TEDxCanberra Youth

Speakers

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

• Ingrid Stenning

  Ingrid Stenning is a year 12 student at Canberra Girls Grammar School and a passionate writer, speaker, debater, and advocate for women in STEM.

• Josh Shaw

  Josh Shaw is a 19-year-old student at the Australian National University, studying PPE and Psychology, and originally from Wagga Wagga. He is currently the Youth Governor in the Y NSW Youth Parliament, volunteers with mental health not-for-profit UrVoice Australia, and was previously College Captain at Mater Dei Catholic College. Driven by empathy and a belief that everyone deserves a voice, Josh advocates for young people and will speak about the urgency of youth and experts working together to address Australia’s housing crisis, where too many young people are being denied their fundamental right to shelter.

• Kayleigh Sleath

  Kayleigh Sleath is the founder of Ohna, a startup using tech to build more distributed food systems. By partnering with farmers and food organizations, she aims to help bridge the gap between producers and consumers, fostering a more connected and sustainable food network. Ohna has been featured by Cosmos Magazine and the ABC, and Kayleigh was named one of Vogue Australia's 2023 Future Innovators for her work. In addition to her role at Ohna, Kayleigh is completing a Bachelor of Engineering Research and Development in Mechatronics, teaches computer science at the Australian National University, and has published research on artificial intelligence. Passionate about the potential of new technology, she is particularly excited by its capacity to create more efficient and equitable systems.

• Kuba Meikle

  Kuba is a first year university student, studying Law and Arts at ANU. He is generally interested in the political process, and was appointed as a member of the Federal Government's Youth Advisory Group on Civic Engagement. Kuba is also the Tasmanian President of UN Youth and volunteers for the NSW Youth Parliament.

• Leah Shoebridge

  Leah Shoebridge is a 14-year-old student at Merici College, Canberra with a passion for all things STEM and space. She’s loved science from the age of four, when she first heard about Marie Curie, and ever since then, she has been constantly obsessed with physics and maths. Outside of the STEM field, Leah enjoys debating, reading, and orienteering. She’s excited to share her endless enthusiasm for the universe beyond the confines of our atmosphere, and to encourage youth to become more engaged in this incredible industry.

• Leensa Jarso

  Leensa Jarso is a senior student and Chairperson of the Student Representative Council at the Canberra Girls Grammar School.

• Richard Ji

  Richard Ji is a Year 11 student at Narrabundah College and a multidisciplinary innovator who has competed in IT programs including CyberTaipan, PECAN+, and the YICTE. He created PankVision, a software concept designed to support more targeted pancreatic cancer radiotherapy, driven by a strong commitment to improving health outcomes. Beyond technology, Richard is an award-winning musician, recognised by Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove in 2016, and draws inspiration from music and animated film as part of his broader creative practice.

• Zahra Al Hilaly

  Zahra is an Australian lawyer, journalist, and activist working across human rights, interfaith dialogue, and peacebuilding. As former CEO of Oaktree Australia, she led Australia’s largest youth-led development organisation, supporting more than 750,000 young people across the Asia–Pacific to become leaders advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. As the proud daughter of refugees from Palestine and Iraq, Zahra is committed to amplifying refugee youth in peacebuilding agendas. In 2023, Zahra was named an Australian Woman of Excellence, and in 2024, she was included in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia–Pacific list.