TEDxUniMelb 2024: Intersecting Horizons

ABOUT THE EVENT:

TEDxUniMelb is an independently organized TEDx event dedicated to spreading ideas worth sharing within the University of Melbourne community and beyond.

TEDxUniMelb 2024: Intersecting Horizons aims to explore the convergence of diverse ideas, disciplines, and perspectives that shape our world. 

The speaker lineup for this year ranges with people from multiple backgrounds and experiences, all of them having one thing in common - a way in which they converged two different ideas and created something meaningful. And they are eager to share them with you!

SPEAKER LINEUP:

• Janet Gordon
  

Janet is a highly empathetic, energetic and believes learning is a life-long skill. She started Bluestarfish Consulting in 2007 after heading up the change function in a major UK Management Consultancy. Bluestarfish Consulting focuses on developing leaders and coaches in business. Janet was at her own intersection of horizons in her early 30s, when she brought skills from her first theatre career to the corporate world.She and her team use actors as in Bluestarfish’s programmes to create experiential, long-lasting, engaging learning. 
She has worked on numerous cultural change programmes for major blue-chip organisations globally and brings real experience to support leaders in times of constant change.

• Jamie Zhu

A social media content creator with over 10 million followers on all platforms. He founded his brand in 2014 and established himself to be one of Australia's leading influencers. 
Having worked with some of the biggest brands in the world, such as Sony, Samsung, and Amazon, to name a few, Jamie has also collaborated with governmental organisations in Australia, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia.

• Kishwar Chowdhary

Kishwar Chowdhury is a well-known figure in the chefs' circuit today. She has made a name for her unique adaptations of traditional South and East Asian food.
​Born and raised in Melbourne, her interest in heritage cuisine, sourcing ingredients and growing rare produce was cultivated in her from an early age. What sets Kishwar’s food style apart is her attention to seasonality, origins of food, cultural history and relevance of the dishes she creates. A lover of anthropology and history, Kishwar finds herself continuously evolving as a chef through her understanding of heritage, history and philosophy blended with movements of the culinary world, techniques and inspirations from around the globe

• Tika Tazkya Nurdyawati

Activist and founder of Muda Empati (Empathetic Youth), empowering grassroots sustainability movements among thousands of young people in Indonesia. As a strong believer of Emotional Empathy, she will talk about The Three Pillars of Empathy that can help one transform their personal and professional journey.

• Dr. Varadhi Binay

An Associate Lecturer in Management and Marketing at the University of Melbourne, published academic, and certified Focusing Teacher. With a passion for blending Eastern and Western wisdom traditions, Varadhi brings a unique perspective to her research and teaching, informed by somatic healing practices and her extensive experience in leading retreats and offering one-on-one guidance for over a decade.

• Shiao Lu

Shiao Lu is a 2024 Top 100 Future Leader by the Australian Financial Review as well and was a previous recipient of the MyHero Award, which champions Malaysians who promote national unity and harmony across cultural barriers.
She was the former National Chairperson for the Malaysian Students Council of Australia (MASCA), which represented approximately 20,000 Malaysian students studying all across Australia. She is passionate about public and social policy, issues surrounding equitable access to education, fighting against school violence in educational institutions, and gender equity.