TEDxDetroit draws a couple dozen bright spots from hundreds in Detroit where resilience reigns these days.
Researchers find a definite link between determined optimism and the ability to weather adversity. When I ask about the grimness of the latest news out of Detroit, Wollborg jokes, “Nonsense! We’re all Pollyannas here.” But seriously, he says, “That’s one of the reasons we did this. If it was burning, bleeding, or bankrupt, that was the only story they were telling out of Detroit.”
If it was burning, bleeding, or bankrupt, that was the only story they were telling out of Detroit. The conference this year is packed with successful stories of local entrepreneurs, scientists, activists, and artists: from the Backyard Brains crew doing crowdfunded DIY neuroscience, to a regional resurgence in breweries, wineries, and cider, to Detroit Bike City, whose Slow Roll is the largest weekly community ride in the country.