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).

Faculty of Law Auditorium | Rivers State University
Nkpolu-Oroworukwo, Mile 3
Port Harcourt, Rivers, 500246
Nigeria

Excel Ukpohor

Production Technologist/Socialpreneur

Excel Ukpohor, with over 14 years of experience in the gas industry has had an interesting; one with major assignments in production operations and asset management. He is a Certified Manager of Quality and Organizational Excellence and holds an MSc in Process Technology and Management from the University of Strathclyde and MBA in Energy and Sustainability from University of Cumbria, UK. He is currently a Doctoral Learner at the College of Doctoral Studies, Grand Canyon University, Arizona, USA. He is member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers and Nigeria Gas Association and has been a speaker at conferences such as the World Gas Conference and the Future Energy Africa. Excel is very passionate about youth development and mentoring. This led him to founding the Youth Resource Centre, Bonny Island. The Centre is an integrated one-stop Centre that provides a wide range of social, health, education, employment and life skills services to youths of his community for free.

Gabriel Omin

Business Performance Consultant

Gabriel is a Chemical Engineer by training and negotiator by day. Negotiation and the art to build a solid case for investment has proved useful in his day job as a Chartered Supply Chain Management practitioner. He is an avid investor in the Nigerian Stock Market for more than 15 years and has invested in a couple of start-ups in the Nigerian business scene. Armed with an MBA from the Fuqua Business School Duke University, he has consulted for various start-up companies in business growth & expansion, new product development, performance improvement and customer service development. He has acted in advisory roles for a number of for-profit and non-profit organizations. His passion to see people make knowledgeable investment prompted him to author “Insight Into Stock Market Dynamics”, a book for beginner investors. He facilitates training / consulting sessions with budding entrepreneurs via the FATE Foundation platform.

Jacqueline Suowari

Ballpoint Pen Artist/Draughtswoman

Jacqueline Suowari is a Ballpoint Pen Artist and Draughtswoman. Her foray into art started from the early age of five and for the past decade, she has stunned her ardent collectors with magnetic pieces which over time, have grown larger than life. Jacqueline is motivated by the intriguing art of drawing. The thousands of ballpoint pen strokes which make up every single piece of her work reveals the countless hours which it takes to achieve perfection in her eyes, with a single piece sometimes taking several months to complete. In each piece, she combines various elements of design to share her experiences and inspiration with the audience. Jacqueline has participated in several group exhibitions locally and internationally and has been featured in several publications including Chukwuemeka Ben Bosah’s book “The Art of Nigerian Women” which chronicles some of the best of Nigeria’s artists. She is currently represented by Avant Gallery in the United States of America.

Samson Goddy

Technologist/Developer

Samson Goddy is a 19-year-old technologist and a co-founder of Open Source Community Africa who started learning how to code at aged 9. He was introduced into the world of technology with the One Laptop Per Child program. He is passionate about edTech and an advocate for open technology. He has been serving as a board member of Sugar Labs, a community of people creating software to improve children's learning. He is on a mission to bridge the technology gap across Africa.

Timi Kei

Lyricist/Musician

Hailed by many as "Port Harcourt's Best Rapper", Timi Kei has his roots in early 21st century American hip hop and Nigerian pop cultures. His compelling, out of the box performances transport audiences to a different dimension as Timi Kei blends poetry, creativity and musical diversity. "What comes naturally to Timi Kei is skillful storytelling, lyricism at it's finest, music with a message and conviction that only comes when you really mean what you're saying" says one renowned music critic, as he captivates his audiences with almost Broadway like displays. Utilizing a wide range of vocals, clarity, infectious energy, plots & twists, this genre defying artist certainly knows how to entertain, educate and inspire at the same time.

Wande Thomas

Creative Director/Producer

Wande Thomas is the Creative Director of Urbangidi, an African Content creation and production company focused on integrated content based advertising (ICBA). With a masters in Enterprise systems management from Birmingham city university, UK, Wande is keen on the use of technology and most especially Media and Integrated content as a tool in driving across brand messages to it’s intended target demographic. An avid believer in African self sufficiency and cultural updating and preservation for the 2018 Nigerian, Wande believes that Africa is who Africa needs. Wande has produced Ads for Top Nigerian brands like access bank and delta soap, as well as several the critically acclaimed music videos such as "This Is Nigeria" for Falz and “Killing Dem” for Burna Boy amongst others. Wande is also socially driven and has recently released a Viral short “I Got Flowers Today” starring Dorcas Shola-Fapson which addresses domestic abuse and violence.