The final speakers have been announced for this year's TEDxTauranga taking place on June 22.
They are Kathryn Berkett and Alex Hotere-Barnes.
Mother to two adolescent children, Berkett has dedicated 22 years to understanding how extreme trauma impacts the developing brain.
Kathryn Berkett Photo/Supplied
Holding a Masters in Educational Psychology and certification asa Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics Practitioner, she uses her skills to train others and to develop interventions that assist in the physical and psychological aspects of impacted brains.
Hotere-Barnes is an educator and researcher with affiliations to Mātaatua, Tainui and Te Tai Tokerau areas. He is fascinated by what supports and gets in the way of mutually advantageous relationships between Tāngata whenua and non-Māori.
The pair is joining an exciting and diverse line-up of speakers and entertainment.
This year's theme is RE:Action. When you hear, see, or think of an idea worth spreading, what is your reaction?
"TEDx is a programme of local, self-organised events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. With a selection of TED Talks videos and live speakers combined, it is meant to spark deep discussion and connection for everyone involved," says local licensee Sheldon Nesdale.
TEDx events are held all over the world, and they are characterised by a variety of thought-provoking speakers. This includes world-changing innovators and entrepreneurs who share their stories to amplify the impact of their projects and activities.
As well as the two recently announced speakers, the audience will hear from a great mix of change-makers, most of which are based right here in the Bay of Plenty.
People such as Katerina (Kat) Clark, who was presented with two Youth Week awards in 2015 and was named Local Hero New Zealander of the Year in recognition of her work with the LGBTQ+ community.
Kat Clark Photo/Supplied
Clark is one of the founding members of the peer support group Tauranga Pryde, established in 2014 to support young lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Last year, she also initiated the Rainbow Corner at Toi Ohomai's Windermere campus, which has since relocated to the University of Waikato.
"Due to my own experiences, I know how important it is for LGBTQ people to feel accepted and supported by society. It's like with anything, it hurts if we feel excluded, isolated, or hated. Without support and understanding from the people around us, in this case LGBTQ people are more likely to feel lost or harm themselves," Clark explains.
As a writer and storyteller, Clark is looking forward to taking the audience on a journey.
"I'll invite people to step into my shoes for a moment, and experience something new. I will also explore the use of harmful words in our everyday language that may prevent an LGBTQ individual to be true to who they are."
When asked about the other speakers that have been announced for the event so far, Clark says they are all interesting and unique. "I'm into sports and working out, so I especially look forward to hearing what Stacy Sims has to say," she says.
Sheldon says the TEDxTauranga team is honoured to put an event in place that will help make special moments happen.
"Half of the awesomeness comes from the speakers you'll hear on the day. After talking to more than 100 potential speakers that have been nominated, about 10 will share their ideas with you. We know they are up to the high TEDx standard. The second half of the awesomeness comes from awesome people like you, meeting other awesome people for the first time."
