This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. Sometimes it's said that Silicon Valley is a state of mind. It's having passion for your job, it's the strong desire to change the world. It's also that optimism that makes you believe that anything is possible. But Silicon Valley also has a tough side: aggressive competition, social inequality and a lot of not-so-meaningful technology.

Maria works in San Francisco at the Insights and Strategy team at Smart Design, an award-winning innovation and design consulting firm. She’s also the head curator of TEDxYouth@Barcelona and co-organizer of TEDxBarcelona. Before that, she worked at Infonomia, one of the leading innovation consulting firms in Spain, and at Central Design, a design studio from the Bay Area. She holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Usability and User Experience from the Ramon Llull University (Barcelona), an Executive Certificate in Innovation Leadership from the CCA (San Francisco), a Postgraduate Diploma in Design and Innovation from Elisava School of Design (Barcelona) and MSc in Environmental Sciences from the UAB (Barcelona).

About TEDx, x = independently organized event In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)