TEDxMaldon | TEDxMaldon August 2024

TEDxMaldon acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country, the custodians of the land upon which TEDxMaldon will be held: the Dja Dja Wurrung people, and wishes to pay respect to their elders past and present, hoping that we can work together, respectfully and collaboratively for many years to come.

The theme of TEDxMaldon August 2024 is "Uncomfortable Conversations". The event is proud to be part of the Maldon Vintage Machinery and Museum's Goldfields Gothic Festival. To build stronger, deeper relationships with our friends, families and communities, we need to do more, hear more, talk more and have conversations which may hurt us to help us, conversations which stretch our thinking, shift our balance and strengthen our purpose. TEDxMaldon August 2024 will showcase topics and talks which prompt these uncomfortable conversations and threaten to unnerve us to unite us.

The event will be held Sunday 4th August 5-9pm, in TWO separate sessions (there will be 8 speakers per session),

at the Maldon Vintage Machinery and Museum.

APPLICATIONS FOR SPEAKERS NOW OPEN!

SPEAKERS SO FAR

Dr Niki Vincent: "The Fantasy of Merit: a very uncomfortable conversation”.

Dr Niki Vincent will explore how merit is a construct that shapes who gets access to education, opportunities and careers. Merit and meritocracy are often cited as a defence against affirmative action employment measures, such as targets and quotas, however if appointments were truly based on merit and systems were unbiased, such measures wouldn’t be necessary. Merit is often undefined and unexamined and it’s time we took a good, hard look at what we really mean when we talk about it. It’s also time for some humility on the part of the winners in the supposedly meritocratic race.

Niki serves as Victoria’s inaugural Public Sector Gender Equality Commissioner, with responsibility for implementing the ground-breaking Gender Equality Act 2020. As such, she plays a key leadership role in promoting gender equality in Victoria, Australia and internationally. Out of home at 15, married at 18, and a mother of four by 25, Niki strived through adversity and opportunity to become an experienced organisational and community leader and skilled public speaker, writer, leadership developer, and influencer. Now she serves on the boards of the Centre for Workplace Excellence, the Brave Foundation, and inTouch Multicultural Centre Against Family Violence. She is an adjunct Associate Professor in UniSA’s Business and Law School. Prior to this, Niki was the SA Commissioner for Equal Opportunity and chaired the Australian Council of Human Rights Authorities, and SA Chiefs for Gender Equity. She also served on the boards of Play by the Rules (national) the Committee for Economic Development of Australia and Time for Kids (SA). Earlier key roles include establishing the Leader’s Institute of SA and Membership of the SA Remuneration Tribunal. She has also led major programs of public health research in SA, NSW and internationally. Niki has been honoured to receive some prestigious awards in addition to two University Medals (Honours and PhD). This includes being a Telstra Business Woman of the Year SA Finalist, and receiving an Australian Leadership Award. She is the parent of seven young adults (including 4 biological, two step, and one foster- child) and grandparent to 11. Niki relishes hiking and camping in nature, seeing films, listening to radio, audiobooks and podcasts, gardening and entertaining friends and family.

HOW SPEAKERS WERE SELECTED

TERMS AND GUIDELINES FOR SPEAKERS

All speakers agree to the following terms and conditions:

You agree to abide by the rules of speaking at a TEDx event (click to read).
There is no payment for TEDx speakers, it is a not-for-profit event, and any income or support from sponsorship or tickets sales go directly towards all expenses for the event
The broad theme of TEDxMaldon LIVE event in May is "The Brave and the Brilliant"
Your TEDx talk must be a minimum of 8 minutes and a maximum of 12 minutes (at 10 minutes, a bell will ring as a warning)
There is no panel or Q&A after your talk. Once you have finished your talk, there will be a 2 minute change-over break and you will be invited to sit and watch the other talks at the event
Your TEDx talk should include the broad theme of being "brave and brilliant" and be based on a clear, focused topic the local audience will be interested in; as well as a very specific idea, theory or proposition you think could make a big difference in healing or helping the world regarding your chosen theme (your talk must include a call to action, something for the audience and viewers to do as a result of hearing and seeing your talk)
All speakers undertake a selection process and you will be selected based on the potential interest of your talk to a local and global audience and the diversity of the final list of talks (we want a range of diverse topics)
No sponsor or organiser of the event can also be a speaker; no talks can promote a business, sponsor or organisation
No talks with an inflammatory political or religious agenda, nor polarizing “us vs them” language
We seek to build consensus and provide outside-the-box thinking, not to revisit familiar, unresolvable disputes on these topics
If selected, you must arrive at least 15-30 minutes prior to the event commencing to ensure you are present, ready and available to participate
TEDxMaldon is a licensed TEDx event and talks will be published on the TEDx YouTube Channel