TEDxBlighStreet

Professor Bates Gill

Bates Gill has seen up-close how a global perspective can transform the world for the better. Primarily focusing on China and Asian affairs, his 30-year international career as a scholar, policy advisor, and institution-builder has taken him across six continents and to some 60 countries and counting. Along the way, he has led a global top-ten think tank and held research positions at world-leading universities and public policy institutions in Europe, North America and the Asia-Pacific such as the Brookings Institution, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, and the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House, London). He is currently professor of Asia-Pacific security studies at Macquarie University.

See here for Professor Bates Gill’s TEDxBlighStreet 2018 talk

Solli Raphael

Solli Raphael is an award-winning slam poet who won the 2017 National Slam Poetry title in an all-adult poetry competition at the Sydney Opera House, made even more remarkable by the fact he won it at 12 years of age.

Now 13, Solli has become Penguin Random House Australia's youngest author with his debut book, Limelight.

This socially-aware teen has a long list of accomplishments such as performing at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in front of 35,000 people and at TEDxSydney.

Taking his public platform seriously, the authentic game-changer enjoys raising awareness for issues like climate change and equality. Solli writes and performs powerful and emotive poetry with a hope to influence positive change, one word at a time.

See here for Solli Raphael’s TEDxBlighStreet 2018 talk

JON OWEN

A qualified social worker, Jon’s life has been dedicated to living and serving amongst Australia’s most disadvantaged. His work saw him living in Mount Druitt (Bidwill) for 10 years where he shared his home with people seeking asylum, refugees, people in recovery, and ex-prisoners. He has many stories – including being attacked by samurai swords, seeing a battle tank drive past his house, and nearly being sent to immigration detention. Born in Malaysia and migrating to Australia in the 1970s, Jon’s life is testament to the power of hospitality. Jon continues Wayside Chapel’s mission of creating community with no “us and them”.

See here for Jon Owen’s TEDxBlighStreet talk

Professor Toby Walsh

Toby Walsh is a leading researcher in Artificial Intelligence. He was named by the Australian newspaper as a "rock star" of Australia's digital revolution.

He is Scientia Professor of Artificial Intelligence at UNSW, leads the Algorithmic Decision Theory group at Data61, Australia's Centre of Excellence for ICT Research, and is Guest Professor at TU Berlin. He has been elected a fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, and has won the prestigious Humboldt research award as well as the NSW Premier's Prize for Excellence in Engineering and ICT. He has previously held research positions in England, Scotland, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland and Sweden.

See here for Professor Toby Walsh’s TEDxBlighStreet Talk

The light collective

The Light Collective are a group of Australian photographers who use their skills as image makers to highlight environmental and sustainability issues.

There first project ‘Red’, was a breathtaking portfolio of work that exposed the kaleidoscopic beauty of Kati Thanda - Lake Eyre from above.

Their second project ‘Black and Blue’ is a conversation on terrible beauty. As The Light Collective play with images of mining projects in Australia as well as The Great Barrier Reef to highlight the fragile point we are at with the conservation of this National icon.

See here for The Light Collective’s TEDxBlighStreet 2018 talk

Dr Jodie Ward

Churchill Fellow and Superstar of STEM, Dr Jodie Ward, is a Forensic DNA Specialist passionate about identifying unknown and missing persons, and providing their families with answers. She is the pioneer of NSW Health Pathology’s Specialist DNA Laboratory - a unique forensic service recovering DNA from challenging human remains. In her academic roles, she educates and inspires the next generation of forensic scientists, and conducts collaborative research to improve the DNA identification of mass disaster victims. Dr Ward is a forensic humanitarian on a mission ‘to strive, to seek, to find’ DNA solutions for improving the lives of all Australians.

See here for Dr.Jodie’s TDxBlighStreet talk

Ronni Kahn

Ronni Kahn founded OzHarvest in 2004, driven by a passion to make a difference and stop good food going to waste; she started with one van in Sydney.  After changing the law to make it safe for companies to donate surplus food, she has grown OzHarvest to be Australia’s leading food rescue organisation, opened the first rescued food supermarket and is now taking the unique food rescue model global.

Ronni is a powerhouse in the fight against global food waste.  OzHarvest partners annually with the United Nations Environment Programme to raise awareness on the issue and is working with Government and key stakeholders to halve food waste nationally by 2030. The ripple effect of her commitment is fuelling action across the globe.