TEDxCanberra

A huge shoutout to the incredibly talented GAVIN BLAKE - Scribe for capturing the energy, ideas, humour and emotion of our recent Open Mic Night as it happened in real time.

There’s something magical about watching conversations and complex ideas come to life through illustration while the speakers are still on stage - and Gavin has an amazing ability to turn those moments into artwork that feels both thoughtful and deeply human.

Featured speakers and thought-provoking topics included:

🔹 Dr Kirsten Peterson - helping people grow through failure and redefining success in sport psychology
🔹 Andi Salamon - why babies are the coolest teachers we’ll ever have
🔹 Cindy Schwartz - authenticity, competence and harnessing imposter syndrome
🔹 Paige Kong - protecting youth in sport and reducing pressure on kids
🔹 Peter DeMoor - autonomous taxis, overnight travel, and the future of mobility
🔹 Gloria Tabi Tabi - hair freedom, belonging, and identity
🔹 Asha Naznin - hidden stories, culture and recognising Black lives in Australia
🔹 Li'An Chen, PhD - values-based healthcare and rethinking medical systems
🔹 Thomas Nielsen - meaning, kindness, and the random acts that shape deeper lives

Thank you to everyone who shared ideas, conversations and curiosity throughout the evening.

17 voices. 3 minutes each. And ideas that will stay with us for a long time.

We covered an incredible breadth of ground at our Open Mic Night event earlier this week at Verity Lane Market!

Dr Kirsten Peterson, an experienced performance psychologist, set the tone beautifully with a powerful reflection on navigating failure. A reminder that how we respond when things don’t go to plan often defines everything that follows.

From there, the night unfolded with real range and depth.

We had our youngest speaker of the evening, Paige Kong at just 11 years old, sharing a refreshingly simple but powerful idea: junior sport should be a collaborative experience, not a high-pressure demand.

We were also taken through ideas on arrival and experience by Peter DeMoor, exploring how the way we design and think about journeys shapes the way people feel, connect and engage.

We explored early connection and development through Andi Salamon’s baby play topic, and questioned systems with Cindy Schwartz.

A strong thread of women’s empowerment ran through the night in different, important ways - from economist Isha Singhal reframing women’s sport as a powerful market opportunity, to Pam Andrew speaking candidly about the reality of working mothers and what declining birth rates signal for society. Barry Hall offered a thoughtful perspective on life as a male feminist.

We were challenged to think differently about care and systems - with calls for greater empathy in healthcare from Li'An Chen, PhD and Layal Naji, a curriculum of generosity from Thomas Nielsen, and powerful reflections on inclusion, identity, and opportunity from Callie Elward-Barrett and Asha Naznin.

From urban gardens with Yon Hon Ng, to somatic literacy with Pam Andrew, to building systems that genuinely support women with Kate Crowhurst - the range of ideas was exactly what TEDx is all about.

And that’s just a glimpse at some of our speakers.

To every speaker - thank you. For your courage, your vulnerability, and for stepping onto the red dot and sharing something that matters to you.

To our alumni speakers Andrew Pfeiffer PSM and Mitch Porteous - thanks for sharing your TEDxCanberra journeys with our audience.

To our volunteers, MCs, and behind-the-scenes team - none of this happens without you.

Thanks to our partners Synergy Group, Verity Lane Market, Impress + Pearshop, Yellow Edge, Capital Brewing Co., GAVIN BLAKE - Scribe (our amazing visual scribe!) and Clockwork Advisory for backing bold ideas and this community.

Finally, to everyone who showed up, listened deeply, and cheered loudly - you made the room what it was.

This is where ideas begin.

Photos by the brilliant Galina Song 📸

🔴 LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER

It’s happening tomorrow.

A room full of strangers.
A mic.
And ideas that might just change how you see the world 💡🔴

Our inbox has been overflowing with bold, brilliant ideas — and now 18 passionate voices are ready to take the stage.

3 minutes. Real stories. Big thinking.

But the room matters just as much as the mic.

Come cheer on our speakers, spark meaningful conversations, and help shape what TEDxCanberra looks like in 2026.

🎤 TEDxCanberra Open Mic Night
📅 Tuesday, 5 May
🕕 Talks from 6:00 PM (networking from 5:30 PM)
📍 Louie Louie, Verity Lane Market
🎟 Free event

Come curious… leave inspired, challenged, maybe even a little changed.

Seats are limited — save yours now:
https://events.humanitix.com/tedxcanberra-2026-open-mic-night

There’s something electric about a room full of people, a microphone, and ideas that actually matter.

That’s what we’re creating at TEDxCanberra Open Mic Night — and you’re invited to be part of it.

This isn’t just an event you attend. It’s a room you feel. A space where: new voices step up - bold ideas are tested live - conversations spill out long after the last talk.

Speaker spots may be full — but the energy in the room? That’s built by the audience.

Come curious. Come open. Come ready to hear something that might just shift your perspective.

Tuesday, 5 May, 6:00 PM – 8:45 PM at Louie Louie, Verity Lane Market.

Don't wait, register today - https://events.humanitix.com/tedxcanberra-2026-open-mic-night

Be in the room, it's a free event.