Cadence Chung

Cadence is a poet, musician and now TEDx speaker from the Wellington School of Music. In her talk, she discusses histories no longer told. Entrenched narratives which don't truly represent the world which we once lived through. Most importantly, the history which will never come back, and what we can learn from this.

Saoirse Lynch

From a young age, Saoirse has been incredibly passionate about making a difference. Touching on personal experiences around her inability to diagnose dyslexia Saoirse weaves a narrative of disabilities which can not be seen. And issues which can no longer go unanswered. 

Mannfred Sofara

Born in Samoa, Mannfred moved to Porirua at a young age. In his time at Bishop Viard College, Mannfred sought to fight an issue he and many others have faced for so long - mispronunciation of culturally diverse names. In his talk, he discusses what led him to this point; how the culture he values meshes with the expectations os society.

To'e Lokeni

Much like Mannfred, To'e was born in Samoa, moving to New Zealand at a young age. Speaking with Mannfred, To'e discusses how the values he has adopted from his culture collides with what success means for a more western society. 

Russell Gill

Russell is a young person looks to show, not tell, the life they, and many others like them live. This year, Russell hopes to paint a narrative in the mind of the audience. By walking through the daily lives and experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals, Russell illustrates how different, yet similar the experiences they have had are.

Nora Quigley

As a young person, Nora has accomplished a lot in little time. Yet, despite all that she has done, activism hasn’t been an easy journey for Nora. As a young person living in today’s disjointed world, there can be so much pressure to be ‘perfect'. In her TEDx talk, Nora speaks to imperfect activism.

Ryan Pugh

An entrepreneurial do-gooder, Ryan supports several organisations through his work with technology. In his work, Ryan has come to contemplate the massive difference his work can make. While limited in what he can do, Ryan hopes to share how big of an impact each small action can make.

Zoe Dzapasi

Through reflection on her experiences of racism in New Zealand and how stereotyping has affected her identity, Zoe explores her personal journey of acceptance and self-confidence. A journey of coming to terms with the exceptionalism which marks life as a person of colour.