Agnes Wong

Athlete, Brainstormer, Connector, Event planner, Musician, World traveler

Agnes Wong is a community builder and cultural bridge-builder, deeply passionate about people and connection. Academically trained in German with native fluency in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin, she thrives in cross-cultural environments and loves bringing diverse perspectives together. As the Head of Experience and a core leadership team member for TEDxTinHau Women, Agnes channels this passion into creating unforgettable, immersive event spaces. Leading a dedicated team of 10, she orchestrates the end-to-end planning of the TEDx event fair - from curating bespoke partner activations to directing complex day-of logistics - ensuring a seamless, deeply engaging experience for every attendee. In her corporate career, Agnes draws on her background in strategic account management at fast-paced tech companies to partner with executives in the capital markets world, streamlining business functions, driving marketing initiatives, and orchestrating high-profile events. Beyond her community and corporate work, Agnes is a fitness enthusiast, avid traveler, and classically trained pianist. Above all, she is an enthusiastic home cook who believes food is her ultimate love language - a delicious extension of her curiosity, creativity, and lifelong passion for bringing people together.

Empowering Women Navigating a male-dominated society and industry, I’ve been lucky to have incredible female role models who showed me that we can have it all - a successful career, a family, community impact, and a social life. They taught me never to shrink myself or doubt my abilities. Today, I am passionate about paying that forward and helping women realize their own boundless potential. Redefining Fitness My passion for fitness is deeply tied to female empowerment. I want to break the stereotypes surrounding Asian women and body image. Society tells us we need to be "skinny" and traditionally "feminine," and that lifting heavy is for men. It took a long time to feel comfortable in my own skin, and now I want to encourage other women to embrace their physical strength, take up space, and bring that confidence into every area of their lives. Mindset and Personal Growth I believe your mindset is the most powerful weapon you have. It is all about perspective - why look at the glass as half empty when it can be half full? (I even got a tattoo as a permanent reminder!). When you believe in yourself, your actions align with your goals, and that belief is often half the battle. Life is too beautiful and too short for pessimism. Cooking and Connection Cooking is one of my biggest passions in life. At the core of everything I do is a love for people, and what connects us more universally than food? It is my love language and my favourite way to bring diverse minds and hearts to the same table.

My idea worth spreading is that true growth requires us to throw away the "life timeline" and embrace the discomfort of the unknown. We waste so much energy comparing our journey to others, forgetting that comparison is the thief of joy. What looks like success for someone else might be entirely wrong for us, and the only way to figure out our true calling is through messy, hands-on experience. Part of that experience means giving ourselves permission to make mistakes. Smooth sailing teaches us nothing; it is the missteps that force us to adapt and grow. I believe that having the opportunity to try something a second time isn't a failure - it’s a blessing. Growth isn't supposed to be easy. Doing hard things is rarely fun in the moment, but it is the catalyst for everything meaningful in our lives. If we want to find our unique path, we have to stop looking at the clock, stop looking at the person next to us, and start embracing the beautiful discomfort of figuring it out.

For years, I was an avid consumer of TED Talks. I would watch them online, consistently captivated by the power of a single idea to shift perspectives, challenge the status quo, and ignite change. But TED always felt like something happening on a distant global stage - until 2020. That year, one of my closest friends stood on the red dot as a speaker for TEDxTinHau Women. Watching her share her truth was a pivotal moment for me; it brought the magic of TED into my own backyard and opened my eyes to the profound impact of our local Hong Kong community. Over the next few years, as I advanced in my corporate career, I began reflecting deeply on my own purpose and how I could give back to the society that had shaped me. I knew I wanted to help build a platform that empowered and amplified women, which led me to join TEDxTinHau Women as a volunteer in 2024. True to my belief that we must embrace discomfort in order to evolve, I challenged myself to step out of my comfort zone and take on a larger, more demanding role each subsequent year. Stepping up to join the committee has, quite simply, changed my life. I have never met a group of women who are more inspiring, down-to-earth, and fiercely hardworking. They don't just talk about empowerment; they live it. In fact, the connections I made were so profound that I eventually ended up working for one of my fellow leadership ladies, who has since become an invaluable mentor to me. By sharing their journeys and leading by example, these women have given me a vivid, tangible blueprint of the leader, professional, and person I can become in the next ten years. Today, as Head of Experience, my TED story has beautifully come full circle. I am no longer just watching the screen; I am helping build the stage, curating the very experiences and connections that will inspire the next generation of women to share their ideas with the world.

Having Perfect Pitch (A Gift and a Curse!) I have perfect pitch. I can’t really explain how it works, but my brain automatically registers the exact musical note of everything I hear. It is definitely a cool party trick and a gift, but it can also be a curse! It means I am acutely, sometimes painfully, aware when someone is singing off-key at karaoke, or I'll randomly realize that a passing car's horn is honking in B-flat. Sight-Reading Music Probably thanks to the perfect pitch, playing the piano and sight-reading have always come incredibly naturally to me. Hand me a brand-new piece of sheet music, and I can usually sit down and play it on the spot without much effort. To me, reading music is just like reading a book out loud. Collecting Languages (I speak 3.5!) I currently speak three and a half languages: English, Cantonese, Mandarin, and my "half" is German! I wouldn't call myself a full polyglot just yet, but thanks to my musical ear, nailing the accents and pronunciations has always been a breeze. The grammar, on the other hand? That is a completely different, much trickier battle. Cooking with Intuition People might know I like food, but they might not know just how good I am in the kitchen. I am an enthusiastic home cook, and my secret ingredient isn't a fancy technique - it’s just a whole lot of love. I don't just rigidly follow recipes; I cook with intuition. Whether I'm throwing together a quick weeknight dinner or hosting a feast, feeding people is my absolute favourite way to show I care.