Theme: TEDxUKIPO

An exceptional afternoon of big ideas, learning and fun.

UK Intellectual Property Office
Concept House
Cardiff Road
Newport, Newport, NP10 8QQ
United Kingdom

Janet Martin

Creative Business Owner

Janet Martin Running & maintaining creative businesses in the city of Newport • Born: Cardiff 1954 • Education: Fitzalan High School, Cardiff • Qualification: State Registered Nurse - University Hospital of Wales • Post Grad Diploma in Primary Health Care Counselling - University of South Wales • Divorced, 2 daughters, 5 grandchildren, living in Newport. • Owner of Barnabas Arts House, Gwent Picture Framing, Robins Lane Studios & The Phyllis Maud Performance Space. • Interests: car-boot sales, 2CV cars, controversy, the Arts, people. I intend to tell my story and explain why a council house girl from Cardiff developed a passion for the Arts and for the saving and using of unusual historical buildings.

Mark Lewney

Senior Patent Examiner

Dr Mark Lewney has a PhD in guitar acoustics and is a senior patent examiner in voice recognition. In 2005 he won the first FameLab competition and appeared on Channel 4 (YouTube “Einstein Meets Hendrix”) and BBC TV and radio. He lectures on the science of music all over the world, and has recently performed at the Royal Institution and a music festival in Ostrava for CERN

Mark Seymour

Charity Founder

Mark Seymour is one of the founders of the Sanctuary, a small local refugee charity in Newport which launched in 2008, which he jokingly says he started by accident. He was a senior Primary school teacher at an inner-city school in Cardiff for 25 years before taking the plunge and joining the Sanctuary staff in 2017. He grew up in Cardiff, but has lived with his wife Claire in Caerleon for 25 years. They have a daughter at Warwick University and are currently fostering two refugee teenagers. Mark and Claire have fostered for 12 years. Mark recently hit the half century – and that’s nothing to do with cricket ! The Sanctuary is open 5 days a week and 3 evenings, providing support and friendship to asylum seekers and refugees in Newport. The project aspires to promote the positive wellbeing of refugees and asylum seekers who have fled war and persecution in their own country, and help them rebuild their life in the UK.

Mike Catris

Sports Nutritionist

Mike comes from a strong sporting background; along with boxing and athletics, Mike also played representative rugby from the age of 11, ending his rugby career in the Welsh Premiership. During his time at university Mike became a personal trainer and studied sports nutrition alongside his degree. With the knowledge and experience he acquired in the industry Mike set up KRATOS Nutrition Ltd. in 2011 which has developed into one of the leading nutrition brands in the UK CrossFit market. Having always enjoyed the strength and conditioning element to the sports that he played, he discovered CrossFit as a way to help improve performance on the field. In 2012 Mike retired from rugby following an eye socket fracture, and took up CrossFit as his sport of choice. Since then Mike has won numerous competitions across the UK and Europe including Battle of the Beasts (European Championships), Rep it Out, Canarias Gone Bad and the Super Human Games.

Nahida Ahmed

Talent and Capability Business Partner

Nahida is a Talent and Capability Business Partner for Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) and also, Chair of the DVSA Race group EmbRACE. Nahida joined the Civil Service in Oct 2010 and in May 2018, took up a secondment role in the talent and capability team to create, implement and deliver the first ever DVSA talent plan. In June 2019, I received the Employers Network of Equality and Inclusion Personal Achievement Award, for which I am truly humbled. I have two amazing children, a healthy 25-year-old son and a seriously ill 20-year-old daughter they are my pride and joy. I am fulfilling my dream of graduating and complete my MA in Leadership and Management in August 2019. I aspire to become a senior leader in the civil service and with my newly found confidence, I know that one day that dream will come true…Watch this space.

Russell Ham

Dispensing Optician

Russell Ham is a dispensing optician based at the Specsavers store in Newport town centre. He was awarded for Optician/Optometrist of the year by Macular Society for his work on low vision. He was the first Optician interested in showcasing our device. Russell said: “I’m always looking to continue improving the services we can offer to patients with low vision. I also like to ensure we stay up to date on the latest technology and gadgets which are designed to help them.”

Stephen Fairhurst

Professor of Physics and Astronomy

Stephen Fairhurst is a Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Cardiff University. His research focuses on identifying gravitational wave signals using the LIGO and Virgo gravitational wave detectors. In particular, he specialises in looking for gravitational wave signals emitted by merging black holes and neutron stars, and working out how we might use the observed signals to understand the properties of these objects.