TEDxISH Youth

Speakers

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

• Aaron Tyo-Dickerson

  Technology Innovation Coordinator and AI in education specialist

  Aaron Tyo-Dickerson brings a lifelong perspective shaped by both early exposure to emerging technology and current professional practice. Growing up in a small town in the United States, they developed a fascination with science fiction and an enduring optimism about the future. A formative moment came in 1980, when they learned to program a TRS-80 Model III computer during a Saturday enrichment class, writing BASIC code on a green-on-black screen accompanied by the sound of floppy disk drives. Today, Aaron works as a Technology Innovation Coordinator at the International School of The Hague (ISH), collaborating with teachers and students to thoughtfully integrate new technologies, including generative AI, into education. Their work sits at the intersection of innovation, ethics, and human development, exploring how technology can be used intentionally to shape a better future.

• Dai Rees

  Pastoral leader and community builder through music and sport

  Dai Rees has been a teacher for 18 years and has worked across a variety of educational settings in his home country of Wales, including inner-city state schools, rural schools, and a former Catholic private school. He later spent five years in the United States, building community through music and sports in Boston, where he collaborated with the Juilliard School and connected with elite athletes who significantly influenced his perspective on leadership and performance. Alongside his educational career, Dai developed a successful podcast focused on Welsh football, which continues to grow and has opened opportunities in media as well as conversations with professional footballers and sports leaders. He is currently in his sixth year at the International School of The Hague, where he teaches Music and Personal and Professional Skills, leads several co-curricular groups, and serves as a pastoral leader, a role he has also held previously in another school setting.

• Dr. Akanksha Kapoor

  Scientific Researcher

  Akanksha Kapoor is a researcher based in the Netherlands, currently conducting research in Photonics integration with a specialization in semiconductor epitaxy, she has authored numerous scientific publications in peer reviewed journals and has hands-on experience with fast pace technologies at TU-Eindhoven. Through her work in photonics and semiconductor innovation, she brings both technical depth and personal insight into professional growth in scientific environments.

• James Alkema

  Student leader and representative speaker

  James Alkema is a Year 12 IBDP student at the International School of The Hague. He is actively involved in Model United Nations, Student Council, and the Athletics Council, where he balances leadership responsibilities alongside academics and training. Through these experiences, James has developed a strong interest in productivity, discipline, and personal growth. His talk explores the idea that success is not built on willpower alone, but on creating systems that make positive actions consistent and sustainable.

• Jennifer Brandsberg-Engelmann

  Economics educator and sustainability curriculum innovator

  Jennifer Brandsberg-Engelmann is a social studies teacher with over 25 years’ experience, specialising in economics. She has authored widely used textbooks in Economics, Business Management, and Environmental Systems and Societies, helping integrate new economic thinking into mainstream courses. She now leads the development of a two-year secondary course in Regenerative Economics, supported by a digital Creative Commons licensed textbook. Jennifer works with teachers and students, and contributes to curriculum reviews in the Netherlands, England, Scotland, Ireland, New Zealand and the International Baccalaureate, advocating for economics education that prepares students to navigate real-world complexity and support human and ecological wellbeing.

• Seraphina Willemse

  Young author and self-confidence advocate

  Seraphina Willemse is a 16-year-old student with a strong passion for public speaking, self-improvement, and writing. An avid reader with a deep interest in personal growth, she became increasingly aware that many books and speeches about confidence focused mainly on how to appear confident, rather than how to build confidence from within. Motivated to address this gap, Seraphina wrote a book exploring confidence as a deeply personal and meaningful topic, with the aim of helping others develop genuine self-belief and inner strength.