João Paulo Cavalcanti at TEDxSaoPaulo

João Paulo Cavalcanti is an ad man who has always had a keen eye for what's new around the world. The agency he has founded with his partners, BOX1824, is one of the main companies in market research and consumer behavior trends in Latin America. BOX uses new techniques to detect what people think and desire, especially in the emerging markets of BRIC -- Brazil, Russia, India and China. Scattered around the planet, its researchers work in the field to find what's new and tell it to their clients, which include Nike, Pepsi, Nokia and Itaú. In 2006, João Paulo and his partners founded LiveAD, a media innovation company. Last year, LiveAD won a CannesLion for the collaborative project Mil Casmurros, in which participants recorded themselves reading excerpts of Machado de Assis' book and uploaded them to the Internet.

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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.)