Attend in person

Join us at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.

When

Friday, July 24, 2026

Where

1601 Broadway Blvd,
Kansas City, MO 64108

Purchase tickets

Tickets on sale NOW

What does it mean to be human?

What does it mean to be human? Is it the feelings we feel, the art we create, the fibers that make up our body? Is it our ties to ancestors, our social spirit, our need for something more?

Perhaps what makes us human is our mistakes. Our jagged edges and the holes we wish were not there. Have you ever met a human with no regrets?

Maybe to be human is to resist. Resist fear. Resist death. Resist being replaced. And how does this compare to what is coming?

Will we be replaced, or do we have something to offer that no machine can? Can technology laugh until it cries, eat a midnight snack, or feel the loss of a loved one?

Maybe our greatest assets are not just the big ideas and achievements, but the small in-between moments we take for granted. The things that cannot be replicated, even if we tried. Maybe survival is not about moving faster, but slowing down, thinking, feeling, and remembering what it means to be human.

2026 Speakers & performers

A smiling woman with blonde hair in a white shirt, posing with her hand on her face, set against a red and black digital background with binary code.

A man with short hair and a beard smiling in front of a digital background of binary code and a torn paper effect, with text stating he is an MIT Media Lab artist and entrepreneur-in-residence.

Black and white photo of a person with curly hair wearing sunglasses and a striped shirt, with red and binary code in the background, torn paper effect at the top and bottom.

A woman with glasses and dreadlocks smiling in front of a background with binary code and torn paper edges, labeled as writer, storyteller, civic leader.

A woman smiling in front of a digital background with binary code and red accents, torn paper edges at the top and bottom, with the text "Author, Professor, Innovator, Entrepreneur" below.

Black and white portrait of a woman with shoulder-length blonde hair, wearing a necklace, set against a digital background of binary code and red torn paper edges, with text indicating she is an anxiety expert, author, and psychotherapist.

Black and white portrait of a smiling woman with short hair, wearing a denim jacket, with a digital binary code background and torn paper edges.

Black and white photo of a woman smiling, wearing a blazer and layered necklaces, with a digital background of binary code and red accents.

A portrait of a man with a bald head and gray beard, wearing a black shirt, set against a background with binary code and torn paper edges. Caption reads: Neurobiologist, Researcher, Relationship Expert.

A black-and-white portrait of a smiling man in a business suit with a striped shirt, set against a digital-themed background with binary code and torn paper edges.

Black and white portrait of a middle-aged man with gray hair and glasses, wearing a suit jacket and white shirt, against a digital red and black binary code background.

A grayscale portrait of a middle-aged man with glasses, a beard, and wearing a suit, set against a background featuring red and black binary code. Text below labels him as a Museum Designer & Experiential Storyteller.

Black and white portrait of a man wearing a fedora hat, hoodie, and blazer with a serious expression, set against a red background with binary code overlay, labeled as Trumpeter, Artist, Composer.

Image with multiple logos of various organizations and companies, such as Ewing Marion Kaufman Foundation, ECCO Select, HMX Live, Terracon, VML, AdventHealth, The Raphael Hotel, Welch Family Foundation, Hudson Legacy Foundation, Made in KC, Boulevard Brewing Company, and Charlie Hustle.

Text reads "Our sponsors" on a black background.

Contact us

For partnerships, groups and other inquiries, contact our team here.

Interior of a large, modern conference center filled with people. There is a high glass ceiling with sunlight streaming through, and an upper balcony with large black banners that say 'TEDxKC' and 'Navigating the Unknown'. People are walking around, visiting booths, and socializing.