TEDxShekou Intl School

Speakers

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

• Aaron Liu

  Aaron Liu was born in Los Angeles, California, and raised in Shenzhen, China. He spent his first two years in Shanghai, China. He also spent two years in the US after being in Shanghai, China. He hopes to get good grades. In his free time, Aaron enjoys photography, video games, and spending time with his friends. He is also the proud son of his mom and dad.

• Daniel Niu

  Daniel Niu was born in Beijing. Daniel enjoys playing badminton and fingerboard. He spent 7 years learning in different places (Shenzhen and Hong Kong), three years living in different countries.

• Dannandyatti Priambodo

  Dani was born and raised in Jakarta, Indonesia. She has been an IB educator since 2010, and has been passionate about language and education since she was in university. She is currently the MYP Coordinator at Shekou International School in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China. She hopes that students continue to take the initiative to spread positive energy, even in their smallest communities. In her free time, Dani enjoys listening to music, attending concerts, and cooking.

• Daryl Caid

  Daryl Caid was born in Alexandria, Virginia and spent his childhood growing up in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He has taught internationally in Colombia, Egypt, Bolivia, and India. He is currently teaching 2nd grade at Shekou International School. He is married to Morgan Caid and has two daughters, Nile, age 7, and Salar, age 9. His hobbies include photography, films, music, writing, watching baseball, and traveling. He hopes everyone is inspired by his talk and finally makes their creative dreams come true.

• Dominique Yeoh

  Zhi Yi Dominique Yeoh was born in Jieyang, China, and raised in both Dongguan, China, and Shenzhen, China. He started his hobby of debating in Grade 4 and has attended multiple debating and speech competitions, including World Schools Debate China (WSDC) and the World Scholar's Cup (WSC). He hopes that people all over the world will end hate speech on social media by having healthy dialogue. In his free time, Dominique enjoys researching aviation and playing table tennis.

• Dora Niu

  Dora Niu was born in Beijing and raised in Shenzhen, China. She spent almost six years in Shenzhen. She is currently a student at Shekou International School. She hopes to become a successful TEDx speaker. In her free time, she enjoys reading, swimming, and playing with her friends.

• Emma Wells

  Emma Wells was born in Denver, Colorado. She's had the amazing opportunity to grow up in places like Singapore, Jakarta, and now China. Currently, Emma is in the 8th grade at Shekou International School in Shenzhen. One of her passions is music, and she loves playing the Guzheng, a traditional Chinese instrument. She hopes to share her love for this unique type of music by performing for others. In her free time, she enjoys hanging out with friends, reading books, playing badminton, and watching TV.

• Hang Gai

  Instrumentalist of Morin khuur

• Jenny Wu

  Jenny Wu is a performer of traditional Chinese dance.

• Lincoln Durupt

  Lincoln is currently in Grade 5.

• Loghan Dudley

  Loghan Dudley was born and raised in Covington, Georgia. At the age of 10, she began her international journey, relocating to China with her mother, Takara. Loghan is currently a 9th Grader attending Shekou International School in Shenzhen, most known for her bubbly personality and commanding stage presence. As an only child, communication with her mom has presented some challenges, especially during her teenage years. Despite these hurdles, Loghan is committed to strengthening their relationship and finding new ways to connect as they navigate this journey together.

• Matthew Yibo Cheng

  Matthew was born in Florida in the US and raised in Shanxi, China. Before enrolling in the Shekou International School community, Matthew was a Chinese public school student in Taiyuan. Started in grade 8, Matthew has committed to a personal project he has been working on for the entire of his high school career---recognising the significance of early detection of cancer. From such personal experience, Matthew believes anything can be achieved through consistent reflection and self-discipline. In his free time, Matthew enjoys going to the gym, listening to music made by Mixed Match, and video gaming with his friends.

• Olivia Hoe-Knudsen

  Olivia Valentina Hoe-Knudsen is an eighth-grade student at Shekou International School in Shenzhen, China, where she has lived for the past six years. Her international background includes three years in Ho Chi Minh City before Shenzhen, two years in Miami before that, and she was born in Venezuela. Olivia is actively involved in a variety of athletic pursuits, including touch rugby, volleyball, football, and basketball. She demonstrates strong dedication to her academic studies while also holding significant extracurricular leadership roles, serving as Student Council Middle School Co-President and Auxiliary President of the Debate Club. She values close relationships with her family and friends and strives to approach each day with love and passion. Above all, Olivia hopes you enjoy her upcoming TEDx Talk this year!

• Qing Xiao

  Qing Xiao is an educator and mindfulness practitioner with dual master’s degrees from the University of Wales and Hong Kong Polytechnic University. After teaching for a decade at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, she now works at Shekou International School in Shenzhen, where she integrates her Stanford-trained MBSR methods and children’s mindfulness practices into daily classroom instruction and the wider school culture. She supports families of children with ADHD and ASD, collaborates with an ed-tech company to bring mindfulness into AI-based robots, and partners with charitable organizations to introduce mindfulness programs to local schools. Her work focuses on making wellbeing education practical, accessible, and impactful for all learners.

• Roah Kang

  Roah is currently in Grade 4.

• Shasha Lee

  Shasha Lee was born in Korea and lived in China for 5 years. She is right now in the 5th grade and loves traveling. Her favorite subjects are art and sports. In her free time, Shasha enjoys reading and playing board games. She is also proud of herself for joining TEDx.

• Takara Dudley

  Takara Dudley was born in Hartford, Connecticut and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. Before teaching abroad, Takara taught for 14 years as a special educator in Georgia. She is currently the Upper Primary Learning Support Teacher at Shekou International School in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China. With a background in inclusive education and social-emotional learning, she supports students and families in building confidence, connection, and resilience. As both a professional and a mother to a teenager, Takara brings a unique perspective to the power—and challenges—of communication between adults and young people. In her free time, Takara enjoys singing, traveling, and creating long-lasting memories with her daughter, Loghan.

• Venus He

  Venus He is an international Chinese teacher with over ten years of experience in global education. Drawing from her multicultural background and life across more than twenty countries, she focuses on helping young people build a strong sense of identity and belonging in an increasingly interconnected world. She has taught in Europe, Hong Kong, and Mainland China. In her free time, she enjoys singing, traveling, reading, and playing tennis.

• Yara David

  Yara David is a Grade 9 student from Johannesburg, South Africa. Growing up in a country known as the "Rainbow Nation," she has been surrounded by a rich mix of cultures and perspectives. This diverse background sparked her curiosity about how people communicate and frequently misunderstand one another. As a passionate debater and public speaker, Yara uses her voice to encourage conversations that build connections instead of divisions. She believes that understanding each other is key to living peacefully together, and this belief inspired her talk. Outside of her speaking engagements, Yara loves to paint. This creative outlet allows her to express her feelings and thoughts through colorful art. She also enjoys swimming, finding balance with her passions. Yara’s goal is to inspire others to listen deeply, not just to respond, but to truly understand and connect. Through her words and actions, she hopes to highlight the powerful role that empathy plays in all our lives.

• Ziyuan Bian

  Ziyuan 'Zi' Bian is a Junior studying at Shekou International School. Born in Beijing, China, he emigrated to South Australia at the age of 4 and was raised there for 12 years before returning to China. An avid reader and enthusiast of language in its many forms, he is especially taken with literature of the modernist and existentialist genres, and aims to emulate these themes through his own writing. In an academic context, Zi's pursuits in Composition, Debating and the co-foundation of SIS' Arts Collective reflect this interest in the mutability of language and cognition - the very subject of this talk.