Theme: Kaleidoscope

This year, speakers have been invited from all walks of life to share their unique life stories and perspective on the world. From Tokyo Olympics Bronze Medalist Minnie Soo to Chief Happiness Officer "Happy" Pamnani, these captivating souls are ready to reveal their inspiring journeys on resilience, happiness, forgiveness, and many more.

The University of Hong Kong
Yuet Ming Auditorium
Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 000000
Hong Kong

Anna Mendoza

Assistant Professor (Education)

Dr. Anna Mendoza grew up in Hong Kong, Manila and Vancouver as a multilingual. Now an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Hong Kong, specialising in applied linguistics, her research revolves around multilinguals like her. Before joining HKU, she did a PhD and a Masters degree in Second Language Studies at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa and the University of British Columbia respectively.

Harriet Cheng

Social Worker

Harriet Cheng is a mother of three, one of whom passed away in her womb. Since confronting the loss, she has added social worker to her list of roles, dedicating time to sharing how she coped with her grief at hospitals and churches. Culminating 5 years of learning, Harriet answers one of life’s biggest questions in her TEDxHKU talk: What is the meaning of life?

Jo Yi Chow

Founder of Bulan Sisters / Undergraduate Student at HKU

During the most difficult period of the pandemic, Jo Yi Chow, a third-year biomedical engineering student at HKU, saw an overlooked global crisis, and launched her own national campaign against it - remotely. She is the co-founder of Bulan Sisters, an organization that aims to tackle period poverty and destigmatize menstruation in Malaysia. Sitting in her dorm in HKU, Jo Yi has spearheaded many Kuala Lumpur-based projects, from distributing menstrual kits to marginalised communities to writing posts that debunk myths on periods.

Karina Calver

High School English Teacher

Ever since her traumatic encounter with rape, Karina Calver has been on a mission to spread awareness about how forgiveness is the key to happiness. She is now a mindfulness and meditation practitioner based in Hong Kong, also acting as a trauma and relationship counsellor, an author and an advocate for #MeToo. With HKU being her alma mater, Karina is excited to be back on the HKU campus to deliver her motivational and personal take on “the power of forgiveness”.

Mahesh Pamnani

Chief Happiness Officer, Businessman (Founder and CEO of HK Recording Studio)

Mahesh Pamnani, aptly known as “Happy”, is a Chief Happiness Officer who has unlocked the secret to everyone’s deepest desire: how to live a happy life. Founder of Inspire2Aspire, Happy provides well-being and positive education workshops to share his knowledge on how well-being translates to happiness, health, and success. He is also an expert in the tried and true happiness practice that is laughter yoga. In TEDxHKU, get ready for an abundance of wisdom, positivity, and laughter, as Happy lets us in on how we can not just survive, but thrive in life.

Minnie Soo

Table Tennis Athlete

Minnie Soo is a professional table tennis player in Hong Kong. Being a daughter of a former athlete in the same sport, growing up, she has always been captivated by the "ping-pong"s that reverberate across the room as plastic balls bounce on the table at the hit of rubber paddles. With this fascination, she started learning about table tennis at the age of five. By 15, she dropped out of high school to focus on her career. Apart from securing a bronze medal in the Olympics for her city, she clinched bronze at the World Team Table Tennis Championship and the Asian Games in 2018, along with her teammates.

Nikolas Ettel

Lecturer/Landscape Architect

Nikolas is an intermedia researcher and Lecturer at the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Hong Kong. Currently, he coordinates the Faculty Interdisciplinary Courses and teaches the Common Core Course 24 Frames: Communicating Ideas through Film. His intermedia research has been exhibited and published internationally. Nik’s latest exhibition Alleys in Wonderland (PMQ, 2019 + City Gallery, 2021), a Design Trust Seed Grant awarded VR-project, is currently displayed at the Hong Kong Pavilion for the 17th Venice Architecture Biennale 2021.