Theme: Together for a better world

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).

Swinburne University
John Street
Hawthorn, Victoria, 3122
Australia

Andrew Montague

Mr

Andrew is a Melbourne born creative that has had a career across, film, TV, advertising and entertainment. Andrew has helped start a studio in New York City, been nominated at Cannes for best director, and worked at Academy Award winning companies in the US and UK. His studies in Fine Art and Film and TV along with his deep knowledge of the making of things inform his everyday practice. He has a passion for storytelling and stories, in whatever shape or form they take

Carla Zampaglione

Ms

Carla, a former mechanical engineer with international product development experience, founded Sento Solutions, a consultancy specialising in Usability Engineering (UE) and Human Factors (HF) for medical devices and digital healthcare products. As the only company in Australia exclusively offering these services, Sento has become an industry leader, contributing to over twenty successful medical device developments. Carla oversees client relationships, industry partnerships, accelerator collaborations, and mentoring programs. She excels in user research, usability study facilitation, and deep regulatory knowledge. She also sits on Swinburne's Centre for Design & Innovation advisory committee and enjoys mentoring STEM students, teaching spin classes, and leveraging her qualifications as a French Pastry Chef.

Evie Kendal

Dr

Dr Evie Kendal is a bioethicist and public health scientist with research interests in health communication and media, health education research, narrative studies, urban design, aerospace medicine, and the ethical, legal and social implications (ELSI) of emerging technologies

Grainne Oates

Dr

Dr Gráinne Oates is a dynamic entrepreneur, educator and technology visionary with a deep commitment to transforming education, Gráinne has leveraged her extensive experience in academia and business to create innovative solutions that enhance learning outcomes. She is also a member of an exclusive club - less than 1% of all VC funding goes to female founders! With her AI-powered app Quitch, she has pioneered the use of gamification and nano learning to improve student engagement and retention. Gráinne’s leadership and vision have not only driven Quitch’s success but have also earned her recognition as a thought leader in the educational technology space, inspiring and impacting learners globally.

Huong Dang

Ms

Huong Dang is the founder and chief executive officer of HopeBox, the first social enterprise in Vietnam to provide employment, training, and support to women affected by gender-based violence. Through a six-month program, HopeBox offers safe training and working environment to survivors of GBV and skill-building workshops on income generation, professional development, trauma healing, and compassionate communication. In 2023, Huong was selected as one of the twelves Obama Scholar, where she spent one year at Columbia University in the City of New York and leadership training via the Obama Foundation. She also awarded the Yale World Fellow in 2022 and joined a group of 16 world’s leaders to participate in a 4-month residential program at Yale University. Huong graduated from Swinburne University of Technology and earned a Master of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Huong believes in the power of education and social impacts that can change the world for the better.

Jeremy Nguyen

Dr

Dr Jeremy Nguyen co-leads a multi-disciplinary research team exploring the application of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to business problems and writing practices. Prior to his position at Swinburne, he worked at the Reserve Bank of Australia, held teaching positions at the ANU and Griffith University, and was a Visiting Fellow at the Brookings Institution, Washington, D.C.With a background in economics, finance and writing, his AI work has been featured in Forbes, a forthcoming O’Reilly textbook, and quoted by the President of OpenAI. As a writer, he writes for television (Disney+, NBC Universal, SBS).

John Evans

Professor

Professor John Evans is the inaugural Pro Vice-Chancellor Indigenous Engagement responsible for leading, guiding and governing the strategic direction of Swinburne University of Technology in relation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander initiatives and strategies. He is originally from Wiradjuri country in New South Wales.

Linus Tan

Dr

Dr. Linus is an architecture and design lecturer in the School of Design and Architecture, and co-director of s'more design, a design practice specialising in F&B and retail interiors. Before coming to Swinburne, he worked locally and overseas in architecture firms, on projects ranging from small residential spaces to multi-story buildings. He also taught architecture and design at the University of Melbourne and RMIT University. As a Centre for Design Innovation early career researcher, he investigates how designers think, act, and learn, and how using Generative AI changes the way designers and design teams think, act, and learn.

Miao Cao

Dr

Dr Miao Cao obtained his Ph.D. from The University of Melbourne in the fields of clinical neuroscience and neuro-imaging. During his PhD training based at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, he developed a unique combination of neuro-imaging and dynamical models to better localise brain regions that are target for epilepsy surgery. Since 2021, he has further received post-doctoral research training at School of Physics Peking University to develop novel dynamical models for electromagnetic source imaging, aiming to better understand pathological and physiological neural dynamics. From 2024, he joined Swinburne Neuroimaging as the National Imaging Facility (NIF) fellow.

Pascale Quester

Professor

Professor Pascale Quester is the Vice-Chancellor and President of Swinburne University of Technology. Before joining Swinburne in 2020, she was Deputy Vice-Chancellor and President (Academic) at the University of Adelaide (2011–2020). She is an active and respected researcher in the areas of consumer behaviour and marketing communications. Her qualifications include a Bachelor of Business Administration from her native France, a Master of Arts (Marketing) from Ohio State University in the United States and a PhD from Massey University in New Zealand. In 2023, She received one of France’s highest honours, the medal of Officier de l’Ordre National du Mérite. In 2007, she also received France’s highest academic recognition by becoming Professeur des Universitiés. Professor Quester holds several positions in the higher education and business sectors.

Rebecca Allen

Dr

Dr Rebecca Allen is the Co-Director of the Space Technology and Industry Institute at Swinburne University of Technology. She completed her PhD in Astrophysics at Swinburne where she used information from powerful telescopes like the Hubble Space Telescope to study the evolution and growth of galaxies going back to when the Universe was barely a billion years old. Now, Dr Allen applies her scientific expertise to help support Australia’s growing space industry. To this end, she utilises cutting-edge research in areas such as microgravity experimentation and Earth observation to build climate change resilient communities and support health innovation. When she’s not studying space or using it for Earth, she’s inspiring and empowering future space leaders by communicating the wonders of the Universe and creating immersive, hands-on learning experiences.

Sara Webb

Dr

Dr. Sara Webb is an astrophysicist who uses AI to explore the universe and its mysteries. With a focus on anomaly detection and big data exploration, her work merges vast datasets with advanced machine learning techniques. Specializing in optical telescope data, Sara studies cosmic explosions and the flares of red dwarf stars, contributing significantly to our understanding of these phenomena. In addition to her research, Dr. Webb leads Swinburne’s student space challenge programs, enabling students to send experiments to the International Space Station and inspiring the next generation of space scientists. She actively shares her insights on astronomy, AI, and space science on social media, preparing the public for the future of space exploration.