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).

Sydney Town Hall
483 George Street
Sydney, New South Wales, 2000
Australia

Andrew Quilty

Andrew Quilty was born in Sydney in 1981. Quilty based himself in Kabul and photographed for many of the world's preeminent media outlets. From his photographic work in Afghanistan, he has collected accolades including a World Press Photo award, a Polk award and several Walkley awards, including, in 2016, the Gold Walkley, the highest honour in Australian journalism. In recent years, Quilty has combined photojournalism in Afghanistan with the written word. He has written for Rolling Stone, Harper's Magazine, The New York Times and more. Last year, his 18-month investigation into a CIA-led Afghan militia, for the U.S. investigative outlet The Intercept, was the recipient of a 2021 Overseas Press Club of America Award. Also, last year, Quilty was named the Walkley Freelance Journalist of the Year and his investigation into Australian war crimes in Afghanistan for The Monthly was awarded the Walkley award for best long-form journalism.

Antoinette Lattouf

Antoinette Lattouf is a multi-award winning journalist and the co-founder of Media Diversity Australia, a not for profit organisation working towards increasing cultural and linguistic diversity in the media. She’s worked in commercial television, online and radio across Australia. Antoinette’s first book ‘How to Lose Friends and Influence White People’ was published in May 2022. It is a witty and approachable anti-racism guide and an honest exploration of the modern manifestations of systemic racism in Australia today, and how we, as a collective, can take steps to make change.

Chris Abrahams

Chris Abrahams is best known as the piano player with the long form trio, the Necks, a band that has built up quite a following both in Australia and internationally over the last thirty years. Parallel to this, Chris has developed a formidable reputation as a solo pianist.

Damon Gameau

Damon’s film, 2040, is an innovative feature documentary that explores what the future would look like by the year 2040 if we embraced the best solutions already available to us to improve our planet. His first feature length film as a director, THAT SUGAR FILM, won Best Documentary at the Australian AACTA awards and became the highest grossing Australian documentary of all time at the cinema.

David Garrett

David J. Garrett is an internationally regarded research scientist invested in developing high performance electrodes for use inside the body. He is CEO of Carbon Cybernetics, holds an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship award and leads a research group at RMIT University. David has ten years of innovation in medical device technology, particularly in novel materials for neural interface applications including neural interfacing electrodes built from graphene, carbon nanotubes, and other carbon-based nano-materials.

Elsy Wameyo

Elsy Wameyo was born in Nairobi, Kenya and her latest musical offerings, ‘Nilotic’, proudly explores the strength of her self-identity. Influenced by her love of Gospel music and contemporary RnB, Elsy intertwines soulful rhythms and impressive production underneath lyrics that clearly articulate her strong self-identity. Hailing from the Nilotic tribes of Kenya, Elsy’s music embraces this cultural heritage alongside her Christian beliefs and experiences whilst growing up in Adelaide, Australia.

Emma Bacon

Emma Bacon is a passionate organiser, campaigner and activist. Emma has worked across movements for social and environmental justice for over 10 years on campaigns including an international asbestos ban, 10 cent deposits on bottles and cans, and union campaigns with shopping centre cleaners. She has run successful political campaigns and been part of winning significant outcomes for progressive change at local to international levels. Emma founded Sweltering Cities, a new organisation that works directly with communities in our hottest suburbs to campaign and advocate for more liveable, equitable and sustainable cities.

Esmé Louise James

Esmé Louise James is best known for her irreverent lecture series on TikTok, Kinky History, which boasts a following of over 2 million people from around the world. She has produced a range of poetry, short-stories, and non-fiction articles and in 2020, she was listed in the Top 30 Emerging Writers by SBS Australia. A PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne, her thesis investigates the emerging genre of the pornographic novel in the eighteenth-century. Esmé Louise James is @esme.louisee on TikTok and Instagram

Jazz Money

Jazz Money is a poet and artist of Wiradjuri heritage, a fresh-water woman currently based on sovereign Gadigal land. Her practice is centred around the written word while producing works that encompass installation, digital, film and print. Jazz’s writing has been widely performed and published nationally and internationally. Her David Unaipon Award-winning debut poetry collection ‘how to make a basket’ was published in 2021 by University of Queensland Press.

Jioji Ravulo

Professor Jioji Ravulo is the Professor and Chair of Social Work and Policy Studies in the Sydney School of Education and Social Work at The University of Sydney. His research, writing and areas of interest include mental health and wellbeing, alcohol and other drugs, youth development, marginality and decoloniality. Jioji has experience working as a manager in youth crisis centres and is involved in clinical work across the community, including providing counselling support for players across the National Rugby League.

Jo Lackenby

Dr Joanne Lackenby (Jo) is an environmental engineer working in nuclear energy and is passionate about highlighting the environmental benefits of nuclear energy. Peaceful nuclear technologies can be complex. But she has also discovered that the possibilities associated with these nuclear technologies absolutely blow her mind! In the interest of trying to invoke this feeling in others, it is Jo’s mission to edu-tain the general public. In the process, she aims to connect people with the innovation occurring in the world of nuclear science and technology. Jo has over 14 years’ experience working at OPAL, Australia’s only nuclear reactor. She has also held several volunteer positions in nuclear associations. She is the current President of the Australian Nuclear Association Inc, and a past Executive of Women in Nuclear Global.

Marlikka Perdrisat

Marlikka Perdrisat works across academia, film, and law to spread awareness of First Law. Recently, Marlikka has published a collection of academic papers including Indigenous Natural and First Law in Planetary Health and The Determinants of Planetary Health: an Indigenous Consensus Perspective. With a special life created by living with Nyikina Country and growing through her multiple degrees. Marlikka is in a unique position to share how First Languages can develop your relationship with Country, now and into the future.

Michael Theo

Michael Theo, otherwise known as ‘Mr A+’ instantly captured the hearts & minds of audiences across the globe on Netflix’s ‘Love On The Spectrum’ with his dapper style, unintentionally hilarious one-liners, and warm personality. Though most well known for his work on the ABC and Netflix Series, Michael is so much more than his TV persona. A passionate animal activist, railway enthusiast, podcaster, and aspiring actor, Michael is a strong believer it's our differences that make us special. He has used both his online platforms and widely successful podcast, Mr A+, to create a safe space to express & celebrate these differences.

Mike Hewson

Mike Hewson is a visual artist with a background in structural engineering and heavy-civil construction. His award-winning projects pioneer new ways to merge conceptual art projects into the public realm. Hewson works to prove we can in fact do things that are considered untenable in a public setting. Each project aims to catalyse fresh conversation about how the bureaucratic and managerial aspects of power are shaping our public lives, asking if we like that shape or if we’d like to consider other options.

Nicky Sparshott

Nicky is the CEO of Unilever Australia & New Zealand and former Global CEO of luxury retailer, T2 Tea. She has over 27 years of experience in developing and building brands, growing businesses, and transforming infrastructure and culture. She has worked across a broad range of organisations including Unilever, The Coca-Cola Company, P&G and George Patterson Y&R. She is a passionate advocate that businesses today must drive regenerative agendas, bringing together profit & purpose to positively impact people and the planet and in doing so be a true force for good.

Sandersan Onie

Dr. Sandersan (Sandy) Onie is a researcher at the Black Dog Institute in Australia and Founder of Emotional Health for All in Indonesia – one of the first research based mental health and suicide prevention foundations in the country. He combines his experience of depression with suicidal thoughts and extensive research expertise to lead global projects in mental health and suicide prevention.

Saul Griffith

Saul is an inventor, author, and successful entrepreneur. He has led dozens of research projects in energy, robotics, and manufacturing and founded and co-founded multiple successful companies. In 2007 he was awarded a Macarthur Fellowship, the so-called ‘Genius Grant’, for inventions in the service of humanity.

Sela Vai with HUMXN

Sela Vai is an award-winning Pasifika movement artist, dancer and choreographer who seeks to create safe spaces for the empowerment of young artists. Based in Australia, Sela founded dance collective HUMXN, whom she is performing with here. She choreographed TVC’s and music videos, where her passion lies in creating visibility for BIWOC artists in the commercial industry. Credits include: Apple, Commbank, Suncorp, JD Sports, Yousef Akbar, the A-League, Thelma Plum, T-kay Maizda and Young Franco, Milan Ring, No Mono, and Bloodmoon. Sela is also a resident choreographer and Associate Artist of Black Birds, independent theatre company run by Womxn of Colour.

Serwah Attafuah in collaboration with Matt Hermans

Serwah Attafuah is a multidisciplinary artist and musician based on Dharug land/ Western Sydney, Australia. She creates surreal cyber dreamscapes and heavenly wastelands, populated by afro-futuristic abstractions of self with strong ancestral and contemporary themes. Serwah has collaborated and been commissioned by clients including Mercedes Benz, Nike, GQ, Adobe, Paris Hilton and Charli XCX. Recent notable achievements include her participation in Sotheby's 'Natively Digital': A Curated NFT auction and 'Apotheosis': a live motion capture experience with Soft Centre at The Sydney Opera House. Matt Hermans is a young veteran of the advertising industry in Australia. Covering the gamut of TVC, Film and installation mediums he has a wide base of experience over the past 17 years. Considered by many to be Australia’s foremost XR and Virtual Production specialist he understands every aspect of creating immersive environments. Matt Hermans is a young veteran of the advertising industry in Australia. Covering the gamut of TVC, Film and installation mediums he has a wide base of experience over the past 17 years. During this time he developed dangerously futuristic workflows waiting for technology to catch up to his vision. With a strong background in the technical aspects of VFX developed while at FuelVFX, Alt and WETA he started The Electric Lens Company in 2016. Since then ELC has been at the forefront of Virtual production, collaborating on a number of projects using VR driven workflows designed to put the artist above the technology and decision making at the forefront of the process.

Serwah Attafuah with Matt Hermans

Serwah Attafuah is a multidisciplinary artist and musician based on Dharug land/ Western Sydney, Australia. She creates surreal cyber dreamscapes and heavenly wastelands, populated by afro-futuristic abstractions of self with strong ancestral and contemporary themes. Serwah has collaborated and been commissioned by clients including Mercedes Benz, Nike, GQ, Adobe, Paris Hilton and Charli XCX. Recent notable achievements include her participation in Sotheby's 'Natively Digital': A Curated NFT auction and 'Apotheosis': a live motion capture experience with Soft Centre at The Sydney Opera House. Matt Hermans is a young veteran of the advertising industry in Australia. Covering the gamut of TVC, Film and installation mediums he has a wide base of experience over the past 17 years. Considered by many to be Australia’s foremost XR and Virtual Production specialist he understands every aspect of creating immersive environments. Matt has a vision of the ‘electric dream’ – that which aims to deepen the connection between the artist and the audience by engaging the mind to create its own art within. Over the past couple of years he has finally met with this intersection of VR and VFX.

Sharanjit Paddam

As an actuary, Sharanjit uses his risk management, financial modelling and communication skills to help banks, insurers and investors to understand what climate change means for them and how to prepare for the uncertain future. He loves collaborating with scientists, engineers, accountants, risk managers and other actuaries to solve problems, including setting up the Climate Measurement Standards Initiative to help financial services companies develop approaches to climate risk assessment. In 2020, he was awarded Risk Manager of the Year by the Climate Alliance, and received the Actuaries Institute’s Distinguished Service Award in recognition of his service on the Institute’s Climate Change Working Group.

Vincent Yeow Lim

DIMSIMLIM a.k.a Vincent Yeow Lim is a restaurant owner, chef & one of Australia’s most popular online content creators on TikTok, Instagram & YouTube. He is on a journey to showcase the true art of wok style cooking to the western world with a lil bit of YumYum.

Zela Margossian

Born in Beirut, of Armenian heritage, Zela a Sydney-based pianist, composer and ARIA nominated musician.