Made right here: Mitch Cahn at TEDxBroadStreet

Made Right Here: How the international worker rights and buy local movements are creating a surge in U.S. urban manufacturing opportunities.

The development of a massive consumer class and introduction of worker rights in China has led to the end of the era of cheap imports, shrinking the premium paid for goods Made in USA. The closer production is to consumption the less acceptable worker exploitation becomes and the more likely goods are produced using the consumer's labor and environmental standards. As the premium paid for Made in USA shrinks the number of consumers willing to pay that premium for locally made goods increases, as do their reasons (economic, environmental, messaging, labor rights) for doing so. Urban areas like Newark are best suited to capitalize on this localizing of supply chains.

TEDxBroadStreet (http://www.tedxbroadstreet.com), an independently organized TED event fueled by the theme "Reach, Rise, and Revive," that took place at the Rutgers Business School in Newark, NJ. TEDxBroadStreet is Newark, NJ's first citywide TEDx event developed in collaboration with Newark residents. Twenty talks and three artistic performances give Newark stakeholders the opportunity to stimulate dialogue and created positive grass roots change on a variety of topics critical to the revitalization and sustainability of the city. FREE public viewing parties were hosted at six satellite locations across Newark for the general public and the live audience production occurred in the Bove Auditorium at Rutgers Business School Newark.

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)