Theme: Open

‘Open’ is based on the philosophy of both receptiveness and transparency. To be open is to absorb new knowledge that feeds our understanding. To be open is to receive free and unrestricted access to information and dialogue. To be open is to be willing to look at the world through the lens of somebody else.

Whether it's openness in our conversations, our spaces, our minds or our hearts, we dedicate our 2017 conference to open interpretations that can shape our collective imagination.

Isabel Bader Theatre
93 Charles St W
Toronto, Ontario, M5S 2C7
Canada

Goodbye Honolulu

Goodbye Honolulu is a Toronto-based rock band. The band evokes a 90s slacker vibe, mixing vintage garage rock n roll history with modern elements, it’s not exactly pop and it’s not exactly punk - the Toronto natives are a uniquely brilliant bunch. Goodbye Honolulu is best known for their live shows and at their best when every member is screaming their heads off with shout along choruses.

Onoscatopoeia

Onoscatopoeia is the University of Toronto's Hart House Jazz Choir: a mixed, 15-voice choir that sings jazz, pop, and R&B music. Most importantly, they sing a cappella! Harmonies blend to form all the necessary lines to a piece of music. The only instruments are voices, and what may sound like a wailing trumpet may just be one of our sopranos.

UofT Jazz Orchestra

UofT Jazz Orchestra

The UofT Jazz Orchestra is currently in its fifth year under the leadership of Gordon Foote and is the flagship group of the Jazz Studies Program at UofT.

Bill Ju

Associate Professor

Dr. Bill Ju is an associate professor in the Human Biology Department of the University of Toronto, with a focus on neuroscience.

Cristina D'Amico

PhD Candidate

Cristina D’Amico is PhD candidate in the department of English at the University of Toronto. Her SSHRC-funded dissertation, “The Death and Life of Ownership in Nineteenth-Century American Literature (1840-1920),” combines political theory and literary analysis to rethink the privileged position of property ownership in American culture. In June 2016, she held a Summer Fellowship at The New School’s Centre for Critical Social Inquiry in New York City. Currently, Cristina teaches at UofT's English Department and Innis College’s Writing and Rhetoric Program.

Joe Wong

Professor of Political Science + Canada Research Chair

Joseph Wong is the Ralph and Roz Halbert Professor of Innovation at the Munk School of Global Affairs, Professor of Political Science and Canada Research Chair in Health, Democracy and Development. He has worked extensively with the UN and the World Bank, and has advised governments on matters of public policy in Asia, Africa, the Americas and Europe. Joe Wong is also currently leading the Reach Project (http://reachprojectuoft.com/) which is supported by a partnership between the Munk School of Global Affairs and the MasterCard Center for Inclusive Growth (https://mastercardcenter.org/). The Reach Project recruits up to 20 student researchers each year at the University of Toronto, from across all disciplines. His current research focuses on poverty and innovation.

Liza Futerman

PhD Researcher + Dementia Care Activist

Liza is currently a CIHR-funded PhD researcher, and a dementia care activist. She is the founder of ArtsForDementia, De-pathologizing Dementia and the author of Keeper of the Clouds.

Matt Stewart

Magician

Matt Stewart specializes in mentalism and forms the other half of the Will & Matt magic duo Both Will and Matt discovered magic at the age of 12, and it became their outlet for self-expression and a medium for personal growth.

Patrick Gunning

Professor of Chemistry & Cancer Biology

Scientist and visionary, Patrick Gunning is making remarkable breakthroughs in the realm of cancer research. Dr. Gunning is most known for his discovery of a drug that cured breast cancer, multiple myelomas and acute lymphoblastic leukemia in mice, which also has potential to eliminate cancerous cells in human patients.

Paul Hamel

Professor of Molecular & Cell Biology

Paul Hamel is a Professor in the Department of Laboratory & Pathobiology in the Faculty of Medicine at UofT, his primary research area is Molecular and Cell Biology.

Rajiv Surendra

Actor, Artist, Writer

Rajiv Surendra is a Canadian actor, artist, and writer and a University of Toronto alum. He is most known for portraying Kevin G. in the comedy Mean Girls, and for his 2016 book The Elephants in My Backyard, a memoir of his failed attempt to win the lead role in the 2012 film Life of Pi.

Raquel Urtasun

Associate Professor of Computer Science

Professor Urtasun is a recognized figure in the field of computer science and has been named Canada's Research Chair in Machine Learning and Computer Vision. She is co-chief of the Creative Destruction Lab at the University of Toronto, and an associate professor in the Department of Computer Science.

Sanja Fidler

Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the University of Toronto

Sanja Fidler is an assistant professor at the University of Toronto in the Department of Computer Science. Prof. Fidler is interested in computer recognition of human dimensions, like the ability for a program to look at a photo and not only recognize objects in the image but also subtleties and characteristics that a human would pick up.

Tobi Ogude

Spoken Word Poet + writer

Tobi Ogude is a spoken word poet and undergraduate student at the University of Toronto Mississauga. He is a writer for Omit Limitation, one of the collectives responsible for building the arts community in Toronto, and a curator at Blank Canvas Gallery, a home for artists and creatives who are looking for the best way to express themselves. Tobi will be performing an original piece specially written for TEDxUofT 2017!

William Zhang

Magician

Half of the Will & Matt magic duo consists of William Zhang, UofT engineering alumni turned conjuror. Both Will and Matt discovered magic at the age of 12, and it became their outlet for self-expression and a medium for personal growth.

Yannis Guibinga

Photographer

Yannis is a self-taught photographer from Gabon, and recent graduate from the Communication, Culture, Information & Technology program at the University of Toronto. He focuses his photography work on African identities and their intersection with gender and culture. www.yannisdavy.com