Melanie Weiss is the Director of Education and Programming at Beth Israel Congregation in Waterville, Maine. She is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and a former Dorot Fellow.

On Febrary 23, 2013, TEDxColbyCollege explored new ideas through the lens of failure, with perspectives from across the academic spectrum and beyond. In our society, success is prized above all while failure is seen as an embarrassment, is taboo. But success and failure are inextricably bound; to laud one while hiding the other ignores that fundamental link. How can we live and work with the concept of failure looming above us? Does fear of it lower our potential? What can it teach us and contribute to our lives? Success and failure are two possible progressions of the attempt, and one is as valuable as the other.

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)