Theme: The Power of Context

Context informs interpretations drawn from people, events, ideas, and movements.

At our 2020 conference we aim to focus on how the circumstances of different times, places and people determine the reach and influence of ideas. The broader context is often overlooked in favour of a narrow focus on people and their ideas, isolated from the factors that allowed them to succeed.

At TEDxQueensU 2020, we challenge you to explore the power that context has over the spread of ideas and knowledge helping to develop a more holistic view of future situations we will encounter.

Introducing TEDxQueensU 2020: The Power of Context.

Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts
390 King St. W
Kingston, Ontario, K7L 2X4
Canada

Alex Dawson

Undergraduate Student of Philosophy at Queen's University

Alex is a Queen's Undergraduate student studying philosophy. He is interested in topics of consciousness, meditation and new media. Alex plans to discuss the digital minimalist movement, amalgamating data with his own experience as a digital minimalist.

Andrew Torrance

Senior Director of Intellectual Property at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard

Andrew Torrance is the Paul E. Wilson Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Kansas School of Law. He received his Bachelor of Science from Queen’s University in 1991, going on to receive a Ph.D. in Biology and J.D. from Harvard University. In 2008, Andrew served as a policy advisor to presidential candidate Barack Obama on his Technology, Media, and Telecommunications Committee. Andrew is currently on leave from his chair at Kansas University Law, acting as the Senior Director of Intellectual Property at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard.

Bessi Qorri

PhD Candidate in Experimental Medicine at Queen's University

Bessi is a published researcher pursuing a Ph.D. in experimental medicine at Queen's University in Kingston, ON. Her work aim is to successfully develop a combination therapy for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Her research entertains the use of repurposed drugs, focusing on identifying their newly found anticancer effects and optimizing a treatment regimen for use in the clinical setting. Bessi is eager to continue her work in the field of drug repurposing, combining her interests and curiosity of the combination of disease states, normal body function, and drug mechanisms. She wants to continue to push the boundaries of our understanding of the interconnected networks of the body to challenge the way we look at drug development. She best describes her role as a mixture of Bill Nye meets Mythbusters.

Cameron Aerts

Cameron Aerts is a singer-songwriter from the small town of Ailsa Craig, Ontario, and is currently residing in Kingston, Ontario. For several years, his refreshing combination of pop, rock, and folk music elevate his energetic live performances. He has played everywhere from local pubs and bars to some of the finest theatres in the province. Recently, Cameron has been recording and releasing his original songs on several streaming platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music to a warm, excited reception, with plans to continue to record and release more music in 2021.

Corrine Sandler

Entrepreneur, Business Coach and CEO of Fresh Intelligence

Corrine is a serial entrepreneur, high performance business coach and current CEO of Fresh Intelligence, a market research and analytics company. Her passion is mentoring and coaching technology start-ups and entrepreneurs globally. Corrine has won many awards in her field (PROFIT Top 100 Woman Entrepreneur 3 years in a row, RBC Woman Entrepreneur of the Year finalist, Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year nominee and many more. Corrine is also the author of an advantage best selling business book called Wake up or Die based on the Art of War.

Courtney Bannerman

PhD Candidate in Biomedical and Molecular Science at Queen's University

Courtney is a current Ph.D. student in the Department of Biomedical and Molecular Science studying the neuroimmune interactions resulting in chronic pain after a spinal cord injury. When she is not busy with her lab work she is either running or training with the Queen's fencing team.

Dylan Buskermolen

Specialist at Relay for Life Youth

"Dylan is a recent graduate from Queen’s University and has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Global Development. In his second year at Queen’s while balancing a busy schedule of essay writing and video game playing, Dylan was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a form of blood cancer. Since his diagnosis and treatment, Dylan has worked to share how the experience made him a better person and gave him the context and inspiration to create a world where no one has to fear cancer. Dylan embraced his diagnosis along with the ups and downs that came with it and wants you to know why cancer patients are the most resilient and inspiring people he’s ever met."

Eleftherios Soleas

PhD Candidate in the Queen's Faculty of Education

Eleftherios (Terry) is a Ph.D. Candidate at Queen’s Faculty of Education. He has taught courses in Educational Psychology, Special Education, and Professionalism. Terry is a senior sciences teacher and a Con-Ed graduate with teachable subjects in Biology, History, and Mathematics. Terry loves to swap stories and inspire others to tell their own. His research is centred on uncovering what motivates innovation and what teachers can do to help their learners mobilize ideas with new projects in well-being and professional education. His major goal is helping people lead healthy, fulfilling, and productive lives through psychology and education. Terry is a fan of art in many forms, be it on stage, on a wall, or in a glass.

Jennifer Guiho

PhD Candidate in Political Studies at Queen's University

Jennifer Guiho is a second year PhD student in the political studies department here at Queen’s. Her passion for education is shown through her academic and professional endeavours, as Jennifer is currently employed as both a Teaching Assistant at Queen’s University and as a Reference Assistant at the Royal Military College. In 2013, she left her small, northern Ontario community to begin her post-secondary education in Toronto, where she developed her passion for academia. In 2017, she graduated from Glendon College with an International Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Politics, with certificates in Law and Social Thought and Bilingual Excellence. She immediately began her graduate studies, and received her MA in Political Studies at Queens in 2018.

Jessica Lui

Founder of Global Professionals Practicum

Jessica is the founder of Global Professionals Practicum (GPP), an organization that delivers programming to further educational equality and inclusion. She was recognized for her work as an inspiring social entrepreneur by President Barack Obama. Jessica has been recognized as one of Canada's Top 100 Most Powerful Women, Top 30U30, and Woman of Inspiration. She is passionate about philanthropy and serves as a board member for several notable organizations, including the UN International Youth Council and UN Women. Previously, Jessica served as UN Youth Ambassador.

Karina Gerhardt-Stachan

Masters in Health Studies from Queen's University

Karina Gerhardt-Strachan earned a Bachelor of Arts Honors degree with distinction from Queen’s University, majoring in Health Studies and minoring in German. She then went on to complete a Master of Arts in Health Studies at Queen’s in the School of Kinesiology and Health Studies. Her leading-edge Master’s research explored the under-discussed topic of the place of spirituality in Canadian health promotion. The insights gained offer solace against a bleak view of the world and provide a new lens for viewing ourselves, others and the environments in which we live, work and play.

Nicholas Arnold

Filmmaker, Actor, Physical Comedian

Nicholas Arnold is an accomplished filmmaker, actor, and physical comedian. He cut his teeth as an entertainer in his early twenties by performing his one-man show, “A Tribute to Jerry Lewis” to retirement communities and long-term care homes across Ontario. He has since gone on to perform internationally on stages across North America, including headlining at the Kingston Grand Theatre. With his training in film, Nicholas has directed two feature films and made numerous shorts. His writings have been published on numerous online magazines and journals. He is passionate about the work he has done—and continues to do—in retirement homes and will be speaking about how one can use their talents to make a difference in the lives of those in need.

Sophie Kiwala

Former MPP for Kingston and the Islands

Sophie Kiwala was the former MPP for Kingston and the Islands where she served as the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, Children and Youth, and Tourism Culture and Sport. She served on numerous committees while in office including General Government, Estimates, Ontario Legislative Assembly, and she was the Chair of the Cabinet Committee on Jobs and Economic Policy. She has a long history of service to Kingstonians through her work in federal politics as well where she was the Office Manager to the Speaker of the House of Commons, Honourable Peter Milliken, and the Chief of Staff to Hon. Milliken's successor, MP Ted Hsu.