Camila Martínez

Activist, Agnostic, Care taker, Educator/Teacher, Writer/Editor

Social worker, educator, and creative professional with over a decade of experience in social transformation, educational innovation, and inclusion. Throughout my career, I have led and supported projects that integrate art, culture, technology, sustainability, and social justice, always from a deeply human, sensitive, and community-based perspective. My journey with TEDxBogotá began more than 8 years ago as a volunteer, contributing to different areas such as production, curation, and logistics. Today,I embrace the challenge and joy of continuing to create spaces where ideas can grow and connect people who dream of a more just world. I am the mother of a neurodivergent child who has reshaped the way I see life. Inspired by this experience, I also lead initiatives that promote neurodiversity, collective care, and the creation of accessible and inclusive environments. I believe in the power of words, networks of care, and ideas that transform us from within.

I am passionate about transforming the world through care, creativity, and inclusion. I’m moved by ideas that heal, that challenge the status quo, and that open doors to new ways of feeling, learning, and existing. I find meaning in creating experiences that leave a mark, in supporting processes that dignify people, and in planting questions that gently disrupt. I’m passionate about neurodiversity, not just as a cause, but as a way of seeing life. I’m driven to make the invisible visible, to open space for what has been excluded, and to build environments where differences are not just tolerated, but celebrated. I’m also passionate about art, words, childhood, culture, sensory experiences, play, true human connection, and soul-touching learning. I’m moved by the hope that other ways of inhabiting the world are possible, and that every gesture, every conversation, and every idea can be an act of transformation.

Neurodiversity is an invitation to shift our perspective. For years, we were taught that certain ways of thinking, feeling, and learning needed to adapt to an invisible and rigid norm. But recognizing that there are multiple ways of being in the world is not only an act of justice—it’s a chance for collective transformation. As the mother of an autistic child, and as a neurodivergent woman learning to understand herself, I’ve realized that inclusion is not about fitting “different” people into a pre-existing system. It’s about redesigning that system so that all ways of being can thrive. The idea worth spreading is that neurodiversity doesn’t need to be corrected—it needs to be understood, celebrated, and supported. Only then can we build truly human, creative, and compassionate environments.

Since 2012, I have been an active volunteer at TEDxBogotá, supporting speakers, leading volunteer teams, and managing audience experience and the event’s social media. My role has been key in supporting the organization and execution of each edition, bringing dedication and passion to help spread ideas that change the world to more people. Additionally, as a teacher, I integrated TED-ED resources into my classes to inspire my students to learn through powerful and accessible ideas. This experience allowed me to connect my love for education with TED’s mission, promoting a culture of learning and social transformation. In 2019, I had the opportunity to create “Ideas con Estrella,” a special initiative within TEDxBogotá that highlighted inspiring ideas and voices. What I love most about TED is its ability to bring diverse voices together and create real impact in communities, which motivates me to continue contributing with commitment and enthusiasm.

Listening beyond words. Sensing what isn’t said—what’s felt, what trembles quietly beneath the surface. I’m also good at making unlikely connections: between people, between ideas, between worlds that seem far apart. I have a special sensitivity for creating experiences that hold space, that embrace, that transform without forcing. I’m good at holding difficult processes, at holding others—and myself—when everything feels uncertain. Good at noticing the invisible, the small, the unspoken. People don’t always know I’m also good at dreaming seriously, organizing chaos, and bringing to life things that once seemed impossible.