We are thrilled to introduce our 2024 TEDxWinnipeg idea-generators!

Mohammad Almaleki 

Mohammad has helped hundreds of refugees find affordable and appropriate housing in Manitoba. His experience as a real estate developer informs his talk on the need to revolutionize how we deliver social housing in Canada, including the benefits of social housing for everyone. 

Pauline Gerrard 

Pauline is the Deputy Director of IISD Experimental Lakes Area and her startling premise is that we should be polluting the environment more — all in the name of science. When we carefully change elements of an ecosystem, as opposed to working in a lab, we can discover more about what humans and pollution do to our environment.

Jane Helbrecht

Jane wants leaders and organizations to know if they try to ‘fix’ employees or blame outside factors, they are bound to fail. The founder of Uplift Engagement offers a bold challenge to those who need to evolve to the future of work and changing needs and expectations of talent: “It might be that your team doesn’t suck. You do.”

Teri Hofford 

Teri is ready to offer a more critical understanding of what happens when they see themselves in photographs. A photographer for the past 10 years, she has photographed more than 1,500 people, and they all have said a version of “I look terrible in photos.” They aren’t the problem! They just may be missing what happens when we see ourselves in photographs. 

Sumreen Javed 

Dr. Sumreen Javed has a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from UBC and postdoctoral training from Harvard Medical School. She is currently an oncology pharmacist at CancerCare Manitoba, where she is a champion for patient safety cancer therapy education, and supportive care management. Dr. Javed is a strong advocate for cancer prevention. In her talk, she’ll share the preventative measures that each of us can adopt to minimize the risks of cancer development. 

Toby Le 

Toby is a PhD student in Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at the University of Manitoba — and part of a movement of young people working to reshape the role of science by taking it out of the lab and into everyday life. In his talk, Toby, aims to inspire people to engage in talking about science, and instill hope that today’s youth are steering us toward a brighter future.

Mike McGarry

Instead of chipping and landfilling urban trees, we can use them to build, furnish and style our cities. Mike is the co-founder and operations manager for Urban Lumber alongside partner Carlee Farmer, the self-described serial woodpreneur will share how by using new tools and technologies, urban trees need not see a wood chipper or landfill again.

Margaux Miller

Margaux’s talk takes on the digital aspect of community-building for professional growth. As the global Director of Community at Toptal, her expertise is in connecting a fully remote network. A 2023 winner of the WomenTech Network Leader of the Year Award, she advocates for diversity in tech, digital literacy, and accessibility.

Holly Moore 

Holly is sharing her family’s story to illustrate the profound gaps in mental health, medical, addictions, and criminal justice systems. Getting help is far from straightforward, and you never know when you or someone you care about will need it. Her hard-won experience can help inform concrete actions for navigating systems for family members. She is an investigative journalist based in Winnipeg.

David Owasi 

David’s talk aims to inspire individuals to embrace AI as a tool for creative and professional growth. The founder of OutreachGenius encourages people to view AI not as an adversary, but as a helpful friend that lets you do more and be more.

Matt Schaubroeck 

Matt wants people to think differently about the physical spaces they occupy, and how they impact their individual and social health. His experience as the CEO of ioAirFlow has demonstrated how spending most of our time indoors impacts well-being. Forest fires, pollution, and a global pandemic have heightened the need for a shift in the way we interact with buildings. 

Salena Starling 

Salena was 11 when she gave her first speech. She has continued to share her story to help others understand the challenges faced by Indigenous individuals within the foster system, as a former foster child herself. She is now the president and CEO of Community of Big Hearts, a role she took on at 18. She shares to foster empathy and advocate for reconciliation. 

Dr. Steven Theriault

Dr. Steven Therialt has a PhD in molecular genetics and virology and worked for 15 years at the National Microbiology Lab. As CEO of Cytophage Technologies Inc., he’s seeking a solution to antibiotic resistance and identified one in bacteriophages, viruses that destroy harmful bacteria. He’ll share how they can be used in the battle against superbugs.