Informal Communities Will Save Humanity shares a vision for how everyday individuals can create real impact through small intentional actions, simply by connecting and collaborating in informal communities. Creating impact isn't reserved for the "chosen few", and humanity's greatest super power lies in our collective ability to act, even when we're full of self-doubt. Drawing on a personal journey from online isolation to real-world collaboration, the talk highlights the dangers of loneliness, a growing worldwide trend that can only be reverted by genuine connection and creativity. It also challenges the notion that people must be completely selfless to start helping others, and reflects on the importance of ensuring that the communities we build are not toxic environments, but purpose-driven for humanity. By following simple steps that don't require a lot of time or money, informal communities can become the path to a more hopeful (and healthier) future. Penélope is a community builder with a strong curiosity to find what makes people tick. Wearing different hats (software engineer, team lead, founder, artist), she actively participated in and organized numerous grassroot initiatives, including Geek Sessions Faro, Geek Girls Portugal, Agile Connect, and impactful hackathons like Startup Weekend, Shift and Impact Hackers. Having studied in several cities and worked with multicultural teams, Penélope quickly learned that people are the most interesting when they’re getting their hands dirty to solve problems in a collaborative way. Not one to settle for one thing, she likes to dabble into a bazillion creative hobbies, and by accident has created more than 90 music playlists. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx