TEDxNorthernQuarter are running a full day event with speakers from a range of industries, backgrounds and with a whole host of ideas worth sharing. We have 15 speakers chosen and a team of experienced speaker coaches (who are all TEDx speakers themselves) supporting them.

Use the link https://tedxnorthernquarter.com to get further information about the event

Gorilla Manchester
54-56 Whitworth St
Manchester, Manchester, M1 5WW
United Kingdom

Bach Nguyen

Award-Winning Photographer

Bach is an award-winning photographer and videographer known for bold visual storytelling across fashion, street culture, and global media. His work with brands like Adidas, Puma, Gymking, and The Sidemen has earned him widespread acclaim, including a prestigious Nikon Photography Award. From capturing stars like Post Malone and Jordan Henderson to leading major campaigns, Bach blends instinctive style with technical brilliance—pushing creative boundaries and elevating every frame with emotion, energy, and impact.

Charles Cecil MBE

CEO of Revolution Software

Charles is a celebrated British video game designer and co-founder of Revolution Software, best known for creating the critically acclaimed Broken Sword series. With a career spanning over three decades, he has been a key figure in shaping the narrative adventure genre, with titles like Beneath a Steel Sky and Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars earning both commercial success and cult status. His work has garnered multiple industry awards, and he played a pivotal role in projects such as Doctor Who: The Adventure Games. In 2011, Cecil was awarded an MBE for his outstanding services to the video game industry.

Emma Henderson MBE

CEO of Grounded Leadership

Emma Henderson MBE is a rare kind of leader—a former airline captain with 30+ years in aviation, one of fewer than 500 female captains worldwide. She’s mastered high-stakes decision-making at 39,000 feet and now brings that clarity and calm to the boardroom. Founder of Grounded Leadership and the NHS charity Project Wingman, Emma blends aviation logic with human insight to help leaders stay composed under pressure. Her TEDx talk will challenge how you think about decisions—whether in the cockpit, at work, or wherever pressure meets purpose.

Henry White

Creative Director - The Sidemen

Henry White is the 27 year old creative director behind Europe’s biggest creator group: The Sidemen (155M+ followers). Previously at global esports organisation Fnatic, Henry has played a key role in shaping the visual and cultural identity of multiple gen-z entertainment brands, helping to scale them to global prominence. With a background in design and a deep interest in the intersection of creativity, internet culture, and audience connection, Henry’s work focuses on how storytelling and design can drive cultural relevance in a fast-moving digital world.

Jess Wiseman

3D Artist

Jess Wiseman is a 3D artist, traditional painter and has also founded her own character based IP Figuregot. With a passion for anything creative, her youth was spent dedicating hours to self-taught mediums across animation, design, illustration and product innovation. With a notable list of clientele including; The Sidemen, Doja Cat, Lil Nas X, Billionaire Boys Club, Reebok and many more, with these experiences acting as the perfect foundation to develop skills in multiple fields. Figuregot allowed her to funnel all areas into one brand- giving her the perfect opportunity to work with complete creative freedom, exploring the depths of her imagination and limits as an artist. Fast forward to 2025, her artwork’s pursuit for realism is abundant in her recent pieces both off and on the canvas.

Jim Caddick aka "Caddicarus"

YouTube Pioneer

Jim, known online as “Caddicarus” or “Caddy,” is a pioneering YouTuber famed for his sharp wit, dark humour, and cinematic absurdity. Since 2011, he’s grown a loyal global following with over 1.1 million subscribers and 350 million views, influencing the evolution of long-form gaming comedy on YouTube. Despite releasing 600+ videos in his first nine years, over 30% of his total views came from just 29 videos in the last five years—prompting a powerful question: what truly drives connection and impact online? This exploration now shapes his creative philosophy as he navigates how creators evolve and thrive in a fast-changing digital world.

Joe Brammer

CEO of BULKHEAD

Joe is the candid Studio Head and one of the founders of BULKHEAD (Creators of The Turing Test and Battalion 1944). BULKHEAD started as 6 graduates and has grown to over 120 people backed by Tencent Joe lead the charge for Bulkhead rolling out the 4 Day Work Week. Joe has worked as an artist, designer, game director, producer, executive producer and currently sits as CEO & Studio Lead. Joe is extraordinarily direct and open in his talks and believes in removing the formalities and getting to the point.

Mollie Balshaw

Co-Founder Short Supply

Mollie Balshaw is a curator, artist, and co-founder of Short Supply - a trailblazing arts organisation championing early-career artists from working-class and marginalised backgrounds across the UK. Based in Manchester, Mollie has earned a national reputation for challenging the centralisation and gatekeeping of the art world, building grassroots networks that empower creatives to thrive outside traditional systems. Through Short Supply, they’ve delivered high-impact exhibitions, mentoring programmes, and partnerships with major institutions, all while keeping artists at the heart of every decision. A vocal advocate for autonomy in creative careers, Mollie’s work interrogates the structures that shape access, opportunity, and success in the arts. Their writing, public speaking, and programming confront the myth of meritocracy and push for a more equitable, self-determined future.

Nicola Barke

Twice World Champion

Nicola Barke, aka The Burmese Python, is a two-sport World Champion and the UK’s first female Lethwei fighter, breaking barriers in one of the world’s toughest combat sports. Now an undefeated pro boxer with Queensberry Promotions, she blends power with creativity, proving adaptability wins in and out of the ring. Her journey - facing narcolepsy, life-threatening injuries, and a brain tumour - has fuelled reinvention: from biomedical science graduate to global project manager to inspiring speaker. Nicola believes the creativity behind elite performance can shape agile, visionary leaders. Her story is proof that resilience plus imagination is unstoppable.

Prof. Keon West

Social psychologist & Expert on Racism

Professor Keon West is a prominent social psychologist at formerly at Goldsmiths, University of London, specialising in prejudice, identity, and intergroup relations. His influential research on racism and anti-LGBT discrimination has earned several prestigious honours, including the Michele Alexander Award and the APA’s Award for Distinguished Contributions to Ethnic Minority Issues. He’s also recognised for his teaching and mentoring excellence. A frequent contributor to Media articles, BBC / BBC Radio and Channel 4, West brings academic insights to mainstream conversations on bias. His 2025 book, The Science of Racism, presents an accessible, evidence-based examination of how racism persists in modern society.

Sam Squire

CEO of Inspire 2 Ignite CIC

Sam is an ex-professional footballer, turned youth worker. His vision is a world where every young person, no matter their background, can follow their dreams with the right support and pathways to succeed. His mission is to create an ecosystem that connects underserved young people to the experiences, skills, and networks needed to thrive. He believes talent is everywhere, but opportunity isn’t, and dedicates his life running a social enterprise called Inspire 2 Ignite to change that.

Shaline Manhertz Kristianah Fasunloye

The Power of Partnerships

This dynamic duo have 50 years of strategic communications and engagement expertise acquired in central and local government driving transformative change in governmental systems. Heading up communications and media teams on instrumental and impactful projects, including: + Establishing a lasting legacy from the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games. + Pioneering efforts to enhance maternity services safety for mothers and babies through the Ockenden Maternity Review, the largest-ever review of an NHS service Kristianah and Shaline’s partnership brings a wealth of understanding of the best government policies, processes, and systems and implements them in other industries.

Simran Whitham

CEO of The FORMAT Group

Simran Whitham is an award-winning entrepreneur, renown business leader, and CEO of FORMAT Group, the UK’s largest games industry community organisation. With over a decade at the forefront of Europe’s creative industries, he has built one of the most acclaimed community event movements, known for uniting thousands across gaming, tech, and culture under a shared passion for bringing together in a way that has been lost in the events industry. On the TEDx stage, Simran shares his mission to help people rediscover meaningful connection in an increasingly digital world. His talk explores how to build real-world communities, foster belonging, and push back against the rising tide of isolation and disconnection in modern Western society.

Stephen Morris

Interaction Design Master and Play Design Specialist at The LEGO Group

Stephen Morris is a Play Design Specialist and Interaction Design Master at The LEGO Group, with 20+ years of experience crafting imaginative, tech-driven experiences for brands like Disney, Cartoon Network, and the BBC. Blending storytelling, programming, and curiosity, Stephen champions play not just as fun, but as a mindset for innovation, connection, and resilience. Through his talks and workshops, he inspires leaders, educators, and creatives to ask: what might change if we made more space for play?