Chris Anderson (born 1957) is a British-American businessman who is the head of TED,[1] a non-profit organization that provides idea-based talks and hosts an annual conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

[5][6] At the University of Oxford, Anderson initially studied physics before changing to philosophy, politics and economics, and graduated in 1978.

The new company initially focused on specialist computer publications, but he eventually expanded it into other areas such as cycling, music, video games, technology and design.

There he developed Imagine Media, publisher of Business 2.0 magazine and creator of the popular video game users' website IGN.

[4] In 2001, the foundation acquired the TED Conference, then an annual meeting of luminaries in the fields of technology, entertainment and design, held in Monterey, California.

[4] He expanded the conference to cover all topics, including science, culture, academia, and business and key global issues.

Their viral success encouraged Anderson to develop the organization as a global media initiative devoted to "ideas worth spreading".

[20] In January 2024, Anderson published a book titled "Infectious Generosity: The Ultimate Idea Worth Spreading".

[21][22] In 2008, Anderson married Jacqueline Novogratz, the founder and CEO of Acumen, an organization that pioneered social impact investing.