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).

Aotea Centre
50 Mayoral Drive
Auckland, Auckland
New Zealand

Alex MacDonald

NASA Economic Advisor

Alex is the senior economic advisor at NASA and the founding program executive for NASA’s Emerging Space Program. With the rising interest in commercial and private space exploration, Alex bridges the knowledge gap and provides the economic expertise. He has presented at the United Nations on asteroid impact mitigation and his spacecraft projects have seen him design small satellites for coral reef health mapping, earthquake early-detection and asteroid rendezvous. Alex was also a Clarendon Scholar at the University of Oxford, where he completed his doctoral dissertation on, “The Long Space Age: An Economic Perspective on American Space History.

Andy Crowe

Social Entrepreneur + Teacher

Andy co-founded Critical. Design in 2013 with Rui Peng, aimed at democratising manufacturing. The Design Lab is located inside decile 1 Wesley Intermediate School and brings tech such as 3D design and printing, robotics and CNC milling to their students and community. Andy has supported innovative initiatives in the education sector and continues to help teachers to think outside of the box to best prepare students for an unknown future. He has harnessed this experience to drive the social innovation initiatives that Critical pursues.

Angie Judge

Technology Entrepreneur

Angie Judge is a Kiwi technology entrepreneur revolutionising the museum experience. Her company Dexibit brings artificial intelligence into the world’s cultural institutions and has been recognised as the global leader in data science for the cultural sector. Her passion for history, art and science coupled with computer engineering and analytics inspires her to make data-driven insight accessible to all museums. She writes on cultural commercialisation, lectures in machine learning and is a proud supporter of getting girls into STEM careers.

Anna Faber

Masters Student + South Korean FIlm Researcher

Anna Faber is a Master’s student at The University of Auckland researching the interaction between the US and Asia within a film context. In particular, her world-first research explores the impact South Korean film and media has on South Korean society. Notoriously censored in the past, South Korean film has underscored major political movements and provided somewhat of a guideline to South Korean existence. Anna was awarded a first class honours degree in which she undertook various studies in feminist film theory and documentary-making in addition to a dissertation on the concept of borders in South Korean horror film.

Cameron Sims

Hemp Chef + Entrepreneur

Cameron Sims believes the simple ingredient hemp, is the key to changing the world and helping humanity become more sustainable. As a Kiwi raised on a sheep and beef farm, he became New Zealand’s first hemp-based chef. Cameron’s company Plant Culture encourages and supports consumers to be environmentally friendly. His ultimate goal is to create a modern and biodynamic university campus to reintroduce biodiversity back into our cities and soils. Cameron’s passions are plant-based cuisine, art, nature, environmental enterprise, adventure, extreme sports, meditation, breathing, yoga and people.

Cather Simpson

Chemistry & Physics Professor + Laser Scientist

Professor Cather Simpson, a physics and chemistry professor at the University of Auckland, wants to spark further innovation in our universities to boost economic benefit. As the director of the Photon Factory, she runs a high-tech laser lab which uses exotic pulsed lasers to help scientists from all realms and levels achieve their goals - whether to improve products in industry or even assist a science fair project. Currently, her lab is studying anything from how molecules light into more useful forms of energy, to how to better sort sperm by sex for industry. When she’s not enjoying using lasers to solve the knotty problems presented by Mother Nature, she’s doing puzzles with her partner Tom and being taxi-mom to two engaging teenage boys.

Chris Pemberton

Creativity Curator + Electrician

Chris is an electrician by trade, but his real passion lies in helping people lead more creative lives. As the founder of Humans of K Road and now Humans for the Future, Chris focuses on bring humans from all walks of life together to share sustainable ideas and pursue their creative endeavours. His exhibition Creative Mirror is currently touring the world, inspiring people to unleash their inner creativity, by connecting them to different artists and opening up the art world. Chris also founded the Crisp Creative Club in Australia, which holds sessions to help others improve their creative mindset. As the author of The Creative Soul, Chris believes “If it's the journey, not the destination, then we may as well make the journey as creative and colourful as possible”.

David Razowsky

Improvisation Guru + Artistic Director

For David Razowsky, all that matters is now. The respected Los Angeles-based improv guru has performed and directed in 10 Chicago Second City revues with the likes of Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Saturday Night Live alum Rachel Dratch and Amy Sedaris as well as being artistic director of The Second City Los Angeles for a decade. David’s philosophy is this: Your present awareness is the only thing you need to create compelling, smart, truthful, and surprising scenes. No games, no preconceived premises, no ideas, no ego. As well hosting a weekly drop-in class when he’s not taking his improv around the world, he hosts the podcast ADD Comedy with Dave Razowsky. He is a consultant for Dreamworks, a teacher for Steppenwolf Theater, professor for California State University, and he directed two productions for Amsterdam’s Boom Chicago Theatre. David’s also a member of the Reduced Shakespeare Company.

Emeline Paat-Dahlstrom

Space Entrepreneur

Emeline Paat-Dahlstrom is a space entrepreneur. Originally from the Philippines, she’s spent nearly 30 years building space and technology educational ecosystems around the world, including International Space University programs in eight countries. Emeline has also worked for space startup companies such as Space Adventures, the first space tourism company to send private citizens to the International Space Station. As a Fellow of the Edmund Hillary Fellowship, Emeline now has her sights set on New Zealand, moving here from Silicon Valley to co-found SpaceBase, a networking a funding platform focused on creating a sustainable space ecosystem in Aotearoa.

Jahra 'Rager' Wasasala

Jahra ‘Rager’ Wasasala is an award-winning cross-disciplinary artist of Fijian/NZ European descent. As an artist, Jahra investigates her ancestral connections through the art mediums of performance activation, contemporary dance and poetry, and has extensively toured her performance works both nationally and internationally. As a child of the Pasifika diaspora, Jahra is invested in translating her shared internal conflict into an accessible, yet confrontational, physicalised language. Her most recent performance work titled “a world, with your wound in it” focuses on the complex relationship between the earth and a woman’s body, a theme Jahra continues to investigate in her developing work. Jahra is known for her transcendent performance presence, otherworldly physicality and potent poetry, as well as her bold approach to political and social themes both on and off the stage. Jahra found her voice through the physical arts and believes that they are intrinsically tied to reclaiming autonomy, reconnecting to your ancestors and changing the world around you.

Jahra 'Rager' 'Rager' Wasasala

Contemporary Performance Artist + Poet

Jahra ‘Rager’ Wasasala is an award-winning physical and performance artist. Using her talents such as contemporary dance and poetry, Jahra believes the physical arts are intrinsically tied to reclaiming autonomy, reconnecting to your ancestors and changing the world around you. Of Fijian and New Zealand European descent, Jahra has used to work to investigate her internal conflict around her ancestral connections, touring her work nationally and internationally. Her most recent performance work titled “a world, with your wound in it” focuses on the complex relationship between the earth and a woman’s body, a theme Jahra continues to investigate in her developing work.

Juliet Arnott

Occupational Therapist + Artist

Juliet is the Founder and Director of Rekindle. Growing up on a small farm on the banks of the Wakamarina river in Marlborough, Juliet believes humans miss out on opportunities to be resourceful when they are wasteful due to consumerist lifestyles. She started Rekindle in 2010 to create opportunities for resourcefulness. Since then, Rekindle has completed five major projects including using timber from damaged homes in the Christchurch Earthquake to create furniture, the first ever Whole House Reuse, and a nationwide project that enabled designers to focus on commercial waste. Rekindle’s current initiative is Resourceful Otautahi, offering workshops on resourceful skills using materials such as timber and fallen ti kouka leaves.

Liam Malone

Paralympian + Technology Enthusiast

Liam is New Zealand’s blade runner. Hailing from Nelson, Liam had only been training for two years when he burst onto the track at the Rio Paralympics in 2016, winning a silver and two gold medals while smashing records in the process. Liam was Disabled Sportsperson of the Year at the Halberg Awards this year and became a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2017. After completing a Bachelor in Marketing and International Business while training, Liam is now a sought-after keynoter and invests in startups. Now, he’s on a mission to develop hi-tech prosthetics with the aim of becoming the fastest man on earth.

Lisa King

CEO + Social Entrepreneur

Lisa King wants to ensure no child goes to school hungry. As a mother of young children, she couldn’t fathom that 28% of Kiwi children go to school without lunch. So with her 15 years experience marketing some of the country’s biggest food brands, Lisa founded Eat My Lunch. She aims to show that clever business solutions can solve big social issues. For every lunch you buy, Eat My Lunch gives a lunch to a Kiwi kid in need. In the first 2 years, EAL has given 450,000 lunches to kids from low-decile schools across the North Island. Eat My Lunch has been the recipient of numerous awards including three Westpac Auckland Business Awards in 2016, Deloitte's Fast 50 Rising Star 2016 and 2017, TVNZ Marketing Awards 2016, and Lisa was awarded a Women of Influence Award in both 2016 and 2017.

Mai Chen

Constitutional Lawyer + Diversity Advocate

Mai Chen is a thought leader, direction setter and a futures thinker. Born in Taiwan and coming to New Zealand as a child with barely any English, she is now one of New Zealand’s top public and constitutional law experts specialising in central and local government. She has been managing partner of her firm Chen Palmer for more than 20 years. Holding countless governance and advisor roles, she works to empower women, champion diversity and inspire leaders across New Zealand. Having completed her Masters at Harvard Law School, Mai now is a professor at the University of Auckland, in between chairing NZ Global Women and NZ Asian Leaders among many other leadership roles. Twice a finalist in the New Zealander of the Year Awards, Mai embodies a world class leader in every way.

Michael Corballis

Psychology Professor + Human Language Expert

Michael Corballis, emeritus professor at the Department of Psychology at The University of Auckland is one of the foremost global experts on the evolution of human language. The son of a sheep farmer from Marton, Michael’s long and decorated academic career has seen his studies of the brain and what it is to be human earn him New Zealand’s top science prize, The Rutherford Medal. He has worked with patients who have had two-sides of their brains disconnected to relieve epilepsy which led him to look deeper into studying the two brain hemispheres. His most recent book The Truth About Language explores the idea that language evolved from manual gestures.

Nigel Parker

Software Architect

Nigel Parker is chief engineer for Microsoft Asia’s Commercial Software Engineering. His job is to seek out solutions to hard problems. But for him, it’s not just about the technology, it’s about the impact technology can have on people’s lives. In his own personal project, Nigel set about using technology to turn his health around and create better, stable habits. Nigel believes as machine intelligence becomes more developed, humans must make sure they keep up and build symbiotic intelligence to expand human capability in ways that are both tangible and magical.

Pete Bethune

Conservation Activist

Pete Bethune takes conservation to the extreme. As the founder of Earthrace Conservation, Pete is a world record holder, circling the globe four times on his powerboat Earthrace. His missions have seen him shot at, run over by a Japanese security vessel, incarcerated in Libya and Japan, and held under armed guard in a Guatemalan Military camp. As the producer of his show ‘The Operatives’, Pete runs a team of former special forces operatives to combat wildlife poaching, smuggling and illegal fishing in Africa, Asia and Central America. He also works closely with government enforcement units training them in coastal surveillance and hostile vessel takedown. At the heart of it all, Pete is a ship captain with an environmental edge.

Rui Peng

Social Entrepreneur + Architect

Rui Peng is a husband, father, social entrepreneur, designer, maker, architect, technology enthusiast, and a man with a big mission. The question that guides his work and life is: ‘How can I align my deepest desire with the world’s deepest need?’ As a young designer based in the low socioeconomic neighbourhood of Mt Roskill, he is searching for the “sweet spot” where his talents can be directed towards empowering his neighbours to gain the skills and resources they need to determine their own futures. He co-founded Critical. Design in 2013 and right now, he’s working through the immense challenges that come with making the dream of the social entrepreneur a reality.

Sam Stubbs

Ethical Fund Manager

Sam Stubbs is the founder of non profit KiwiSaver fund Simplicity. Sam’s career spans politics, philosophy, technology and finance. He believes the finance industry should be as much a force for good as a source of profit which he thinks can be achieved by companies embracing long term thinking, sustainability and full diversity. Sam’s primary passion is being the best son, partner and dad and he will most likely be found on the water trying ski, surf and sail.

Shaveer Mirpuri

Disruptive Start-up Entrepreneur

Shaveer Mirpuri is in the business of disruptive startups with the purpose of driving innovation. Upon his return to New Zealand, Shaveer formed GOAT Ventures which co-invests and co-creates companies with Fortune 500 corporates. He believes pairing radically opposite companies will create opportunities others could only dream of. He’s been involved in hugely successful startups such as Wooga which grew to 300 staff and raised $24 million, he’s taken lead mentoring roles. He’s also personally consulted the CEO of Walmart on artificial intelligence strategy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on innovation.

William Watson

Peace Advocate + Filmmaker

William Watson is an International multi-award winning filmmaker, Humanitarian Award Winner and International advocate for peace. His latest film, Haka and Guitars, was chosen as Best World Peace Documentary as part of the New Generation in Action's (a United Nations supported NGO) Artisan Festival International World Peace Initiative which was screened during the 75th Cannes Film Festival in France earlier this year. The documentary followed the Bougainville Civil War and subsequent New Zealand lead peacekeeping mission that and is now considered to be modern history's most successful intervention.

Yoseph Ayele

Global Impact Visa Co-Founder

Yoseph is co-founder and CEO of the Edmund Hillary Fellowship, a community of exceptional entrepreneurs and investors who are solving complex global problems from New Zealand. EHF is implementing the Global Impact Visa – the most entrepreneur-friendly visa in the world and the first to focus on impact. Born in Ethiopia, Yoseph has lived in six countries across four continents. Before moving to New Zealand, he helped grow Inflection, a successful technology startup in Silicon Valley. He studied entrepreneurship, leadership and social change at Harvard, Cambridge, and Victoria University of Wellington. He is passionate about regenerative agriculture, building cultural bridges, and community.