TEDxCU: Why capitalism needs to empower people again

April 25, 2025  |   | Public Engagements

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Getting on stage to do anything is nerve-wracking. But knowing you were in the audience at TEDxCU meant the world to me.

Watch my TEDx talk here:

Thank you for joining me at TEDxCU 2025 for an evening filled with inspiration, bold ideas, and—yes—an after-party hosted by TEDxCU.

One Choice. One Act. – Subscribe

This year’s theme was Anomaly—a celebration of the quirks and outliers that challenge norms and inspire progress.

Can capitalism be saved?

Some say no, but I believe the answer lies in an anomaly—a force that challenges the status quo and reshapes our systems.

WATCH: TEDxCU April 2025

In my talk, I explored how empowerment—through freedom, opportunity, and collective action—can transform capitalism into a system that benefits people, the planet, and peace. Drawing from personal experiences, ancestral history, and real-world solutions, I shared a roadmap for reimagining the future.

Anomaly

It was a delight to see 1000+ attendees as we dove into a world of anomalies—disruptive forces shaping our reality and redefining convention.

Dr. Matthew King, Speaker TEDx CU April 2025

Dr. Matthew King is set to speak at TEDx CU on April 5, 2025, at Macky Auditorium, University of Colorado, Boulder.

In a world governed by norms and standards, anomalies disrupt the expected patterns, challenging our perceptions and pushing the boundaries of what we consider “normal.”

But what if anomalies are not to be feared but celebrated? What if they hold the keys to innovation, progress, and deeper understanding?

MEDIA Inquiries: TEDxCU Speaker April 2025

Matthew King is the Founder and CEO of Our COMMON Foundation, a Marshall Memorial Fellow with the German Marshall Fund, and earned his Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge. He has traveled to over 45 countries, lived in five, and completed learning expeditions across the globe. His work empowers social entrepreneurs, artists, and conservationists to drive meaningful societal and environmental changes.

Connect with Dr. Matthew King, Founder and CEO of Our COMMON Foundation: 

Connect with Our COMMON Foundation

Previous Media Coverage and Articles

  1. Media Interviews & Appearances

* Good Morning Europe, Euronews Interview with Dr. Matthew King on “Why Humans Tend to Resist Change When Faced With Major Threats,” Lyon, France, July 24, 2020.

* Euronews-NBC Universal Interview with Dr. Matthew King on “The Role of Cognitive Biases and Action on Climate Change,” Lyon, France, April 22, 2020.

* KGNU 88.5 Radio Program Interview on Connections, Interviewed by Donna Kuntzler, Boulder, Colorado, February 21, 2014.

  1. Selected Articles by Matthew King

* BBC Future “Why the next stage of capitalism is coming,” May 26, 2021.

* Mongabay: Global Forest Series “Ecuador’s Kichwa Implement Innovative Approach to Rainforest Conservation,” May 20, 2020.

* BBC Future “How Brain Biases Prevent Climate Action,” March 8, 2019.

* Earth Island Journal “Trump Administration Threatens U.S. Environmental Security,” July 2, 2018.

* Elephant Journal “Eight Ways to Ensure Biodiversity on Earth: Insights from the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity,” January 22, 2017.

  1. Selected Speaking Engagements

* Political Catastrophe or the Next Stage of Capitalism By invitation from Porsche’s Super Group Think Tank, Porsche HQ, Atlanta, GA, August 3, 2021.

* Post-Conflict Peacebuilding through Natural Resource Management By invitation from the International Affairs Program, University of Colorado, Boulder, April 21, 2020.

* Climate Change as a Long-Term Security Threat By invitation from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Armed Conflict and Conflict Management Program, Stockholm, Sweden, September 4, 2013.

* Biodiversity Offsets as a Financing Mechanism for Protected Areas Management Kinship Conservation Fellows, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, June 29, 2014.