Theme: Embracing Challenge

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).

Newnham College
University of Cambridge
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB3 9DF
United Kingdom

Angela Heeley

Angela Heeley is an alumna of Newnham College at the University of Cambridge, and spent the majority of my career working for the veterinary charity PDSA, as the Senior Veterinary Surgeon responsible for the running of the Cardiff PetAid hospital. She has also been involved with the Army Reserves, and has served as a Veterinary Officer in Afghanistan, Cyprus and the UK. Angela is studying for an MSc in Veterinary Epidemiology.

Anne Miller

Anne Miller is an expert on innovation and change, particularly relating to the transition to the low carbon economy. She is currently on the advisory panel Carbon Trust and a Trustee of Legal Response International, a charity providing pro-bono legal advice to developing countries on climate change. She is also Director of the Creativity Partnership and a co-founder of the Climate Coalition, the charity that built the UK’s largest and most diverse coalition of UK NGOs campaigning on climate change.

Bella Heesom

Bella Heesom is an actor, writer and theatre-maker. After studying philosophy at Newnham College at the University of Cambridge, she trained at LAMDA, and has enjoyed lead roles and ensemble work in theatre, film and TV projects. She has performed her one-person play, My World Exploded a Little Bit, at the Edinburgh Fringe and is currently working on her second show, Rejoicing At Her Wondrous Vulva The Young Woman Applauded Herself, a piece celebrating female sexuality.

Callie Vandewiele

Callie Vandewiele is a Gates Scholar and PhD student at Newnham College at the University of Cambridge. She is a comedian, writer, activist and knitter, and she is the product of ‘unschooling’ implemented by a liberal anarchist in the deserts of Utah.

Carol Black

Professor Dame Carol Black is the Principal of Newnham College. She is a past-President of the Royal College of Physicians, of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, and of the British Lung Foundation, and has chaired the UK Health Honours Committee. She has long been involved in encouraging women to aspire to positions of leadership, in the professions, academia and public life. She is now a member of the University’s Equality and Diversity Committee, and of the organising committee for the annual Women of the World Festival in Cambridge. She chairs the board of Think Ahead, a not-for-profit organisation that encourages graduates into mental health social work.

Clare Pooley

Clare Pooley describes herself a ‘a middle aged, over educated, over privileged, (formerly) overweight Mum of three who had a long love affair with high priced, good quality wine until she realised that the relationship was going nowhere.’ She studied at Newnham College at the University of Cambridge, and was an advertising executive in London before becoming a full time Mum. In 2014 she started a blog called 'Mummy was a Secret Drinker' under the pseudonym SoberMummy, and has now published a book, 'The Sober Diaries', with Hodder and Stoughton.

Jenny Morton

Professor Jenny Morton is Professor of Neurobiology and Director of Studies in Medicine and Veterinary Medicine at Newnham College, Cambridge. With her research team she focuses on genetic neurological disorders, particularly Huntington’s disease (HD) and Batten’s disease. Huntington’s Disease is a devastating neurological genetic disease with fatal outcome. There is limited treatment, and currently no cure for HD: Jenny Morton’s team are fighting to change that.

Jo Withers

Dr Jo Withers is a fellow of the Royal College of General Practitioners, and volunteers with Virtual Doctors, a charity which provides telemedicine support to medical officers in rural Zambia. Following a clinical fellowship in end of life care, Jo established a community group in 2013 named “Finity” which aims to encourage and support people within the community to talk about issues to do with dying, death and loss. In the past few years, Finity has reached hundreds through its diverse programme of workshops, plays, films, talks, death cafes and drama in schools.

Megan Beech

Megan Beech is a performance poet. She was the winner of the Poetry Society’s SLAMbassadors national youth slam in 2011. Her debut collection, ‘When I Grow Up I Want to be Mary Beard’ was published in 2013, and her latest book, ‘You Sad Feminist’ was released in 2017. She was featured in the Guardian lists of ‘inspiring young feminists in 2014’ and ‘Must Read Books of the Year 2014’ and Evening Standard’s list of ‘Ten 21st Century feminist icons’.

Monica Buckland

The British / Swiss conductor Monica Buckland grew up in England, and studied at Newnham College, Cambridge, the Basel Music Academy and the American Academy of Conducting at Aspen. She currently lives in Switzerland, where she works regularly with Capriccio Basel, Bläsersolisten Aargau, Lehrergesangverein (one of the four Tonhalle choirs) and ars cantata zürich. Monica believes passionately that music, and the power to share it with others, exists within everyone.

Rod Cantrill

Rod Cantrill is a Cambridge city councillor and local community leader. He believes passionately in standing up and working for the community you live in, and has been a trustee of Wintercomfort for the Homeless, a homeless day centre and social enterprise charity in Cambridge for over a decade.

Sakthy Selvakumaran

Sakthy Selvakumaran has worked as a civil and structural engineer in multiple roles, continents and cultures before returning to academia. In 2016 she was named by Forbes on its first ‘30 Under 30’ Europe list, which celebrates young leaders, inventors and entrepreneurs. She has worked on projects to bring water treatment to Africa, earthquake proof homes in Peru, and adding new green energy technology to old structures. She also also volunteers for Engineers without Borders

Sarah Weiler

Sarah has trained teachers in Austria and South America, researched Colombian traditional music, and now is a multi-entrepreneur. Through her own company, Power of Uke, she delivers corporate training as the FaSILLYtator – using music to bring more fun to an often serious world. She walked 815km across northern Spain on the Camino de Santiago in 2017.

Sucheta Nadkarni

Professor Sucheta Nadkarni is a Professorial Fellow at Newnham College and Director of the Wo+Men's Leadership Centre at the University of Cambridge Judge Business School. Her research centers on strategic leadership, strategic change and competitive dynamics with a specific focus on the strategic implications of CEO personality, TMT personality diversity, dynamics and gender issues in the boards of major companies.