TEDxHawkesbury to debut in Richmond

The Hawkesbury will host its first-ever TEDx event this year, with TEDxHawkesbury set to make its debut on Saturday, April 18 at the Richmond School of Arts.

Bringing the globally recognised TED format to the region, the inaugural event will feature a curated lineup of speakers delivering talks of 18 minutes or less, all centred around the theme ‘Unbreak the Future: Lean in. Lift up. Lead on.’

“We’re on the edge of a big city, Sydney, and also on the edge of a wonderful natural landscape,” said organiser and Hawkesbury local David Simpson. “We’ve got a mix of culture, farming and agriculture, and we’ve also got some incredible minds who work in the city or contribute to the community in different ways.”

TED Talks began in 1984 in the United States as a conference focused on Technology, Entertainment and Design, with a simple aim: to share “ideas worth spreading.” Over time, the talks grew into a global online phenomenon, featuring short, powerful presentations on science, culture, innovation and everyday life.

To bring the experience to local communities, the TEDx program was created, allowing independently organised events under a TED licence. This year, that global movement arrives in the Hawkesbury, showcasing local voices, stories, and ideas on a world-recognised stage.

Speakers & Themes

TEDxHawkesbury will include seven speakers:

Nikki Drake - Don’t Waste Your Trauma
Nikki explores life after sudden loss, reframing how trauma can be transformed into purpose and resilience.

Speaker Background:
After losing her son in a sudden drowning accident, Nikki Drake asked a question that would lead to life-saving technology, global partnerships, and a new framework for transforming trauma into purpose. Her TEDx talk, Don’t Waste Your Trauma, reframes how we understand devastation, pain, and resilience, showing what becomes possible after loss.

Katherine Pinczuk – The Wisdom of a Wagging Tail
Katherine invites audiences to experience the mindfulness lessons taught by our canine companions.

Speaker Background:
Katherine Pinczuk is a keynote speaker, meditation teacher, and storyteller exploring how presence can help people lead better lives in a fast-paced, distracted world. With a master’s degree in creative writing and international meditation qualifications, she bridges neuroscience, lived experience, and narrative to bring both depth and warmth to the stage.

Amit Kaushik – Retirement Isn’t the End: Choosing the Next Chapter of Life
Amit challenges traditional ideas of retirement, encouraging a new chapter of life full of purpose and impact.

Speaker Background:
Amit brings over 25 years of experience in IT and finance, delivering complex solutions across industries. Beyond his career, he is deeply committed to financial literacy as a life skill. Through mentoring and education, he helps people use money with confidence, clarity, and purpose, turning financial knowledge into real-world impact.

Dr Michelle Ryan – What the Platypus Can Teach Us About Connection
Dr Ryan reconnects with the Hawkesbury River, showing how the region’s ecology and community intersect, and how caring for waterways can inspire community connection.

Speaker Background:
Dr Michelle Ryan is a Senior Lecturer in Ecology and Environmental Science at Western Sydney University, the current Hawkesbury-Nepean Waterkeeper, and leader of the Hawkesbury-Nepean Platypus Project. Her research focuses on human impacts on aquatic environments, including the health of freshwater species such as the platypus. Michelle collaborates with communities, industry, and government to protect waterways and the species that inhabit them.

Dannielle Pearson – In the Age of AI, Think Like a Human
Dannielle explains why critical thinking is humanity’s greatest untapped superpower and how it can help people navigate a rapidly changing world.

Speaker Background:
Dannielle is a Thought Leader in Strategy and Critical Thinking. She began her career as a US Air Force Officer and spent ten years in the US Intelligence Community. This experience taught her invaluable skills in critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and personal accountability. Dannielle holds a Bachelor’s in International Relations from Penn State University, an MBA from Macquarie University, and Executive Education from Oxford University. She is passionate about cultivating self-agency and empowering people to make complexity and change work for them.

Tony Morley – It’s Better Than It Looks
Tony presents a historical perspective showing progress and hope amidst global challenges.

Speaker Background:
Tony Morley is an Australian progress studies writer and researcher specialising in historical trends in global living standards. His published work has appeared in The Up Wing, TIME Magazine, Big Think, Freethink, National Review, and Quillette. Tony has been a Fellow at The Archbridge Institute and O’Shaughnessy Ventures, exploring data-driven perspectives on societal progress.

Scott Hinks – When Communities Lift Each Other
Scott draws on lived experience of the Hawkesbury floods to show how ordinary people can build real resilience.

Speaker Background:
Scott Hinks is a professional with international leadership experience across corporate and not-for-profit sectors. He is a passionate Lions member and community advocate, dedicated to volunteer service and initiatives that strengthen local communities. Scott believes resilience is built by people helping people and is committed to creating connected, thriving communities.

Focus on Resilience

“The reason why I chose these seven speakers is because I wanted, for our first event in Hawkesbury, to focus on resilience,” Mr Simpson said. “Resilience comes in a whole bunch of different ways not just about natural disasters, but personal, professional, and mental resilience. It’s about the ability to rebound and take charge of your own life and community.”

“I keep landing back on what I want the audience to be even if it’s just one person to think about the Hawkesbury differently,” he added. “If all the speakers can inspire the audience to say, ‘Yeah, I’m going to do something about this problem in my life or my community,’ I think that’s a great outcome.”

The afternoon program is designed to spark conversation, connection, and fresh thinking, showcasing a diverse range of voices from the Hawkesbury and beyond. Topics will span community resilience, environmental stewardship, leadership, and navigating misinformation in an increasingly complex digital world.

Event Details

The event will commence at 1.30pm and follow the internationally recognised TEDx format, delivering high-impact talks in an intimate setting.

Tickets are now on sale and expected to sell out quickly due to limited seating: