TEDxSurrey

Speakers

Speakers may not be confirmed. Check the event website for the latest lineup.

• Darren Radford

  Global Management Consultant; Founder of Gravity Lab; University Professor

  Darren is a purpose-driven leader, strategy and business transformation specialist who helps organizations build strategic agility for a fast-moving world. Beginning his career as a lawyer in the U.K., he has spent the past two decades as a management consultant leading large-scale transformation programs across multiple industries. A published author, accredited trainer, and university professor, Darren has also served on boards for over a decade and is a former TEC Canada CEO Chair. Passionate about the rise of emerging technologies, particularly Artificial Intelligence, Darren offers an optimistic yet grounded view of their potential. He challenges today’s leaders to look beyond traditional thinking and consider how these tools can be harnessed to amplify - rather than replace - human potential. When not transforming organizations or inspiring students, you can find him practicing handstands or Animal Flow, learning the cello, or spending time with his wife and four children.

• Dr. Brenda Lau

  Founder and Medical Director, Changepain

  Dr. Brenda Lau is a dual-fellowship anesthesiologist, pain specialist, and hypnotherapist who has spent over 25 years helping people heal when medicine alone isn’t enough. A pioneer in Pain Medicine in Canada and the founder of Changepain — the country’s largest accredited interdisciplinary pain and rehab clinic — she and her team have guided more than 65,000 people toward recovery. A recognized leader in pain-care standards, system advocacy, and education, Dr. Lau’s mission began in childhood, watching her parents endure poverty and pain in silence and realizing, “There is more to them than what I see.” Decades later, as both physician and patient navigating cancer, osteoporosis, and menopause, she transformed adversity into frameworks for healing that unite science, mind mastery, compassion, and lived experience. Witnessing how words shape biology and results, she invites everyone to ignite the largest modern health transformation — empowering all to age strong together.

• Dr. Vanessa Lapointe

  Founder of North Star Development Clinic

  Dr. Vanessa Lapointe is a mom, parenting educator, best-selling author, international speaker, and a regularly invited media guest. She holds a doctoral degree in psychology and practiced as a psychologist for nearly 20 years before devoting her full-time energy to connecting with parents and other “big people” around the globe in 2023. Founder of The North Star Developmental Clinic, Dr. Vanessa has long supported families and children at her clinic alongside her team and has prior experience in community mental health and the school system. Dr. Vanessa is known for bringing a sense of nurturing understanding and humanity to all of her work. Her passion is in walking alongside parents, teachers, care providers, and other big people to really see the world through the child’s eyes. She believes that if we can do this, we are beautifully positioned to raise our children in the best possible way.

• Hargun Dhillon

  University Kinesiology student. Founder of Age Strong Unity Wellness Society

  Hargun is an award-winning University of British Columbia kinesiology student, community health advocate, and founder of Age Strong Unity Wellness Society—a youth-led, culturally tailored fitness nonprofit for seniors. What began with a few dumbbells in a Surrey park now empowers hundreds of South Asian elders each week through free exercise classes that foster a sense of belonging, movement, and joy. His work—now expanding across Canada—redefines inclusion by centring those most often overlooked. Hargun has also co-founded youth mentorship and global health projects, established medical clinics in rural India, and contributed to research on culturally relevant physical activity for immigrant women. With over 7,600 volunteer hours and national recognition for leadership, he continues to champion empathy-driven, community-rooted solutions that show lasting change begins with inclusion by design.

• Jerry Zheng

  University student; Founder, Grace Notes Initiative

  A recent graduate of Fraser Heights Secondary in Surrey, Jerry proudly calls himself a “mandarin orange.” Once pressured to give up piano because of stereotypes, he learned that strength doesn’t come from rejecting labels, but from redefining and embracing them for personal significance. Since reconciling with these stereotypes, he has performed with the Coquitlam Youth Orchestra and Ambleside Orchestra, competed in international piano competitions, and received the RCM National Gold Medal for Canada’s best Associate Diploma performance. Jerry believes true self-worth comes from community. He founded the Grace Notes Initiative, a student music society connecting volunteer performers with senior care homes and wellness societies. Beyond music, he brings the same passion to high school debate and contest mathematics—building inclusive, confident club communities and coaching students to national-level success.

• Jessi Beyer

  SWAT team negotiator and Crisis Mental Health Clinician

  Jessi is the #1 best-selling author of How To Heal: A Practical Guide to Nine Integrative Therapies That Can Help Release Trauma. She is a crisis mental health clinician with two law enforcement agencies and three fire departments in Washington State and a negotiator with the Region 1 SWAT team. Named a 2020 “Young Entrepreneur to Watch” by IdeaMensch, Jessi has spoken on suicide prevention and peer support to thousands of people around the world and has been featured in over 200 media outlets. She holds master’s degrees in critical psychology and human services from Prescott College and in military psychology and terrorism from Adler University. Jessi believes that polarization kills human connection and that the best solutions come from combining opposing perspectives to foster creativity and empathy. Outside of her professional life, she is a competitive obstacle-course racer and a proud dog mom to her pup, Phoebe.

• Karina Inkster

  Fitness and Nutrition Coach

  Karina is a fitness and nutrition coach, author of five books, and a vegan of 23 years. She and her team lead award-winning online coaching programs that help vegans worldwide build strength and healthy habits they’ll still maintain at age 103. Karina hosts The No-B.S. Vegan podcast, ranked in the global top 1% and syndicated on radio, sharing evidence-based conversations that debunk myths and celebrate the power of vegan living. She has also been profiled by CNBC, HuffPost, Healthline, Livestrong and Bustle. She holds a master’s degree in gerontology, specializing in health and aging. Karina’s work reframes veganism as abundance: a creative, joyful way to live in alignment with our values and care for a thriving planet. She believes that plant-based eating isn’t about restriction, but about creativity, connection, and compassion. Outside of coaching and podcasting, Karina performs and teaches accordion, didgeridoo, and piano.

• Kim Foster

  Wellness Coach, YouTuber, former medical doctor

  Kim Foster, M.D., is a former family physician turned entrepreneur, author, and identity-based transformation expert. After two decades in medicine, she realized that lasting change isn’t about willpower or habits—it starts with who you believe yourself to be. Today, she leads a global online learning platform, hosts a YouTube channel with more than 200,000 subscribers, and helps people around the world reinvent their lives from the inside out. She is also the author of the forthcoming book Redesigning You: Change Your Inner Story, Transform Your Health. Drawing on science, psychology, and her own experience reinventing her life and career after medicine, Kim teaches people how to rebuild their inner blueprint so they can create the future they want with confidence and clarity.

• Laura Prather

  Human Rights Attorney

  Laura is a preeminent human rights attorney whose three decades of landmark free-speech victories are an urgent call to action. As partner and head of Haynes Boone’s media law group, she has forged protections that matter—leading coalitions to enact anti-SLAPP laws and shaping global safeguards against abusive lawsuits. Her accolades include the American Lawyer’s inaugural Tony Mauro Media Lawyer Award and a top national ranking in Chambers USA. When her personal and professional worlds collided, she saw that free speech doesn’t only disappear through dramatic censorship—it can erode through subtle, daily threats we all face. A 2022 Fulbright Scholar and board-certified appellate specialist, Laura offers a message of hope and a roadmap for resilience, showing how ordinary people can spot emerging dangers and act decisively to protect individual voices and democracy—before it’s too late.

• Lei Wang

  Adventurer, speaker, author

  From Wall Street to the world’s tallest peaks, Lei Wang has learned that greatness isn’t forged in moments of thrill—it’s built through steady, intentional pursuit. A Wharton-trained former finance professional turned leadership strategist, Lei became the first Asian woman to complete the Explorer’s Grand Slam—climbing the highest peak on every continent and skiing to both the North and South Poles. Her journey taught her that true transformation happens not when we achieve big goals, but in who we become along the way. Today, she helps leaders and organizations achieve their own “seemingly impossible” by turning challenge into growth and ambition into purpose.

• Lordnation

  Musician

  Lordnation (Osaretin Eweka) is a Nigerian-born, Canada-based violinist known for his high-energy fusion of classical violin, Afrobeats, R&B, hip-hop, and pop. Inspired by icons such as Fela Kuti and Michael Jackson, he delivers performances that blend culture, rhythm, and showmanship. A versatile artist, Lordnation has performed at corporate events, festivals, universities, and TEDx platforms. He is an upcoming guest performer with the Vancouver Canucks organization. Known for his electrifying stage presence and genre-blending arrangements, he delivers a powerful, engaging experience at every performance. Beyond performance, Lordnation is committed to mentoring young musicians and inspiring the next generation to see classical instruments in a modern light. He holds a Bachelor of Technology from Kwantlen Polytechnic University and is the founder of Lordnation Strings Ltd.

• Matthew Jodouin

  Mindset Coach

  Matthew Jodouin is a mindset mentor and certified coach who has helped hundreds of people unlock their potential since 2014. Named one of the Top 20 Life Coaches by The New York Journal, he’s known for an action-oriented approach that helps people turn stress, self-doubt, and inconsistency into confidence, clarity, and intentional living. As creator of programs including UNSTUCK, Momentum Mastermind, Success Principles, and The Modern Man Project, Matthew blends timeless philosophy with proven, science-grounded strategies to make personal growth practical, sustainable, and results-driven. Influenced early by a powerful mentor-mentee relationship, he now champions mentorship to help young men build confidence, purpose, direction, and meaning. Matthew lives on Vancouver Island, BC, with his wife and two young sons, and continues to inspire others to live with purpose, power, and momentum.

• Meghan Neufeld

  Executive Director, BabyGoRound

  Meghan is an award-winning nonprofit leader, storyteller, and systems thinker, redefining how dignity and equity influence social infrastructure in our communities. With over 20 years in the charitable sector, her work blends lived experience with strategic vision, turning adversity into advocacy and impact. Her efforts range from policy reform to picture books, always rooted in the belief that support networks should reflect the people they serve. Through personal loss and professional milestones, Meghan’s evolving purpose has shaped not only her own healing but the spaces and systems she’s worked to improve. She invites others to challenge the idea that life’s purpose should be fixed – and instead, embrace its evolution through life’s seasons.