Inua Ellams at TEDxEuston 2012

Inua Ellams describes himself as word and graphic artist, but we were not sure what to expect until he took to the stage and held the room spellbound with some of the most amazing poetry we have been privileged to listen to. With a combination of poise and confidence this calm poet (sorry - word artist!) took us on a journey so powerful that the audience was oooing and aaing at the end. Much love Inua - There's a lot more to come from you!

Her Royal Highness, The Nnabagereka (Queen) Sylvia Nagginda Luswata at TEDxEuston 2012 - "Called to serve"

She worked as a Research Consultant at the UN Headquarters, as a Proposal Writer with MAXIMUS Inc. , and as an independent consultant in public relations and business development. No ordinary woman, she is addressed rightfully as her Royal Highness, the Queen of Buganda. Yet, she has dedicated her office to making sure that the marginalized have access to the centre. The Nnabagereka supports an Education Fund that makes education accessible to the least advantaged children through a scholarship scheme. An advocate of equal opportunities in education, she has worked to ensure female participation in education.  She also established the Kampala Ballet and Modern Dance School, the first of its kind in Uganda. At the TEDxEuston 2012, she shares her story of challenging conventional wisdom while remaining a worthy custodian of her people's culture. And yes...it was the first time we had royalty on the TEDxEuston stage!

Watch her fascinating talk here!

Chimamanda Adichie at TEDxEuston 2012 - "We should all be feminists"

Born in 1977, she has risen to become one of the most recognized writers of our time. Chimamanda Adichie’s TED Global talk on the Danger of a Single Story went viral almost as soon as it was put online, and deservedly so and has now been watched almost 4 million times! Her passion for writing is only rivaled by her passion for social justice, for equality, for a world where one's gender does not define you. That passion is present in her profoundly thought-provoking TEDxEuston talk which challenges the way girls are raised in certain societies and which invites us to re-think the conventional wisdom that governs such ideas. She takes on one of the most challenging issues of our times, delivered in a style that is uniquely hers.

Watch her enthralling talk here.

Amina Mohammed at TEDxEuston 2012 - "Choosing a path of service"

Born into a life of privilege, Amina Mohammed was not content to simply enjoy the comforts of that life, but yearned to help those less fortunate than she. She blazed trails and faced down challenges on the path to helping in what way she could. Her motivation is borne out of the simple belief that 'people matter.'  In her TEDxEuston 2012 she reminds us that it is a  moral imperative to care about the plight of the poor and challenges the conventional wisdom of how we deal with poverty.

Watch her enthralling talk HERE.

Amina J Mohammed is the CEO of the Centre for Policy Research and Development Solutions (CPRDS), a think-tank aiming to address the policy and knowledge gaps in Development. She is also an adjunct Professor at Columbia University, New York. From 2005-2011, she served 3 Nigerian Presidents as a Senior Special Assistant to the President on the Millennium Development Goals, coordinating the expenditure of Debt Relief Funds (US $1bn p.a) aimed at achieving the MDGs in Nigeria. Prior to this, she was the National Coordinator for Education for All in Nigeria (2001-2005). She serves on numerous International advisory panels and boards including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the UN Global Sustainability Panel and Chairs the Advisory Board of the UNESCO Global Monitoring Report on Education.