TEDxNovaScotia

Speakers

Speakers may not be confirmed. Check the event website for the latest lineup.

• Chris de Waal

  Chris de Waal, entrepreneur/farmer at Getaway Farm and Butcher Shop is no stranger to taking a chance and creating change in the world. Having a strong belief that people can affect big change in small ways, he knows that Nova Scotia is positioned to become a champion of not only “local food” but a “local mindset”. Moving to Nova Scotia in 2009, from Southern Alberta, the Getaway Farm family have worked hard together to bring local, sustainable meat products to a supportive Halifax public. Getaway has earned a loyal following through its commitment to deliver both quality local products and an honest food system. Starting with a forgotten old farm near Halls Harbour, and a small stand at the Halifax Farmers’ Market, Getaway has grown into a bustling 700+ acre farm and full-time butcher shop. Patrons appreciate seeing farmers working with their food, serving customers and sharing the ups and downs of farming life. The journey of the last five years has taught Chris a great deal about life, family, food and culture. Taking a chance on a career in which he had no experience has resulted in many blessings. Connecting people with their food, ensuring animals are treated well, and continuing a long tradition of family farming are all joys in their own right, but what has mattered most has been building and contributing to a vibrant Nova Scotia community.

• Silver Donald Cameron

  Silver Donald Cameron is currently the host and executive producer of the ambitious environmental web site TheGreenInterview.com, where he interviews environmental innovators and leaders from all over the world. Through partnerships with Gale Cengage Learning and Films on Demand, the interviews are available in tens of thousands of libraries and educational institutions worldwide. Dr. Cameron has written numerous plays, films, magazine articles, radio and TV scripts and 17 books, most recently Sailing Away from Winter (2007) and A Million Futures (2010). He has also been a columnist with the Globe and Mail and the Halifax Sunday Herald. His classic 1998 book on shorelines, The Living Beach, will be re¬issued in early 2014. Dr. Cameron has also built his own cruising sailboat, sailed from Cape Breton to the Bahamas and back, and restored four heritage homes in rural Cape Breton. He has been a professor or writer-¬in¬-residence at seven universities and Dean of Community Studies at Cape Breton University. He holds two honorary doctorates as well as a Ph.D., and in 2012 he was appointed to both the Order of Canada and the Order of Nova Scotia.

• Jayme Melrose

  Jayme was raised in northern BC by European hippies who taught her to grow food and cook with butter. After graduation she narrowly avoided treeplanting and pipeline work by getting lost farming in southeast Asia. Upon return to Canada, she diligently kept her carbon footprint small by living in Vancouver and working in flower shops until she was accepted to the Linnaea Ecological Gardening Program on Cortes Island. There she learned just enough about Permaculture to be dangerous. A few years gardening in BC & southern Ontario was enough to scare her back to school. She went for a degree in Community Design from Dalhousie. Armed with some professional design skills, her first big job was to design and install an all-native food and medicine forest garden at the Glooskap Heritage Centre - a Mi'kmaq museum on the Millbrook Reserve. She's now the Project Coordinator for Common Roots Urban Farm, where she's been since 2011.

• Lyndsay Anderson

  Lyndsay Anderson is no stranger to student life – up until very recently she had lived in university residences for 13 years as a student and a staff member. She is currently the Manager, Student Dispute Resolution at Dalhousie University, where she manages a Restorative Justice Pilot program for Dalhousie students. Her previous experience includes 8 years as a live-in residence life professional at Dalhousie University and St. Francis Xavier University. Lyndsay holds a BA in Criminology from the University of Toronto and is completing her Master’s Degree in Women and Gender studies at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax. She has presented her research on the sexualisation of campus culture at conferences nationally and internationally and she attends classrooms, workshops and conferences to share her ideas and insights. When not working or in school, she enjoys performing in local community theatre performances, teaching group fitness classes, and playing roller derby with the Halifax Roller Derby Association.

• Robert Wright

  Robert is a Social Worker and Sociologist with broad experience in direct practice, administration and education. Since 1989 he has been a practicing social worker who has maintained a small private practice. In addition he has served in notable roles over the same period of time: as Race Relations Coordinator of the former Dartmouth District School Board; a Correctional Mental Health Specialist at the Washington State Penitentiary; the Executive Director of Family & Children’s Services of Cumberland County; and as the Executive Director of Nova Scotia’s Child and Youth Strategy. Over the years, Robert has practiced, supervised, consulted, lectured and taught on issues affecting young people. He is a member of a large extended family with roots in 2 African Nova Scotian Communities, and is the father of 2 children and the uncle (by blood and circumstance) of many others.

• Cecilia Greyson

  Cecilia Greyson is a writer and artist based in Halifax, Canada. As community organizer and activist, she has worked for over a decade producing large-scale, participatory arts festivals. In 2011, she completed a Master of Journalism degree from the University of British Columbia, and has received awards for her writing from CTV Globemedia, BC Arts Festival, and the Jack Webster Foundation. In 2013, when her brother, filmmaker John Greyson, was arrested in Cairo with his colleague, Dr. Tarek Loubani, Cecilia worked with a core team to bring international attention to their cause. In just 50 days, the “Free Tarek and John” campaign generated unprecedented public support and media attention internationally, and helped ensure John and Tarek’s safe return to Canada.

• Pam Cooley

  Pam Cooley has been described by her colleagues as a “practical visionary”. A problem solver, coach and innovator, she has demonstrated the ability to work with others through a diversity of seemingly impossible assignments. She has worked in war zones in Guatemala, in refugee camps in Mexico, the Downtown eastside of Vancouver and in many national and international boardrooms in the public and private sectors. Pam has guided CEOs - she has chaired ministerial stakeholder tables – she has played significant roles in human rights issues – she has made a difference. Pam has over 30 years experience working with challenging groups. Her ethical approach to solving complex and controversial problems has positioned her as someone you want overseeing projects requiring optimal collaboration, particularly with multi-sectoral engagement processes. The wild salmon fishery in British Columbia and the Vancouver Food Security industry are beneficiaries of her work. Pam is the founder and president of Choosethical Ventures Inc., a consulting and facilitation services company. Since 1996, Choosethical Ventures Inc., under Pam’s leadership, has worked with over 250 businesses, organizations, and various levels of government. She has led complex strategic planning, and organizational, community and business development all based on a strong platform of ethics and innovation. Her main role in life is being the “Mom” of Eli and a loyal friend and family member, who shares her love and laughter, and her wisdom, with many others in her global community. In Halifax, NS, Pam is known as “the CarShare Lady” co-founding the thriving CarShareHFX in the Atlantic Canadian marketplace. She is always open to the next idea that will add value to the world and quality to the lives of others.

• Ian Kent

  As a self-described non-conformist, Ian Kent is a passionate public school educator and a strong advocate of student-centered learning. In 2007, after a decade of living and studying in Montreal, Ian returned home to start a career in his hometown of Liverpool, Nova Scotia. He quickly identified a need for movement in education and technologies on the South Shore. Often putting himself in the crosshairs and comfortably pushing against the grain, Ian presents a voice for open-source, connected inquiry. His background in IT, media and design has helped shape his purpose. In the face of school culture, Ian continues to critically follow technology's lead, pushing boundaries for integrating and testing new tools and ideas. In 2010, doors opened as Ian connected with the Professional Development office of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union. Sharing ideas with a growing number of collaborators in a changing paradigm that has generated significant traction over the last 12 months. Ian explores issues concerning technology and interactivity in the modern classroom. He addresses how technologies and social learning environments develop critical thinking and creativity, and their influence in the classroom as a change agent. Ian sometimes wears a beard, teaches with a hat and lives with his partner Ali and their two kids, Oscar and Billie, on a timeworn oxen farm in Queens County.

• Blair Ryan

  Blair Ryan doesn’t play by the rules. In fact, he’s committed his life to re-writing the rules to create change. This has not been the path of least resistance, but through his work he has raised millions of dollars for charities and for-profit endeavours alike. His caveat for doing so is that an organization must do something that really matters. In 2010, Blair founded the Empathy Factory with his wife, Stefanie. The Empathy Factory is a social enterprise with the mission to instil a sense of empathy in Canada’s youth. In just over three years, he’s worked with nearly 10,000 students, helping them turn their passion for helping into projects and social enterprises that create positive change. More recently, Blair launched an eHealth startup, The Rounds. The Rounds is a professional network exclusively for physicians which allows them to crowd-source solutions to difficult medical problems, and in-turn deliver better care. Serving as the company’s chief executive, Blair has plans to use the knowledge exchanged and collected in The Rounds to dramatically and forever change the way healthcare is delivered worldwide. Blair is in relentless pursuit of meaningful ideas and is always interested in meeting the people with the resolve and passion to bring those ideas to life.