Theme: Redefining Ordinary

Redefining Ordinary is all about changing paradigms and pushing the boundaries around technologies, working practices and ways of thinking. We believe that by challenging current conceptions in society and exploring new ways of looking at old ideas, with the help of our speakers we will be closer to finding local solutions to global problems. So join us at our annual TEDxSurreyUniversity event where we redefine important aspects of life such as happiness, business, technology, economics and many, many more.

Management Building
University of Surrey
Guildford, Surrey, GU27XH
United Kingdom

Alex Hall

Entrepreneur

At the early age of 21, Alex Hall founded the Halltech Group, which specialises in energy efficient products and services. Through his endeavours, Alex has delivered over £4 million of energy funding to low income areas, created apprentice programmes, as well as several programmes dedicated to fighting for social causes in his community.

Arnau Rios Huguet

Theoretical physicist

Dr. Arnau Rios Huguet is a STFC Advanced Fellow at the Nuclear Theory Group of the University of Surrey. One of his major research goals is to obtain a time-dependent Green's functions approach for nuclear reactions, including the effect of beyond mean-field correlations. In his research, he has studied nuclear systems, such as nuclear or neutron matter, which have common properties with atomic nuclei.

Dan Eley

Charity worker+ public speaker

Dan Eley suffered a life-changing spinal cord injury after a diving accident on New Year's Day 2010; an accident which left him quadriplegic and wheelchair-bound. After spending a very difficult year in hospital, Dan has rebuilt his life finding hidden strengths and potential through his suffering. He has since founded his own charity and launched a career as a public speaker.

Iain Gordon

Entrepreneur + electrical contractor

Iain Gordon has been working within the electrical contracting industry since 1985 and at 28 he started his first business. He speaks regularly about the future of buildings, and the methods required to ensure future requirements are able to be met without the need to change the way a building has been provisioned in the outset. Key technologies are building automation, data networks, security and lifestyle technology improvements.

Linda Bellos

Activist

Linda Bellos is one of the UK’s leading equality law specialists. She has made it her life’s work to understand equality law and bring it alive for people who need to know how to use it. They learn quickly how to deliver equality law in ways that comply with the Equality Act 2010. She specialises in equipping managers how to apply the Equality Act 2010 in practical ways so that they deliver excellent outcomes for their employers and the people they serve. In 2006, Linda was awarded an OBE for her services to diversity.

Marcus Ball

Public speaking coach + education enthusiast

Marcus J Ball has been working to understand and tackle the University education problem for 6 years. He is frustrated by the lack of quality lecturing training for lecturers, the separation of students by course taken, the nature of course assignments and student retention of knowledge. As a student Marcus founded a small organisation to teach himself and fellow students non academic skills. Upon graduation he founded an experimental education company and then a political education mobile app. He is currently working on a new education start-up as well as creating a lecturing training structure for UK University lecturers.

Mike Buonuiauto

Filmmaker

Based in New York & London, Mike's main area of expertise is with viral social media campaigns, integrated digital projects, short films & commercials. He is the Exec Director of Shape History, a Social Change Company which aims to unite people who use their skills to do good, building campaigns that help change the world. Through his endeavours, Mike has built sustainable and impact driven viral media campaigns all round the world, from Mumbai to New York, Brussels to São Paulo.

Monique Botha

Student

Monique is a postgraduate student in the University of Surrey Psychology department who has worked with children with autism for a number of years as a Social Care worker. Having autism herself, it has given her an interesting perception on what autism is with regards to communities both locally and internationally. Now studying psychology, her dissertation focuses on the stress of being of being different faced by individuals on the autism spectrum and how it affects their lives.

Paul Sunderland

Psychotherapist

Paul Sunderland is an addictions psychotherapist, consultant and trainer with over 30 years of experience in the treatment of addictive disorders. He is Executive Director of Outcome Consulting, a UK based consultancy providing a range of psychological services and solutions to the addictions field. He has previously held the posts of Head of Treatment at Clouds House in the UK and Clinical Director at Crossroads Centre, Antigua.

Sen Yogarajah

Teacher

Sen Yogarajah is an award winning mathematics teacher with over ten years experience in teaching. He has a wide range of experience, from teaching in inner city London to countries such as Malaysia. He believes that everyone is mathematical and that the subject is actually closer to poetry than science.

Sophia Thakur

Poet + storyteller

Sophia Thakur is a woman of many talents. Last year Sophia was part of BBC Radio 1xtra's Words First event and has previously performed at TEDxClapham. Through her work Sophia tackles issues which are often a taboo, such as mental health and sexuality.