Cal Quinn

Entrepreneur, Environmentalist, Student

Final-year Business and Management student at TU Dublin and host of TEDxTUDublin 2026. I’m passionate about consulting, sustainability, and creating experiences that leave a lasting impact. Hosting this event has been one of the highlights of my time at TU Dublin and I’m proud to have a played a part in bringing the Unfinished Future to life.

I’m passionate about the fact that sustainability is not just an environmental issue, it is a business issue. The companies that will thrive in the future are the ones that figure that out now. During my time at TU Dublin I have seen first hand how businesses can reduce their environmental impact without sacrificing outcomes, whether that was working on sustainable emergency care initiatives in Australia or studying how organisations can build responsibility into their core strategy. Sustainability is not a cost, it is a competitive advantage. And the sooner businesses start treating it that way, the better.

Saying yes before you’re ready is the most important skill a student can develop. The idea that most of the best opportunities don’t wait until you feel prepared. TEDx, case competitions, Erasmus. None of these came with a guarantee I’d do well. But saying yes, and figuring it out along the way, has taught me more than any lecture could. I think if more students gave themselves permission to say yes before they felt ready, they’d surprise themselves.

Management, Presenting, Strategy, Sustainability

My TED story started in a consulting class. A fellow student saw me present during a group projects throughout the semester and asked me afterwards if I'd be interested in hosting TEDxTUDublin. I said yes before I even really knew what that meant. A week later I was standing on a stage introducing eight world class speakers to a live audience. It's a good reminder that you never really know who's watching, and that sometimes the best opportunities come from the most unexpected places.

People see the hosting and the public speaking, but behind that I'm someone who genuinely loves getting into the weeds of a problem. Strategy and consulting are where I'm most at home, whether that's breaking down a complex case in three hours at an international competition or building a recommendation from scratch under pressure. The stage is fun, but the whiteboard is where I really come alive.