a training resource. It does not select speakers for TEDx events. Organizers make those decisions, so we help you arrive prepared.
Take the course
Start with the same process Dr. White used to build her own talk.
So You Wanna Be a TEDx Speaker?
The course, eBook and workbook for leaders who want a TEDx stage. Work through it at your own pace, on your own schedule.
- Find your idea and shape it into a talk
- Structure, storytelling and delivery, step by step
- Written by a speaker who has done it
- Instant digital access
Tools to go further
Everything below is built to work alongside the course. Each card opens in a new tab.
SpeakerVault
An interactive platform to practice your craft, track speaking engagements, and manage your brand assets in one place.
Open SpeakerVaultThe Library
Workbooks and resources from Dr. White for speakers, leaders and teams.
Browse the LibraryMore courses
Go deeper on resilience, leadership and the G.R.I.T. framework behind the talk.
See all coursesG.R.I.T. assessments
Assessments for speakers, ministry, life coaching, teachers, administrators and more. Get your score, then get the resources.
Visit India-White.comG.R.I.T. Academy
Learning programs built on the same framework as the TEDx talk.
Visit G.R.I.T. AcademyFree 15-minute call
Not sure where to start? Talk through your idea with Dr. White’s team and find the right next step.
Book a callSpeaking tips that work for every leader
Whatever your field, the stage rewards the same habits.
Before you write
Get the idea right first.
- One idea, one sentence.If you can’t say it in a sentence, the audience can’t repeat it.
- Open with a story, a question or a surprise.“Hello, my name is…” spends your best seconds.
- Write for the ear.Short sentences and plain words. Read every line out loud.
- Cut until it hurts.Aim to finish a couple of minutes under your limit.
On the stage
Delivery is a skill you can practice.
- Rehearse standing, out loud, on video.Reading in your head does not prepare your voice.
- Use the pause.Silence after a key line reads as confidence and lets it land.
- Talk to one person at a time.Rest your eyes on one face per thought, then move.
- Keep slides minimal.One strong image beats a screen of bullet points, and no slides is fine.
After the talk
One talk can open many doors.
- Watch the recording twice.Once for content, once with the sound off to check your body language.
- Cut a short clip.A 60-second highlight is what most people will actually share.
- Build a speaker one-sheet.Your topic, bio, photo and a link to your demo video, ready to send.
- Manage the nerves, don’t fight them.Slow your exhale. The room wants you to do well.
Speaker packages
Start with one hour. Scale up to a full engagement when you’re ready.
Talk Strategy Session
- Live 1:1 time with Dr. White
- Feedback on your idea, outline, pitch or delivery
- Book a single hour or a short block
- No long-term commitment
Keynote or Full-Day Training
- A keynote or full-day G.R.I.T. training delivered by Dr. White
- Custom-built for your stage or your room
- Virtual or on-site, as scheduling allows
- Our most-booked package
Full G.R.I.T. Partnership
- Multi-session training built into your organization
- Ongoing coaching, seminars and priority scheduling
- Scoped to your team size and timeline
Want the self-paced route instead? The course and workbook is $14.99, no booking needed.
Tell us about your talk
Send a few details and we’ll point you to the right course, coaching, or package.