In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized (subject to certain rules and regulations).

Royal Ontario Museum
100 Queens Park
Toronto, Ontario, M5S 2C6
Canada

Andre Gibson

Professional Human Beatboxer

No matter if Andre “The Beatbox Scientist” Gibson is competing onstage in an international battle, performing a local festival or charity event, or offering beatboxing workshops to under-resourced youth in homeless shelters and public schools, he is breaking new ground. Andre’s beatboxing performances stretch the boundaries of his audience's imagination about human vocal potential. He has pioneered popular techniques such as the Laser Lip Roll and has earned prestigious titles such as Montreal Beatbox Champion (1st place) and Vice Canadian National Champion (2nd place).

Brandon Gonez

CEO, Gonez Media and Host, The Brandon Gonez Show

As a leading Canadian journalist, Brandon Gonez has interviewed some of the biggest names in entertainment and news. In 2021 Brandon took a leap of faith and left a major news outlet to launch his own media company - Gonez Media Inc. Now Canada's fastest-growing online media company, Gonez Media is breaking barriers within the industry - covering everything from the week’s top news stories, entertainment highlights, and local business coverage.

Chandra Maracle

Founder, Kakhwa’on:we / Real People Eat Real Food

Chandra Maracle is the founder of Kakhwa’on:we/Real People Eat Real Food, an organization dedicated to exploring the intersection of food, art, people, language and land from an Indigenous perspective. For Chandra, food is more than what’s on the plate; it’s the intersection of all the things that make us human. She is also the co-founder and Nutrition Coordinator of the Everlasting Tree School, a holistic school grounded in Kanyen’keha (Mohawk Language).

Dan Breznitz

Professor of Innovation Policy, Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy

Dan Breznitz serves as the Munk Chair of Innovation Studies at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. Professor Breznitz is also the Co-Director of the Innovation Policy Lab and a Senior Fellow of Messi College. He is currently the Clifford Clarke Economist at the Federal Department of Finance. He is the author of two award winning books and recently published his third, Innovation in Real Places: Strategies for Prosperity in an Unforgiving World, in which he offers pragmatic advice while debunking dangerous myths on innovation, growth and prosperity.

Dr. Nafiseh Nafissi

Executive VP, Research & Development, Mediphage Bioceuticals

As the Executive Vice-President of R&D at Mediphage Bioceuticals, Dr. Nafiseh Nafissi’s research focuses on developing innovative solutions for genetic and infectious diseases that have limited, or no treatment options. Dr. Nafissi is the co-inventor of ministring DNA (msDNA) – a platform technology which has been designed to overcome critical challenges facing viral gene therapies and leverage advancements of non-viral gene therapy technologies.

Jaivet Ealom

Refugee Activist and Author

Jaivet Ealom is a refugee activist and author born in Myanmar who now resides in Canada, where he has become a prominent spokesman for the Rohingya community.

Jessica Burgner-Kahrs

Associate Professor, Director of Continuum Robotics Laboratory at University of Toronto

Dr. Jessica Burgner-Kahrs is the founding Director of University of Toronto’s Continuum Robotics Lab, where she is inventing the future of robotics. Jessica builds robots that move like an elephant’s trunk but are small enough to thread into your nose and operate on your brain.

Kelly Boutsalis

Journalist

Kelly Boutsalis is a Mohawk journalist from the Six Nations of the Grand River reserve. Currently living in Toronto, she devotes the bulk of her work to highlighting Indigenous stories. Her byline has appeared in the New York Times, Toronto Star, Toronto Life, and the Walrus. She led the CBC Six Nations pop-up bureau earlier this year. She is also the Associate Programmer, International, Canadian features for the Toronto International Film Festival.

Tanya Hayles

Entrepreneur and Creative Storyteller

Tanya is the founder of Black Moms Connection, an online global village of 20,000 and non-profit providing culturally relevant programs and resources to educate and empower Black mothers and their families. An award-winning creative storyteller, Tanya is a community builder, writer and speaker, as well as the 2020 L’Oreal Woman of Worth honoree, and one of Canada’s Top 25 Women of Influence in 2021.

Tariq Fancy

Founder, Rumie

Tariq Fancy helps organizations and individuals apply business principles to help humanity. After creating one billion in profit for investors as youngest Partner at a Wall Street firm, and then returning to investment banking as Chief Investment Officer of Sustainable Investing, Tariq Fancy realized that ESG investing isn’t making the impact he thought. Today his goal is to help one billion children. Tariq founded Rumie, an award winning, non-profit organisation, that uses low-cost technology to provide access to education for underprivileged children around the globe.