TEDxReykjavík was held for the sixth time on May 28th 2016 in Austurbær. At the event, attendees were given the opportunity to be inspired by new ideas from a diverse lineup of speakers who represent some of the most interesting thinkers, artists and entrepreneurs in Iceland.
The theme in 2016 was: “Local ideas on a global scale”. Together we explored ideas cultivated in Iceland to map out their potential impact on the world at large. What can we learn from our immediate environment and how could it benefit other communities in the world?
Speakers
Speakers may not be confirmed. Check event website for more information.
Jonathan Duffy
Jonathan Duffy is an Australian born comedian, cabaret performer and award winning filmmaker. He has lived in Reykjavík since 2015 and since arriving he has added a long string of artistic achievements to his resume. He regularly performs stand-up and hosts multiple events around Reykjavík, including the tremendously successful variety night Drag Sugur. He regularly performs the comedy show 'Icetralia' with national treasure Hugleikur Dagsson.Margrét Snorradóttir
Margrét founded the feminist group Ronja at Hagaskóli. The group made media headlines for their project #Ronjaferátúr ("Ronja has her period") where the school dedicated an entire week to combating stigma over women's menstruation periods. Ronja provided a platform for young feminists to share their ideas, get involved, and introduce others to feminism and equality. Together Una and Margrét will talk about the need for women to take up room and what they can accomplish by doing so.Nick Jameson
Nick Jameson is an actor, comedian, slam poet (or a rapper, as he likes to say) and most of all a musician. Nick currently lives in Reykjavík, Iceland, where he is working on a new solo album and a one-man show, as well as regularly performing standup comedy and solo concerts.Rachel Corvo
Rachel Corvo is a writer who after many years was inspired to take up the pen again and come out of writer's hibernation, after developing closer ties with her part-time home, Iceland. An impractical pragmatist, a digital nomad who makes home wherever she lands, an introvert with extrovert tendencies, an impulsive planner and cautiously daring. Born in Hollywood, raised on a farm in the middle-of-nowhere Texas, then back to Hollywood as a teen. Now, home is Iceland and the US - all a very steady diet of juxtaposition.Tara Ösp Tjörvadóttir
Tara is a photographer and aspiring filmmaker who in 2015 came out with her depression, after secretly fighting the illness on her own for 11 years. Since then, Tara has been actively fighting against the stigma attached to mental illnesses. She founded the Faces of Depression project where she photographed 100 Icelanders suffering from depression and was one of the shaping forces behind the Icelandic hashtag movement #égerekkitabú (#ImNotTaboo). Tara is currently working on her next project, a documentary called Depressed Nation.Tómas Guðbjartsson
Tómas Guðbjartsson is a cardiothoracic surgeon and a professor of surgery at Landspítali University Hospital. Alongside his medical studies he worked as a mountain guide in the Icelandic highlands, becoming enamored with Iceland‘s unique landscapes. The Icelandic wilderness has a special place in his heart and he spends all of his free time outdoors, hiking, back country skiing and introducing people to the natural treasures of Iceland.Ugla Stefanía
Ugla Stefanía Kristjönudóttir Jónsdóttir is a trans and queer activist from Iceland. They have been involved in activism for the past 8 years and have been a part of many NGO‘s, including Samtökin 78 – National Queer Organization, Trans Iceland and IGLYO – International Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex Youth and Student Organization. They are currently doing their masters in gender studies at the University of Iceland.Una Torfadóttir
In 2015, Una wrote a poem titled Elsku stelpur ("Dear Girls"). It became the basis for a satirical dance performance piece that won the Skrekkur talent competition in 2015. The poem deals with issues that young girls face each day and sparked a much-needed dialogue on young women's standing in modern society.Vignir Gudmundsson
Vignir graduated from Reykjavik University with a BSc. degree in Mathematics and a MSc. degree in Computer Science. He is the CEO and co-founder of Radiant Games and the chairman for the Icelandic Gaming Industry federation (IGI). In the last 2 years, Vignir and his co-founders at Radiant Games have worked hard at trying to create the best playful coding experiences possible. The first experience that they have created is a mobile coding game called Box Island, which introduces kids to the fundamentals of coding through an exciting adventure.Vilborg Arna Gissurardóttir
Vilborg is an explorer, and adventurer and a motivational speaker. She was born and raised in Iceland, and feels very fortunate to have grown up surrounded by mountains and glaciers. Vilborg is avidly pursuing her dreams, and she crossed the Greenland glacier in 2012 and became the first Icelandic person to ski solo from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole.Vilhjálmur Bragason
Vilhjálmur ("Will") Bragason is a writer and a playwright. He studied English at the University of Iceland and UCL before doing an MA at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, where his dissertation took the form of a dark comedy, Decomposition: A play for a dead actor, which examined the very nature of the theatre. Vilhjálmur has written several plays both in English and Icelandic. He is passionate about his idea that the stories we choose to tell ourselves can have a huge impact on our everyday lives.Organizing team
