Theme: TIME

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized (subject to certain rules and regulations).

Foreign and Commonwealth Office
King Charles Street
London, London, City of, SW1A 2AH
United Kingdom

Alicia Wanless

Director of Strategic Communications, The SecDev Foundation​ Alicia researches how we shape — and are shaped — by a changing information space. As the Director of Strategic Communications at The SecDev Foundation, Alicia develops campaigns and strategies for engaging beneficiaries in outreach and behavioural change. Her work includes developing a training program that deals with verifying information and the spread of content online, and has supported projects in the Middle East, Vietnam and the post-Soviet space. Alicia also writes about her research on influence and propaganda in a digital age under the pseudonym La Generalista.

Andy Woodfield

Partner, PwC​ ​ Andy started his career straight after school by working as an Engineering Design Apprentice. After completing an HND in Computing, Andy was then admitted into Partnership on the 1st of July 2006. Andy is now the Lead Partner for the International Aid Development Consulting practice in PwC. Working primarily with the Department for International Development (DFID) and other international donor organisations, they use the Global network of PwC member firms and associated subject matter experts to improve the lives of the poorest and most vulnerable in the world. Andy is also part of a team that is responsible for the development and delivery of Leadership, Culture and Talent programmes within PwC and with Clients, with a focus on helping individuals to be the best that they can be, and helping our clients create working environments that encourage people to be the best they can be.

Britt Harris

Performer Engineer​ Britt graduated from the University of Bristol with a first class Masters in Civil Engineering in 2015 and went to Peru to volunteer with Engineers Without Borders. In Peru she met Mariano, the lead singer of a Peruvian reggae band called Laguna Pai, they ended up jamming together, and she ended up changing her travel plans to stay with him and his wife in Lima, and record some music. On returning she began work with BuroHappold Engineering as a Graduate in their Water Team, and continues to perform her songs in local pubs. She is part of a global community of young leaders tackling the Sustainable Development Goals, known as World Merit, and recently presented WASHable international (a charity co-founded with 21 other young leaders from 13 different countries around the world) in the United Nations in New York. She wants to use engineering to help others to make the world a better place.

Dr Yvonne Thompson CBE

AUTHOR 7 Traits of Highly Successful Women on Boards ​ Yvonne has spent over 30 years working in the communications industry. During this time she campaigned for minorities, small business owners and closest to her heart, race and women’s equality in the workplace, especially the boardroom; work for which she received a CBE and two honorary degrees. Having spent 15 years being the only woman on a board with nine men, at Choice FM (the UK’s first legal black music radio station, now Capital Xtra), and other boards, she experienced at first-hand how lonely being at the top can be for a woman.

Girls Rock London Girl Rock London

Girls Rock London (GRL!) is a not-for-profit organisation that creates opportunities for women and girls to make and perform music. Inspired by an international movement of Girls Rock Camps, we run day-camps where girls and women form bands, learn an instrument, and write and perform an original song, with the support of women mentors and coaches currently working in the music industry.

Hayley Parkes

BBC Young Musician Finalist Classical Pianist​ Hayley began studying the piano at the age of 9 and went on to gain a place at Chetham’s School of Music when she was 11. Since then she has been an active performer, playing across the country as a soloist, chamber musician and accompanist. As a competition participant she was chosen as one of five of the top young pianists in the country to compete in the BBC Young Musician of the Year Category Final, won first prize at the Beethoven Junior Intercollegiate Piano Competition and twice winner of the EPTA UK piano competition. She is also the recipient of various awards including The Vernon Farley Piano Prize, The Peter Donohoe Prize and has also gained praise for her skills as an accompanist by winning both The Marjorie Pennington Prize for Accompaniment and the The James Oncken Song Prize for Accompanist.

Jack Monroe

Author, Journalist, Activist​ Jack Monroe (born 1988, Southend-on-Sea) is a writer, journalist and activist who has campaigned over poverty issues, particularly hunger relief, and has published a blog and several books of "austerity recipes".

Jacquie Johnston-Lynch

Head of Service, Tom Harrison House ​ Having created a succession of UK firsts in the field of addiction recovery, Jacquie now heads Tom Harrison House, the UK’s first addiction recovery centre designed specifically for military veterans. Her work there ranges from striving to influence government policy and military culture around addiction and alcoholism, to more hands-on therapeutic work with the veterans and family members who access the programme. Prior to this, Jacquie founded the country’s first dry-bar “The Brink” as a recovery social enterprise, where she was responsible for hosting the first solo public engagement of HRH The Duchess of Cambridge in 2012, liaising fully with St James Palace and the Royal Equerry.

Jo Swinson

Director, Equal Power Consulting​ Jo Swinson is Director of Equal Power Consulting, working to change organisations so that both women and men can thrive, and is Chair of the charity Maternity Action. A Minister in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills from 2012 to 2015, Jo introduced shared parental leave, extended the right to request flexible working, and changed corporate reporting requirements to improve transparency on company ownership, the gender pay gap, human rights and greenhouse gas emissions. Jo is currently writing a book on how we can all tackle inequality of power between men and women in society.

Joanna Roper CMG

Foreign and Commonwealth Office​ ​ Joanna is the Acting Director General for the Department for International Trade, at the British Embassy in Beijing. Prior to that, she was the Director for Consular Services in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) overseeing a global network of some 700 people providing assistance to British nationals who find themselves in difficulty overseas. She was formerly the Head of the FCO’s China Department where she worked closely with other government departments and industry engaged in China. She has served in Tokyo and in Islamabad, and spent a number of years working on national security issues in London. Joanna started her career in the Home Office, joining the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 2001. ​ She is Chair of the FCO Women’s Association, the highlight of which was interviewing former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, is a mentor and promotions board assessor and was awarded a CMG in the June 2016 Queen’s Birthday Honours.

John Amaechi OBE

Psychologist​ ​ John Amaechi OBE is a psychologist, high-performance coach, and New York Times best-selling author. He is CEO of Amaechi Performance Systems, a leadership consultancy operating in Europe and the United States. APS partners with senior leaders within business, educational, sporting, and philanthropic organisations to help them develop their human capital, and provide solutions to intractable people problems.

Mandy Sanghera

International Human Rights Activist​ Mandy Sanghera is an international human rights activist who has spent the last 26 years supporting victims and survivors of honour based violence and cultural abuse, FGM, forced marriage, faith based abuse and witchcraft. Mandy is an international motivational speaker and has spent years supporting and empowering others to find their purpose and rebuild their lives after abuse. She continually dedicates herself to her real passion of being an upstanding humanitarian. Over the past 26 years Mandy has helped hundreds of individuals and now reaches thousands through social media and her generous amount of worldwide TV appearances and public speaking engagements. She regularly appears in the international press and has been involved in several documentaries, raising awareness of witchcraft and forced marriages.

Maria Esposito

Media Professional​ Originating from Leicester, Maria is the daughter of an Italian ice cream maker and has the unique experience of growing up in an ice cream factory! She went on to study Performing Arts at DeMontfort University and immediately after graduating worked as a professional actress for 12 years before joining the BBC as a comedy script editor and producer. In 1986 she stepped on to the stage as an out gay stand up comedienne, performing across the UK and in the USA. Maria was one of the first gay presenters on TV and Radio hosting the BBC Radio 4 special 'A Sunday Outing' (a 5 hour gay extravanganza of live and pre-recorded shows) and Channel 4's groundbreaking gay news and features series 'Out'.

Nathan Tuft

Spoken Word Poet​ ​ Nathan Tuft is a spoken word poet from London. Growing up, he has always been drawn to the creative side, showing an interest in art, drama and music. Throughout school, he developed a love for music, using rap lyrics as his form of poetry. After making a number of mixtape CDs, he expanded his creative eye to help others and set up the AIM (Arts Innovation & Media) Society at Sheffield Hallam University which won “Society of the Year” in its first active year. The society exposed him to the medium of the spoken word and fellow members encouraged Nathan to try spoken word himself. Using rap lyrics as well as newly written pieces, Nathan went on to perform at venues across Sheffield, Leeds and London and has been published in a number of magazines and poetry books.

Pam Relph MBE

During five fantastic seasons with the GB Rowing Team, Pamela Relph has won four World Championships and Paralympic gold at London 2012. She is the only member of the LTA mixed coxed four from that famous day at Eton Dorney to still be competing at international level, and is now confirmed to make her second Paralympic Games appearance at Rio 2016. Pamela’s gold at the London 2012 Paralympic Games came just two years after she took up rowing. She was introduced to the sport in August 2010 by her older sister Monica, a member of the GB Rowing Team, after arthritis cut short her ambition of a military career as an engineering officer with the Royal Engineers. Pamela proved to be a natural and made her international debut in 2011, winning World Cup gold with the LTA mixed coxed four in Munich. She was also selected for the World Championships in Bled and enjoyed another fine victory.

Sabine Momma & Nadine Standish

Global Youth Changemaker, World Merit ​ Sabine studied International business and management at Rijksuniversiteit Groningen. She was especially interested in combining the business aspect with cross-cultural differences. After studying Law at Nottingham University, Nadine started working for Lloyds Banking Group in 2009 as an assistant in an operations centre. Following a move to London with LBG, Nadine discovered a passion for change management and has delivered many successful projects and process improvements across a number of different divisions. Most notably, Nadine has created and delivered talent management and diversity programmes aimed at recruiting and retaining a more representative population, as well as building executive sponsorship and greater awareness for diversity issues.

Sabine Momma & Nadine Standish Sabine Momma & Nadine Standish

'What are you wasting for'

Shanthi Flynn

'Time for companiesand government to step up when education can't keep up'

Tracey Follows

Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer, Future Laboratory ​Tracey specialises in Foresight and Futures consultancy guiding brands and businesses towards better decisions today that will lead to growth tomorrow. Her work in telecoms, technology, retail and media has helped to shape the future strategies of some very famous brands. At The Future Laboratory she provides strategic foresight to brands in the luxury, beauty, food & drink, retail, media and technology sectors. After over 20 yrs in Advertising she trained professionally in Strategic Foresight at the University of Houston and set up as a futurist with her own futures consultancy. She then took up the position of Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer at The Future Laboratory. She is Campaign magazine’s resident futures columnist and writes and speaks extensively on the need for long-term strategy in business.