If your work excludes large groups of people, are you truly an expert?From inaccessible spaces to biased technology, designing for the "average" person leaves many behind. True expertise means embedding equity as a technical skill—using data, context, and iteration to build for everyone, not just a select few. Sharon (She/Her) is the Founder and CEO of QuakeLab, a full-stack equity agency, Sharon Nyangweso specializes in a radical new approach to problem solving with an equity lens that is measurable, strategic, and based on a strong foundation of design thinking. An immigrant from Kenya who has lived and worked in Canada for more than ten years, she has worked across sectors with organizations in 11 countries. Sharon has been recognized as a Globe & Mail Report on Business Magazine 2022 Changemakers Award Recipient, 2022 Black Entrepreneur of the Year nominee and Ottawa Consulting Agency of the Year 2023. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

Our health system is broken because we treat it like a machine—fixing isolated parts instead of addressing the bigger picture. By focusing on connections, embracing diverse perspectives, and adapting to change, we can create a system that truly supports well-being. The question is: what role will you play in restoring the system in our health system? Anne-Marie Parent is a manager with the Canadian Institute for Health Information and a part-time professor at the Telfer School of Management, teaching health informatics and organizational behavior & change in healthcare. Twelve years ago, she chose to focus her career in the health system, seeing an opportunity to apply her expertise in change management, systems thinking, and large-scale collaboration. She is passionate about empowering groups to embrace collective leadership to navigate the uncertainties inherent in addressing complex issues. She has served as a board member with a Community Health Centre and volunteers as a facilitator with the Systems Innovation Health Hub. A lifelong learner, she holds certifications as a Certified Health Executive, Prosci Change Management, Black Belt in Lean Healthcare, and Flow Certified Coach. She recently completed training in Organizational and Relationship Systems Coaching, furthering her commitment to supporting transformational change. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

ADHD and Ottawa’s OC Transpo share inefficiencies and struggle to function as designed. Proper accommodations help people with ADHD thrive, just as redesigning transit around user needs could improve the system. Reducing stigma and embracing flexibility can turn both from burdens into valuable assets. It can be hard to find her in her jungle of houseplants, but with 30+ years in unconventional accessibility, Beth is worth tracking down. Don’t worry—the hair helps.Beth has worked alongside the disabled community for as long as she’s been around. When her sister wanted a black belt in karate, Beth built an accessible class from scratch—while still in high school. A decade later, her sister became the program’s 7th graduate.In university, Beth developed a groundbreaking research method on disabled adults, uncovering systemic barriers. Her passion for change led her to explore supply chains, urban planning, and environmental sustainability, always asking: Who does this system serve, and how can we change it?Now CEO of AgTech startup Lawless Environmental Solutions, Beth is a writer and analyst solving big challenges in the unlikeliest places, proving that accessibility, inclusion, and innovation go hand in hand. She believes real solutions start where no one else is looking. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

The spaces we create in our relationships shape who we become.When filled with trust and respect, we thrive—when clouded by stress and fear, we struggle. By being intentional about what we put into the space between us, we can transform our connections, teams, and the world around us. Maureen Cunningham adores her work as a facilitator and coach helping teams solve problems together. Her study of humans began at Queen’s University with her degree in Psychology and never stopped as she acquired certification after certification in the field of human systems, leadership and culture (and gotten an MBA along the way). Maureen thrives in the diversity of her projects. Her work has included major business transformations, organization-wide culture change, mergers, new organizational visions and strengthening teams from the leadership level to the front line in industries ranging from healthcare to nuclear physics to construction. She has worked with many government departments, amazing Ottawa not-for-profits and extraordinary small businesses. Maureen is a regular contributor to Forbes.com as a member of their Forbes Coaches Council for the past 8 years. Her greatest joys come from her husband and son who continue to teach her deep, beautiful lessons about life and love. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

Influenszerkultúra, black friday és introvertált terek a városokban. Hogy kapcsolódnak össze ezek a jelenségek? Benedek felhívja a figyelmet arra, hogy komoly értékválságban vagyunk, ami kapcsán érdemes a saját felelősségünket is vizsgálni. Ahogy előadásában is mondja, aztért kutat, hogy a jövő jobb legyen, és azért zenél, hogy a jelen se legyen olyan rossz. Inderdiszciplínákon átívelő előadása egy látlelet a korról, amiben mi Kelet-Európában élünk, és egyúttal egy felkiálltás arra, hogy érdemes olyan utat választani, amin más még nem járt, hátha választ kaphatunk közben a legnagyobb társadalmi kéréseinkre. / Influencer culture, Black Friday, and introverted urban spaces—how are these phenomena connected? Benedek highlights the deep value crisis we are facing and encourages us to examine our responsibility in it. As he puts it in his talk, he researches to create a better future and plays music to make the present more bearable. His interdisciplinary presentation offers a snapshot of the era we live in here in Eastern Europe, while also serving as a call to take the road less traveled—because along the way, we might just find answers to some of our biggest societal questions. Tuza Benedek kutató és DJ. Szelektor és geográfus. Azt hihetnénk, hogy ez a két hivatás ég és föld módjára különbözik egymástól, de van bennük valami közös: a kívülállók egyikbe sem látnak bele igazán. Emiatt sok körülöttük a sztereotípia és a félreértés, és pontosan ez az, ami őt érdekli. A tájékoztatás, a tudásátadás és a storytelling. Benedek az ELTE TTK egyik tartalomgyártója és számos tudománykommunikációs verseny győztese. / Benedek Tuza is a researcher and DJ. A selector and a geographer. These two professions may seem worlds apart, but they share one thing: outsiders rarely see them for what they truly are. This leads to stereotypes and misunderstandings—exactly what fascinates him. His passion lies in education, knowledge-sharing, and storytelling. Benedek is a content creator for ELTE TTK and a winner of multiple science communication competitions. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

Mi kell ahhoz, hogy egy gyerek boldog legyen? Alapvető dolgokra kell gondoljunk, mint a figyelem, a biztonság, mégis a felnőtt társadalom egy nagy része vak a gyerekek valódi szükségleteire. Gyurkó Szilvia előadásában arra hívja fel a figyelmet, hogy ha egy gyerek felneveléséhez egy egész falu kell, akkor egy gyerek bántalmazásához, elhanyagolásához egy egész falunak kell félrenéznie. A gyerekvédelem közös, társadalmi szintű feladatunk. / What does it take for a child to be happy? We might think of basic things like attention and security, yet a significant part of the adult society remains blind to children’s real needs. In her talk, Szilvia Gyurkó highlights a powerful truth: if it takes a whole village to raise a child, it also takes a whole village looking the other way for a child to be abused or neglected. Child protection is our shared responsibility as a society. Dr. Gyurkó Szilvia 2002-ben szerzett jogi diplomát, majd a gyermekjog és gyermekvédelem területén folytatta tanulmányait New Yorkban, Genfben és a Harvardon. Dolgozott az Országos Kriminológiai Intézet kutatójaként, majd az UNICEF Magyar Bizottságának gyermekjogi igazgatója volt. 2016-ban megalapította a Hintalovon Gyermekjogi Alapítványt, aminek gyermekjogi, gyermekvédelmi és gyermek részvételi programjai mára itthon és külföldön is elismertek. / Dr. Szilvia Gyurkó graduated from law school in 2002 and continued her studies in child law and child protection in New York, Geneva, and Harvard. She has worked as a researcher at the National Institute of Criminology and was the director of the UNICEF Hungarian Committee on Child Rights. In 2016, she founded the Hintalovon Children's Rights Foundation, whose programs on children's rights, child protection, and child participation are now recognized in Hungary and abroad. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx