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.

Trevor Ncube at TEDxEuston 2012 - "Embracing Life's Challenges"

From being told as a pupil by a teacher that he would never succeed Trevor Ncube has risen to become one of Africa's foremost entrepreneurs and most powerful newspaper publishers. He has been intimidated by political authorities, forced to flee into exile and yet like the phoenix, he has risen from his ashes to continue pursuing his goal of using the press to change and influence society. He told CNN once 'We want to represent the underdog. We want to be, to some extent, the voice of the voiceless,” By challenging the conventional wisdom of all those who stood in his way, he managed to pursue his vision, and continues to expand it. The TEDxEuston 2012 talk of this self-confessed idealist challenges us to look beyond the obstacles placed on our path as we pursue our dreams.

Watch his powerful talk HERE. 

Trevor Ncube is Chairman of Alpha Media Holdings (AMH ) based in Zimbabwe, a company he co-founded 14 years ago. AMH owns three newspaper titles in Zimbabwe namely NewsDay (daily), The Zimbabwe Independent (business weekly) and The Standard (Sunday). Ncube has a BA Honours (First Class) from the University of Zimbabwe. He started in journalism in 1989 when he was appointed assistant editor of the Financial Gazette in Zimbabwe. In 1991 he was promoted to Executive Editor and in 1994 received the Zimbabwe Editor of the Year award. Ncube is also controlling shareholder and Executive Deputy Chairman of the Mail & Guardian Media Group (South Africa). He completed the Said Business School, University of Oxford, Advanced Management and Leadership Programme in June/July 2009. Trevor was awarded a Print Media S.A. Fellowship in 2006. He was awarded the International Publishers Association Freedom Prize Award in 2007, and has also won the German Africa Award in 2008. In 2010 Trevor was bestowed the Nation Media Group Life Achievement Award for his work in media on the continent. He is co-chair of the African Media Initiative (AMI) a continent wide organization focusing on strengthening the sectors viability and enhancing its professionalism and is a Fellow of The Aspen Institute and Africa Leadership Initiative. Ncube is married with children, loves reading and travelling, is a keen golfer and is a devout Christian. Follow Trevor on Twitter @TrevorNcube

Frank Njenga at TEDxEuston 2012 - "The changing role of Grantparenthood"

As a leading psychiatrist, he has been championing the fight to de-stigmatize mental illness in his native Kenya, and to improve care for mental illness patients. Frank Njenga is a staunch anti-drugs campaigner, is patron of a student anti-drugs organization, and joined Facebook in 2011 to be more accessible to people. Yet the most significant event in his life was becoming a grandparent. In his TEDxEuston 2012 talk, he invites us to challenge conventional wisdom in the way we view trans-generational relationships.

Watch his powerful talk HERE

Frank Njenga is a Consultant Psychiatrist in private practice in Nairobi, Kenya, where he has practiced for thirty years. He was the founder President of the African Association of Psychiatrists and Allied Professions (AAPAP). Dr Njenga was appointed by the President of Kenya to chair the (NACADA) - National Campaign Against Drug Abuse Authority Board which is the body that advises the Kenya Government on Drug and Alcohol policies. In addition to his medical practice, he is Founder Chair of the Institute of Education in Democracy (IED), an Africa wide election monitoring body, as well as active campaigner for Democracy in Africa. He is an author of many scientific papers, books and book chapters, including children’s’ books.

There are a few tickets left for TEDxEustonSalon on April 6 2013. Grab one of the last ones here. 

Inviting you to TEDxEustonSalon - Saturday April 6 2013

A few months have passed since the cold Saturday where we huddled at the Mermaid Centre and challenged conventional wisdom on Africa. We thank you again for your continued support, as without you, there would be no TEDxEuston!

Many of you have fed back to us that one year is too long to wait for another TEDxEuston! So in response to this we are putting together a slightly smaller, more intimate TEDxEustonSalon to continue the exciting conversations, challenge our minds, feed our soul and shake our bodies to some great music at an intimate, central London venue on the evening of the 6th of April.

TEDxEustonSalon will be exclusively for the incredibly gifted people that have already attended TEDxEuston to engage and fuel our community.

While the space might be smaller and the length of the day shorter, one thing we will never compromise on is the quality of our speakers. We invite you to join us and two amazing young African women, who will blow our mind away with their captivating talks in between wine and dinner at the beautiful Eight Club in Bank. 

The speakers on the evening are:

Chibundu Onuzo - author of ‘the Spider King’s daughter’ 

Chibundu Onuzo started writing novels and short stories at the age of 10 and less than a decade later, she became the youngest woman ever to be signed by Faber and Faber. Her debut novel, ‘The Spider King’s Daughter’ is part of a two-book deal with the publishing house and charts the unlikely relationship that develops between a poor street hawker and a sheltered rich girl who meet on the streets of Lagos. Since its release in March 2012, the book has been long-listed for the Desmond Elliott Prize for debut novelists and shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize for writers under 30. The Times describes the book as ‘a dark, tense, gripping first novel, peeling back layers of Nigerian society’ and The Observer calls it ‘an energetic thriller debut.’ In other parts of the world, the South Africa Times writes of Chibundu, “...kill me dead. This girl has skills.” She has been profiled on CNN, in The Observer and most recently, she made an appearance on BBC 1’s The One Show. Chibundu finished an undergraduate degree in History from King’s College London in 2012 and she is currently doing a Masters in Public Policy at UCL.

Jessica Horn – Women’s rights activist and founder of Akiiki Consulting and author of poetry collection “Speaking in Tongues”

Jessica Horn is a feminist activist, writer and consultant passionate about the struggle for African women to live empowered, healthy lives in their bodies. She has worked with community groups, NGOs, donors, and the UN around advancing sexual rights, ending violence against women, supporting women living with HIV, researching religious fundamentalisms and ensuring women’s rights in conflict-affected contexts. Early in her career, Jessica was nominated as a Soros Reproductive Health and Rights Fellow, authoring a book chapter on African feminist perspectives on Female Genital Mutilation. She has since been part of creating ground-breaking initiatives, including UHAI- the first African-led fund focusing on sexual health and rights, and FRIDA- The Young Feminist Fund. In 2012 Jessica was named an African woman change maker by ARISE Magazine’s African and as one of Applause Africa’s 40 Africans Changemakers under 40. She is a founding member of the African Feminist Forum, a board member of women’s funds Urgent Action-Fund Africa and Mama Cash, and editor of OurAfrica, profiling African women’s voices on open Democracy. With roots in Uganda’s Mountains of the Moon and the shadows of New York’s Yankee stadium, Jessica grew up in Southern Africa and the South Pacific and has since visited 46 countries including 17 in the African region. .

Tickets are available exclusively for you here for a token amount:-http://tedxeustonsalon2013.eventbrite.com

There are only 120 tickets and they will go quickly so get yours now to avoid disappointment. 

We look forward to welcoming you to TEDxEustonSalon 2013!

Yours Faithfully,

The TEDxEuston Team