TEDxUWS

Speakers

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

• David Patrick Farrell

  David Patrick Farrell is a global leader in men’s work and transformational facilitation. With a background in Counselling & Psychotherapy, Psychosomatic Therapy, and Shadow Work, his approach bridges clinical depth, embodied practice, and grounded spiritual insight. Over the past decade, David has guided men’s circles, rites-of-passage journeys, and immersive retreats across multiple continents, working with thousands of men from all walks of life. His work creates spaces where truth can be spoken, emotional intelligence restored, and real personal responsibility reclaimed. Known for his clarity, presence, and uncompromising integrity, David is recognised for his ability to hold deep emotional processes, catalyse profound inner breakthroughs, lead groups through lasting, embodied change not just insight. Rooted in devotion, purpose, and faith, his work calls men to rise to a higher standard of leadership, courage, authenticity within themselves, their families, and the wider world.

• Debbie Bosworth

  Debbie Bosworth sits at the intersection of DNA science, nervous system intelligence, and high-stakes leadership. From decision fatigue and burnout to hormone crashes and strained relationships, her work reveals what P&Ls never show: the physiological toll of being the one everyone relies on. She works with CEOs and founders to decode the hidden biological patterns (genetic, hormonal, and neurological) that silently sabotage performance at the top and explains why so many rely on coffee, sugar, or alcohol and why testosterone and hormone therapy doesn’t work long-term. She builds bespoke plans based on an individuals DNA, bloods and Data. When leaders understand their data, they stop chasing symptoms and start protecting the clarity, capacity, and longevity their legacy demands.

• Esther C Jones

  Esther Jones is a writer, speaker, and mindfulness teacher whose work explores natural learning, trust, and what it truly means to thrive alongside our children. At 26, after moving to Barcelona, she founded a company and became immersed in a fast-paced life shaped by pressure and achievement. Eventually, seeking a different way to live, Esther and her partner made the bold decision to take their children out of school and move to a house in the hills near Barcelona. As Esther began recovering from burnout, her children followed their own interests with curiosity and joy. Watching them, she started questioning long-held beliefs about education, success, and control. She discovered that learning does not need to be forced, measured, or managed. Today, Esther supports parents who wish to move beyond traditional schooling models and create spacious, connected lives in which both children and adults can grow, learn, and thrive together.

• Forrest Lang

  Join Forrest Lang, author of Angel Blue: A Song of Redemption, for an intimate and transformative talk that delves into the depths of trauma, resilience, and healing. Forrest's journey from a homeless foster child to a redeemed man in the war-torn country of Iraq is a testament to the power of the human spirit. His story is not just his own but resonates with countless others who have faced adversity and emerged stronger. Insights on Healing: Learn about the importance of community, vulnerability, and self-compassion in the journey towards recovery. Forrest Lang is a motivational speaker, author, and advocate for survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Growing up in foster care in Southern California, Forrest faced severe child abuse, abandonment, and teen homelessness. His memoir, Angel Blue, is a powerful narrative that aims to create an open conversation about CSA and build a strong community for survivors to connect, share, and heal together.

• Julie Rake

  As artificial intelligence reshapes our world with dizzying speed, we are faced with an urgent question: what does it mean to stay human in a time when so much is becoming automated? In this deeply reflective and timely talk, healthcare practitioner and systems thinker Julie Rake explores how true love, embodied, relational love is not a luxury in the digital age, but a necessity. Julie invites us to look beyond the surface of innovation and into the deeper cost of disconnection. Drawing from her work in healthcare and human development, she makes a compelling case that love is not just an emotion it is a form of intelligence. One that grounds us, integrates us, and reminds us of our shared humanity. Through powerful storytelling and lived insight, Julie challenges the myth that we can think our way out of loneliness. Instead, she calls us to reclaim the most ancient technology we possess: our ability to be present, attuned, and in relationship with one another.

• Kinzzy McFadden

  Kinzzy McFadden is a speaker, content creator, and spiritual empowerment coach committed to helping women heal from toxic relationships and reclaim their inner power. After surviving a deeply damaging relationship and rebuilding her life from the ground up, she discovered that true healing goes far beyond emotional recovery it creates generational transformation. This realization inspired her mission to guide women through their own awakening so they can break cycles, elevate their self-worth, and step into lives aligned with their deepest truth. Through her YouTube channel, online courses, and rapidly growing social presence, Kinzzy provides practical tools for emotional healing, nervous system regulation, and conscious self-development. Her work blends grounded spirituality with real-life experience, offering a relatable and compassionate voice for anyone who feels stuck, unseen, or disconnected from their power.

• Lisa Etherson

  Lisa Etherson is a psychosexual therapist, researcher, and speaker committed to transforming the way we understand and relate to shame. Drawing on over a decade of clinical experience and her doctoral research at Teesside University, Lisa developed Shame Containment Theory - a new psychological framework that redefines shame as a protective and adaptive part of our human attachment system, rather than a flaw to be eradicated. Her work explores how shame shapes the ways we think, relate, and protect ourselves, often keeping us small in the name of safety. Through both her research and teaching, Lisa helps individuals and practitioners recognize the difference between contained and uncontained shame, and how our lifelong shame containment strategies can limit personal growth and connection. Lisa practices as a psychosexual therapist in the field of compulsive sexual behaviour and intimacy, where she first identified the gaps in how shame was being understood and treated.

• Lochlan Murdoch

  Lochlan Murdoch BCyA is a young changemaker whose personal journey has become a powerful catalyst for awareness and action. Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at just four years old, he has grown up navigating the daily realities of a condition that demands courage, discipline, and resilience. Rather than allowing diabetes to define his limits, Lochlan transformed his experience into a mission to support others facing similar challenges. At 11, Lochlan and his mother, Lesley Murdoch, founded the charity Lochlan’s Legacy, created in response to his health journey. Now a registered charity, it raises awareness and understanding of Type 1 diabetes through education, storytelling, and youth-led advocacy. Together, they work to reduce stigma, amplify young voices, and build a strong, supportive community for families across Scotland and beyond. Lochlan’s leadership and compassion have earned him national and international recognition, inspiring others to turn adversity into positive change.

• Louise McAllan

  Millions of people live with chronic pain and other physical symptoms often labelled “medically unexplained”, while healthcare systems struggle to respond. Too often, care treats the body like a machine to be fixed, overlooking the emotional lives and nervous systems that shape our experience of pain. After losing eight years of her life to severe chronic illness - and later being told she would live with back pain for the rest of her life following a serious mountain accident. Louise McAllan is a UK-based mind-body recovery practitioner and emotional health educator. After making a full recovery, she dedicated her working life to helping others overcome chronic symptoms and return to full, joyful lives. She now works at the intersection of neuroscience and emotional health - leading transformative group programmes and retreats while helping shape neuroplasticity-based recovery in Scotland through programmes that bring evidence-based emotional therapies into mainstream care.

• Matas Kardokas

  Matas Kardokas is a creative voice whose work invites us to pause, notice, and question the world we often take for granted. Known for his sharp humour, unique perspective, and ability to illuminate the absurdities and nuances of upper-class culture, he blends comedy, commentary, and photography to reveal truths that are often overlooked. Matas does not simply entertain; he provokes thought, challenges assumptions, and encourages a deeper awareness of the social and cultural forces that shape our perceptions. Matas has become a recognised figure across social platforms, using his influence to engage, connect, and spark conversation. His work is rooted in curiosity an urge to understand not only what people do, but why they do it, and how their environments, upbringing, and societal pressures subtly guide behaviour and belief. Through humour, observation, and visual storytelling, he explores the intersection of identity, culture, and human connection.

• Phil Lewis

  Phil Lewis is a coach, consultant and keynote speaker who believes organisations are not predictable machines but bodies alive with human energy. He specialises in helping leaders transform their business without negatively impacting morale and if damage has already been done, supports them in addressing unresolved conflict and organisational trauma to build more humanistic, empathetic and creative workplaces. Recognised as one of the UK’s leading innovation consultants, Phil solves business problems and transforms leaders and performance in the likes of BBC, Sony Music, Google, Nationwide and KPMG. He works extensively with PE and VC-backed high growth businesses across Europe and the US and is a pro-bono advisor to various educational charities and the UK Government.

• Sandra Stein

  Sandra is a Gestalt Humanistic Integrative Counsellor specialising in trauma-informed practice, creating spaces where emotional, mental, and somatic experiences can come together in a safe, grounded, and deeply human way. Her work empowers individuals to heal, grow, and reconnect with themselves. With extensive experience supporting people through trauma, addiction, and systemic oppression, Sandra’s approach is relational, compassionate, and non-judgmental. Her time working in an addiction clinic revealed the intricate relationship between trauma and substance use, shaping the empathic lens she brings to every client. Before training as a counsellor, Sandra mentored survivors of human trafficking and worked with an international NGO highlighting the human and societal impact of drug cultivation including forced labour and child exploitation. These experiences gave her a profound understanding of the socio-political realities of trauma and the remarkable resilience of the human spirit.

• Thomas Burgess

  Thomas Burgess joined the British military in 2003 and completed 14 years of service, including six tours of duty, moving from post to post often at a moment’s notice. His career shaped his mental toughness, saw him promoted into junior leadership, and earned him numerous badges, qualifications, and accolades. On the surface, all appeared well. He looked sharp, capable, and in full control. Then one day, he questioned everything and nearly succumbed to a voice that made him question his place on this earth. Today, Thomas channels those experiences into purpose. He now runs Save A Warrior UK, a non-profit organisation dedicated to reducing suicide and supporting veterans, first responders, and their families through trauma-informed healing and recovery.