Flagship: TEDxHarvard Square | The Future We Choose
The world is shifting faster than ever: politically, technologically, and culturally. The pace of change can feel overwhelming, as if the future is arriving before we’re ready. But moments like these remind us of something essential:
The future isn’t a force acting on us.
It’s a choice we make, together.
On February 21, 2026, TEDxHarvard Square returns bringing together a community of founders, creators, investors, elite student talent from MIT and Harvard, scientists, builders, and dreamers who refuse to stand on the sidelines of history. This year, we’re raising our ambition with a single question guiding everything we do:
What future will we choose to build?
Why Attend:
A Front-Row Seat to the Ideas Shaping the Next Decade: Hear from innovators working at the frontier of AI, biology, creativity, climate, culture, and human connection. These are blueprints for what flourishing could look like in the years ahead.
A Gathering of MIT & Harvard’s Brightest Minds: Boston’s unmatched brain trust comes alive here. Elite talent from MIT, Harvard, and the region’s leading research institutions will join forces with global thinkers to push boundaries, spark innovation, and surface transformative ideas.
Meet the Founders Building Tomorrow: Some of the best and boldest startup founders will be in the room from AI and biotech to robotics, sustainability, and next-gen consumer. For those seeking what’s next, this is where tomorrow’s category-defining companies first collide with future collaborators.
Discovery Sessions: Your Idea Playground: Across the city, immersive Discovery Sessions turn Boston into a laboratory for imagination. Experiment with emerging technology, explore creative practices, and redesign what’s possible alongside people who thrive on curiosity and courage. These aren’t passive workshops — they’re launchpads for new ways of thinking.
Dine-Around Experiences: Intimate dinner gatherings across Cambridge and Boston bring together speakers, founders, thinkers, and attendees in curated settings where conversation flows as freely as the ideas. These table moments often spark the most unexpected breakthroughs.
A Community of Purpose: Every corner of TEDxHarvardSquare is engineered for connection. Whether in high-energy gatherings or quiet spaces for reflection, you’ll meet people who are humble, brilliant, curious, and united by a belief that ideas — shared with intention — can reshape the world.
What to Expect
A full day of TEDx talks from global innovators
Elite talent from MIT, Harvard, and Boston’s research ecosystem
Hands-on Discovery Sessions
Interactive workshops and pop-up experiments
Dine-around gatherings and curated networking
Celebration, art, music, and community
A shared commitment to shaping a future worth stepping into
TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS
Harvard Shuttle Information
Harvard Shuttles are offered during the academic year. Routes that run between Harvard Square and Allston are:
• Allston Loop
• SEC Express
• Quad-SEC
Buses:
• 86 Bus and 66 Bus connect Harvard's Cambridge and Allston campus nodes.
• The 66 Bus and 70 Bus connect the Central Square T-stop and the Rubenstein Treehouse.
• The MBTA 70 Bus connects Allston to Watertown, Central Square, University Park, and MIT.
T-Stations:
• The Harvard Square T-stop on the Red Line is approximately a 15–20-minute walk.
• The Central Square T-stop on the Red Line is approximately a 15–20-minute walk.
Blue Bike Stations:
• Soldiers Field Park — 111 Western Ave
• Innovation Lab (i-Lab) — 125 Western Ave @ Batten Way
• Stadium Road @ Western Ave (Allston Mobility Hub)
• 175 N Harvard Street
Walking, Personal Scooters, or Personal Bikes:
• Walking to the Treehouse from Harvard Square is a pleasant 20-minute walk over the Weeks Bridge through the Harvard Business School campus, or alternatively over the Lars Anderson Bridge onto North Harvard Street alongside the Harvard Stadium and other campus points of interest.
• Scooters and bikes are popular modes of transportation between Cambridge and Allston, taking approximately 8 to 12 minutes from Harvard Square. Bike parking is available along Western Avenue near the Treehouse.
Overnight Accommodations
The Rubenstein Treehouse is conveniently located near several hotel options to support your event attendees, speakers, and guests.
Onsite – Enterprise Research Campus:
Atlas Hotel
Located directly adjacent to the Rubenstein Treehouse
Group Sales Contact: Robyn Hayes, Director of Sales & Marketing
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (617) 214-3344
Website: theatlashotel.com
Nearby – Harvard University Hotels:
DoubleTree Suites by Hilton – Cambridge/Boston
400 Soldiers Field Road, Boston, MA
~10-minute walk or 2–3-minute drive; complimentary hotel shuttle available.
Group Sales Contact: Stephen Nass, Director of Sales & Marketing
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (617) 562-4173
Website: Hilton.com/en/hotels/bossbdt-doubletree-suites-Boston-Cambridge
The Harvard Square Hotel
110 Mount Auburn Street, Cambridge, MA (Harvard Square)
~15–20-minute walk from Harvard Square.
Group Sales Contact: Niamh (Neve) Dwyer, Director of Sales
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (617) 520-3730
Website: harvardsquarehotel.com
Other Nearby Hotels:
The Charles Hotel
One Bennett Street, Cambridge, MA
Studio Allston Hotel
1234 Soldiers Field Road, Boston, MA (accessible via Western Avenue)