Theme: Disruption

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).

Dunottar School
High Trees Road
Reigate, Surrey, RH2 7EL
United Kingdom

ALASTAIR HUMPHREYS

Alastair Humphreys is a British Adventurer and Author of 15 books to date. He spent over four years cycling round the world, a journey of 46,000 miles through 60 countries and five continents. More recently, Alastair has walked across Southern India, rowed across the Atlantic Ocean, run six marathons through the Sahara desert, completed a crossing of Iceland, busked through Spain and participated in an expedition in the Arctic, close to the magnetic North Pole. He has trekked 1000 miles across the Empty Quarter desert and 120 miles round the M25 – one of his pioneering microadventures. He was named as one of National Geographic’s Adventurers of the Year for 2012. In 2023, the Royal Geographical Society gave Alastair the Ness Award for ‘his long-standing contributions to promoting a greater understanding of our world and wider public engagement with the outdoors.’

Aletha Shepherd

Aletha Shepherd founded Shot of Tea, a new wave production company dedicated to inclusive, female-led storytelling. She was recently honoured with the 2023 Women of the Future Award for Arts & Culture in recognition of her resilience and tenacity in the industry. Aletha continues to shape Shot of Tea, crafting compelling narratives for a global audience. Aletha focuses on the power of unconventional paths in filmmaking, a champion of diversity and inclusion to reshape the industry's narrative landscape.

ALICIA ESPINOSA

Alicia Espinosa's journey is a demonstration of the power of self-discovery and authenticity. Originally born in Panama, Alicia started her academic studies in Computer Science in Ukraine before continuing her Master’s degree in Materials Science at the Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden. With a strong foundation in technical research and project management, Alicia's career path led her into various roles within the corporate world. In 2016, Alicia made a life-changing decision to pursue her passion for personal development, leadership and coaching. Drawing on her own experiences, Alicia founded the "RISE & SHINE" program, aimed at helping individuals develop a life that feels good on the inside, not just one that looks good from the outside. Through personalized coaching and mentorship, Alicia guides her clients to align their actions with their core values, empowering them to live authentically and with purpose.

Chris Thomason

Chris is a designer, engineer, thinker and writer who has been ranked as a top ten Thinkers360 Top 50 Global Thought Leaders and Influencers on Design Thinking 2024 for the last four years. He is currently a lead service designer for Lloyds Banking Group. An ever-changing world brings new challenges which require fresh thinking and original ideas to address them. I’ll share some surprising insights about the way you think and I’ll offer ways you can be sharper in your thinking around any topic—in both your personal and work life. These radical, science-backed approaches will change your mind about the way you think.

Christian Foley

Christian is one of the only few poets in the world selected to complete a ‘Spoken Word Education Programme’ and Teaching MA at Goldsmiths University, an incentive which was created to transform professional poets into specialised facilitators. Over the last decade, Christian has worked with thousands of children, and hundreds of teachers, delivering workshops for staff and students. He also works in a number of schools and alternative provisions in East London, as a permanent Poet in Residence. Christian is the editor of, to date, fourteen poetry anthologies written by the young people he teaches. Christian studies a PhD in ‘Hip-Hop Education’ at Goldsmiths University and is an expert on incorporating rap into the process of learning. His research involves a case study of four teenagers who have been excluded from school, who, under Christian’s supervision, recorded a rap album challenging the societal preconceptions they face. In the field of music, Christian has released two albums Excommunication and Happy Hour which focus on mental health. Christian, with his expertise on a drum sampler has also produced numerous instrumental Hip-Hop albums. As an author, Christian’s has written two ‘Hip-Hop picture books’ for Early Years students, The Oddsocktopus (2023) and Some Bears (2024) featuring his trademark tongue twisting rhymes, bringing Hip-Hop to the page. Christian has also published Moving Up (Scholastic, 2024) which is an instructional guide of raps for students arriving at Secondary school in year seven. Christian’s next book Barney’s Rock (Flying Eye, 2025) focuses on the healing and transformative power of music, for children in turbulent times.

Mark Tottman

Mark Tottman is known for his innovative and disruptive approach to education. He has been a disruptor for as long as he can remember. Mark is particularly focused on inspiring students to become ‘Warrior Learners’. He devotes his professional life to educating students to develop characteristics that will future-proof their lives in a fast-paced and complex world. Mark has a degree in Modern History from Oxford University and an MBA from Edinburgh Business School. Before training to be a teacher in his mid 30s, Mark applied his unconventional and creative approach to business and leadership during seven years in marketing and operations in the UK service sector and for eight years as an international management consultant specialising in strategy and change for companies and sports organisations around the world. As Headmaster, Mark has drawn on his business career and 20 years of teaching experience to develop a highly-successful, disruptive and courageous culture.