Theme: The EDGE (Engage, Discover, Grow, Explore)

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).

Forum Theatre, Arts West
Professor's Walk, Room 153, North Wing.
First Floor
Melbourne, Victoria, 3052
Australia

Haynes D'Souza

Corporate Finance Advisor & Parkinson's Disease Advocate

Haynes is a Corporate Finance advisor & Parkinson's Disease advocate with over 10 years experience working in San Francisco, Canberra & Melbourne. With a background in traditional finance & FinTech, he has advised numerous startups globally on M&A, capital raisings, IPOs & due diligence. Within Australia, Haynes is also a passionate advocate for Parkinson's Disease research & rehabilitation. Following the diagnosis of his father in 2011, Haynes has been involved in local rehabilitation groups as well as supporting neurodegenerative research - primarily Alzheimer's & Parkinson's Disease. Away from advocacy, Haynes can be found competing in marathons & road cycling events across Australia.

James Ryall

Chief Scientific Officer at Vow

Doctor James Ryall is the Chief Scientific Officer at Vow, Australia’s largest cultured meat company. Dr Ryall was awarded his PhD in the field of skeletal muscle physiology in 2006 from The University of Melbourne. After five years of training at the National Institutes of Health (Bethesda, MD, USA), Dr Ryall returned to The University of Melbourne and went on to become a leading scientist within the Centre of Muscle Research. Since joining in 2019 Dr Ryall has helped to grow Vow from a team of four to almost 80, including over 30 scientists and engineers. He has helped raise over USD$55M in private equity funding to build and commission one of the largest (operational) cultured meat facilities in the world, and in one of the world’s largest cultured meat marketing events, Dr Ryall (in collaboration with Wunderman Thompson) brought the mammoth meatball to the world!

Kate Drummond

Director of Neurosurgery at Royal Melbourne Hospital

Professor Kate Drummond, AM, MD, FRACS is Director of Neurosurgery (RMH) and Head of CNS Tumours at the VCCC Parkville Precinct. Her research and clinical interests are in the biology and management of brain tumours. She has published over 180 peer-reviewed papers and many book chapters and has received more than $30.5 million in research funding. She is Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Clinical Neuroscience, on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Neurosurgery. She has served as Chief Examiner in Neurosurgery, Chair of the Women in Surgery Committee and on the Neurosurgery Surgical Education and Training Board for the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, being awarded the RACS medal for these services. She is Chair of Pangea Global Health Education, a for-impact organisation specialising in health education in low resource settings. In 2019 she was awarded Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for services to medicine, particularly in neuro-oncology and community health.

Olivia Ong

Pain and Rehabilitation Physician

Dr Olivia Ong is a pain and rehabilitation physician who graduated with Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery and Bachelor of Medical Science from The University of Melbourne in 2004, and an expert in burnout and resilience. She is also an International Award Winning Author, Global Keynote Speaker, Award Winning Physician Entrepreneur and Healthcare Thought Leader. In 2008, when Olivia was still a junior doctor, a catastrophic car accident rendered her a paraplegic, and she was told she will never walk again. After an intensive three-year recovery process, she walked again. Olivia then went on to become a qualified dual trained pain and rehabilitation physician in Melbourne, Australia. Olivia also founded the Heart-Centred Method Institute to help doctors cultivate self-compassion so that they can thrive after burnout.

Sachin Shah

AirTree Investment Manager & Co-Host of the Sachin and Adam Show

Sachin is an Investment Manager at the leading venture capital firm AirTree and the co-host of The Sachin and Adam Show, one of the biggest technology podcasts in Australia. They have interviewed 100+ of the world's best leaders like Malcolm Turnbull, Sir Ronald Cohen and Elizabeth Broderick. He is also a founding member of Ultraviolet Ventures and the co-author of The Rising Tide: Your Guide to Startups and Venture Capital in Australia.

Sara Webb

Astrophysicist

Dr. Sara Webb is an astrophysicist dedicated to sharing the wonders of astronomy and astrophysics with a wide audience. Her work includes chasing the fastest and rarest explosions in the Universe and investigating how humans and AI will work together in the future. Her work is focused on the future of astronomy and space science, and how AI will help us archive our goals. She is currently a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing at Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia.

Shivika Sharma

Kathak Student & Dancer

Shivika is a Kathak student and dancer with over a decade of experience. Currently based in Melbourne, she is learning this classical Indian dance form under the tutelage of Smt. Sumona Bhattacharya, a renowned teacher and performer. Shivika is also an avid enthusiast of Hindustani Classical Music, which she finds deeply spiritual and transformative. Shivika is also a business and technology professional with an interdisciplinary background spanning Science, International Relations, and Software Engineering. Shivika remains deeply connected to her artistic roots as a dedicated Kathak student and performer, drawing inspiration from her rich Fijian Indian heritage; to engage with the higher power of art.