TEDxBurleigh Heads ED

Speakers

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

• Adriano Di Prato

  Director, Author & Edruptor

  Adriano Di Prato has spent more than 30 years in education - from Catholic secondary schools as a Deputy Principal and former President of the Victorian Catholic Secondary Schools Deputy Principals Association, to his current role as Campus Director at LCI Melbourne, a progressive art, design, fashion and business institute of higher education, and Regional Head of APAC. He's co-author of the bestselling book Game Changers: Leading Today's Learning for Tomorrow's World, former co-host of the award-winning Game Changers podcast, recognised by ISC Research as an Edruptor, and named one of Australia's Top 50 Most Influential Educators three times by The Educator magazine.

• Aimee Presnall

  Founder

  Aimee Presnall founded Well-Nest because she was sick of watching exceptional school leaders run themselves into the ground. After 16+ years in classrooms and leadership roles across Australia and internationally, she'd seen enough. Brilliant leaders are burning out and the same tired advice about self-care and resilience continues while the system demands more. Leaders who could transform a school community but couldn't make it to Friday without collapsing. So she did something about it. Well-Nest works with educational leaders and associations to dismantle the conditions that create burnout in the first place - building capacity and team cultures where leadership is sustainable, not sacrificial. Through coaching, workshops, retreats and her podcast "Reflections of School Leaders," Aimee's approach is honest about what's broken and fiercely practical about fixing it. Leaders who are well, lead well. When leaders lead well, everyone in the school feels it.

• Bianca Nuss

  Principal

  Bianca Nuss is the Founding Principal of The Village School Gold Coast, an innovative primary school built on a courageous, place-based approach to learning. She leads a model of education that intentionally nurtures independence, resilience, and real-world confidence. Bianca’s work reimagines schooling by designing everyday opportunities for children to step into discomfort, take risks, and grow.

• Colleen O'Rourke

  Educator & Leader of Digital Innovation

  Colleen is an award-winning Australian educator and Leader of Digital Innovation, recognised globally as a Top 10 Finalist for the Global Teacher Prize 2026. She is reimagining how schools use artificial intelligence and extended reality to amplify learning, not replace it. Through immersive experiences and innovative practice, Colleen builds empathy, cultural intelligence and a deeper sense of humanity in learning. Her work champions inclusive, ethical innovation, ensuring emerging technologies expand access, strengthen belonging and prepare young people to thrive in an AI shaped world.

• Jen Buchanan

  Principal

  Jen Buchanan is the Principal of THINK Global School, the world’s only traveling high school, where students live and learn across four countries each year. Her work in education has taken her to schools around the world, always grounded in a commitment to creativity, wellbeing, and helping young people truly thrive. At the heart of Jen’s work is a guiding question: what does it mean to stay human? Whether leading students, exploring new places, or working as an artist, she is drawn to the moments that connect us - to ourselves, to each other, and to the world around us. Jen believes education should spark curiosity, nurture wellbeing, and empower every student to flourish. With extensive on-the-ground experience in progressive and pioneering schools, she brings both practical insight and a deep commitment to meaningful change while continually evolving learning experiences to reflect the needs of a changing world.

• Lauren Munday

  Founder

  Lauren Munday, PE teacher, author, and founder of Think Set Go, a program that helps students and athletes pursue their goals with real focus and direction. Drawing on lessons from her own sporting journey, Lauren teaches the power of an adaptive mindset.

• Paul Miles

  Global Managing Director

  Paul Miles is the Global Managing Director of The BUSY Group. He is also Co Founder and Chair of The BUSY School, which supports young people in Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Canada to re-engage with education and to find an employability and skills pathway for a life of impact.

• Pip Cleaves

  Chief Learning Architect

  Pip Cleaves is the Chief Learning Architect at Global Village Learning, where she leads the design of learner led, personalised and purpose driven education. Her work centres on student agency, project based learning and real world application, supporting young people to co design their own learning journeys. She is also a recognised voice in artificial intelligence in education, working with schools to integrate emerging technologies in ways that enhance creativity, deepen engagement and strengthen human centred learning.

• Sally Lasslett

  Executive Principal

  Sally Lasslett is the Executive Principal of Hester Hornbrook Academy. In this role, Sally has put the flexible school setting on the map! She has grown her school from under 80 students to more than 750. She has a master plan for growth to ensure that education is accessible to all young people. Sally’s mission is to ensure that wellbeing and learning work truly work together. She has been an educational leader in a variety of school settings and roles for over 30 years, and is an advocate for successful pathways and transitions for disengaged young people. Sally has a keen interest in assisting students to find a passion for learning and ensuring that they are successful in developing post school pathways. She deeply passionate and intentionally purposeful in her leadership, ensuring that good quality education which is deeply human centred and highly inclusive is accessible to all, regardless of their academic backgrounds, wellbeing needs or challenges that they may face.