Theme: Hope

OUR THEME THIS YEAR - HOPE
TEDxPipitea 2021 is very special to us. Not only because it will be the first of its kind to hit the streets of the coolest little capital, but also because it is an opportunity to connect, to inspire, and be inspired at a sensitive time like this. In a pandemic-infused world, we find ourselves continuing to search for ways to thrive, to accept, and to overcome this difficult period we are facing.

This is why we are calling TEDxPipitea 2021 - Hope. Hope is an act of defiance in the face of adversity.

While we have become accustomed to an ever-changing environment, one thing that has remained constant is hope. Hope looks different to everyone - it’s personal and intimate. While at times we might find ourselves feeling hopeless, hope is what keeps us moving, dreaming, planning, functioning, thriving.

By embracing this fitting theme, we are HOPEful of encouraging everyone to come together, start a conversation, challenge the norms, share their stories to ignite the spark within all of us. To ignite hope within all of us.

two/fiftyseven
2/57 Willis Street, Wellington Central
Wellington, Wellington, 6011
New Zealand

Abby Damen

Dance Coach

Abby Damen and her co-founders are changing the world one dance step at a time. Her business Shut Up And Dance provides an expressive outlet for Wellingtonians across the city, sparking a movement of joy through the teaching and performing of iconic pop choreography in a freedom filled, fun environment - no mirrors allowed!

Antoinette Ratcliffe

Taxidermist

As a veterinary nurse Antoinette Ratcliffe’s professional practice was given to the prolonging and preserving of life. Now as a her work involves preserving the dead (birds and animals!). She provides a window into her world of creative curios and explains ethical specimen collection from a New Zealand perspective.

Crystal Mischief

Performer

International award winning burlesque performer and creatrix of Sparkleforce Academy of Burlesque, Crystal Mischief approaches her teaching with a biological and psychological lens, harnessing neuroscientific discoveries to create a powerful journey of self discovery and wellness for her dance students

Francesca Bonventre

Sustainable Bee Keeping

Francesca Bonventre is an innovative food producer based in New Zealand’s Chatham Islands. She and her partner are working with one of the healthiest bee populations on the planet, exploring how sustainable export of this carefully cultivated natural resource could positively impact bee populations around the world.

Genevieve McLachlan

Expert in Solutions-focused Accessibility Technologies

Born with cerebral palsy and impaired vision, Genevieve McLachlan has fought hard to ensure her disabilities do not define her. A disability advocate, her work focuses on the use of specialised solutions to make technology and the digital world accessible for those with disabilities.

Jayden Luapo

Performer

Having overcome significant odds to do so, Jayden Luapo is a young community leader, business owner, teacher and performer. His Tautua Dance school teaches siva samoa - traditional Samoan dance - providing a safe, encouraging, creative space for young Pasifika to explore their heritage and identity.

Jerome Kavanagh

Traditional Māori Instruments & Music

A Grammy Award winning musician, Jerome Kavanagh is a skilled cultural practitioner and multi-instrumentalist, bringing the ancient art form of taonga puoro - traditional Māori instruments - to life for audiences around the world.

Michael Kay

Regenerative Farming

Michael Kay is one of a growing number of agricultural innovators in Aotearoa seeking a more symbiotic, sustainable relationship with the land. He’s passionate about sharing his practices, and proving their profitability as a radical alternative to mainstream practices.

Negin Imani

Founder of Biomimicry New Zealand

Founder of Biomimicry New Zealand, Dr Negin Imani has dedicated her adult life to the exploration of sustainable building design, utilising principles taken from how living organisms react and respond to their environment, to develop a design tool that bridges the gap between architecture and biology.

Swee Tan

Doctor, Surgeon, Founder and Executive Director of the GMRI

Founder and Executive Director of Gillies McIndoe Research Institute, Dr Swee Tan is leading exciting research into a novel cancer treatment approach that has the potential to fundamentally alter not just how we treat cancer, but also how easily accessible this treatment may be.

Tupe Solomon Tanoa'i

Chief Philanthropic Officer

Currently serving as Chief Philanthropic Officer of the Michael and Suzanne Borrin Foundation, Tupe Solomon Tanoa’i is a writer, creator, chat show host, and diversity and inclusion advocate. In 2020 she was recognised as one of the University of Auckland's 40 under 40 and won the diversity category at the Women of Influence Awards.

Zoë George

Senior Sports Journalist

Senior Sports Journalist Zoe George has been reporting on inequality - specifically related to bathroom access - in sports and social spaces for years. This lack of access has serious consequences for the representation and participation of women, something she aims to change through a groundswell of public support.