A common refrain emerged after the three-day convening of TEDWomen in Atlanta from Oct. 11 to 13 when 1,200 people came for the first ever gathering of the group in the city.

“I would love for this to be the permanent location TEDWomen,” said Saadia Madsbjerg, president of the Coca-Cola Foundation: “We will have to figure out what it will take to have Atlanta be the permanent location.”

As it is, TEDWomen is committed to return to the Woodruff Arts Center in 2024 and 2025. The three-year run is more than any other city has enjoyed hosting TEDWomen, which was the brainchild of Pat Mitchell, an Atlanta legend who has been a leader in the fields of news, film, environment and women.

Hala Moddelmog, president and CEO of the Woodruff Arts Center, also said her goal is to have Atlanta become the home of TEDWomen.

“I’m feeling terrific, happy, proud and so grateful to Pat Mitchell and TED,” Moddelmog said at the end of the last session of speakers on Oct. 13. “I think it’s great for the Woodruff Arts Center and for Atlanta. It’s a gift.”

She also gave full credit to Mitchell.

“I couldn’t admire her more,” Moddlemog said. “She’s 80 years old. She’s inspiring. She inspires everything.”

During the conference, Mitchell referred to herself as the “hometown girl.”

Back in 2009, she told TED founder Chris Anderson that not enough women were given a voice at the traditional TED talks. That led to the first TEDWomen conference in 2010 when 800 women convened in Washington, D.C. That’s when Maya Penn – an entrepreneur – made her first (of three) TED talk at the ripe age of 13.

During the 2023 conference, Penn (also from the Atlanta area) was now a co-host along with Mitchell and Helen Walters.