TEDxBrisbane 2023: THE POWER OF INTENTION

Intention is a powerful thing. It takes a great idea and transforms it into determination. Determination to act, make a difference, grow, create, discover. To change minds, lives or perhaps the entire world.

The power of intention reflects the heart of the TEDxBrisbane community.

At TEDxBrisbane, we bring together thinkers, doers and changemakers on our stage and in our audience. We inspire, inform and challenge. We grow networks, spark and nurture collaborations, forge lasting communal memories, and generate intention and impact.

And we want you to be a part of it.

Our 12-hour flagship event features an incredible lineup of speakers who will leave audience members inspired, challenged, and informed. It includes exclusive live performances from standout local performers, opportunities to meet and talk with the speakers, a great selection of food, plus new taste sensations from local artisan producers, all-day barista-made coffee, a swag bag, purposeful networking, a rooftop after-party and more.

Think you have an idea worth spreading? Event attendees also have the chance to step onto the TEDxBrisbane stage and into the coveted red circle on event day as a finalist in the 1-Minute-Pitch Competition. Entry to this competition is exclusively available to ticket holders.

We invite you to join us at TEDxBrisbane 2023, Brisbane's premier ideas festival, to be inspired, connect, and forge your own powerful intentions. If you love watching TED Talks, you'll love TEDxBrisbane.

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SPEAKER & PERFORMER LINEUP

(so far... more announcements to come)

Alex Metse

Clinical psychologist & sleep researcher

Dr Alex Metse is a clinical psychologist and academic from the University of the Sunshine Coast. She is passionate about helping people to improve their health and quality of life. A key focus of her clinical and research work is on the role of health behaviours in the interplay between physical and psychological health.

Dr Metse has a particular interest in the role of sleep in promoting health and preventing chronic disease. In her clinical work, she has specialised in the treatment of sleep disorders. This has informed her research, which seeks to 1) improve the effectiveness of treatments for sleep disorders such as insomnia and 2) highlight the extent to which poor sleep is an issue impacting the health of the population and factors contributing to poor sleep, with this work integral to getting sleep on the public health agenda and informing population-level interventions.

Claire Lane

Nurse, Founder & medical supply distribution champion

Claire Lane is the compassionate and driven founder of Save Our Supplies (SOS). As a dedicated registered nurse with a specialization in theatre nursing, she witnessed firsthand the alarming amount of clean medical supplies being wasted in hospitals. Determined to make a positive change, Claire founded SOS to collect and repurpose these supplies, redirecting them to communities in need around the world. Her passion for sustainability, coupled with her expertise in healthcare, has led SOS to save over 1 million dollars of clean medical waste every year and support those who lack access to essential medical care.

David Reilly

Educational psychology researcher & self-confidence champion

Dr David Reilly is an academic and researcher with the School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, and the Faculty of Health, Southern Cross University. He has a passion for supporting students to reach their full potential, especially those who come from disadvantaged background (e.g. first in family to study at university,
non-traditional entryways to university), or come from social groups that are underrepresented such as women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)
fields. Self-doubts can become self-fulfilling prophecies: if you think you can't, you often won't.

He studies educational practices that supporting students to build their confidence and self-efficacy, and as a gender psychology researcher investigates social factors contributing inequalities in educational outcomes, and psychological wellbeing.

Dinesh Palipana

Doctor, lawyer, researcher, and disability advocate

Dinesh Palipana is a doctor, lawyer, medical researcher, and disability advocate. Dinesh sustained a spinal cord injury from a motor vehicle accident in 2010, which caused quadriplegia, with the loss of feeling and use of his fingers, parts of his arms, and everything below the chest. He was the first medical graduate with quadriplegia in Queensland.

In 2019, Dinesh received an Order of Australia Medal. He was the 2021 Queensland Australian of the Year. He was the third Australian to receive the Henry Viscardi Achievement award in New York.

Dinesh works at the busiest emergency department in Australia, in the Gold Coast University Hospital. He works on spinal cord injury research at Griffith University. He is a senior advisor to the Disability Royal Commission. In 2022, he was a model at Australian Fashion Week. Dinesh's biography Stronger was published in 2022.

Hailey Brown

Entrepreneur, tourism leader, and inclusive experience champion

Recognised as one of Australia’s nine most influential female entrepreneurs and a Queensland Young Tourism Leader, Hailey Brown has become a catalyst for change within the tourism industry. Upon recognising that blind and low-vision tourists were precluded from travelling as tourism marketing is typically visual, in 2020, Hailey founded Vacayit, the world’s first audio storytelling platform for tourism.

In just a year, almost half of the destinations in Australia have uprooted traditional image-based marketing and implemented a previously untouched asset to their channels — audio. Hailey aims to drive positive societal change around how destinations and operators market their experiences to be inclusive and accessible, and she won’t stop until the whole world has been described in audio.

Jim Hogan

Innovator, human rights activist, neuroinclusion champion

Jim Hogan (he/him/autistic) is an innovator, a human rights activist and a strong representative of what is possible for autistic individuals. Jim found his passion for computer science and innovation at a young age and has since worked in leadership positions for over 30 years. With his powerful voice and advocacy for acceptance, he has led the way for hundreds of autistic individuals who entered the workforce behind him.

Jim wears multiple hats at Google, including his roles as the Chief Innovation Evangelist, Google Cloud and Vice President, Accessibility in Technology for Google's Disability Alliance. Jim is also a doctoral candidate at Griffith University, and his thesis is titled "Innovating innovation methodology through neuroinclusion.”

Jo Kelly

Sustainability advocate, seaweed industry champion

Jo Kelly is CEO of the Australian Seaweed Institute and leads an innovative, nature-based solution for seaweed biofilters to help protect the Great Barrier Reef from water pollution. The solution is recognised by the World Economic Forum as a top 10 ocean innovation for impact and Jo has presented at the UN Oceans Conference, Monaco Ocean Week and Economist Ocean Forums.

Jo is Chair of the Australian Sustainable Seaweed Alliance and Steering Committee of the UN Global Compact’s Global Seaweed Coalition, working across industry, government and research to build a global regenerative seaweed industry. In 2020 she authored the Australian Seaweed Industry Blueprint, outlining the opportunity and plan to achieve a new sustainable seaweed industry.

Jo combines executive experience in strategy, sustainability, innovation, impact finance and environmental engineering and is a Nuffield Scholar, Myer Innovation Fellow and AMP Tomorrow Maker for her work in ocean impact and innovation.

Larrikin Puppets (aka Brett Hansen, Elissa Jenkins & Troggg)

Puppeteers

Brett Hansen and Elissa Jenkins of the award-winning Larrikin Puppets are doing their part to ensure our youngest generation experiences fun and laughter while embracing kindness and inclusion. And they are doing this through the unexpected and, at times, misunderstood performing arts practice of puppetry.

With a catalogue of performances – including pop-up theatre, in-theatre productions, school curriculum-aligned presentations, and puppetry for film and television – their highly entertaining, captivating and comedic puppetry is fast-paced, feel-good, and accompanied by original songs. Their shows nurture child development in a non-condescending way, encouraging audiences to talk, dance, sing and play along.

Brett and Elissa, who trained in the USA under puppeteers from The Muppets and Sesame Street, won 'Best Kids Live Show' in 2021 at the national What's On 4 Kids Awards.

Australia’s own blue monster entertainer and MC extraordinaire, Troggg (the middle g is silent), will be making his red-circle TEDx debut along with human co-presenter Elissa.

Mark Berridge

Author, resilience mentor, courage advocate

An experienced corporate leader turned multi-award-winning author, Mark Berridge shares the life-changing lessons he gained after a biking accident left him feeling physically and emotionally helpless.

The impact resulted in severe spinal cord damage, triggering an ongoing personal battle of recovery to overcome his devastating injuries. Mark found unheralded strength through drawing on insights from his extensive professional expertise, combined with personal grit, determination and embracing the support around him. Mark champions the idea that we are all a fraction stronger than we think, and with guidance we can bounce back stronger. He strives to share these messages every day, helping people nurture the resilience they need to prevail both personally and professionally, even in the most intractable of circumstances.

Tegan Leibbrandt

Nurse, social entrepreneur, recycling champion

Tegan is a Nurse unit manager and Co-founder of the outdoor brand Nakie.
After scuba diving in various renowned sites across the world, Tegan, her husband Dean, and Brother-in-law Jaryd identified the glaring impact single-use plastic is having on the environment and specifically the waterways.

In 2019, they launched Nakie- a B Corp-certified outdoor brand that uses recycled plastic bottles to create hammocks, blankets, towels and other outdoor gear.

Tegan is passionate about making a difference, having dedicated the last decade to caring for the vulnerable in her nursing career, and Nakie is no different. Through Nakie they have planted over 500,000 trees and counting and have donated half a million dollars' worth of blankets to help warm the homeless. When Tegan is not nursing or working on the business she is a loving mum to 6-month-old daughter Zara.

Tiana Iuvale

Regratitude champion

As a newly minted QUT graduate in 1999, Tiana Iuvale was on her way to building a career in the advertising industry. She cut her teeth in recruitment advertising before embarking on numerous twists and turns through luxury retail and heavy machinery parts before eventually landing in the financial services sector. Twenty-four years later, she has come full circle, bringing her passion for communication and creativity into general insurance. Never in a million years did she imagine herself working for an insurance company (and she’s pretty sure the insurance industry never imagined her in it, either). Yet, she has carved out a successful career encompassing business development, people leadership, project management, and initiative delivery, culminating in her current capacity as CGU’s Principal, Broker Communication and Engagement. In 2023, she was named as one of Insurance Business Australia’s ‘Elite Women in Insurance’, gained through her contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion and development of new talent through mentoring.

She has a particular passion for writing and loves following her curiosity. In her downtime, you will find her parenting two teenage sons with her tradie husband, rummaging through op shops for vintage finds, and exploring the human condition through the narrative of her professional and personal life experiences.

Owen Ung

An exclusive 'In Conversation'

As the Director of the MNHHS Comprehensive Breast Cancer Institute, Dr Owen Ung has been committed to his profession and the community over more than 30 years of specialist surgical practice. He is a Professor of Surgery at UQ School of Medicine with extensive teaching and research credentials.

Owen spoke at last year’s TEDx Brisbane on a new surgical approach that uses new 3D-printing technology instead of silicone implants as cosmetic alternatives for breast cancer survivors – see the below video of his talk.

This year we'll catch up with Owen to find out the latest developments on his work. This conversation will not be recorded and is exclusilvey for TEDxBrisbane attendees.

Meet our Performers...

Freight Train Foxes

Performer

Indie Folk duo, Freight Train Foxes are built around the talents of Brisbane songwriters, Pat Kenny and Kelsey Berrington. Armed with the sonic influences of Passenger and Stu Larsen, the pair wield their unique brand of suburban acoustic folk, which manages to wound and soothe simultaneously. Emerging from Brisbane’s open mic scene in 2019, the duo continues to draw the attention of the music industry, with four EPs and captivating performances at Australia’s most iconic music festivals. The Brisbane duo have been finalists at the Queensland Music Awards for two consecutive years, with their single, ‘Fly to You’ landing them their latest nomination at the 2023 awards ceremony. Pat was an Army Officer before making an abrupt switch to songwriting, while Kelsey had a background as a circus performer before taking up music full-time. Freight Train Foxes fourth EP Hungry & Hollow was released in June 2023, and it’s easily their most captivating collection of songs to date.

ixaras

Performer

Born and raised on Meanjin land, Filipino/Cambodian musician ‘ixaras’ (Ixara Dorizac), is a 16 year old singer/songwriter who is proving to make her mark as an artist hard and fast. In the last few months she has scored a spot as a finalist in Triple J Unearthed High competition 2023, won Triple Js opening slot at BIGSOUND 2023 and supported artists from the likes of Tyne James Organ, Platonic Sex and Luca Brasi. Sustaining this momentum, Ixara has just officially released her breakout single ‘sprouts’, which has already been met with critical praise across radio, press and most importantly, her rapidly growing fanbase.

Drawing parallels to artists such as beabadoobee, Indigo De Souza and Wet Leg, Ixaras music boosts vulnerability, catchy melodies and an impactful punch.

HANNI

Performer

HANNI is a unique and dynamic music artist who has carved her individual path in the music industry. With an innate ability to blend soulful melodies and heartfelt lyrics, she captivates audiences worldwide. HANNI’s music is an intimate reflection of her life experiences and emotions, resonating deeply with listeners and leaving a lasting impression.

With her passion for creating meaningful connections with her audience, HANNI hopes her music becomes a source of comfort and strength for those who listen. As she continues to share her authentic self through her song writing, she is leaving a lasting impact on the world, one heartfelt lyric at a time.

WAVENEY YASSO

Performer

Waveney is a Brisbane based singer/songwriter & a proud South Sea & Yuwi Burra descendant.

After graduating from WAAPA (Perth) in 2014 she moved back home to Brisbane to pursue her career in the arts & has been creating, performing & travelling professionally since then.

Her achievements include performing with world renowned Pub Choir (2016-2022), Yothu Yindi and the Treaty Project (Brisfest 2018), Songs That Made Me (QPAC 2018) TEDxBrisbane 2017/18; touring her original musical with Queensland Music Festival; Have You Ever Heard A Wombat Sing? (2014/15); singing her original music to an internationally televised audience for the 2012 NRL Allstars game; Performing at Island Vibe Festival 2017/18; Performing/ writing in her duo Black Salt; Working as a mentor with Creative Tracks 2016-18. Waveney’s original music is a gentle blend of acoustic/soul.

Her songs are inspired by the untold stories of her ancestors, her surroundings and the lessons of now. Each piece is woven together forming a storybook of song that explores sisterhood, energy, and love. With the simple recipe of melody and a six string Waveney will transport you to a new place.

*** More Speaker and Performer announcements coming soon

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FAQs

Venue Visitor Information

For visitor information regarding the venue, including transport options and accessibility provisions, please visit the ERPAC Visitor Information page.

16+ Event

This event is for people 16 years and over. Attendees aged 16 and 17 must be accompanied by an adult aged 18 years or over, and both must have purchased tickets. Please note the content is considered appropriate for 16+.

Companion Cards

If you have a Companion Card, please email us at tickets@tedxbrisbane.com.au after you have purchased your ticket to let us know you need a companion ticket, and we will issue you a separate registration for your companion.

Scholarship Tickets

The TEDxBrisbane "Pay It Forward" scholarship initiative provides an opportunity for people to attend in-person, who might otherwise be unable to attend.

Scholarship applications are open to individuals who hold a valid Pensioner Concession Card, Seniors Card, or full-time student card. The number of scholarships we offer is directly linked to the community's contributions as part of the Pay It Forward initiative. Contributions can be made during the ticketing checkout process or by emailing us at tickets@tedxbrisbane.com.au.

Applications for scholarship tickets are now open and close on Saturday, 17 September.

As part of its commitment to inclusion, TEDxBrisbane always provides a real-time live stream of its flagship events at no cost to viewers.

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WHAT IS TEDx?

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TED has created a program called TEDx. TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience.

Our event is called TEDxBrisbane, where x = independently organized TED event. At our TEDxBrisbane event, TED Talks, videos and live speakers will combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events, including ours, are self-organized.

For more information, visit TEDxBrisbane.com.au and follow @TEDxBrisbane on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and TikTok.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY

TEDxBrisbane acknowledges the Turrbal and Jagera peoples, the Traditional Owners of this land, and pay our respects to the Elders, both past, present and emerging.