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Enterprise city -- Springfield innovation in the industrial age: Guy McLain at TEDxSpringfield

891 views · Published 3 December 2013 · 14:43 · Indexed 5 October 2026

Channel: TEDx Talks · 2013 · Nonprofits & Activism

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Guy McLain, Director of the Lyman and Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History, has a 30 year career as a historian of New England and American History.

In this TEDx talk, he discusses  how Springfield was one of America's most innovative cities during the Industrial Revolution. In addition to sharing how innovations in automobiles, motorcycles, gun making, and board games were launched in Springfield, Guy will cover the lessons we can learn from Springfield's past that will encourage innovation in the twenty-first century.

The theme of TEDxSpringfield's inaugural event held on October 18, 2013, was "Driving Innovation Through Diversity and Inclusion".   We are a group of passionate volunteers that believe Springfield and its surrounding areas are full of Ideas Worth Spreading. Springfield is the "City of Firsts" -- the first basketball game, the first motorcycle, the first "Springfield". This event focused on how to use our diversity to bring back the innovation.

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)

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