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).

ICC Sydney Theatre
14 Darling Drive
Sydney, New South Wales, 2000
Australia

Angela Jay

Dr Angela Jay is the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Senior Registrar at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney and is a passionate advocate for women’s safety and reproductive justice. Born and raised in California by Aussie parents, she relocated to Australia as a teenager to finish high school on the NSW Central Coast. She graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine from the University of Newcastle in 2011, and later a Masters of Reproductive Medicine from the University of NSW in 2016. Dr Jay absolutely loves her job, which allows her the immense privilege of welcoming new babies into the world while also striving to provide excellence in women’s healthcare. Angela’s mission to end violence against women chose her in 2016 when she, like so many others, became a survivor of intimate partner violence. Narrowly escaping death after her perpetrator stabbed her 11 times and doused her in petrol, she now hopes to be a voice for the most vulnerable in our community. As an advocate for White Ribbon Australia, Dr Jay raised $100K for domestic violence prevention programs during the “Trek for Respect”—hiking the gruelling Larapinta Trail and later the Kokoda Track.

BINDI BOSSES

Established in April 2019, BINDI BOSSES is a progressive South Asian performing arts company that seamlessly blends Traditional Indian Classical and Folk dances with influences from South Asian Cinema and Street dances from around the world. BINDI BOSSES provides a platform for culturally and linguistically diverse artists to collaborate and create live fusion dance experiences featuring signature Henna-style Face & Body Art. “We use dance and art to challenge traditional norms and preconceptions. We do not pander to what people outside (or inside) our cultures expect to see. Instead, we are redefining what that looks like on our own terms, beyond the stereotype of Bollywood. We stand in solidarity with the Traditional Owners of the unceded lands on which we practice and perform and advocate for greater South Asian representation, cultural and linguistic diversity, female empowerment, racial equity and intersectional inclusion." Commended/followed by: Rowi Singh, Cartel Madras, Lilly Singh, Bollywood Icon Sonam Kapoor. Featured by: SBS Australia, Huffington Post, SBS Hindi, SBS Tamil, South Asian Today. Performed for: ICC T20 World Cup 2020, sold out events at Oxford Art Factory and Enmore Theatre and Half-Time entertainment for Sydney Kings at Qudos Bank Area with L-FRESH The LION in front of 17,500+ people. PERFORMANCE CREDITS Speaker: Shyamla Eswaran Dancers: Shyamla Eswaran, Ragavi Ragavan, Jes Subba, Shankari Jeyaseelan, Smrithi Karmakonda, Divya Saxena, Sarangi Rupasinghe, Sakshi Brahmbhatt Music: Meditjin by Baker Boy ft. JessB, Pattasu by Navz-47, Goonda Gold by Cartel Madras Costume Designer/Stylist: Meera by Poornima Sharma Henna-style Face & Body Art: Henna By Nubaisha Instagram: @bindibosses Song Credits: Meditjin by Baker Boy ft. JessB Performed by Baker Boy ft. JessB Written by: Jerome Farah, Dallas Woods, Danzal Baker, Dion Brownfield, Jessica Bourke Produced by: Jerome Farah Universal Music Australia Pty. Ltd., Mushroom Music Publishing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myKF9mxAJ70 Goonda Gold by Cartel Madras Written by Produced by Sub Pop Records https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBqP85D0tn4 Pattasu by Navz-47 Song: Pattasu Singer: Navz-47 Lyrics: Naveeni Athanasious Philip Produced by Kroos Music Mixed and Mastered by Kroos Music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAVj3lZaM_s

BINDI BOSSES

Established in April 2019, BINDI BOSSES is a progressive South Asian performing arts company that seamlessly blends Traditional Indian Classical and Folk dances with influences from South Asian Cinema and Street dances from around the world. BINDI BOSSES provides a platform for culturally and linguistically diverse artists to collaborate and create live fusion dance experiences featuring signature Henna-style Face & Body Art. “We use dance and art to challenge traditional norms and preconceptions. We do not pander to what people outside (or inside) our cultures expect to see. Instead, we are redefining what that looks like on our own terms, beyond the stereotype of Bollywood. We stand in solidarity with the Traditional Owners of the unceded lands on which we practice and perform and advocate for greater South Asian representation, cultural and linguistic diversity, female empowerment, racial equity and intersectional inclusion." Commended/followed by: Rowi Singh, Cartel Madras, Lilly Singh, Bollywood Icon Sonam Kapoor. Featured by: SBS Australia, Huffington Post, SBS Hindi, SBS Tamil, South Asian Today. Performed for: ICC T20 World Cup 2020, sold out events at Oxford Art Factory and Enmore Theatre and Half-Time entertainment for Sydney Kings at Qudos Bank Area with L-FRESH The LION in front of 17,500+ people. PERFORMANCE CREDITS Speaker: Shyamla Eswaran Dancers: Shyamla Eswaran, Ragavi Ragavan, Jes Subba, Shankari Jeyaseelan, Smrithi Karmakonda, Divya Saxena, Sarangi Rupasinghe, Sakshi Brahmbhatt Music: Meditjin by Baker Boy ft. JessB, Pattasu by Navz-47, Goonda Gold by Cartel Madras Costume Designer/Stylist: Meera by Poornima Sharma Henna-style Face & Body Art: Henna By Nubaisha

Catherine Alcorn

Multi award-winning artist Catherine Alcorn, is one of Australia's most in-demand entertainers renowned for her powerhouse vocals and razor-sharp wit. Hailed as a ‘must see!’ by the L.A. TIMES, the critically acclaimed chanteuse made her triumphant USA and Sydney Opera House debut in her most famous role as The Divine Miss Bette winning her the Best Cabaret Production in the 2018 Broadway World Awards. A firm fixture on the festival stage, Catherine has headlined the world’s most celebrated festivals including Sydney Festival, Adelaide Cabaret Festival, Tasmania’s Festival of Voices and Noosa Long Weekend. Catherine's other theatre credits include her Sydney Theatre Award-nominated cabaret Cathartic, 30 Something with Phil Scott, the Australian premiere of off-Broadway cult hit 5 Lesbians Eating A Quiche, her award-winning cabaret Go Your Own Way: The Story of Christine McVie and Glen Street Theatre’s Cabaret In The Glen Festival in the role as Artistic Director. A passionate fundraiser, Catherine has produced multiple campaigns, most notably in 2016 with From Sydney With Love at Sydney Town Hall raising over $70,000 for the victims and families of the heartbreaking Orlando shootings and in 2012 with Floodlight raising over $20,000 for the victims of the devastating QLD floods. During COVID-19, Catherine worked in association with Cobbstar Productions and GNWTV to launch The Reservoir Room, Sydney's first virtual venue that produced a five week season of Friday Night Live (a brand new variety show directed by Ted Robinson and co-hosted by Alcorn and Rodger Corser) and a Saturday night cabaret and live music program. The Reservoir Room kept upwards of 45 industry professionals employed during a period in which the Australian Live Entertainment industry was decimated. Catherine is currently working on new projects and will be back on the live stage before we know it!

Damien Cave

Damien Cave is Australian bureau chief for The New York Times and lives in Sydney. His previous foreign reporting includes postings in Mexico City, covering Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, and in The Times’s Baghdad bureau from 2006 to 2007. He served as chief of The Times’s Miami bureau, covered Barack Obama’s successful campaign in Florida during the 2008 election, and has won awards for his coverage of immigration in America. Before joining The Times, he was a staff writer and editor at Rolling Stone and Salon.com. Mr. Cave was among the group of finalists for the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting. In addition, he was the leader of a small group of reporters that won the 2008 Overseas Press Club award for best international coverage on the Web. A graduate of Columbia's Graduate School of Journalism and Boston College, Mr. Cave grew up in Worcester, Mass. He comes from a working-class family filled with Trump voters.

Daria Gavrilova

WTA tennis champion Daria “Dasha” Gavrilova is one of Australian tennis’ most popular stars. Electrifying fourth-round runs at The Australian Open in 2016 and 2017 thrust the Melbourne-based player into the spotlight, as did her title-winning at the Hopman Cup in 2016. Alongside Nick Kyrgios, the duo became the first Australian champions in 17 years. Since winning the WTA’s Newcomer of the Year award in 2015, Gavrilova made her top 20 debut in 2017 after winning her first WTA title and boasts wins over Grand Slam champions Maria Sharapova, Petra Kvitova, Garbine Muguruza, Angelique Kerber and Svetlana Kuznetsova. Gavrilova lists representing Australia in the 2016 Olympic Games as a career highlight, and has not missed a Fed Cup tie since making her debut in the same year. Gavrilova actively engages with her fans on social media, helping to build a devoted following on Instagram and TikTok.

Dog Trumpet

Dog Trumpet is the vehicle for the songs of Peter O’Doherty and Reg Mombassa. They play as a duo or as a full band. The current band comprises Bernie Hayes on bass and Jim Elliot on drums. They have released 7 full length CD’s and 2 EP’s of original material to date. Their latest album is called Great South Road. They have played live in Australia, New Zealand and the United States. During covid they have been performing live facebook concerts. The brothers are ex members of Mental as Anything. Dog Trumpet's music could loosely be described as psychedelic folk pop with elements of blues, Celtic and country. dogtrumpet.net

Dominic Price

Born to Joy in the harsh Manchester Winter of 77, Dominic has a career that has reached far and wide through Europe, US and Asia PAC. Dom has responsibilities spanning 7 global R&D centres, and is our in house “Team Doctor” helping Atlassian scale by being ruthlessly efficient and effective, with one eye on the future. Dom helped pioneer our Team Playbook and has personally run hundreds of sessions with our teams globally. Dom is proud to work at Atlassian, the home of the most intelligent t-shirt wearers in business, as the Work Futurist. A keen traveller, Dom has traversed over 50 countries so far, but after 15 years on these shores, he calls Australia home.

Emma Donovan

Acclaimed Indigenous vocalist Emma Donovan and Melbourne rhythm combo The Putbacks burst on to the Australian scene with their album Dawn in 2014, announcing a new voice in Australian soul music. Emma’s songwriting is optimistic, impassioned, and bruisingly honest, The Putbacks’ music is fluid, live and raw, and the collaboration has won friends and admirers all over the world. Emma Donovan grew up singing church songs with her grandparents on the north coast of New South Wales, Australia and her first secular gigs were singing in the family band, The Donovans, with her mother and five uncles. Throughout her career, she has toured and recorded with many of the mainstays of Indigenous music from Archie Roach to Dan Sultan and was a leader of the Black Arm Band project. It was in The Black Arm Band that Emma met members of The Putbacks and their journey together began. Her new album with The Putbacks, Crossover, was released November 2020. emmadonovan.com

Gavin McCormack

Gavin McCormack is a trained Montessori teacher, children’s author, teacher trainer, philanthropist and school principal. While working in the teaching profession for over twenty years, he has used his experience and training to understand what it means to truly educate with true intention. Initially trained as a mainstream primary school teacher, Gavin re-trained as a Montessori teacher where he found the understanding and experience that has inspired him to build several schools and teacher training centres in the Himalayan regions of Nepal. Gavin has trained teachers, parents and educational leaders across the world. His passion for educational reform, with a strong emphasis on Montessori within the home, has driven him to attempt to put these thoughts into words. He believes that for a child to reach their full potential, the school and home environment must work in harmony.

Grazia Materia

Grazia Materia the is the co-founder of grazia&co, a Melbourne based furniture design and manufacturing company that she runs with Steven Parry. Her success story is the result of a true passion for design and a dedication to the values of authenticity and local production. Originally studying interior design, Grazia quickly turned her focus to furniture design, now with over 25 years’ experience behind her. As well as her own designs, Grazia has the privilege of working with some of Melbourne’s most renowned designers to bring their works to the marketplace.

Hugh Mackay

Hugh Mackay is a social psychologist, researcher and bestselling author of 21 books, including What Makes Us Tick, The Good Life and Australia Reimagined. His latest non-fiction book is Hiding from Ourselves, published concurrently with his eighth novel, The Question of Love. He has had a 60-year career in social research, and was also a weekly newspaper columnist for over 25 years. Among many honorary appointments, he has been deputy chairman of the Australia Council for the Arts, chairman of trustees of Sydney Grammar School, the inaugural chairman of the ACT government’s Community Inclusion Board and an honorary professor at Macquarie, Wollongong and Charles Sturt universities. He is currently a patron of the Asylum Seekers Centre. Hugh is a Fellow of the Australian Psychological Society and of the Royal Society of NSW. In recognition of his pioneering work in social research, he has been awarded honorary doctorates by Charles Sturt, Macquarie, NSW, Western Sydney and Wollongong universities. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2015.

Jamila Gordon

Jamila Gordon is CEO and Founder of Lumachain, a technology platform that uses Artificial Intelligence to connect the broken links in global food supply chains, while also helping keep workers safe. Jamila’s personal journey is remarkable. She started life in a tiny village in the hinterland of Somalia, where drought and hunger were ever-present threats. Civil war brought her to Australia, where she learned English and fell in love with technology. Jamila went on to ultimately become a global executive with IBM and Group Chief Information Officer of Qantas Airways and CIMIC, before deciding to launch Lumachain. Jamila was Microsoft’s global Awardee in the 2018 International Women’s Entrepreneurship Challenge (IWEC), the first Australian to receive this honour, and Microsoft’s global CEO Satya Nadella featured Lumachain in his 2019 keynote address in Sydney Australia. Jamila also sits on the board of Questacon, Australia’s national science and technology centre.

Jess Scully

Jess Scully is a curator who uses creativity to build a sustainable and inclusive future. In 2019 she was elected as Deputy Lord Mayor of the City of Sydney. Jess has charted a unique career over twenty years; founding ground-breaking festival Vivid Ideas, Australia’s largest creative industries event; supporting emerging talent through projects such as the Qantas Spirit of Youth Awards; undertaking structural interventions for culture as a policy advisor; transforming public space as a public art curator and telling stories as a radio host and magazine editor. As a Councillor, Jess seeks to expand who plays a role in shaping the life of the city. She is working on reviving nightlife and supporting creative production, opening up public space for more people-first uses and advocating for new models to address the housing crisis. Her first book, Glimpses of Utopia, was published by Pantera Press in August 2020.

Karen Sommerville

Dr Karen Sommerville is a Research Scientist at the Australian Institute of Botanical Science. Her work is based at the Australian PlantBank, an award-winning plant conservation and research facility situated within the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan, where seeds of over 5,300 Australian plant species are stored to provide an insurance policy against their extinction in the wild. Originally trained as a horticulturist, Karen has focussed on plant conservation research since 2003, helping to protect the future of native plant species and the lives that depend on them. Her research experience ranges from the reproductive biology and genetics of saltmarsh plants to the symbiotic culture of orchids and the germination and conservation of rainforest seeds. She currently leads the Rainforest Seed Conservation Project at the Australian PlantBank, using cutting-edge technology to determine which Australian rainforest seeds are suitable for long-term conservation in a seed bank and developing alternative methods of conservation, such as cryopreservation, for those that are not.

Keenan Mundine

Keenan Mundine is the Co-Founder and Ambassador for Deadly Connections but also leads our partnerships and marketing. Keenan is a proud First Nations man with connections to the Biripi Nation of NSW through his mother who is from Taree and ties to the Wakka Wakka Nation in Queensland through his Father who is from Cherbourg. Keenan is the youngest of three boys, born and raised on Gadigal land - Keenan grew up in Redfern, notoriously known as “The Block”. Keenan had a rough start to his childhood after losing both parents at a young age, being placed in care, separated from his siblings. Keenan faced his own difficulties in life and made some poor decisions in his adolescence which resulted in his lengthy involvement with the justice system. Keenan found his passion in giving back to his community and working with people who have similar experiences to him. Keenan’s journey has taken him to the United Nations in Switzerland to address the Human Rights Council and share his story so that they may lean on Australia’s government to raise the age of criminal responsibility. Keenan’s journey inspired him and his wife to create a unique, community led solution and response to the current mass incarceration and child protection crisis of First Nations people. With the combined practical experience of Keenan’s lived experience and his wife’s professional skills and academic qualifications, as First Nations people they are committed to changing the narrative for their mob and communities.

Mahmood Fazal

From biker gangs to prison, Mahmood Fazal is an Afghan-Australian writer on a mission to amplify the voices society refuses to hear. After abandoning his role as the sergeant-at-arms of the Mongols Motorcycle Club, Mahmood devoted his life to bare-knuckle stories that challenge our views on crime, violence, imprisonment and radicalisation. His work reveals the humanity in life on the streets. In 2019 he published “No Gangsters In Paradise” with Audible Originals. An investigative journey into Western Sydney’s Lebanese gang wars, the top-rated audiobook culminates with a sociological critique of life without parole sentencing in Australia. Mahmood was awarded Young Journalist of the Year at the 2018 Publish Awards for his journalism and his podcast Violent Times was shortlisted for Best Documentary at the Australian Podcast Awards. His work has been featured in VICE, The Monthly, i-D and The Saturday Paper. Mahmood is currently writing a memoir due to be published by HarperCollins in 2021. "No Gangsters In Paradise" won the Walkley Media Diversity Award this year.

Mansionair

Mansionair’s global streaming numbers top an impressive 250 million having released their debut album, Shadowboxer, in early 2019. It was the culmination of a journey that led to high profile collaborations, a Grammy-nomination, ARIA and Billboard charting singles and several major support tours (CHVRCHES, Florence & The Machine, Carly Rae Jepsen, London Grammar and Bob Moses). But it’s also an album reflective of everything the band were going through personally and creatively – from mental health to sickness, relationship breakdowns to the ordinary coming-of-age struggles of youth.

Mindy Meng Wang

Mindy Meng Wang is a versatile Chinese/Australian Composer and Guzheng Performing Artist. Her cross-cultural life and professional experience has influenced her music and created an interesting and unique style that combines east and west, modern and traditional. Mindy was born and classical trained in China, moved to the UK at the age of 17 to study and perform, and now lives in Australia. Mindy has collaborated with many artists and frequently performed in festivals, shows and venues in Australia, the UK, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, and France. Mindy has pioneered bringing Guzheng into many western genres such as experimental, Jazz, western classical, Electronic and improvisation. Mindy’s work explores the fertile space between traditional and contemporary practices. She provides a strong voice for young female composers and artists of Chinese heritage. She is an important part of a significant movement of Chinese musicians redefining and reinvigorating their musical tradition on global stages.

Nat's What I Reckon

Comedian, content creator, best-selling author, rock musician, isolation cooking champion and mental health advocate Nat has been making videos as Nat’s What I Reckon for almost a decade. With his hilarious social commentary earning him a social media following of well over 2 million, Nat’s first book Un-cook Yourself: A Ratbag’s Rules for Life debuted at number 4 on the Australian bestsellers chart. Nat’s channel has provided him with a platform to take the playful piss out of masculine culture and societal politics. Refreshingly open about his battle with anxiety and depression, Nat uses this platform to destigmatise the experience by encouraging conversation. Nat’s “Death To Jar Sauce“ cooking videos – inspired by his observation during covid lockdowns that packaged foods had been cleaned off the shelves while the fresh produce sections were full – sent Nat to a new level of viral, and most importantly succeeded in getting people back into cooking fresh produce, with a message of positivity and encouragement.

Reg Mombassa

Chris O’Doherty, also known as Reg Mombassa is a New Zealand born Australian musician and artist. He is known for his membership in bands Mental as Anything, Dog Trumpet and The Pinks. He worked with Mambo Graphics designing t-shirts and posters since 1986 and exhibited paintings, drawings and prints at Watters Gallery from 1975 to 2018. His diverse range of projects also includes taking part in solo and group art shows in Australia, New Zealand, Italy, USA, France, Britain, China and Thailand. He has had survey shows at The SH Ervin Gallery in 2007, the Manly Gallery and Museum in 2018 and Ambush Gallery ANU Canberra 2019. His designs were featured in the closing ceremony for the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000 and he designed the graphics for the 2013 Sydney New Year’s Ever Celebrations. A biography The Life and Times of Reg Mombassa was written by Murray Waldren and published by Harper Collins in 2009. The Landscapes of Reg Mombassa was published by P.Q.Blackwell in 2016. His art is included in the permanent collections of the National Art Gallery, Canberra, The National Portrait Gallery, Canberra, The Art Gallery of NSW, the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, Macquarie University Gallery and the University of Sydney Union.

Sasha Sarago

Sasha Kutabah Sarago is a proud Wadjanbarra Yidinji, Jirrbal and African-American woman. Sasha’s traditional Country spans from Atherton Tablelands, Daintree to Tully, known as the Bama (Rainforest People) of Far North Queensland. A former model, Sasha Sarago, grew frustrated by the invisibility of multicultural women in fashion and media. In 2011, Sasha founded Ascension — Australia’s first digital lifestyle platform for women of colour. As a speaker, Sasha raises awareness around culture, diversity and equity in the business, media and lifestyle sectors. Sasha has appeared on NITV Awaken, SBS World News, SBS Insight, ABC News Breakfast, in the Sydney Morning Herald, Frankie and Fashion Journal Magazines. With articles published in The Guardian and SBS Voices. Sasha is also a filmmaker, writing and directing documentaries Too Pretty To Be Aboriginal and InsideOUT which premiered at the Melbourne Women’s Film Festival 2020.

Shyamla

Shyamla (they/them) is a Performing Artist, Choreographer, Educator and Writer with a Masters Degree in International Human Rights Law & Policy and three decades of dance experience. They specialise in cultural dance (Hip Hop, Bollywood, Brazilian Samba and Traditional Indian) and have trained and/or performed each style in its country of origin. Shyamla is the Founder and Director of BINDI BOSSES and has taught at renowned studios throughout Australia and abroad (Sydney Dance Company, Ettingshausens and Dance Attic (UK). They practice Classical Indian dance (Kuchipudi) with Guru Shri Raghavan Nair and regularly travels to India for training and to further their cultural knowledge. Shyamla works to promote cross-cultural interactions, intersectional inclusion, anti-discrimmination and belonging through the arts and by working with children. A 2019 Finalist for the NSW Multicultural Communications Awards (Best Print Report) and the winner of the 2020 NSW Premier’s Multicultural Community Medal for Bollykids Preschool Program, Shyamla has toured a range of cultural dance workshops and shows around Australia to regional and remote areas since 2013. BINDI BOSSES: Established in April 2019, BINDI BOSSES is a progressive, matriarchal South Asian performing arts company that seamlessly blends Traditional Indian Classical and Folk dances with influences from South Asian Cinema and Street dances from around the world. BINDI BOSSES provides a platform for culturally and linguistically diverse artists to collaborate and create live fusion dance experiences featuring signature Henna-style Face & Body Art. “We use dance and art to challenge traditional norms and preconceptions. We do not pander to what people outside (or inside) our cultures expect to see. Instead, we are redefining what that looks like on our own terms, beyond the stereotype of Bollywood. We stand in solidarity with the Traditional Owners of the unceded lands on which we practice, perform and stand and advocate for greater South Asian representation, cultural and linguistic diversity, self empowerment, racial equity and intersectional inclusion." Commended/followed by: Rowi Singh, Cartel Madras, Lilly Singh, Sonam Kapoor. Featured by: SBS Australia, Huffington Post, SBS Hindi, SBS Tamil, South Asian Today. Performed for: ICC T20 World Cup 2020, sold out events at Oxford Art Factory and Enmore Theatre, Half-Time entertainment for Sydney Kings at Qudos Bank Area with L-FRESH The LION in front of 17,500+ people. PERFORMANCE CREDITS Speaker: Shyamla Dancers: Shyamla, Ragavi Ragavan, Jes Subba, Shankari Jeyaseelan, Smrithi Karmakonda, Divya Saxena, Sarangi Rupasinghe, Sakshi Brahmbhatt Music: Meditjin by Baker Boy ft. JessB, Pattasu by Navz-47, Goonda Gold by Cartel Madras Costume Designer/Stylist: Meera by Poornima Sharma Henna-style Face & Body Art: Henna By Nubaisha Instagram: @bindibosses