Theme: Solutions

2020 has been a challenging year for many. With so much doom and gloom in the world, it would be easy to become overwhelmed. But there's a lot of good stuff going on too. We wanted to take a moment to celebrate that.

This December, TEDxBrisbane is bringing a suite of inspiring, uplifting talks direct to your lounge room in our first-ever virtual event.

Our event will showcase eight custom-curated TEDx Talks, along with a selection of our favourite TED Talks, an interview with speaker Keith Chappell, co-leader of the program to develop a COVID-19 vaccine at the University of Queensland, our 1-minute pitch competition and more.

We've pulled together a short, punchy event for you. A three-hour block, filled with ideas worth spreading that you can watch from the comfort of your couch.

And because we think everyone deserves a little bit of inspiration this year - we're switching from an invite-only event to a public event. If you want to tune in - we want you to join us. We've dramatically lowered the ticket price to make the event even more accessible in the 2020 climate, and a single screen price (we call it a couch pass) allows you to have as many friends or family join you on your couch as current COVID restrictions in your location allow.

As we prepare to see in a new year, and a new decade, please join us as we showcase some great ideas worth spreading, that focus on finding, developing and championing solutions that will make the world good, not just better.

Brisbane
To be confirmed
Brisbane, Queensland, `
Australia

Aaron Trevis

Engineer, entrepreneur, surfer

Aaron Trevis is the Founder and CEO of Surf Lakes - the Australian company behind the world-first wave pool designed to produce over 2,000 waves per hour. Aaron, an engineer, and keen surfer was throwing rocks into the water with the kids when the idea hit him. He wondered, 'How big a rock do I have to throw in to create waves that surf or are surfable?'" Since that moment, inspired by nature, Aaron and his team have taken the technological concept from the idea stage to start-up, to the global entity that is evolving today. The Surf Lakes pool, half-way between Rockhampton and Yeppoon, generates five different types of waves for surfers of varying abilities. The facility is a prototype designed for research and development and is already receiving rave reviews from professional surfers engaged in wave testing.

Brett Wood

Founder, high school principal, author

Brett Wood, the founder and principal of Music Industry College is an experienced educator having spent sixteen years teaching with Education Queensland and working with disadvantaged youth for a further eleven years at The Spot Youth Services before establishing the college. Brett is a reluctant author, businessman and administrator. His passion for helping young people reach their potential is the driving force that guides his entrepreneurial spirit. He was recognised for his dedication to disadvantaged youth with the awarding of the Centenary Medal in 2001.

Christine Milne

Environmental leader

Christine Milne is an environmental activist who has spent her life campaigning in the community and in politics for Nature and the planet. Former Vice President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), former leader of the Australian Green Party and Global Greens Ambassador, Christine took up the role of Co-Convenor of the Lake Pedder Restoration Committee in the lead up the United Nations Decade of Ecological Restoration (2021-2030) to campaign for an agreement by the summer of 2021-22, to restore Lake Pedder and surrounding environs. Christine is also currently an ambassador for the Australian Invasive Species Council; Patron of the Australian Smart Energy Council; Board member of Bob Brown Foundation and The Climate Mobilization (US) and an advisory board member to the US-based Climate Accountability Institute, Solar Heads of State and The Borneo Project.

Faye Lawrence

Founder, social sobriety advocate

Faye Lawrence founded Untoxicated (Booze-Free Fun and Friendship) in early 2018. Having been a heavy but high functioning drinker since her teens – almost 30 years – she wound up in inpatient detox in late 2017 after the wheels fell off. Determined not to let her sobriety ruin her social life, Untoxicated was born. Faye’s professional background is in marketing, communications & corporate affairs, predominantly in the not for profit sector. She also holds a psychology degree, graduating shortly after she got sober. A social butterfly and a bit of an idealist, she believes in the power of community and a world where everyone belongs.

Jasmine Fraser

Native bee advocate

At just 15-years of age, Jasmine Fraser has an idea worth spreading. Jasmine was initially perplexed when a family friend bought a native beehive for their suburban backyard - why would anyone want to invite bees into their garden? Some further investigation on her part led her to learn that the answer had nothing to do with honey, and everything to do with pollination and Australia's future food security. Jasmine utilised the platform provided by the Clayfield College TEDEd Club to champion the unsung homegrown heroes of Australian crop security - native bees, and to highlight an easy, no upkeep, low space way for modern, urban households to support Australia's food security, and a native species all at the same time.

Kate Lis-Clarke

Breast cancer technology advocate

Kate is a Strategy Consultant based in Sydney, who considers data to be an organisation’s most valuable asset. In a world where the amount of data is growing at an exponential rate, Kate specialises in helping organisations better understand their data, and equipping them with appropriate technology, so they are empowered to make more informed business decisions. The death of Kate's mother from breast related cancer in 2013 was a devastating loss, compounded by the knowledge that she now had double the risk of developing breast cancer. Kate dove into the data - searching for answers, and considering what the next steps should be. Her proposed solution - a bra that detects the development of Breast Cancer.

Keith Chappell

Molecular virologist

Associate Professor Keith Chappell is a Molecular Virologist and group leader within the University of Queensland. His research is focused on vaccine development and the understanding of medically and environmentally significant viruses. Keith is one of the inventors of UQ's molecular clamp platform and throughout 2020 he was the co-leader of the University of Queensland program to produce a vaccine for COVID-19. Keith has played a leading role in designing and implementing an epidemic response vaccine pipeline which enabled the progression of UQ's COVID-19 vaccine candidate from sequence information to clinical trial dosing within six months.

Yolonde Entsch

Social entrepreneur

With a career spanning community, political, government and more recently entrepreneurial endeavours, Yolonde’s focus is on empowering women to engage and act. One of her most recent endeavours is a community project which transformed pottery classes in a remote Indigenous community into a community project where pottery goannas were crafted and displayed in town. The introduction of QR codes to each piece of ceramic artwork provides the opportunity for people to scan and discover who made it and the story behind it. This embracing of technology represents one vehicle for elders and artists alike to leave their story behind for future generations to learn.