Thank you

On Saturday, we held the 6th edition of TEDxEuston, Facing Forward at the Mermaid Theatre in London. This year was particularly challenging for the team, with many of us, no longer based in London, and the increasing pressure of work and family demands.  To make matters worse, we had sponsorship challenges, tickets did not seem to be selling as quickly as in previous years, some friends and partners were not returning our calls, and there were many logistical challenges. As an all -volunteer team, all with busy day jobs, TEDxEuston has always been a labour of love, our contribution towards the creation of a new Africa, the Africa of our dreams, but this year that love was tested to its very limits.

And so it was with a sense of trepidation and wariness that we approached this year’s event.

But on the day, you picked us up and blew us completely away!

From our amazing volunteers, to our partners and sponsors, from our collaborators and our exhibitors to you our warm and welcoming audience- in the Mermaid and on Livestream; from our camera crew and our hosts at the Mermaid, to our amazing speakers you all reminded us why what we do is important, and by your words and actions made all the sacrifices of the previous year worth it.

Speaker after speaker made us laugh, made us think, taught us, inspired us, and made us pause as we reflected on our theme “Facing Forward”. 

And at the end, the standing ovation from you and your very clear indication that you valued what we do, was life-affirming.

We continue to receive messages of goodwill from across the world, and we do not know what the future holds, but with you, our community, working with us, we are again convinced that we all can work towards making the future of our beloved continent better than today

Please remember to make your TEDxEuston Pledge if you have not already done so- what are you going to do next year to make a better Africa?

Send them in to us at team@ tedxeuston and do send in any suggestions of support.

We will keep you posted as we recover and look to the future- this thing is bigger than us, it belongs to you, the community, and you must show us where you wish us to go.

For TEDxEuston to continue, it will not be because of what we have done, but because of what you will do. 

Thank you, and thank you and thank you, we are honoured and humbled by your belief in us.

We will send out a feedback form, please do make out a few minutes to complete it.

Remembering Madiba - one year on...

On the eve of TEDxEuston 2013, December 5, Madiba passed away and left the continent in our hands. Not a week before, or a month before....but on the eve of TEDxEuston.

Through our tears and working through the night, Chuks Adichie put together this short and powerful collection of voice and visuals, from posters primarily from the Mandela Poster Project as a tribute to Madiba.

Continue to rest in Peace ...Madiba. We live in the shadows of giants. Watch it HERE.

Then Mrs Ngozi Okonjo Iweala took it to another level when she asked the house to dance for Mandela....dance for Mandela? Who would have thought that 600 Africans would be dancing for Mandela on a cold winter day in London. Well ....that's the TEDxEuston you cannot see online. We'll do it again tomorrow.

SOLD OUT and LIVESTREAM

Thank you people- for the 6th straight year, you have sold out TEDxEuston; all 600 tickets available are one!. Now its time to deliver!

If you are unfortunate and can't make it to TEDxEuston 2014 on Saturday, don't worry, you will be able to watch the event Live. You will also be able to logon with your Facebook and Twitter details and join the conversations in the chat rooms.

The event will be streamed live from 10.45 am (UK time) on Saturday the 6th of December and you can watch it HERE. 

Browse the stands at TEDxEuston

We're three days away from what you could call the finest gathering of bright minds devoted to spreading ideas about Africa. A mouthful for sure, but true nonetheless.

Whilst you're meeting new people, exchanging fresh ideas and jotting down contact details, take a moment to explore the stands by our incredible partners and supporters on the mezzanine.

From books to accessories, events to special offers, there will be something interesting for you.

We can't wait to welcome you back to the Mermaid! See you Saturday.#FacingForward

At the stands...you will find;

The CDC Group,...the building of businesses throughout Africa.

The Royal African Society.... promote Africa in business, politics, culture and academia

The Wellbeing Foundation....believes that there is something special in every African man, woman and child.

The Africa Centre,...promotes Africa’s cultural diversity outside of the continent.

DigitalBack Books....a new exciting virtual collection of books written on Africa

Ines Kitoko,...fashionable Africa influenced accessories

Jacaranda Publishing,...and exciting new independent publishing house based in London.

TACTIC...transforming Africa through innovation

of course....the TEDxEuston Book Stand.  

And....all this will not be possible without the support of our other partners: SHELL, SunTrust Oil, Shore-line Power, ...and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (for a special part of the programme- TEDxChange)  

At TEDxEuston, its never about the after-party :)

The after-party is probably not the reason anyone would come to TEDxEuston, but hey since you will spend the whole day with us, why don't we spoil you a "little"? Most of our speakers will stay as well....

And this year we have something special: DJ Bloxx will be in the house! If you are one of the few in London not acquainted with his "work". Not to worry, after TEDxEuston 2014 you will be :)

The last few tickets will go tonight, you may buy the last one here, and for students here.

Behind the scenes at TEDxEuston

Watching TEDxEuston talks online is brilliant! It sure is....but there is so so much more to the event. Enjoy below some of the sights of TEDxEuston that make the event the full-body experience that it is. Its really not about just watching the talks - but immersing yourself in the event.

Grab one of the very last tickets here, and for students here.

Our youngest attendee! 

 Funmi Iyanda's smiles 

Reunions... 

Fashionistas

The merchandise

The Joy 

...and what it is all about!

The TEDxEuston stage - what do you think it will be in 2014?

We love to watch you say ..."WoW"... when we open the doors and usher you into the room for TEDxEuston. Its hard to describe the thought processes that go into creating  the stage....the ideas - storming, forming, norming and delivering - just to create that effect. This is just one aspect of what makes TEDxEuston special - its not the speakers, the talks, the host...its neither the performers nor the after-party...its the whole experience. Carefully created with love - just for you.

We can't wait to share the 2014 stage with you!

Get one of the last tickets here and for students here.

Meanwhile...our partners; Royal African Society host their Annual Lecture on Monday, 1 December 2014, 6-8PM at the Royal Society of Medicine, 1 Wimpole Street, London W1G 0AE

'Africa Rising? What will happen when her citizens arise' 

At the 2014 Royal African Society Annual Lecture, Dr Obiageli "Oby" Ezekwesili will spell out why attempts by outsiders to promote good governance in Africa will not work. She says: "The supply side can never deliver ambitious objectives. Better governance will only happen and deliver what the people need when the people themselves demand it from the politicians." 

Dr Ezekwesili was one of the founders of Transparency International and was a Minister in President Olusegun Obasanjo's government in Nigeria. She then became a Vice President of the World Bank. She is a chartered accountant who holds degrees in Public Administration from Harvard and International Law and Diplomacy from Lagos University. Dr Ezekwesili currently serves as Senior Economic Advisor at Open Society Foundations and was one of the leading campaigners for #BringBackOurGirls, following the Boko Haram kidnapping of over 300 girlsfrom a boarding school in Chibok in April 2014. 

To register and more information, visit: http://bit.ly/1FrMJUO

Its not just about the speakers at TEDxEuston

TEDxEuston is not just about our speakers. There is a lot more. We call it the "buzz"...and its created by you!

Its been there from the very first event. Its the energy in your conversations, the pitch of your laughter, the bounce in your steps, the euphoria of being with people just like you. The magic at TEDxEuston does not just happen from the stage, but from the person seating next to you, or in front of you while you get lunch.

You can watch the talks online after a few months, but nothing quite beats the feeling....of being there.

Get one of the last tickets here and for students here.

The smiling faces at TEDxEuston

How much value would you the smiles you see in the pictures below?

Priceless?.... We agree - you are the reason there is TEDxEuston. The smiles make it all worth it.

There are 27 tickets left on offer. Lets do it again!

They will be gone soon, so get yours here.

Discounted full ticket here at GBP 70.00

Extra student tickets here at GBP 50.00

Good news - limited offer of subsidized tickets

Dear Friends,

We have some good news!

As a result of some new partnership agreements and support, we are now in a position to offer a very limited amount of discounted tickets...and some additional student tickets.

They will be gone soon, so get yours here.

Discounted full ticket here at GBP 70.00

Extra student tickets here at GBP 50.00

Remember - hosting TEDxEuston at a great central London location, with 15 speakers most flying into London from across Africa, together with breakfast, lunch, dinner and an after-party is only possible because of the generosity of our partners. You will meet them on the day!

The TEDxEuston 2014 Book stand

This year as always, we will have a bookstand at TEDxEuston 2014, and we have a great line up of books written by our speakers. We have also asked them to kindly make the time to sign copies of the books that are purchased at the stands! As always, we are selling them at exactly the same price that we get them from the publishers. So come prepared!  We will also be accepting all debit/credit cards.

Find below a bit about the amazing books by our speakers which will be available :

One Day I Will Write About This Place by Binyavanga Wainaina

Of Wainana’s stunning debut, One Day I Will Write About this Place, which was also a New York Times Notable Book, the New York Times writes:“it’s a book for anyone who still finds the nourishment of a well- written tale preferable to the empty-calorie  jolt of a celebrity confessional.” A coming of age memoir, Wainana’s book is passionate and poetic, taking readers into a lyrical and honest journey of his life growing up middle class in Kenya.


I Want  To Work in Africa by Frances Mensah Williams

I want to work in Africa is the recipient of numerous awards. It is a book that   delves into the many questions African professionals abroad continuously ask themselves, such as if they should move back home and how one moves their career to the world’s exciting continent. It gives the reader an idea of the possibilities in Africa, as well as serves as guide on what to consider when contemplating making the move. It’s a practical, easy-to read and clear guide to working in Africa. Highly recommended!


Everyday Heroes by Frances Mensah Williams

 Williams’ second book is an inspirational account of sixteen brilliant  individuals who have achieved great success, in spite of the unbelievable challenges they faced. Everyday Heroes is about people whose lives inspire us not only to broaden our own dreams to beyond the skies but also to  make sure that the ground we are standing on is solid enough. This is a book for anyone who wants to remain motivated to pursue their dreams. It is therefore a book for everyone.


Dust by Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor

Owuor’s much anticipated debut and critically acclaimed debut, Dust, is a brilliantly written glimpse of a family, a country, one haunted by violence and the ghosts of colonialism. Set in Kenya, Owuor’s narrative captures moments of brilliance, which are inventive and even breathtaking. Taiye Selasi writes in the New York Times, “only the reader who truly loves books — books full to brimming with imagery — will appreciate the magic Owuor has made of the classic nation-at-war novel.”

A few tickets left HERE.

Introducing TEDxEuston 2014 speaker/performer Pumeza Matshikiza

It’s 6,000 miles from Cape Town to London, but the distance which Pumeza Matshikiza has travelled can’t be measured in mere geography. To be brought up  in the townships of South Africa and then to make the giant leap to become a professional opera singer/performer, despite having had a minimum of formal music training while she was growing up, is an awesome feat indeed. Her first exposure to opera was by hearing it on the radio, and she’d also visit the public library with a school friend and borrow opera LPs to listen to. One of the first names she became aware of was the Swiss soprano Edith Mathis, who she heard singing Susanna in Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro. Today, Pumeza is a regular performer with Stuttgart Opera. But it is hard to describe Pumeza in words….to get a glimpse into who she is, you will not only have to hear her sing, but will feel her voice and it will stay with you.....

She is special – she will be at TEDxEuston 2014.

A few tickets left - get yours TODAY. You will not want to be home alone in London on December 6 - promise.

Special Youth Discount for TEDxEuston 2014

Dear Friends, 


One of the most exiting insights from TEDxEuston 2013 was the impact it had on our youth - those aged under 18. For many - it as an exhilarating day and offered a perspective of the continent that is rarely seen. By far, their favourite speaker was Ikenna Azuike! No surprise there!

This year will be special too. So, we are offering a special 50% discount to youth that are accompanied by at least one parent through this link. (Tickets are only valid with a valid ID and an accompanying parent with a normal ticket). 

4 weeks to go! 

You TEDxEuston Team

TEDxEuston 2014 - Facing Forward: The Trailer

In preparation for Season 6 of TEDxEuston - we have put together this short 2-minute retrospective, to prepare us for our 2014 event: FACING FORWARD>

Watch it HERE. 

Produced by @chukzarro

Introducing TEDxEuston 2014 Speaker - FATIMA MUHAMMAD

FATIMA B. MUHAMMAD has been on the front-lines of innovating around the delivery of Maternal and Child care as a midwife and midwife educator in Nigeria for the past 20 years. She has Master’s Degree in Applied Population Research from Exeter University in the United Kingdom. Fatima has led a series of difficult projects, working on issues including family planning, health of newborns, social marketing project of contraception services and products. She is currently the Demand Side Advisor for the DFID supported Maternal, Newborn and Child Health project being implemented in 6 states of Northern Nigeria. If there is any change theory in public health - Fatima has probably tried it out and can give you an informed opinion on if it works or not, and why from her context.

Her insights will amaze you, the reason she will be on the TEDxEuston stage on December 6 2014.

This talk will be part of a new TEDxChange programme at TEDxEuston. TEDxChange is created supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, devoted to ideas worth spreading in the areas of global health and development.

Get one of the last tickets for TEDxEuston HERE.

Introducing the TEDxEuston PHOTO CONTEST

WIN free tickets to TEDxEuston 2014! Two free tickets up for grabs to attend TEDxEuston 2014 on 6th Dec @ the Mermaid Theatre worth £70.

The focus of TEDxEuston 2014 is a celebration of how Africa is facing forward to create lasting change. There are so many creative and innovative ways in which Africa is facing forward on the continent and in the diaspora. Images are powerful! Tell us what you think? What business ventures are making waves? Where is innovative change happening?

To join the TEDxEuston photo contest submit a picture of you in any location or in front of an image that shows how Africa is facing forward. The picture must include the TEDxEuston 2014 Facing Forward banner below and a short caption with the hashtag #FacingForward.

Prize:
The winners will be rewarded with one free ticket to TEDxEuston 2014 on the 6th December 2014 at the Mermaid Theater, London.

Entry
Like our Facebook page and submit your entries from 12th October 2014 to 23rd November 2014 via the link on TEDxEuston Facebook page. For further details on entry requirements refer to terms & condition.

Introducing TEDxEuston 2014 Speaker - AGNES BINAGWAHO

AGNES BINAGWAHO is a Rwandan pediatrician and serves as Minister of Health. After practicing medicine for over 15 years, Dr. Binagwaho joined the National AIDS Control Commission as Executive Secretary in 2002. She is also a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and a Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. Dr. Binagwaho also serves on the International Strategic Advisory Board for the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London.

Over the last decade a small miracle has happened in the Rwandan health sector. Deaths from HIV, TB, and malaria dropped by 80 percent, maternal mortality dropped by 60 percent, life expectancy doubled. Dr. Paul Farmer, Chair of the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School and co-founder of Partners In Health, says that, "Rwanda has shown on a national level that you can break the cycle of poverty and disease."

In addition to leading to her busy role, Dr Binagwaho continuously engages with the people, on and offline. While waiting for her TEDxEuston talk, you can join her vibrant twitter chats every Monday here @agnesbinagwaho. Expect some of that passion on the TEDxEuston stage!

This talk will be part of a new TEDxChange programme at TEDxEuston. TEDxChange is created supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, devoted to ideas worth spreading in the areas of global health and development.

Get one of the last tickets for TEDxEuston HERE.

Introducing TEDxEuston 2014 Speaker - Chioma Omerua

Chioma Omerua aka c-flow, aka chi-gul is the latest sensation in Nigeria's vibrant and increasingly sophisticated entertainment scene. She is a singer and actress who was born in Lagos where she lived until she moved to the US in 1994. She remained there for the next 12 years teaching drama to kids at the boys and girls clubs and in the high school where she worked as a French teacher. Chioma is in her element on stage, especially in musical theater as she gets to use both her acting and singing skills. Since returning home to Nigeria in 2006, she has been in two musical productions; "Avoice for Ella" (a Nigerian adaptation of the cinderella story) and disney's “The lion king" in conjunction with standard bearers school, Lagos. She currently resides in Abuja where she is still pursuing her passions as a comedian, and mc/compere while working a regular 9-5 job. Chigul also is a talented linguist and voice over artist.

She speaks 5 languages and can imitate 12 different accents. Be prepared to be completely blown away...


Get one of the few remaining tickets HERE. 

Introducing TEDxEuston 2014 Speaker - Frances Mensah Williams

Frances Mensah Williams is the Chief Executive of Interims for Development Ltd., and the Publisher and Managing Editor of ReConnectAfrica.com, a careers and business website and online publication for African professionals in the Diaspora. She is also a successful Executive Career Coach, working with clients across a range of sectors as well as with professionals seeking careers in Africa. She is the author of the books Everyday Heroes – Learning from the Careers of Successful Black Professionals and I Want to Work in Africa: How to Move Your Career to the World’s Most Exciting Continent. She is the recipient of several awards and, in 2011, was nominated as one of the Top 20 Inspirational Females from the Africa Diaspora in Europe.

We think the TEDxEuston community will love her talk!

Get your ticket here.

Introducing TEDxEuston 2014 Speaker - Kene Mkparu

Educated at the University of Nigeria, Kene Mkparu has over 20 years experience in business management and cinema operations management. He was a General Manager with the Odeon Cinemas UK from 1991 to 2008. He returned to Nigeria a few years ago and is currently Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Filmhouse Limited a dynamic cinema company that is to rolling out 25 cinemas over 6 years in Nigeria, with nine currently in operation. Mkparu has produced three films. He won the 2013 Creative Entrepreneur Award; film Industry Category, the 2007 Best Producer Award at the Africa Films Awards, UK for his film, “The Successor”.

Something amazing is happening in the Nigerian Cinema space, and Kene is at the heart of it. You will not want to miss his story at TEDxEuston,

Get your ticket here.

Introducing TEDxEuston 2014 Speaker - Pius Adesanmi

Pius Adesanmi is one of Nigeria’s contemporary leading public intellectuals and celebrated columnists, never afraid to say it as he sees it, but always with grace and eloquence. Among his numerous lecture and keynote credits, Adesanmi has notably addressed audiences on African issues on such prestigious platforms as the Stanford Forum for African Studies, the Obafemi Awolowo Foundation’s annual lecture series, the International Leadership Platform of the university of Johannesburg, the African Unity for Renaissance series of the Thabo Mbeki African Leadership Institute and the Africa Institute of South Africa, the Diaspora Consultation series of the African Union Agenda 2063, and the Academy of Science of South Africa series. He has just completed a one-year stint in Ghana as a Carnegie Diaspora Visiting Professor of African Studies, University of Ghana, Legon. Adesanmi is also a writer. He is the internationally-acclaimed winner of the inaugural Penguin Prize for African Writing (2010) in the non-fiction category with his book, You’re not a Country, Africa. His first book, The Wayfarer and Other Poems, won the Association of Nigerian Authors Poetry Prize in 2001.

We are used to reading his work - but to get to know the man, feel his passion, and listen to him live, you will have to be at TEDxEuston 2014.

Get your tickets HERE.

Introducing TEDxEuston 2014 Speaker - Mizinga Melu

Mizinga Melu, is a business woman, accountant and the current Managing Director and has been the Chief Executive Officer of the Tanzanian National Bank of Commerce since 2013. Prior to that, she served as the Managing Director and CEO of Zambia's Standard Chartered bank, making her not only the first woman to hold the position but the first Zambian. She has degrees from the University of Zambia and Henley Management School, of the University of Reading. She has worked in six African countries. In 2013, Mizinga received the all Africa Business Woman of the Year Award and was nominated for the Southern Africa Business Woman of the year by Forbes Magazine and CNBC. Find out why we are all celebrating Misnga Melu at TEDxEuston 2014.

Get your ticket HERE:

Introducing TEDxEuston 2014 Speaker Sunday Oliseh

Sunday Oliseh, former Captain of the Super Eagles of Nigeria has always loved football.

His career evolved from playing on the streets of Lagos to the Julius Berger FC, from where he was invited to Belgium to start an incredible professional career. At the club level, he was part of the famous Ajax team of the 1990′s with whom he won the league and cup double in 1998. He went on to have an illustrious career with Borussia Dortmund with whom he won the German league title and then to play for Juventus F.C. in Italy. Sunday Oliseh played 63 international matches for Nigeria. From 1994, he was also part of the team, many still consider Nigeria’s best ever that was crowned African champions, winning the title in a an emphatic manner against Zambia, ushering Nigeria unto the world stage as a force to reckon with in world soccer. The team went on to take Nigeria to its first ever World Cup. Oliseh was a tough defensive midfielder but will be  mostly remembered for scoring the winning goal; a cracker, in the group stage match against Spain in the 1998 World Cup, leading Nigeria to a historic 3–2 win. He went on to captain Nigeria for many years including during the during the 2002 African Cup of Nations. In 1996, Oliseh was again part of history as he was a key member of the team that Nigeria that won the Olympics gold medal for soccer. He was voted by the Confederation of African Football as the third best African player of the year in 1998. Today, he is one of the most respected voices on soccer and appears on several TV programmes around the world.

Sport is big on the continent and and there is no better speaker on this than Sunday Oliseh!

Get your ticket HERE.