nearly 1,000 people gathered for TEDxMidwest to hear amazing speakers challenge, inspire, provoke, entertain, teach, and give -- here's a taste of what they served up

1. Nearly 1,000 people gathered at Chicago’s Oriental Theater for TEDxMidwest in October, 2011. Here’s a taste of what the 25 amazing speakers served up…

2. The way we’re working isn’t working. -- Tony Schwartz

3. Happiness and unhappiness are not opposite ends of a continuum – they’re parallel systems. -- Nancy Etcoff

4. Data always has a story to tell. -- Jason Salavon

5. The end of the world is a little like death – we don’t prepare for it even though we know it’s inevitable. -- John Hodgman

6. Penguins don’t know they’re cute; leopard seals don’t know they’re ugly. That’s just what happens – animals eat animals. -- Paul Nicklen

7. I’m working how to make invention a legitimate career. -- Pablos Holman

8. We need a future that’s about the future. -- Edie Wiener

9. It’s embarrassing to say we were in prison -- but looking past that, it’s a blessing to be a voice for the communities we represent. -- The Interrupters

10. Do goodery (I also call it “poverty porn”) is a broken model in the Internet age. -- Alexis Ohanian

11. America is a great place because we can determine our own future. -- Dean Kamen