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).

Virtual/Facebook
Oxford
Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX1 4EW
United Kingdom

Carl Hayden Smith

Carl Hayden Smith is the Director of the Learning Technology Research Centre (LTRC) and Principal Research Fellow at Ravensbourne University London. His research focuses on the relationship between technology and the human condition. He is developing a new form of Posthumanism called Hyperhumanism which uses technology as a catalyst for developing our own innate human abilities. Carl has 20 years’ experience conducting R+D into the application of hybrid technologies for perceptual, cognitive and creative transformation. He has given over 300 invited public lectures, conference presentations and keynotes in 40 countries and published more than 100 academic papers.

Carmen Hijosa

Dr Carmen Hijosa, Founder and Chief Creative and Innovation Officer of Ananas Anam Ltd, developed Piñatex® - a natural plant-based material made from pineapple leaf fibre. She is an ethical entrepreneur with a vision for a more sustainable future, connecting people, ecology and economics. Originally from Spain, Carmen’s career has taken her around the world. The journey of Piñatex® began when she realized the toxic impact of mass leather production while consulting in the Philippines. Driven to find an alternative solution, Carmen undertook a PhD at the Royal College of Art (UK) to develop Piñatex; As a result she has spearheaded a vibrant new industry that is socially, environmentally and economically responsible.

David Wilkins

Professor Wilkins is the Lester Kissel Professor of Law, Vice Dean for Global Initiatives on the Legal Profession, and Faculty Director of the Center on the Legal Profession and the Center for Lawyers and the Professional Services Industry at Harvard Law School. He is also a Senior Research Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and a Fellow of the Harvard University Edmond J. Safra Foundation Center for Ethics. He has made many notable contributions to scholarly journals with articles on the legal profession and will be joining TEDxOxford to discuss the future of law in the current climate.

Elaine Kasket

Elaine Kasket is a Professor of Psychology, an author, and an expert in the intersection of online life and death. In All the Ghosts in the Machine: The Digital Afterlife of Your Personal Data (Robinson, 2019), she argues that what happens to our data when we die is the perfect lens for understanding the true power of big tech. She’s currently writing Exposed: A Life in Data (Elliott & Thompson Books).

Ian Goldin

Ian Goldin is Professor of Globalisation and Development at the University of Oxford and founding Director of the Oxford Martin School. Previously Ian was Chief Executive of the Development Bank of Southern Africa and adviser to President Nelson Mandela, then Vice President and Policy Director of the World Bank. He has been knighted by the French Government, presented 3 BBC Series and published 22 books, most recently Rescue: From Global Crisis to a Better World, Terra Incognita: 100 Maps to Survive the Next 100 Years, Age of Discovery: Navigating the Storms of Our Second Renaissance. See @ian_goldin and iangoldin.org.

Jennifer Zhou

Jennifer Zhou was born in Beijing, grew up in Australia, and is now a student of English at Magdalen College, Oxford. She will be speaking about dystopian fiction, and how literature about dysfunctional worlds can help us build a better one.

Margaret Casely-Hayford

Margaret Casely-Hayford is a former lawyer who became the first black woman to be made partner at a city law firm. Since retiring from the legal world, she has worked to increase diversity in boardrooms and has been active in the voluntary sector. She now chairs the board of trustees of Shakespeare’s globe theatre and is Chancellor of the University of Coventry, the first female to hold the position

Petra Velzeboer

Petra is a mental health consultant, psychotherapist, training provider, executive coach, and much more. Currently, she runs a mental health consultancy that strives to create mentally healthy workplaces by training organisations and leaders in their awareness of mental health and advising on the best strategies to deal with it. Raised in a cult, Petra’s story is one of courage in the face of adversity. She believes in utilising empathy and human connection to create safe workplaces which will ultimately enhance productivity.

Rory Welsh

Rory is a second-year International Relations and Politics student at Oxford Brookes University. Before joining university he joined the British Army, specialising in military intelligence. He is originally from London but is now primarily based in Kent

Sabina Alkire

Sabina Alkire directs the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI). She is the Associate Professor of Development Studies in the Oxford Department of International Development at the University of Oxford. Her research interests include multidimensional poverty measurement and analysis, welfare economics, the capability approach, the measurement of freedoms and human development. From 2015–16, Sabina was Oliver T Carr Professor of International Affairs and Professor of Economics at George Washington University. Previously, she worked at the Global Equity Initiative at Harvard University, the Human Security Commission, and the World Bank’s Poverty and Culture Learning and Research Initiative. She holds a DPhil in Economics from the University of Oxford.

Sophia Thakur

Sophia Thakur is an award winning, best selling author and performance poet. She has been invited to share her captivating, intimate stories on the TEDx stage, Glastonbury, MTV, Google, Facebook and over 50 universities across the world. Sophia Thakur’s powerful but gentle messages on mental health, diversity, politics, self-expression, empowerment, women and wellbeing has led to participation at events organised by The Guardian, The Royal Family, Channel 4, BBC, Viacom and even Universal Music. Online, Sophia Thakur has cultivated a passionate following with over 1 million views and 41k subscribers across her social media channels. She has inspired millions of watchers to pick up a pen or type their own story.

Zac Cesaro

Zac Cesaro is an R&D engineer for Siemens Energy and third year DPhil in Engineering Science at the University of Oxford. He is an expert in “green” ammonia production and use and has two years of experience operating the world’s first roundtrip green ammonia demonstrator at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire, UK. His DPhil in Systems Engineering focuses on modelling the role of green ammonia in decarbonised electricity grids of the future, specifically in India. Prior to starting his DPhil, Zac completed a BSc in Chemical Engineering at Cornell University and worked as a manufacturing consultant in Boston, USA for 1.5 years.