TEDxToronto Announces First Slate of Speakers to Deliver Talks in Digital Event Series This Fall

TORONTO, Sept. 9, 2020 /CNW/ - TEDxToronto today announced its first slate of speakers set to present at the Fall portion of its digital event series. In its 12^th year serving the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA), the volunteer-run organization has recently reimagined its annual event into an evening digital event series, taking place on October 29^th, November 26^th, February 4^th and March 4^th.

The new format, consisting of four digestible, interactive digital experiences, allows TEDxToronto to continue to spread ideas, build community, and change lives across the GTHA while adapting to the realities of today.

This year's theme is Uncharted. "The world today is something we've never experienced before—and these uncharted waters are making us ask some big questions," co-chairs Gillian Cameron and Kapil Khimdas explain. "We are all asking, 'How can we see the larger picture, find sources of hope, and balance our individual goals with what we owe to each other?'"

The speakers for TEDxToronto's Fall digital event series are as follows. The second slate of speakers, presenting in the Winter, will be announced later this year.

Sara Mojtehedzadeh, Journalist (October 29^th)

• Sara Mojtehedzadeh is the Toronto Star's Work and Wealth reporter, writing on the changing workplace – including precarious work, labour issues, and workers' compensation. Her work at the Star has been recognized by the Hillman Foundation prize for social justice-oriented investigative journalism and nominated for the Michener Award for public service journalism and several National Newspaper Awards. 

Ran Goel, Founder, Fresh City (October 29^th)

• Ran Goel is the Founder of Fresh City, a Toronto urban farm and organic retailer with a strong online presence and eight stores. He founded Fresh City in 2011 to create a better life through food, after pivoting from his former career as a Wall Street investment lawyer. Ran has appeared on Dragon's Den to pitch the Fresh City concept and is passionate about the intersection of community, ecology and our food system.  

Jimmy Ba, Artificial Intelligence Expert (October 29^th)

• Jimmy Ba is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Toronto. He is also a faculty member at Vector Institute, the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) AI Chair program and was a recipient of Facebook Graduate Fellowship 2016 in machine learning. Jimmy's research focuses on developing novel deep learning algorithms, helping to advance our understanding of the human mind, intelligence, and computation.

Frances Donald, Global Chief Economist (October 29^th)

• Frances Donald is Global Chief Economist for Manulife Investment Management and a leading financial and economic commentator. While her day job is helping major financial institutions analyze global macroeconomic and financial trends, she's been called the "anti-dismal scientist" and uses her platform to make economics and finance relevant (and entertaining) to all. Her candour, humour and incisive yet accessible analysis have made her a trusted voice and sought-after expert within Manulife and the media.

Hamza Haq, Actor (October 29^th)

• Hamza Haq is the star of the most-watched Canadian series this year, CTV's "Transplant". A Canadian Screen Award nominee, Hamza has been featured in the hit shows "Designated Survivor" and "Quantico". In Transplant, Haq plays Bashir ``Bash" Hamed, a Syrian doctor with experience working in a war zone, now trying to make a new life for himself and his young sister in Canada. This rising Canadian star uses his public platform to speak on issues important to him, including refugees' rights, racial injustice, and combating stereotypes.

Kofi Hope, Civic Entrepreneur (November 26^th)

• Kofi Hope is the Co-Founder of Monumental, a new start-up focused on helping organizations work towards an equitable recovery from COVID-19. He is a Senior Fellow at the Wellesley Institute, an Adjunct Professor with the University of Toronto, and a Rhodes Scholar with a Doctorate in Politics from Oxford University. Dedicated to community and youth advocacy, Kofi has been recognized in 2017 as the winner of the Jane Jacobs Prize and in 2018 as a Rising Star in Toronto Life's Power List.

Catherine Hernandez, Writer (November 26^th)

• Catherine Hernandez is the outgoing Artistic Director of b current performing arts, and the award-winning author of Scarborough and Crosshairs. Scarborough the novel won the Jim Wong-Chu Award for the unpublished manuscript, was shortlisted for the Toronto Book Award, Edmund White Award for Debut Fiction, Evergreen Forest of Reading Award, Trillium Book Award and longlisted for Canada Reads. Catherine's work as an educator empowers artists who sit at various intersections of oppression to know their stories matter.

Kamran Khan, Doctor and Founder (November 26^th)

• Kamran is the Founder and CEO of BlueDot, a social enterprise dedicated to strengthening global readiness against dangerous epidemics by harnessing the vast potential of big data and information technologies. Kamran is also a Professor of Medicine and Public Health at the University of Toronto, and a practicing infectious disease physician. Through his role at BlueDot and as a professor, Kamran works to build greater resilience to the threats posed by infectious diseases.

Amanda Munday, Founder, The Workaround (November 26^th)

• Amanda is the Founder and CEO of The Workaround, a parent-friendly workspace with childcare in Toronto. She is also the author of Day Nine: A Postpartum Depression Memoir. She has been named an Inspirational Speaker in Forbes Magazine and her work has been showcased by The Toronto Star, CP24 Breakfast, CBC, The Associated Press, Toronto Life and more. Amanda has been awarded the Toronto Community Foundation Vital People Award for her work with women and technology and is an active advocate for universal childcare.

This incredible lineup of thinkers and doers from diverse backgrounds, careers, and lived experiences will share how they are navigating uncharted waters with fellow curious souls through the first half of TEDxToronto's digital event series.

Ticket sales are now open to the public and available at this link. Season passes, which include access to the entire digital event series, are available for $40, while individual event tickets are priced at $15. A limited number of student and subsidized tickets are also available for those who qualify, supported by a Pay TEDx Forward program that the organization is launching this year. Proceeds from ticket sales go towards helping fund TEDxToronto's 100% volunteer-run work in the GTHA community.

For more information on TEDxToronto, please visit

Web: www.tedxtoronto.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tedxtoronto/

About TEDx, x = independently organized event
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, TED Talks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection. 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.)

About TED

TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading, often in the form of short talks delivered by leading thinkers and doers. Many of these talks are given at TED conferences, intimate TED Salons and thousands of independently organized TEDx events around the world. Videos of these talks are made available, free, on TED.com and other platforms. Audio versions of TED Talks are published to TED Talks Daily, available on all podcast platforms.

TED's open and free initiatives for spreading ideas include TED.com, where new TED Talk videos are posted daily; TEDx, which licenses thousands of individuals and groups to host local, self-organized TED-style events around the world; the TED Fellows program, which selects innovators from around the globe to amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities; The Audacious Project, which surfaces and funds critical ideas that have the potential to impact millions of lives; TED Translate, which crowdsources the subtitling of TED Talks so that big ideas can spread across languages and borders; and the educational initiative TED-Ed. TED also offers TED@Work, a program that reimagines TED Talks for workplace learning. TED also has a growing library of original podcasts, including The TED Interview with Chris Anderson, WorkLife with Adam Grant, Pindrop and TEDxSHORTS.

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SOURCE TEDxToronto

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