Speaker Stories pt 2: Aisha Thomas

The last of three special episodes where we introduce some of the speakers who’ll be taking to the stage at this year’s event on November 17th at Bristol Old Vic. We wanted to share their story and the inspiration behind their idea as well as giving you a behind the scenes look at the journey to that famous red circle for a TEDxBristol speaker.

Becky Walsh meets speaker Drew Benvie who is on a mission to save social media. Drew's online life started way before social media even existed. Drew tells Becky about what he's found out about how it's influencing the world around us, in both the very best and worst of ways.

Drew’s talk at TEDxBristol 2019 is called “One million online harms an hour: how can we reboot social media?” He’ll explore the journey social media has taken, looking at some of the most fundamental questions about its power for good and evil, and what we must to do prepare for what’s next.

Catch Drew alongside fifteen other speakers at TEDxBristol 2019 - get your tickets here.

This episode was made possible thanks to TEDxBristol's headline partner, Opus Talent Solutions.

The second of three special episodes where we introduce some of the speakers who’ll be taking to the stage at this year’s event on November 17th at Bristol Old Vic. We wanted to share their story and the inspiration behind their idea as well as giving you a behind the scenes look at the journey to that famous red circle for a TEDxBristol speaker.

Becky Walsh meets speaker Aisha Thomas as well as shining a light on the process that each and every one of our speakers goes through once they’ve been selected.

Bristol’s Aisha Thomas started out studying law at university but a chance meeting with a young offender changed her whole outlook on what she wanted to do with her life. She’s now a leading figure in the region’s education system and has helped to launch a new curriculum to help better represent black history.

Aisha’s talk at TEDxBristol 2019 is called "Perhaps if you were my teacher, I wouldn’t be in prison today."’ and will challenge us all to consider how our decisions and journeys could inspire the next generation.

See a clip of Aisha's BBC documentary here.

Catch Aisha alongside fifteen other speakers at TEDxBristol 2019 - get your tickets here.

This episode was made possible thanks to TEDxBristol's headline partner, Opus Talent Solutions.

The first of three special episodes where we introduce some of the speakers who’ll be taking to the stage at this year’s event on November 17th at Bristol Old Vic. We wanted to share their story and the inspiration behind their idea as well as giving you a behind the scenes look at the journey to that famous red circle for a TEDxBristol speaker.

Becky Walsh meets speaker Chloe Ball-Hopkins as well as finding out what makes an idea worth sharing on a TEDxBristol stage.

Chloe Ball-Hopkins is a freelance journalist, archery champion and a student. She’s also a wheelchair user on a mission to find out why such a large sector of society is still invisible to retailers.

Hear what inspired Chloe to take on the fashion industry and embark on a mission to create clothes that help people like her feel comfortable and fashionable, whether they are on feet or on wheels!

Catch Chloe alongside fifteen other speakers at TEDxBristol 2019 - get your tickets here.

This episode was made possible thanks to TEDxBristol's headline partner, Opus Talent Solutions.

Our attitudes to food consumption and food production are at odds with the impact that they’re having on the environment. How can we make sure that we’re able to feed an ever-growing population in a world with a changing climate, shifting seasons and huge inequality?

In this episode we take a look at the issues we face, both as a planet and as a society and meet the change-makers in our community of Bristol and South West UK, who are pushing the boundaries and helping to create a more positive future.

This episode is hosted by former TEDxBristol speaker and environmental campaigner Natalie Fee. Natalie goes on a journey of discovery to learn about the extent of the problems we face and about what needs to be done to ensure that our future relationship with food is a sustainable one.

Natalie meets Patrick Holden, founder and chief executive of the Bristol-based Sustainable Food Trust, to find out more about the impact that farming practices are having on the planet.

We find out how one Bristol startup is developing the farms of the future out of an old industrial unit. Lettus Grow are developing indoor farms using aeroponic technology, we get taken on a tour of their hi-tech facility by co-founder Charlie Guy.

Finally, Steph Wetherell of the Bristol Food Producers network joins Natalie to talk about the things that we can do on a grass roots level to ensure that we’re all doing our bit towards a more sustainable future.

We also visit one of Bristol’s most sustainable, and most delicious restaurants, Poco Tapas in Stokes Croft and meet co-founders Jennifer Best and Ben Pryor who tell us why locally-sourced ingredients are so important to them.

This episode was made possible thanks to TrueStart Coffee - find out more at truestartcoffee.com

A big thank you to Jamie Pike for introducing us to some great contributors.

We’re now in the fourth industrial revolution, a fast-paced world where technology has the ability to create a better world for all of us, and so those behind it have a great responsibility!

In this episode we take a look at our home town's vibrant tech startup scene, meeting some of the founders and startups who are helping Bristol and the south west of England compete on the world stage.

What makes Bristol and the south west of England such a special place when it comes to tech startups and what can the rest of the world learn from our little corner of the UK?

Hosted by Sarah Keates, part of the team at tech hub, Techspark, we’ll find out what gives this region the edge, whether there are certain types of startup that thrive here and ask how we’ve been able to create so many game-changing tech startups?

Sarah meets 3 businesses who are all at different stages of their journey, from OKKO Health, an early stage startup led by founder Stephanie Campbell to Ultrahaptics, one of the countries most innovative tech businesses that is now making (ultrasonic) waves around the world and started life as a University of Bristol final year project. She also meets Zara Nanu, founder of Gapsquare who is on a mission to create a world with fair pay.

We also go along to the Techfusion Expo where entrepreneurs and innovators share ideas and showcase new ways in which technology like Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionising business, and our every day lives. Here we also meet Jason Hart, now one of the world’s leading experts on cyber security who’s journey into business started out fixing and selling old TVs out of the estate he grew up on in Bristol.

This episode was made possible thanks to Blackstar Solutions - find out more at blackstarsolutions.co.uk

TEDxBristol 2019 is coming (Nov 17 2019) - find out more!

What does it mean to be a man in 2019 and how can our relationships with masculinity help to shape gender equality? This episode is supported by Opus Talent Solutions.

This is Daniel's story about how he has ploughed a lifetime of personal experiences into a mission to help men discover their true identities, break down barriers and progress gender equality.

In 2018, former TEDxBristol speaker Daniel Edmund launched The Male Room an initiative to help men further their careers in the creative sector, build their confidence and encourage open, intimiate conversations about being a man.

TEDxBristol 2019 is coming (Nov 17 2019) - find out more!

How do we unpick the things that don't work, modify our brief, steady our focus and create positive change in a world of constant flux?

Introducing a new podcast, which meets the changemakers, pushing the boundaries in this moment of global uncertainty, polarised opinion and political upheaval.