You may have noticed all of the TED talks I posted last week. We were getting inspired and preparing for TED2011 and the talks that start today! We are honored to have been invited to set up a Poketo shop for all of the TEDsters in Palm Springs for TEDActive.

TEDActive happens simultaneously with the talks that happen at TED in Long Beach. TEDActive is a more “active” TED filled with interactive art installations, workshops, parties, the sun, pool, and for the first time, a Poketo shop! This year theme, The Rediscovery of Wonder, brings together global innovators – the doers of the world making a difference in their communities and their professions – to interact and learn from one another in an amazing Palm Springs environment while absorbing TED2011.

The proceeds from the Poketo shop at TEDActive go directly to the TED Fellows program which supports world-changing innovators making an impact around the globe. TED 2011 Fellows include, Sey Min, an interactive designer that is reimagining how humans relate to technologies, to societies and cities, and to environments. She founded Randomwalks.org, a media art studio that takes real visitor feedback on cities and redefines cities in real time. Another is Suzanne Lee, a British artist and fashion designer who is making fabric and clothes out of bacteria she cultivates. She is literally growing her own clothes! Surely unconventional, but, this is what makes TED Fellows unique.

What everyone is excited about is the annual TED Prize winner. The TED Prize is $100,000 awarded to an exceptional individual, but, more importantly, the winner poses one wish for all of us to act on, a wish to change the world. TED Prize recipients in the past have included Bill Clinton, Dave Eggers, Jamie Oliver, Jehane Noujaim, Karen Armstrong, Bono, and more.

The 2011 prize winner is “street” artist, JR. JR employs large scale photography and street art methods of wheat pasting to tell stories and change landscapes around the world. JR has has traveled and put up his huge installations in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Kenya, Cambodia, China, Israel/Palestine, Brazil, the US and more. When you see the images, they are arresting, it’s like looking into yourself.

The TED talks are all this week, we are excited to be part of this intimate experience at TEDActive. There is still an opportunity to get a group together and watch the talks live via the internet. Below are some of our top picks, ones we can’t wait to watch. The drawings below comes straight from the TED conference book!

Artist: JR… Kenya, Liberia, Brazil, India, and Cambodia are 5 countries that JR visited for Women Are Heroes.

Philanthropist: Bill Gates… no introductions needed.

Explorer: Sarah Marquis…. she has wandered 510 days through Australia alone.

Artist, curator, architectural designer, and activist: Ai Weiwei… 100,000,000 is the number of hand-painted porcelain “sunflower seeds” in one of his sculptures exhibited at Tate Modern.

Data Artist: Aaron Koblin … was part of Arcade Fire’s The Wilderness Downtown.

Benjamin Zander is world renown for being a music conductor and a speaker on leadership. He uses music and his wonderful charisma to open peoples minds. This is one of the most inspirational talks I’ve come across on TED. What Benjamin Zander asks of us is to step into life like it’s music… he says “this is about vision, about the long line. Like the bird who flies over the field and doesn’t care about the fences underneath”. Of course, there is the journey, there are the obstacles, the progress, the achievements in between… but Zander asks us to look to the horizon…. the vision.

Sir Ken Robinson compares our current education system with industrialization-old, linear, cookie cutter, uninspired. He calls not for reform, but, for revolution. A revolution that moves education to a more organic model… an “agricultural” model where sowing seeds of passion, curiosity, creativity, and learning can flourish. Not only very insightful, but, Sir Ken Robinson is pretty funny in this TED talk.

Still hundreds more TED talks to watch. We love all of your suggestions you’ve given us on Facebook and Twitter… keep them coming!

I am going to post some TED.com talks throughout the week. It’s amazing to have access to hundreds of mind blowing, inspirational talks from some of the worlds most creative thinkers. I spent the weekend watching some of the ones you suggested on our Facebook, my brain is loving it, I’m feeling inspired- that’s what so many of these talks are for us, a hub for different points of view on education, design, technology, marketing, politics… the world at whole.

Below is the talk from 826 National’s founder, Dave Eggers. His book, A Heart Breaking Work of Staggering Genius, is one of my favorite books, a book I read in my early 20s and that changed my life in a lot of ways. A book that showed me how organic, non linear, spontaneous, and amazing life is. Back to this post….Dave talks about how he started 826, why he started it, and its place in society. He was the winner of the annual TED prize in 2008. I thought this was perfect way for you to get to know this non-profit since we are currently helping to raise funds for their youth writing programs.

Watch the video, get ready to be inspired. Help and donate to directly to 826 National by visiting the benefit that we are involved in with Neko Case! Neko Case is a huge 826 supporter. More at NekoCase.com/auction.