Theme: On the Brink

The 6th independently organised TED event at the LSE will take place on March 12th, 2017 and we are excited to announce that the theme for the conference is "On the Brink".

In 2016, the world experienced a drastic shift in trends that indicate a new wave of policies, ideas and new approaches to traditional methods. In politics, the British vote to leave the EU and Donald Trump's election have been two major events in what may become the greatest shift in the political paradigm since the Fall of the Berlin Wall. A new way of doing politics is equally likely to change economic relationships between countries. Technology, too, promises to change even more the way we live. The migrant crisis has raised questions about what kind of policies countries ought to adopt, both in terms of foreign and immigration policy. As always, we at TEDxLSE are willing to join the conversation!

Our speakers will be interpreting this theme in whatever way it means to them, which we guarantee will inspire the hundreds of people in attendance. The conversations will be exciting and will range from new ways of learning in the classroom to scientific breakthroughs.

Old Theatre, London School of Economics
Houghton Street
London, London, City of, WC2A 2AE
United Kingdom

Candy Gan

BSc Politics and Philosophy Student at London School of Economics and Political Science

Candy Gan is a 3rd year Politics and Philosophy student at the LSE, and winner of the TEDxLSE Student Competition this year. She has lived with chronic illness her entire life, but never publicly discussed it until now. Her passion lies in healthcare policies and reform, specifically how society affects individual health. At TEDxLSE, she will be talking about accountability and responsibility, inspired by her personal experiences with chronic illness.

Charles Akle

Founder and Executive Chairman at Immodulon Therapeutics

Dr Charles Akle is the founder and CEO of Immodulon Therapeutics which he established in 2007 with the philanthropic support of a former patient. His ambition from the start was to bring to market an affordable immunotherapy treatment that would transform the way that cancer is treated in the world today. Since then, Immodulon has become a leading independent biopharmaceutical company with one of the longest running research projects in this area. Charles received his medical training at Guy’s Hospital in London and acted as a leading surgeon for more than 30 years, pioneering the innovation of laparoscopic surgery which established minimally invasive procedures as an alternative to major operations.

Chris Stephens

Associate Director of Carbon Trust

Chris has 10 years’ experience related to low-carbon development and climate change policy in emerging economies. He leads the Carbon Trust’s engagement in Southeast Asia and is currently managing a portfolio of projects that advises the governments of Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam on clean energy policy. He also leads the Carbon Trust’s engagement with a range of international climate funds, including the Green Climate Fund (GCF). Before joining the Carbon Trust, Chris lived in Indonesia, where he helped establish the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI)’s collaborative partnership with the Government of Indonesia. Chris has travelled extensively in Sub-Saharan Africa and in 2008 he organised and participated in ‘The Cycle of Life’, a 8,000 km cycling expedition across seven countries (Namibia to Kenya), visiting over 20 community-based conservation projects, raising £160,000 for Tusk Trust and giving life-changing opportunities to young people from UK homeless charity Centrepoint.

Colin Price

Executive Vice President and Managing Partner at Heidrick & Struggles

Colin Price is the Executive Vice President and Global Managing Partner of the Leadership Consulting Practice and based in Heidrick & Struggles’ London office. Prior to joining Heidrick & Struggles, Colin served as chairman of Co Company, an organizational development consulting firm acquired by Heidrick & Struggles in 2015. He previously led the worldwide organization practice at McKinsey & Co. for many years. Colin has published widely, and is author and co-author of seven books, including Beyond Performance: How Great Organisations Build Ultimate Competitive Advantage, with Scott Keller of McKinsey & Co. He has presented at many prestigious conferences, including The World Economic Forum and the Harvard Roundtable series around the need to integrate thinking on organizational performance and health so that corporations can create an aligned, high-performance system.

Denisa Kostovicova

Associate Professor in Global Politics at London School of Economics

Dr Denisa Kostovicova is an Associate Professor in Global Politics at the Government Department and a Research Fellow at the Civil Society and Human Security Research Unit at the Department of International Development at the London School of Economics and Political Science. She is the author of Kosovo: The Politics of Identity and Space (2005) and co-editor of a number of special issues and books including Transnationalism in the Balkans (2008), Persistent State Weakness in the Global Age (2009), Bottom-up Politics: An Agency-Centred Approach to Globalization (2011), and Civil Society and Transitions in the Western Balkans (2013). Dr Kostovicova’s research focuses on post-conflict reconstruction, specifically on transitional justice, conflict networks and Europeanisation. She is particularly interested in the bottom-up perspective on transition from war to peace, and the impact of cross-border dynamics (political, social and economic) on post-conflict recovery.

Hasna Syed

MSc in Human Rights student at London School of Economics and Political Science

Hasna Syed is pursuing a Master’s degree in Human Rights at the LSE. She is a youth advocate and activist. Hasna’s initiatives have lead to several accolades and widespread attention. She has been featured in media outlets including the Canadian Broadcasting Company and Huffington Post. Her song, Raise Our Voices, co-written with her siblings is currently featured on United Nations’ websites as part of the ILO’s Music Against Child Labour Campaign. Hasna co-founded Global Youth Impact (Facebook: GYI – Global Youth Impact), an NGO that gives youth a platform to make a difference locally and globally through campaigns, workshops, and other initiatives.

Julie Chappell

Partner at Hawthorn Advisors

Julie Chappell OBE is a partner at the communications consultancy Hawthorn Advisors which she joined in 2014. Previously, she headed up the National Security Council’s Emerging Power strategy and the GREAT Britain Campaign team in the Foreign Office. From 2009 to 2012, she served as Britain’s youngest ambassador. During her career with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Julie was based in London, Guatemala City, Addis Ababa, Washington DC, Baghdad and Amman. She was educated at Oxford University.

Lauren Hurwitz

Vice President, Business Management (EMEA) at Moelis & Company

Lauren is a change-maker who is passionate about innovation in talent management practices and crafting corporate culture. She began her career in London on the precipice of the Financial Crisis and has since held various roles within the financial sector spanning transition planning, M&A advisory, management, strategy and operations. She is currently the Business Manager for EMEA at Moelis & Company, global independent investment bank. Lauren was named to the 2016 Forbes "30 Under 30" Finance List and the CITYAM "Power 100 Women" list. She also serves on the Development Committee of the Photographers Gallery in London, the board of the Wellesley UK Club and is an avid marathon runner. Lauren holds a degree in economics from Wellesley College and an MSc in Finance from the London School of Economics.

Martyn Boutelle

Professor of Biomedical Sensors Engineering at Imperial College London

Martyn graduated from Imperial College London with a degree in Chemistry and a PhD in fundamental electrochemistry. He then moved area to neuroscience working in Oxford with Dr Marianne Fillenz. He is now Professor of Biomedical Sensors engineering in the Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London. His biomedical monitoring research group is multidisciplinary, combining the development of measurement methods, instrumentation and data analysis methods with a program of clinical research collaborating with surgeons and clinical care teams in London’s major hospitals.

Michiel De Smet

Project Manager at Ellen MacArthur Foundation

Michiel De Smet works as a project manager in the New Plastics Economy initiative team at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. By closing knowledge gaps and informing policymakers, he aims to accelerate the transition towards a circular economy for plastics. Before, Michiel consulted management executives in both private sector, working at McKinsey & Company, and social sector, through the OnPurpose leadership programme. He also has experience with fundamental research, holding a PhD in mathematical logic, and with the thrills of beekeeping.

Sofia Fenichell

CEO & Founder at Mrs. Wordsmith

Sofia is the Founder and CEO of Mrs Wordsmith. Mrs Wordsmith is on a mission to illustrate the English language with the award-winning artists behind Madagascar and Hotel Transylvania - so children fall in love with learning words. They are the first company to illustrate the English language in to re-imagine the dictionary for the visual world we live in. Their programme has been created by leading neuroscientists and linguists for long-lasting results – creating an appreciation of language, improved reading and writing skills, confidence and ability in school. She has an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BA in History from Northwestern University. She is also an agented writer on a novel in the works.

Tara Swart

Neuroscientist and Executive Advisor

Dr Tara Swart is a neuroscientist, leadership coach, award-winning author and a medical doctor. She works with leaders all over the world to help them achieve mental resilience and peak brain performance, improving their ability to manage stress, regulate emotions and retain information. Tara is the only top-tier leadership coach with both a PhD in neuroscience and former medical career as a psychiatrist. Educated at Oxford University and King’s College London, her role as Senior Lecturer at MIT ensures that she remains at the forefront of the latest developments in her sector. Tara’s clients include FTSE100, Fortune 500 and Magic Circle firms, as well as UHNWI entrepreneurs. She specialises in sectors that face unusual levels of stress or change. Tara has published two books and has spoken about the brain in business at international conferences, corporations and at top business schools including Oxford, Stanford and MIT.

Tom Blomfield

CEO at Monzo Bank

Tom is CEO of Monzo - a new smartphone-based bank. In 2013, he was nominated one of the top 5 Entrepreneurs under 30 by the European Commission. In 2016, he became the youngest ever CEO of a UK bank. He previously founded GoCardless, a fintech startup that has gone on to raise $25m. He blogs at tomblomfield.com and tweets as @t_blom.

Vincent Karremans

Founder and MD at Magnet.me

Vincent Karremans is the founder of Magnet.me - an online network where students discover and connect with all potential employers. He studied both law and economics in Rotterdam and it was then when Vincent discovered that exploring your career opportunities as a students was hard, impersonal and often limited to a few of the big companies. So, rather than pursuing a corporate career, Vincent decided to change that and founded Magnet.me whilst in university. Tens of thousands Dutch and British students now use Magnet.me to apply and land their dream jobs. Ironically enough, Vincent never applied to any job.