Our Team

TEDxPerth and TEDxYouth@Perth are driven by professionals; volunteers united by the transformative power of ideas. By giving a platform for the Ideas Worth Spreading of Perth's brightest thinkers and doers, we are proud to present a beacon for all that is remarkable, challenging and thought-provoking in Perth.

Joel Miller

Licensee
Joel Miller
Licensee

Joel studied engineering and psychology at UWA. His design won 2008 WA Inventor of the Year and he was a finalist on ABC’s The New Inventors in 2007. He is currently completing his PhD - developing next-gen orthopaedic implants. Joel was Science Magazine’s 2011 Dance Your PhD winner. He is co-founder and licensee of TEDxPerth.

Gavin Buckley

Chief Executive Officer
Gavin Buckley
Chief Executive Officer

Gavin has over twenty-five years experience in corporate partnerships, leadership and board positions with peak bodies in the UK and Australia. He arrived in Perth in 2012 and has been engaged with TEDxPerth from the start, first as Speaker Coach and now as our CEO and Flagship Host.

Gavin's work with TEDxPerth was recognised in 2019 when he was awarded Community Citizen of the Year by the City of Perth. He has championed the development of TEDxYouth@Perth, our series of Salons and our 2019 commitment to certifying all our future events as carbon neutral.

At TEDFest NYC 2018 and TEDxWeekendTaipei 2019, Gavin experienced at first hand the extraordinary creativity, energy and drive of the international community of TEDx organisers. He is thrilled to be leading our similarly talented and enthusiastic team as we continue to expand our engagement with our community in Perth and Western Australia.

Gavin lives in Fremantle running his own consultancy helping people communicate with authenticity and impact.

Curation

Rob Lines

Director of Curation
Rob Lines
Director of Curation

Rob has worked for many years in theatre and cinema management in the UK and in Australia. An enthusiastic, if not accurate, singer in the Gay & Lesbian Singers of WA, Rob loves the enormous diversity of people he has the privilege to meet as a Curator for TEDxPerth. Coming from a family of toymakers and living in Fremantle, ask him about laying limestone blocks, Meccano and how to make industrial quantities of popcorn.

Emma Gibbens

Curator
Emma Gibbens
Curator
Emma impacts communities and social movements through creating positive change driven by her ability for meaningful conversations and enabling action in others. She is currently achieving this by working at two not-for-profit organisations: the Town Team Movement which is a positive movement of community-led placemaking; and the Museum of Freedom and Tolerance which amplifies the voices and stories of marginalised communities, using the arts as a platform for conversation and change.
 
Emma is thrilled to be involved with the TEDxYouth@Perth event, which provides a platform for youth leadership and is created by young people for young people. She has previously served on the Board of Directors for Youth Leadership Institute (YLI) in San Francisco, has volunteered with the Perth charity Leading Youth Forward (LYF) and was a recipient of the Big Brother, Big Sister program in the US from ages 9 to 11. 

Suzanne Waldron

Curator
Suzanne Waldron
Curator
Suzanne is a behavioural change facilitator whose masters research focused on moving ideas into action through pro-social leadership. She's an active ambassador for RUOK?, TEDxPerth Curator and Co-founder/director of short doco series Stories Out Loud. A published author and media contributor. Suzanne has been nominated for Western Australian of the Year 2016 and twice 40 under 40. 

Rosie Cooper

Curator
Rosie Cooper
Curator

Rosie coordinates the Graduate Program for the WA Department of Health through the Institute for Health Leadership. Her personal mission is to build and empower the next generation of leaders and forge opportunities for collaboration across the public sector.

Rosie is an avid connector of people and a self-confessed ‘multipotentialite’ with interests in  innovation, technology, design thinking, science, theology, organisational behaviour, nutrition… and the list goes on.

In her spare time she enjoys being outdoors and/or pursuing one of her many other interests. You might also spot her in the local bouldering or martial arts gym.

Steve Browne

Film Curator
Steve Browne
Film Curator

Steve Browne is a Perth based illustrator, painter and film-maker who focuses on mural installation, story boards for film and commercials and commission work, as a full time career. In his previous work, Steve has often dealt with themes such as facing fear, fear of the unknown and time. He also works with young people and young people at risk, running art and film workshops to inspire change and highlight the ability to make positive choices through self expression.

Steve has worked in multiple countries across South East Asia, including Cambodia, Malaysia and Indonesia, as well as nationally in his home country Australia, painting walls and making film.

Maggie Gordon

Curator, Youth
Maggie Gordon
Curator, Youth
Maggie is a second year psychology student at The University of Western Australia and a graduate from Sacred Heart College where she was involved Art exhibitions, volunteering in the Young Vinnies group, Vice captain and Peer mentor to younger students.
 
With an appreciation for the Perths beautiful coastline, you’ll find Maggie involved in beach coastal cleanups, participating in The350 and conservation through guild volunteering at UWA.
 
Maggie believes in inspiring positive growth and change on an individual level to build inclusivity within our community. She particularly focused on the interconnectedness of mental well-being being a multifaceted approach that influences all areas of life.  She wishes to encourage curiosity in others as life long learners, with an interest in neuroscience, nutrition and as an avid reader, guitar player and artist, the possibilities to learn are endless.

Opeyemi Idris

Curator, Youth
Opeyemi Idris
Curator, Youth

Ope Idris is an Economics student at the University of Western Australia. His goal in life is to meet interesting people and to work with them on interesting things. This makes the curation team at TEDxPerth the perfect fit. He is excited about the opportunity to help proliferate the big ideas that could help shape the next generation of our city and our state.

Ben McAllister

Curator, Youth
Ben McAllister
Curator, Youth
Ben is a particle physicist and science communicator by trade - if he's not in the lab doing science, he's probably somewhere else talking about it. 
 
His works with the ARC Centre of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems, at the University of Western Australia, and his research focuses on the direct detection of dark matter in the laboratory. He also makes podcasts covering topics ranging from science to storytelling with The Naked Scientists, and the Curio Network.
 
Ben spoke at TEDxPerth: The Age of Wonder in 2018, and is delighted to be joining the Curation team for TEDxYouth@Perth.

Zinab Al Hilaly

Curator, Youth
Zinab Al Hilaly
Curator, Youth

Zinab Al Hilaly is the project officer at the Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network of Western Australia. She completed a Bachelor of Science in microbiology and population health. She is passionate about equity within health and education and hopes to provide platforms and opportunities for young people to prosper. 

 

Tamkin Essa

Curator, Youth
Tamkin Essa
Curator, Youth

Tamkin is an International Relations and Journalism graduate from Curtin University and works at the Youth Affairs Council of WA, leading the Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network of WA.

Over the years Tamkin has led two Catalyst Youth Summits for multicultural young people living in WA. Both Summits were aimed at bringing young people together to discuss issues, create solutions and to directly express their concerns to politicians and key decision-makers.

Tamkin also works on the Shout Out program which provides an opportunity for refugee, migrant and Aboriginal young people to share their stories and insights into topics they feel passionate about through public speaking engagements. She has a passion for youth empowerment, community development, human rights, international affairs and creating inclusive spaces.

Youth Events and Engagement

Victoria Wisker

Director of Youth Engagement
Victoria Wisker
Director of Youth Engagement
As a passionate educator, specialising in Gifted and Talented education for boys in Perth, Victoria is keen to engage the youth of Perth in our upcoming TEDxYouth@Perth event.
 
"Spreading good ideas is the core of what we do as educators. As future leaders, it is important that young people are given an opportunity to connect with youth, locally and globally to continue to spread these good ideas."

Fuelled by a love of reading, Victoria gained a Bachelor of Arts, (Hons) degree in English Literature with Language and Communication, and combined this with her passion for education in which she undertook a Professional Graduate Certificate in Education.

Since arriving in Perth, Victoria has developed her expertise in teaching and learning by undertaking a Post Graduate degree at UNSW, specialising in Gifted and Talented Education. She has worked in the private sector for the past five years through which she continues to develop a culture of excellence and embed her love of technology and futuristic thinking.

Marilyn Schmidt

Youth Engagement Manager
Marilyn Schmidt
Youth Engagement Manager

Marilyn’s role as Head of Academic Excellence allows her to focus on educating and motivating students to develop problem solving, critical thinking, innovation and creative skills through integrated inquiry-based learning projects which are fast becoming part of the learning culture in the boys’ college where she works.  She coordinates and runs the Gifted and Talented program, STE[A]M projects and promotes the idea of global citizenship, taking students as far afield as NASA and Beijing. Her passion is to inspire students to develop a love of learning through curiosity, independent thinking, gratitude and grit.

Marilyn is first and foremost a Maths teacher whose mantra is ‘If you’re going to limit your dreams, at least tend them to infinity’. She has taught at both secondary and tertiary levels, worked in teacher development programs, co-authored a series of middle school text books linking Maths and Culture and a number of research papers on various aspects of student engagement and learning. Her ongoing interest in action research and collaboration between schools and universities is an integral and rewarding part of her role at present.

Her most important role, however, is to inspire her three sons to follow their dreams with courage and integrity.

Kai Lovel

Chair, Youth Panel
Kai Lovel
Chair, Youth Panel

Kai is a young person, broadcaster, speaker & thinker. As a high-school student, he divides his time between the classroom and his many curiosities. Kai was a speaker at TEDxPerth, The Age of Wonder, at Perth Concert Hall in 2018. 

He launched his first business – a failure – at age 12, and has since initiated and collaborated on various enterprises. He's started two podcasts, presented on community radio and is the student liaison for ABC Radio Perth. He is excited to continue to share his experiences, mindset and skills with other young people and enterprises through speaking, consultancy and freelance work. 

He continues to follow his curiosities. 

 He joins the team to help us develop and deliver TEDxYouth@Perth in 2020.

Zena Ibrahim

Youth Panel
Zena Ibrahim
Youth Panel

Zena is a third year postgraduate dental student at the University of Western Australia. She is also a former speaker at TEDxPerth (2018).

She has been involved in multiple areas of the community including as a member of the Access Department at UWA, advocating and representing students with chronic illness, disability and mental illness. She is also volunteer with PennyAppeal Australia, a not-for-profit organisation working in over 30 crisis-hit countries worldwide, and a speaker with BeyondBlue sharing her own personal story about mental illness.

Zena has also been heavily involved in the Perth poetry scene making it to the finals of the WA Poetry Slam in 2017 as well as performing at the MYAWA Eid Dinner in 2018.

Zena has recently returned to her birth religion (Islam) as a revert and is a vocal activist and advocate for women in Islam and mental health within the Muslim community.

William Burfoot

Youth Panel
William Burfoot
Youth Panel

Will is a 16 year old interested in how society is changing, and what role he and his generation will play.

He has an eagerness for new opportunities, being fortunate enough to travel to and volunteer in an immersion program in Kiwirrkurra, the most remote Indigenous community in Australia and attending LEAP, a leadership conference held in Los Angles focusing on tomorrow’s thinkers and leaders. This, combined with his volunteer work in the local Fremantle community has instilled in him strong beliefs that tomorrow’s society is shaped by our decisions today. This has influenced Will in being elected as College Captain at his school, and he is uniquely poised to bring new insight, influence and change to his environment.

He seeks to gain new experiences and knowledge that will assist in equipping him in changing the world for the better.

Alexandra Prichard

Youth Panel
Alexandra Prichard
Youth Panel
Lexi is a recent graduate of Iona Presentation College, and is focussed on community development at both the local and global levels. As Executive Officer of her student council, she further developed the leadership skills imperative to her participation in the 2019 Youth of the Year competition, for which she was a state finalist.

At age 13, Lexi released her first community venture - the app Girlgonehappy, providing forums and resources on mental health and wellbeing for young women. This led Lexi to becoming a National Youth Week representative, and a Channel 7 Ambassador for Youth.

Lexi is also heavily involved in the global World Scholars Cup competition, as both a scholar and volunteer. Winning the global level of the competition in 2018, Lexi noticed that significant financial and educational inequality dictated the performance of students in the competition. In order to combat this, she went on to form an online tutoring group to improve the disparity between students in the competition. World Scholars Club supports more than 100 underprivileged competitors weekly on curriculum content, debate, and leadership skills.

In 2017, Lexi undertook an astronomy research project with UWA, compiling a research paper eventually submitted to the Association of Variable Star Observers. Building on this experience, Lexi undertook the National Youth Science Forum flagship program, developing leadership and science research experience, and has since been selected for the program’s nationally recognised Student Leadership program.

Haeden Miles

Youth Panel
Haeden Miles
Youth Panel

Haeden is a graduate of Ballajura Community College, where he was a student councillor for years 9 to 12 and President of the Amnesty International Club.

He participated in UN Youth Australia, travelling on the Timor Leste project to learn more about development and engage with local communities and organisations.

Building on his experience in School Debating, Haeden has a great interest in politics and has volunteered for political parties, both in and out of election time. He participated in the YMCA Youth Parliament 2018 and provided input to YMCA’s submission on Lowering the Voting Age Bill for Parliament. In 2019 he attended the National Constitutional Convention in Canberra.

Haeden has been a Police Ranger 2017-2019 and participated in Zero2Hero, CampHero 2018 and In Your Head 2019.

Bethany Hunt

Youth Panel
Bethany Hunt
Youth Panel

Bethany is a Year 12 student at Mercedes College. She is an active member of the music department, taking lead roles in wind orchestra and several choirs, including House Choir Director for 2020.

In 2018 and 2019 she was selected for the band for the school production of The Addams Family and Wicked respectively at the Regal Theatre, and in 2019 took part in the school’s choir tour of Europe, culminating in the Summa Cum Laude Festival collecting several awards.

In 2019 Bethany attended the Western Australia Schools Constitutional Convention which focused on human rights in the constitution, and was then selected to represent Western Australia at the National Constitutional Convention in March 2020 alongside 14 other students.

Bethany is a passionate advocate for justice and the rule of law. Her aspirations are to study law at a leading university, and spend some of her study time overseas.

Reuben Saggar

Youth Panel
Reuben Saggar
Youth Panel

11 year old Reuben Saggar is our youngest Youth Panel member at TEDxPerth. As a committed climate activist, Reuben is dedicated to spreading the message that 'no-one is too small to make a difference', and strongly believes that there is no age limit on climate activism. He recently started up a drop-in lunchtime 'Fridays for the Future' club at his school, to raise awareness about how we can all make small changes in our lives that have a positive impact on the environment. His lunchtime group sessions often allow younger children to feel that their actions can also contribute to the global movement for change.

In a recent event at the Centre for Stories Reuben spoke about his passion for a more sustainable future, he said; "We, as children, are the leaders of tomorrow - so we have a right to actually know what the problems are, in order to have any chance of solving them". He believes every word of that to be true and is very excited to be part of TEDxYouth@Perth!

Lucy Nyholt

Youth Panel
Lucy Nyholt
Youth Panel

Lucy is a third-year mechanical engineering and finance student at Curtin University and a recipient of the 2019 Woodside Women in Science and Engineering scholarship.

Lucy is an intern at Cundall, where she works with a team that advise sustainable design solutions for the built environment. Cundall will work alongside TEDxPerth to certify future TEDxPerth events as carbon neutral.

Lucy is involved with Curtin Volunteers, including the Homework Help Program and the John Curtin Weekend Program. Lucy has achieved two Curtin Extra certificates that recognise her involvement as both a volunteer and leader with Curtin Volunteers and was a finalist for Curtin Volunteers ‘Leader of the Semester’ in 2019. Lucy’s passion for the environment and love for animals has led her to volunteer at an equestrian centre in Margaret River and with the Dolphin Experience Program in Monkey Mia in 2019.

Partnerships and Development

Martin Wisker

Partnerships Director
Martin Wisker
Partnerships Director

Martin is a senior executive within a large construction organisation based in Perth and has over 30 years’ experience gained both in the UK and Australia on a multitude of projects.

He is naturally very engaging, personable, high energy and credible, which means his stakeholder management and client engagement skills are exemplary. He prides himself on clearly understanding the needs of his clients and ensuring that they are not only met, but exceeded.

Martin is a passionate leader and has created a culture where his team are empowered and confident.

He has a very similar approach outside of work where he loves the Perth way of life and enjoys this to the maximum with his family. He also finds time to be continue his love of soccer coaching, which he has done for over 20 years.

Bethan Winn

Senior Partnerships Manager
Bethan Winn
Senior Partnerships Manager

Bethan is a multi-faceted educator with over 15 years international experience. She is passionate about making learning practical, interactive and fun. She currently works as a Critical Thinking facilitator and consultant, and lectures in Science Communication on the UWA Diploma programme. She studied at the University of York and Goldsmiths college, London. 

Community and sustainability are key values for Bethan. Since moving to Perth in 2010, she has been involved with Toy Libraries, the Buy Nothing project, establishing Perry Lakes parkrun, coordinating Repair Lab events in Wembley, climate activism and the transition network.  

A ‘recovering’ triathlete, family commitments mean that she just runs and cycles these days, but movement and being in nature are part of each day.

Siva Murugappa

Senior Partnerships Manager
Siva Murugappa
Senior Partnerships Manager

Siva is a senior executive with over 13 years experience in the Banking and Finance industry in Perth. He is a highly motivated person with eloquent communication and interpersonal skills.

Having a solid sales leadership and change management background, developed extensively throughout his personal and professional experience, has allowed him to work, build and nuture strong relationships with key organisations in Western Australia – ranging from High Net Worth individuals, Not-for-Profits, Education, Government departments, Public Listed Corporations to State Treasuries.

“The best learning happens in real life with real problems and real people and not in classrooms”. Charles Handy.

Having recently attained Green Belt Accreditation in Lean Six Sigma, Siva’s proudest most involved in making signification positive impact to his department’s bottom-line by solving a real life problem through challenging the existing norm, culture and processes.

He was born in Malaysia, spend most of his pre-teen years growing up in Indonesia, ventured to sunny Australia (Melbourne) 18 years ago to pursue his tertiary education (Bachelors of Commence in Information Systems), and resides now Perth. When he is not working, he loves spending time with his family cooking up a feast!

Production

Kabir Ramasary

Food Curator
Kabir Ramasary
Food Curator

Financial planner by day, food enthusiast by night. Kabir works in his own financial planning busines, is highly active in volunteer roles and is known to organise food events. Kabir is ecstatic to be apart of the TEDxPerth team.

Russell Tsingano

Event Manager, Countdown
Russell Tsingano
Event Manager, Countdown

Russell was born and raised in Zimbabwe and moved to Perth six years ago. He loves Perth and recently graduated from Curtin University with a double degree in Mechanical Engineering and Management.

Throughout his time at Curtin, Russell volunteered in a variety of roles and had the privilege of leading teams and working on-campus. He has taken part in programs and initiatives such as the John Curtin Leadership Academy (JCLA), orientation week and student experience videos, as well as John Curtin Weekend (JCW) and Remote and Indigenous (R&I) volunteering trips. More recently, he has been involved in leading some Red Frog events. All of these people-focused roles have allowed him to meet people from very diverse backgrounds, cultures and religions, which Russell absolutely loves.

He loves people and has learnt to communicate effectively with a variety of stakeholders. He believes that everyone has a story and that that story is worthy of being heard. His first (and lesser known) name is Zvikomborero, which means 'blessings' in his native language of Shona, and he strives to be a blessing to those around him. He wants to see the world become a better place for everyone and believes in loving those around us, including those amongst us that happen to be on the margins.

Russell is passionate about leadership and helping others, and loves initiatives that help to solve some of the world's problems. As he kicks off his career, he is keen to develop and grow in all facets. As a fan of TED and TEDx events from across the world, as well as having attended previous TEDxPerth events, he is very excited to be a part of the TEDxPerth team and community.

Olivia Boulud

Volunteer Manager
Olivia Boulud
Volunteer Manager

After graduating from her master’s in marketing, communication and the media, Olivia's passion for the Seventh Art quickly led her to work on the production of many short films, features and TV commercials in Paris.

With over 10 years' experience as a casting director both in France and Australia, Olivia has recently been dedicating her time and energy to support community-based and not-for-profit projects, campaigns and events, big or small, for local and international organisations, while raising her two children.

Olivia is passionate about bringing people, talents and aspirations together and feels privileged to have met unique emerging artists and inspirational leaders through her eclectic experience in Perth.



She is thrilled to be joining the TEDxPerth Production Team this year.

Jane Ong

Senior Volunteer Coordinator
Jane Ong
Senior Volunteer Coordinator
Jane has a strong attitude to learning and an immense desire to give back to the community positively and sustainably.  She believes in educating and sharing of information so people can make informed choices, which is why, she is very excited to be a part of TEDxPerth.  She finds it fulfilling when she achieves her goals, more so when she helps others achieve theirs. 
Outside of her work as a Project Officer at the WA Cancer Palliative Care Network, she enjoys spending time volunteering, running, golfing and reading. She looks forward to meeting all the volunteers who will be the face of TEDxPerth 2019 and how she can support them to make the most of their experience.

Parul Jha

Volunteer Coordinator
Parul Jha
Volunteer Coordinator
Parul is an experienced human resources professional with special interest in recruitment. She has worked across various industries incliding IT, Energy, Utilities and currently in Health.
 
Parul has joined TEDxPerth as she believes in the magic of ideas and how we as a team can help others achieve theirs. This is a wonderful platform to spread the idea as someone has said "What good is an idea if it remains an idea. Try. Experiment. Iterate. Fail. Try again. Change the world."

In her spare time, Parul enjoys reading, playing board games and spending time with her two boys.

Natalia Saeed

Volunteer Coordinator
Natalia Saeed
Volunteer Coordinator

Natalia Saeed works for the Department of Training and Workforce Development and is a co-founder of The Jugnoo Impact, an initiative aimed at helping organisations in maximizing the impact of their programs and projects.

With a background in Anthropology and International Development, she is committed towards creating ideas and projects that make a positive difference in the world. This led her to work for UNESCO in Indonesia and Timor Leste which shaped her worldview and honed her passion for making a positive difference in people’s lives.

She is always up for a challenge and believes social change and impact begins with a conversation and TEDxPerth is the perfect avenue. As a long-time follower of TED talks and events from across the world, she is excited to be part of the TEDxPerth team.

She currently volunteers with the Australian Red Cross, Muslim Youth WA, Community Food Hamper and runs IllUMEnate and the Perth Development Circle. She is inspired by all things culture, arts, community and ideas of identity and belonging.

Benjamin Fry

AV Manager
Benjamin Fry
AV Manager

Benjamin studied lighting design at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, during which he worked with the Australian Ballet on the Royal Birmingham production of the Nutcracker.

After graduation Benjamin worked as a freelance engineer working with a variety of different arts organisations around Australia, including ballet, opera, rock and roll, and dance.

In 2009 he moved to Mauritius to be Lighting Designer and Consultant for theatre, dance, corporate and Presidential events. His work involved large scale dance concerts, corporate entities, such as HSBC, Air Mauritius, The Shaolin Monks and events for the President and Prime Minister.

Returning to Australia in 2010, Benjamin became Head of Lighting at West Australian Ballet, working with the company for two years and including a lot of regional touring. Subsequently he moved to London to work with White Light, the leading production supplier of lighting and AV services to the entertainment and corporate event industries.

Returning to Perth, Benjamin established his own company What Noiz, specialising in design, installation and production management for corporate events and theatre. He has been Lighting Designer for the West Australian Ballet and offered technical solutions for a large range of companies, including Toyota and the Perth Arena, in space activation and live streaming events such as the UFC Romero and Rockhold Fight at The Perth Arena.

Laura Warren

Installations Coordinator
Laura Warren
Installations Coordinator

Laura is an experienced professional in the not-for-profit sector, specialising in arts administration, education and project management. She has held several positions with cultural and educational institutions, including the Royal Ontario Museum and Royal Conservatory of Music in Canada, and the University of Western Australia.

Growing up in Canada as the daughter of a museum curator, Laura was immersed in scientific and cultural programming from an early age. This fostered a lifelong fascination with literature, history, ecology, music and the performing arts. She completed degrees in piano performance and music history as well as her Associateship with the Royal Conservatory of Music in Canada. She has dedicated her personal and professional lives to advocating for the arts and is committed to fostering community engagement through dynamic cultural programming and storytelling.

Laura moved to Perth in 2015 and quickly fell in love with the city. Since then she has been an active participant in its vibrant cultural scene as a patron and a community volunteer. She is delighted to take up a role within the TEDxPerth team and hopes to put her skills and passions to use in showcasing Western Australia’s most creative, impactful and inspiring individuals.

Drianca Naidoo

Installations Coordinator
Drianca Naidoo
Installations Coordinator

Drianca is a Project Officer for the WA Department of Health and has qualifications in Psychology and Human Resource Management. She has a passion for organisational psychology and often finds herself deep in research about businesses, people and culture. Drianca strongly believes in the TED philosophy of ‘ideas worth spreading’ and is excited to be a part of making this happen.

Outside of work, Drianca enjoys brunching with her miniature Dachshund Finley, training at her local F45 gym and indulging in a glass of red wine with friends, especially at quiz nights.

Samantha Hayes

Registration Manager
Samantha Hayes
Registration Manager

As a professional geospatial analyst, Samantha is passionate about why things are where they are and where they should be. Sam has studied and worked across Australia and has recently moved to Perth for a new role. Whilst pursuing her love of all things geospatial, Sam is a representative for her workplace community group and enjoys donating her time and energy to community based events. Sam believes sparking conversation is the start of change, and cannot wait to contribute to ideas worth spreading at TEDxPerth.
 
Samantha is excited to be a part of the TEDxPerth team for the first time in 2019.

Catherine Milbrandt

Registration Coordinator
Catherine Milbrandt
Registration Coordinator

Catherine is a marketing and events consultant with a passion for engagement, human connection, entrepreneurship, innovation and small business.  

With experience working across a diverse range of industries including entertainment, education and services both in Australia and the UK, Catherine holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Marketing) and a Bachelor of Social Sciences (Sociology) from Curtin University.

Having lived and travelled across the globe throughout her life, Catherine is now grounded in Perth (for the time being, raising her young family) and hopes to one day be able to show her children the world and ignite the same passion for different countries and cultures her parents lit for her.

Catherine is thrilled to be a part of the TEDxPerth team, is committed to making a positive contribution and excited to no doubt meet some interesting folks along the way!

Shivani Gurung

Registration Support Coordinator
Shivani Gurung
Registration Support Coordinator

Shivani graduated in law from London in 2013 and has three years experience as an Operations and Creative Manager with a Nepalese movie production and distribution company.

Shivani moved to Perth in 2018 and joined the TEDxPerth team in 2019.

Alice Leggett

Event Coordinator, Salons
Alice Leggett
Event Coordinator, Salons

Alice is a Research and Communications Officer at the Committee for Perth. With a background in Anthropology and Sociology, she is passionate about research, advocacy and creating positive social change.

While completing her undergraduate and postgraduate degrees Alice was fortunate to be able to volunteer across a number of areas, including education, media and communications. She also had the opportunity to work as an Anthropologist in remote Aboriginal communities both in the Kimberley and the Central Desert, and has conducted research within her own Jewish community of Perth. Committed to fostering dialogue and sustainable change around social issues, Alice is a member of the WA Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) for the Australian Red Cross. She has a great love for the arts and continues to advocate for a diverse and vibrant cultural sector.

Alice is very excited to enter the new decade as a part of the TEDxPerth team in 2020.

Hayley Campbell

Event Coordinator, Salons
Hayley Campbell
Event Coordinator, Salons

Hayley is a Research Officer at the Committee for Perth, with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Human Geography and Planning and a Graduate Certificate in Urban Design. She has a passion for research and learning, which is what motivated her to join the TEDxPerth volunteer community. Other interests include attempting to stay active, good food, and arts and culture. She’s excited to be working alongside the rest of the TEDxPerth team!

Capucine Flipo

Event Coordinator, Launch
Capucine Flipo
Event Coordinator, Launch

Capucine has over 20 years marketing manager, communication and event experience across various sectors and internationally.

Capucine arrived in Perth in 2013. Wanting to contribute more, she is also working for other not-profit-institutions, such as Australian Red Cross as Vice President of the Bindaring Unit.

Kayla MacGillivray

Event Coordinator, Alumni Breakfast and Livestream
Kayla MacGillivray
Event Coordinator, Alumni Breakfast and Livestream

Kayla is an emerging arts and events manager. She has a background in theatre, and works in arts administration and front of house at the State Theatre Centre of Western Australia, as well as freelance producing and publicity for a variety of independent theatre shows across Perth. For the last three years, she has been one of the event coordinators of Spoken Word Perth, Perth’s largest poetry event, and she recently completed her studies in Arts and Cultural Management at Deakin University. This is the second year  Kayla has been involved with TEDxPerth, and is excited to be a part of the team.

Blake Good

Logistics Coordinator
Blake Good
Logistics Coordinator

Born and raised in Perth, Blake always felt connected to the strong sense of community and history Perth has to offer. Blake is a Graphic Designer by trade with a strong focus on Identity and UI/UX design. He grew up with a love for local cinema and most certainly will talk your ear off about how underrated The Grand Budapest Hotel is. He is beyond excited to be part of the TEDxPerth Core Team after having volunteerd as a Day Volunteer for the last three years.

Marketing and Design

Tanya Dharmapala

Marketing Director
Tanya Dharmapala
Marketing Director

Tanya joined the team in 2020.

Daniel Jackson

Design Director
Daniel Jackson
Design Director

Record hoarder, typography aficionado, good manners enthusiast and freelance designer. Working at the intersection of simplicity and modernism to craft compelling brand narratives that challenge convention. Fuelled by considerable amounts of coffee and Gyoza. Kept up at night by bad kerning and double spaces.

www.danieljackson.design

Kelwin Wong

Senior Designer
Kelwin Wong
Senior Designer

An Architect and Graphic Designer, Kelwin is driven by how we use visuals to tell effective and compelling stories. He loves the built environment and seeing how graphics and design integrate to create delightful and unexpected experiences. When not in work mode (ha!) he can be found enjoying 80s nostalgia, crunchy snacks, and crate diving for vinyl and CDs. 

www.kelwinwong.com

Gabriela Villa Carrillo

Program Editor
Gabriela Villa Carrillo
Program Editor

Gaby is a sports nutritionist with a passion to promote healthy eating and physical activity among the population. She migrated to Perth in 2016 to pursuit a Master of Health Science at UWA. Upon completion of her master degree, she joined the Department of Health workforce and is currently working as a Program Officer within the Health Networks team.

Her work as a nutritionist allows her to understand individual needs and influence positive behaviour change in a one on one approach. Working in the public health system has given her the opportunity to work on strategies that can have a positive and sustainable impact at the population level.

In her spare time, Gaby enjoys triathlon. She uses it as an opportunity to catch up with her friends while spending quality time outdoors. Bike rides that finish at the coffee shop are her favourite training sessions.

Cameron Munro

Website Development Manager
Cameron Munro
Website Development Manager

Cameron is an experienced IT professional with a particular focus on the education sector, and is currently completing a Master of Management (Information Technology) at Charles Sturt University.

He enjoys helping organisations work smarter, enabling people to spend more time on the things that really matter. Cameron is up for anything involving technology, education and the arts – making TEDxPerth a perfect fit!

Jiaranai Keatnuxsuo

IT & Website Coordinator
Jiaranai Keatnuxsuo
IT & Website Coordinator

Jiaranai is an IT student at the University of Western Australia who shines brightest when using her skills to bridge the gap between technical and non-technical problems. IT has become part of everything in the world she knows, Jia understands that knowledge from various domains is interconnected and even greater when combined. However, Jia's background was all about people, not machines, she was involved in a personal development project, helping the young generation in her community realise their potential. With this project, she was nominated for the Western Australia Young Leadership Award in 2018.

Her love for Perth has grown tremendously since moving here in 2016. Jia has joined TEDxPerth to support Perth’s brightest minds to spread their ideas that can potentially transform the world.

Andrew Kilburn

Lead Photographer
Andrew Kilburn
Lead Photographer

Andrew has photographed TEDxPerth events for several years. In 2019 he's stepping up to be our Lead Photographer.

Richard Watson

Videographer and Photographer
Richard Watson
Videographer and Photographer

Richard loves to develop, capture and share ideas through visual media. With a background in science and engineering combined with a more recent foray into the arts through his photography and film work, Richard has an unusual combination of technical and artistic experience.

Filming the TEDxPerth salon events and editing many of the flagship talks over the years has been a wonderful opportunity to work with a wonderful team capturing and sharing some truly incredible stories. Richard also loves growing veggies, woodworking and playing jazz and blues piano.

HR and Operations

Chris Lloyd

Director of People
Chris Lloyd
Director of People

Chris is an experienced Talent Acquisition leader with local and international experience across oil & gas, banking, finance, digital and technology markets.

He has provided advice at executive board level in multinational organisations, as well as worked with ASX top 10 listed companies. His experience is supplemented by acting in a consultant/advisory roles on two international office start-ups and a passion for continuous improvement and process automation.

In his spare time, Chris can be found coaching Auskicks, playing amateur soccer and being a father to his two sons and his daughter.

He is enthusiastic and passionate about bringing all he can to bring value to the TEDxPerth community.

Dirk Kelly

IT Manager
Dirk Kelly
IT Manager

Dirk recently returned from New York where he works in technology for a non-profit cultural exchange program. Being a part of TEDxPerth is a great way for him to give back to the community and be immersed in new ideas.

Jiaranai Keatnuxsuo

IT & Website Coordinator
Jiaranai Keatnuxsuo
IT & Website Coordinator

Jiaranai is an IT student at the University of Western Australia who shines brightest when using her skills to bridge the gap between technical and non-technical problems. IT has become part of everything in the world she knows, Jia understands that knowledge from various domains is interconnected and even greater when combined. However, Jia's background was all about people, not machines, she was involved in a personal development project, helping the young generation in her community realise their potential. With this project, she was nominated for the Western Australia Young Leadership Award in 2018.

Her love for Perth has grown tremendously since moving here in 2016. Jia has joined TEDxPerth to support Perth’s brightest minds to spread their ideas that can potentially transform the world.

Eileen Wong

Executive Officer
Eileen Wong
Executive Officer

Eileen is currently employed as a Senior Planner at Built. Born in Malaysia and having lived and worked in Kobe, Sheffield and Sydney, she now calls Perth her home. She has three passions in life: learning, promoting diversity of thought and travelling.

She has a bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering and Communication Studies and is currently finishing her diploma in Business Governance with the Institute of Community Directors Australia.

Eileen is also the Treasurer for National Australia Women in Construction in Western Australia, a UniMentor for Women in Engineering and is a massive supporter of the Cambodian Children's Fund and the Cancer Council.

Lydia Setiadi

Bookkeeper
Lydia Setiadi
Bookkeeper

Lydia joined the team in 2020.

Speaker Coaches

Andrea Gibbs

Speaker Coach
Andrea Gibbs
Speaker Coach
Andrea is the host of ‘Weekends With Andrea Gibbs’ on ABC digital radio across Australia and the co-creator of Barefaced Stories, Australia’s longest running storytelling show of its kind. She has been a speaker at both ‘Women of Letters’ with Marieke Hardy and TEDxPerth. In 2003 she won Triple J’s Raw Comedy State Final and is a core member of Perth’s premier improv-comedy ensemble The Big HOO-HAA!

 

Andy Farrant

Speaker Coach
Andy Farrant
Speaker Coach

Andy Farrant consults in communications and leadership.  He has worked extensively in management in the arts sector, defence technology and was originally a science specialist teacher. TEDxPerth 2018 will be Andy’s third year as a speaker coach.

Cindy Kennedy

Speaker Coach
Cindy Kennedy
Speaker Coach

Cindy is a multi-faceted human behavioural coach and consultant who helps her clients become seen and heard as leaders within their communities and organisations. With a background in film, television and theatre Cindy has produced documentary and cultural awareness festivals, master classes for the Banff International Television Festival and worked in primetime television drama. Her passion for story morphed into teaching the art of storytelling to speakers and leaders. A professional speaker herself, she currently sits on the leadership team for Professional Speakers Australia WA Chapter and is thrilled to join the 2018 TEDxPerth team as Speaker Coach.

Gavin Buckley

Speaker Coach
Gavin Buckley
Speaker Coach

Gavin is a consultant and coach with over twenty years experience in corporate partnerships, leadership and board positions with peak bodies in the UK and Australia. Gavin arrived in Perth in 2012 and has been involved with TEDxPerth from the start, first as Speaker Coach and Host, recently as Joint Executive Producer and now as our CEO.

Gavin's work with TEDxPerth was recently recognised when he was awarded Community Citizen of the Year 2019 by the City of Perth.

At TEDFest 2018 in New York, Gavin experienced at first hand the extraordinary creativity, energy and drive of the international community of TEDx organisers. He is thrilled to be leading our similarly talented and enthusiastic team as we grow both our Flagship Conference and a new series of Salons for our community in Perth and Western Australia.

Gavin lives in Fremantle running his own consultancy helping people communicate with authenticity and impact.

Karen Livey

Speaker Coach
Karen Livey
Speaker Coach

Karen is a professional speaker who loves sharing ideas and knowledge, particularly around neuroscience of leadership. She is enthusiastic about creating ‘brain-smarter’ leaders. She is the co-developer of the Diploma of Neuropresenting, a presentation diploma which incorporates the neuroscience of learning.

Kellie Hasluck

Speaker Coach
Kellie Hasluck
Speaker Coach

Kellie has provided Western Australian businesses with communications advice for over 25 years, 20 as a founder and Director of Clarity Communications, one or Perth’s leading corporate communications consultancies.

With over 20 years' experience in corporate communications, and a background in PR, Kellie possesses strong insights into the importance of communications, brand and image in the workplace. As a strategic communications advisor to many blue-chip clients in the mining, industrial, property, health, telecommunications and agricultural sectors, he has positioned businesses for success by leveraging traditional and emerging communications technologies and platforms to cultivate strong brand presence and market awareness.

Kellie also provides individual coaching to senior executives to support them in their purpose, personal brand and leadership communication style.

Lisa Evans

Speaker Coach
Lisa Evans
Speaker Coach

Lisa Evans is the Director of Speaking Savvy and Founder of Stories From The Heart. She is an international speaker, author, member of Professional Speakers Australia, World Class Certified Speaking and Storytelling Coach, speechwriter and business storytelling expert. Lisa has been a TEDxPerth Speaker Coach since 2014.

Shil Shanghavi

Speaker Coach
Shil Shanghavi
Speaker Coach

Shil Shanghavi is the Founder of Chatterbox Public Speaking. Despite living with a stutter, Shil has trained himself to become a professional speaker and developed an intimate understanding of how to harness the fear of speaking. He helps his clients become confident speakers, guiding them to overcome their anxieties and discover innate hidden strengths to find their own public speaking style.

Sophie Zadeh

Speaker Coach
Sophie Zadeh
Speaker Coach

Sophie is a Body Language Specialist and Founder of My Alcomy. Driven by a passion for helping people achieve goals, Sophie works with clients to improve the way they interact and communicate. With over twenty years of experience in training and presenting, to people of all ages and abilities, her diverse background combined with an inherent creative flair enables her to create engaging, insightful presentations. Sophie shares this insight, along with science-based body language secrets, to inspire and empower people to use the power of non-verbal communication to deliver their message with impact.

Hosts

Anthony Hasluck

River Stage Host, Flagship
Anthony Hasluck
River Stage Host, Flagship

Anthony is a leading communications consultant with more than 25 years experience in a wide range of industries, both in Australia and internationally. He is Managing Director of Clarity, the leading brand and communications agency, which he co-founded in 1999.

Gavin Buckley

Main Stage Host, Flagship
Gavin Buckley
Main Stage Host, Flagship

Gavin is a consultant and coach with over twenty years experience in corporate partnerships, leadership and board positions with peak bodies in the UK and Australia. Gavin arrived in Perth in 2012 and has been involved with TEDxPerth from the start, first as Speaker Coach and Host, recently as Joint Executive Producer and now as our CEO.

Gavin's work with TEDxPerth was recently recognised when he was awarded Community Citizen of the Year 2019 by the City of Perth.

At TEDFest 2018 in New York, Gavin experienced at first hand the extraordinary creativity, energy and drive of the international community of TEDx organisers. He is thrilled to be leading our similarly talented and enthusiastic team as we grow both our Flagship Conference and a new series of Salons for our community in Perth and Western Australia.

Gavin lives in Fremantle running his own consultancy helping people communicate with authenticity and impact.

Kai Lovel

Host, TEDxYouth@Perth
Kai Lovel
Host, TEDxYouth@Perth

Kai is a 15-year-old entrepreneur, broadcaster, freelancer, speaker and trailblazing change agent, motivated by a strong sense of social justice and a passion for content creation. He’s on a mission to follow his curiosities, and help others to do the same.

At age 12, he began producing and presenting on local radio, sparking his interest in creating content across various mediums. Months later he established The Tech Thread Co, his first e-commerce enterprise, immersing himself in the realities of business.

Going on to creating POV (Point of View), his own podcast, at 13, he further explored the potential of content for good.

Quickly realising that it’s not all plain sailing as a young entrepreneur, but still passionately curious, he started Millennial Studios, a media incubator for young people with the vision of creating a platform for impactful content.

With the co-creation of peer-to-peer tutoring agency Student Tutors United in late 2018, Kai had started and operated three enterprises in various industries.

He is now focussing on sharing his experiences, lessons and skills with other young people and enterprises, through speaking, consultancy and freelance work.

Kai was a speaker at TEDxPerth, The Age of Wonder, at Perth Concert Hall in 2018. He joins the team to help us develop and deliver TEDxYouth@Perth in 2020.

Position Available

Alumni Manager and Host
Position Available
Alumni Manager and Host

This position is currently available.

Position Available

Visiting TEDx Organiser Host
Position Available
Visiting TEDx Organiser Host

This position is currently available.

Board

Tracy Deveugle-Frink

Chair
Tracy Deveugle-Frink
Chair

Tracy is a management consultant at Ernst & Young where she helps clients innovate and optimise their value chains, specialising in process improvement and project management. Prior to this she owned a staffing and consulting business that specialised in advising clients in the entertainment industry whose clients included the US Secret Service and The Learning Channel.

Keith Burke

Treasurer
Keith Burke
Treasurer

Keith joined the board and was appointed Treasurer in April 2019.

Joel Miller

Board Member
Joel Miller
Board Member

Joel studied engineering and psychology at UWA. His design won 2008 WA Inventor of the Year and he was a finalist on ABC’s The New Inventors in 2007. He is currently completing his PhD - developing next-gen orthopaedic implants. Joel was Science Magazine’s 2011 Dance Your PhD winner. He is co-founder and licensee of TEDxPerth.

Simon Dawkins

Board Member
Simon Dawkins
Board Member

During his career in arts management, Simon has been the CEO of two capital city performing arts centres, Canberra Theatre Centre and the Perth Theatre Trust. He was appointed a Life Member of APACA (a national performing arts organisation) for helping create that organisation and advocating successfully for the Commonwealth Government to start Playing Australia, which has improved access to the performing arts through support for national and regional touring. He was appointed the inaugural Chair. Simon has since engaged in economic, social and climate change policy in the Department of the Premier and Cabinet and created a think tank, EcoCarbon. Simon is now a director of the Oil Mallee Association, an advocacy group for carbon farming and bioenergy in the WA Wheatbelt. He is also engaged in a PhD on sustainability and bioenergy.

Simon chaired the board of TEDxPerth from its inception in 2012 for seven years. He proudly continues his association with this expert, principled and professional organisation, confident that TEDxPerth will continue as an organisation of national significance, bringing attention to great ideas from WA.

Annabel Keogh

Board Member
Annabel Keogh
Board Member

Annabel is a multi-skilled corporate affairs professional, with experience in government relations, strategic planning, policy, strategic communications, and issues management. Annabel is currently the Strategic Engagement Manager at Western Power, helping the business to coordinate and consolidate how Western Power’s business activities can respond to strategic challenges.

Prior to this she was a lawyer with Jackson McDonald, and a corporate affairs consultant with international advisory firm FTI Consulting. Annabel is also an experienced Board Member with over ten years work in the community and not-for-profit sector, and is currently the Director of Strategy and Innovation at Impact Seed. 

Annabel holds a Bachelor of Law (Honours) and Arts (Honours), Graduate Certificate in Applied Finance, and is completing her Masters of Business Administration, with specialisation in Social Impact.

Adil Bux

Board Member
Adil Bux
Board Member

Former head of marketing for Festival of Perth and ScreenWest. Co-founder of Greenwich Productions, a venue management company and leader in programming philosophy and event webcasting. Co-founder/Managing Director of Synergy Group Ltd, event management agency working with events such as Cartier Polo and London Fashion Week.

In 2003, Adil co-founded the global suncare brand INVISIBLE ZINC, wallpaper* magazine’s World’s Best Beauty Product (2006).

Co-finalist in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year (2012). Adil continues to develop innovative natural cosmetics, food supplements and healthcare consumer brands. In 2014, Adil launched, with Andrea Bux and Elle Macpherson, WelleCo a global wellness and supplements company.

After leaving WelleCo, Adil launched his NUUT Bar cafe chain and in late 2018 is set to launch the NUUT Meal Replacement business in the UK.

Advisory Panel

Charlie Gunningham

Advisor
Charlie Gunningham
Advisor

Charlie Gunningham sits on various advisory boards and is active among Perth’s tech startup sector. His full-time role is with the federal government’s Accelerating Commercialisation programme providing access to commercial advice and matching grants of up to $1 million for eligible projects. Having landed in Perth in 1997, Charlie topped the MBA at the UWA Business School, cofounded and then later sold aussiehome.com, ran reiwa.com and was CEO of Business News.

Alison Gaines

Advisor
Alison Gaines
Advisor

Alison Gaines is a member of the leadership team of Gerard Daniels, since 2006, and leads the business in the region. Her practice area focuses on board and executive appointments and providing wider governance, performance, remuneration and organisational consulting to clients across all sectors and industries.

Alison has extensive non-executive director and director experience accrued over thirty years, in the not for profits, mutuals and public sectors, higher education and professional and management education.

Alison was previously Chief Executive Officer of The Australian Law Society following a distinguished career in the public service (responsible for whole of government strategic human resource policy, the Senior Executive Service, executive remuneration, CEO employment and government boards and committees).

Alison is a Governor of The College of Law Ltd Australasia, Chairman of the Murdoch University Foundation, Vice President of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (WA) andPresident of the Australian Institute of Management WA and Deputy Chair of the IDPN, a Global Club of INSEAD.

Alison holds an honorary doctorate; a Master of Arts (Public Policy) from Murdoch University; Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts (hons) from the University of Western Australia and a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the Australian National University. She holds a Certificate in Corporate Governance INSEAD; and is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Director and the Australian Institute of Management.

Michael Tucak

Advisor
Michael Tucak
Advisor

Michael Tucak is Principal Lawyer at creative legal, a specialist legal firm for WA's creative industries. He is a board member of pvi collective and the Chamber of Arts and Culture (WA), and a previous board member/chair at RTRFM 92.1, board member/secretary of Emerging Writer's Festival and board member at Artrage (Fringeworld).

Michael is passionate about developing the creative capacity of Western Australia and championing the benefits that flow from our own creative abilities. He has lectured in Arts Law at WAAPA and in Fashion Law and occasionally presents RTRM 92.1's 'Siamese Dream' show. He was recently elected as a local Councillor.