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).

St. Marguerite d'Youville Secondary School
10815 Dixie Rd
Brampton, Ontario, L6R 2W5
Canada

Blake Fly

Blake Fly is a huge fan of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, is heavily lactose intolerant and his favourite movie is admittedly The Notebook. He lives to create thought provoking programming for students, parents and educators. Blake has been a TEDx conference host, a featured TEDx speaker and has shared the stage with CBC’s Rick Mercer. He is the author of “Campus Gets Wasted” and co-author of “The Art and Science of Success.” He is the co-creator of several initiatives, one being called “Train Reaction,” where Blake and his band play music inside city subway cars to brighten up the mood for people riding the train. Blake’s work has been featured on City TV, CBC and the National News. Blake’s family means the world to him and his partner is the girl he plans to cook Kraft Dinner for during the next 75 years

Brad Bass

Dr. Brad Bass received his PhD in Geography from Penn State University, in 1989. He is the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award for Green Roof Research, and was one of the scientists that contributed to the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize that was awarded to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Dr. Bass is founder and Director of the University Research Experience in Complex Systems (URECS). URECS brings secondary school students and university students together to explore complexity using computer simulation and the construction of ecological technologies. Dr. Bass is also an Adjunct Professor at University of Toronto in the School of the Environment and a founding member of the Collaborative for URbanRENewal Toronto through Sustainability (CURRENTS). CURRENTS, a working group of Science for Peace, is developing innovative approaches to urban sustainability and food security.

Britta B

Britta B. is a Canadian spoken word artist and keynote speaker currently residing downtown Toronto. She independently published two chapbooks of poetry titled Speak and Oh, Britta and released a self-titled spoken word EP in 2012. She has appeared as a featured guest in New York City, Detroit, and New Orleans. As an ambassador for R.I.S.E. Edutainment and artist educator for UNITY Charity, Britta plans to serve Toronto’s so called “at-risk” communities by acquiring new languages and travelling to far off lands with a notebook in her hand writing anywhere, everywhere she can.

Chris Cummins

Chris Cummins is Managing Director of Cummins Media Inc., a training and consulting company training thousands of senior leaders, executives and business owners on how to engage employees, sales people and leaders to build stronger relationships, to be more productive and to have more fun doing it. Conferences across North America, entrepreneurs, executives and sales professionals invite Chris to help take their businesses and their lives to the next level. He has worked as a promotional speaker for Anthony Robbins' event "Unleash The Power Within" and spent three years with Trainer and Coach Richard Robbins (no relation to Tony) training hundreds of professionals. He has worked with the Canadian Olympic Committee and been invited, by popular demand, to speak 5 years in a row for the Peel Sci Tech Program graduating class.

Elan Marko

Elan Marko loves to work with small businesses and entrepreneurs to help them pursue their passion and grow their business. Though he was formally educated at the Richard Ivey School of Business, Elan’s entrepreneurial career began at much younger age. Since the age of 10 he has been starting businesses. More recently, he launched a solar business in 6 weeks, and had generated $600,000 in sales in just the first 4 months. Apart from growing his own businesses, he has worked at an E-learning company developing financial education courses for Colleges across North America, and managed the marketing for two high growth companies. Elan is involved with the pay-it-forward movement, and regularly gives back. A musician, accomplished rock-climber, slack liner and world traveller. Elan believes life is an adventure sprinkled with uncertainty to keep it exciting.

Hao Chen Sang

Hao Chen-Sang is a 19-year-old undergraduate student studying Commerce at Queen’s University. Hao has worked closely with student and adult leaders during both his secondary and university career to bring attention to important issues facing youth. He advocated for social awareness, student leadership, and mental health after being elected in 2012 to the regional student senate, the Peel Student Presidents’ Council. At Queen’s, Hao continues to further student interests as part of the Commerce Society, the largest undergraduate business society in Canada. In September, he will help organize the Queen’s Self-Evaluative Learning Forum, a new initiative dedicated to helping individuals self-actualize and lead happier, more fulfilling lives.

Jaspreet Khela

Jaspreet Khela is a 19-year-old visionary who has ambitions of solving some of the world's most complex problems in numerous fields. Born and raised in Mississauga, Jaspreet spent most of his childhood indulging in the world of academia, business, volunteerism, as well as community outreach. He currently is the cofounder and president of a Toronto startup called You Inspire Youth, the Chief Operations Officer for Mukti Volunteer Village (Canada), President of the largest Science Club in his district, President of his school’s French Club, as well as involved with numerous other Canadian science projects/start-ups. One of Jaspreet’s passions is to help overcome the many hurdles facing today’s educational institutions and systems. However, Jaspreet feels that he has a long road ahead of him and plans to do whatever it takes to positively change the world, not once, but twice. He also LOVES ice cream.

Jerry Zhang

Jerry Zhang is currently President of DECA Ontario, Canada’s largest youth business organization with almost 10,000 members across the Province. He founded GlowstikSocial Marketing in grade 9 and was honoured as one of PROFIT Magazine’s 30 Most Fabulous Canadian Entrepreneurs in 2012 for the venture. He has spoken to over 20,000 people, from elementary school students to top Canadian HR leaders. He is a fan of koalas, burritos, and Will Ferrell. He plays AAA baseball with the Markham Mariners. He once played football with Rob Ford’s brother.

Laura Suen

is a 25-year-old nuclear physicist, science educator and television personality. She has made television appearances on CBC’s Canada’s Smartest Person, taking the title of runner-up and Canada’s smartest woman. Laura went on to compete on season 2 of Discovery Channel’s Canada’s Greatest Know-It-All, where she placed 5th overall. She was also physics expert on George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight and has appeared on Discovery Channel and Fairchild Television, where she was an advocate of youth leadership and community service. Laura graduated from the University of Toronto with a double major in physics and cellular and molecular biology and a minor in mathematics. She also spent two years in Ryerson’s journalism program, minoring in economics.

Maya Burhanpurkaer

Maya Burhanpurkaer is a passionate Grade10 student, researcher, entrepreneur and volunteer. Her scientific research has ranged from developing the first “intelligent” antibiotic to discovering new properties of amyloid-β inhibitors to uncovering a new aspect of fundamental physics. For her work, Maya has represented Canada on several occasions and has won a Grand Platinum award at Canada’s national science fair. She was also named one of Canada’s Top 20 Under 20 and Ontario’s Junior Citizen of the Year and was presented with the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubliee medal. Maya is also the Vice-President of the national STEM non-profit Science Expo Canada and an editor with the Canadian Young Scientist Journal. Currently, she is filming a documentary about Arctic climate change and launching a company that provides emergency response technology for foreign doctors to aid disaster struck regions.

Sujit K. Reddy

Sujit K. Reddy is an inspirational, and sometimes, ‘aggravational’ speaker because he wants the members of his audience to take something from his message that will allow them to “Keep Pushin” towards a brighter tomorrow for themselves and those around them. As an HR Professional, he’s 10+ years of experiences, which has included working with 3 of 5 Major Canadian Financial Institutions, as well as several organizations in the Non-Profit Sector & has created positive change everywhere he has been. Currently he operates Human Capital Solutions which is his own HR firm. He is also passionate about coaching people who want to become entrepreneurs through various programs he is aligned with. Although born without the ability to stand or walk due to Spina Bifida & left to use a wheelchair his entire life, he has and does excel at everything he sets his mind to accomplishing in this