Dr Jane Davidson is a former Welsh Government Environment and Sustainability Minister (2007-2011) and is Director of the Institute of Sustainable Practice, Innovation and Resource Effectiveness at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. According to the Independent on Sunday in 2009, she is the third most influential environmentalist in the UK. With the world in a precarious condition and with nations struggling to collectively find a solution for a sustainable future. Dr Davidson will explore the tangible ways in which nations can evolve to create a sustainable future, both for individual countries and for the planet as a whole.
Mai Davies is a journalist, television and radio broadcaster, currently working as a news presenter at the BBC. She has also worked as a daytime news anchor at Sky News and a political and news presenter at ITV. Mai also passes on her expertise as a presentation and media trainer for international training organisations, broadcasters, major companies and NGOs. In her TEDxSwansea talk Mai will explore our everyday communication. This includes interaction with each other, to our social media audience, to our colleagues and, sometimes, to the public. She will look at how we conduct our communication and will ask the question, “are we failing to connect with the people we want to connect with?”
Matt Crome is Managing Director of Square Peg Coffee House, a thriving social enterprise based in Swansea that generates profits for charities, both in the city and overseas. Square Peg was recently named as one of the top twenty coffee houses in the UK. Matt is passionate about doing business differently and looking beyond ourselves in our everyday decisions and actions.
With this in mind, he will look at how a society approach to business can bring benefits in a world that is dealing with funding cuts, social care reforms and austerity.
Dr Andrew King is Behavioural Ecologist based at Swansea University, conducting research in the field of social behaviour. His research group – SHOAL – studies a variety of group-living fish, birds, and mammals (including humans) in the lab and in the wild. Andrew, who has previously worked at The Zoological Society of London, is most well-known for his work investigating the evolution and ecology of leadership, and this will be the topic of his TEDxSwansea talk.
Rhinal Patel is of Indian descent and grew up in South Wales. She had a high-flying communications job and worked with A-list stars such as Angelina Jolie and Sienna Miller. At the age of 24, she decided to ditch it all and travel the world. With little money, she took to learning from indigenous hunter/gatherer tribes and volunteering in the Amazon jungle amongst its population of jaguars. At TEDxSwansea she will talk about her experiences of being a single female traveller and some of her life-changing moments.
Speakers
Speakers may not be confirmed. Check event website for more information.
Andrew King
Associate Professor, Biosciences, Swansea University
Dr Andrew King is Behavioural Ecologist based at Swansea University, conducting research in the field of social behaviour. His research group – SHOAL – studies a variety of group-living fish, birds, and mammals (including humans) in the lab and in the wild. Andrew, who has previously worked at The Zoological Society of London, is well-known for his work investigating the evolution and ecology of leadership.Jane Davidson
Director of the Institute of Sustainable Practice, Innovation and Resource Effectiveness (INSPIRE)
Dr Jane Davidson is a former Welsh Government Environment and Sustainability Minister (2007-2011) and is Director of the Institute of Sustainable Practice, Innovation and Resource Effectiveness (INSPIRE) at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. According to the Independent on Sunday in 2009, she is the third most influential environmentalist in the UK.Mai Davies
Journalist / Broadcaster
Mai Davies is a journalist, television and radio broadcaster, currently working as a news presenter at the BBC. She has also worked as a daytime news anchor at Sky News and a political and news presenter at ITV. Mai also passes on her expertise as a presentation and media trainer for international training organisations, broadcasters, major companies and NGOs.Matt Crome
Social Entrepreneur
Matt Crome is Managing Director of Square Peg Coffee House, a thriving social enterprise based in Swansea that generates profits for charities, both in the city and overseas. Square Peg was recently named as one of the top twenty coffee houses in the UK. Matt is passionate about doing business differently and looking beyond ourselves in our everyday decisions and actions.Rhinal Patel
Writer/Speaker
Rhinal Patel had a high-flying communications job and worked with A-list stars such as Angelina Jolie and Sienna Miller. At the age of 24, she decided to travel the world and took to learning from indigenous hunter/gatherer tribes and volunteering in the Amazon jungle amongst its population of jaguars.Sian Richards
Sian Richards is a Swansea-based bilingual singer/songwriter. She has recorded an English language 5 track EP called ‘Where Do We Go From Here’ and recently released a 12-track album called ‘Borderline’. She also writes and performs in the Welsh language, with her most recent song called ‘Welai di eto’. Sian’s Welsh music is regularly played on BBC Radio Cymru and her English songs on sites such as BBC Introducing and Museboat Radio New York, amongst others. Early in 2016, she was named ‘Artist of the Week’ on BBC Wales Introducing as well as having the ‘Track of the Week’ with one of her Welsh songs, ‘Tywyllwch Ddu’. One of her songs, called ‘Easy to Hang’, was nominated as ‘Track of the Year 2016’ by Radio Six International.Steve Balsamo
Steve Balsamo came to prominence in the late 1990s after playing Jesus, to great critical acclaim, in the West End revival of Jesus Christ Superstar. After winning a Variety Club award for the role, Steve signed to Columbia/Sony Records, made an album and won best male solo artist at the Welsh Music Awards all in the same year. In 2004, Steve formed The Storys, a West Coast-influenced harmony band. Their debut album came to the attention of Elton John who publically declared it ‘fantastic’ and invited the band to tour with him for three summers. The Storys have also toured with Joe Cocker, Celine Dion, Santana, Van Morrison and Tom Jones to name a few. The Storys' songs have been featured in the US teen drama One Tree Hill and hit Brit-flick The Bank Job. Steve was also the singer and co-writer with legendary keyboard player and founder of Deep Purple, Jon Lord, for five years until his death in 2012. Aside from this, Steve is a prolific songwriter, having scored hits around the world with several Pop Idol singers, Meatloaf and former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash. He has also sung on stage with the likes of Roger Daltrey, Robert Plant, Justin Hayward, Steve Harley, Lulu, and band members from the Rolling Stones, the Eagles, and Pink Floyd. His recent project was a duet album, called Unfolding, with folk singer Rosalie Deighton.Organizing team
