Speaker Alumni Profiles

Speaker Alumni Profiles (2)

They're the many incredible voices we've featured over the last decade: our speaker alumni! Learn more about a few of them, watch their original talk, and get updates on what they're up to today.

Dr. Brad Stelfox at TEDxCalgary "Energy: Full Spectrum" (2013)

Dr. Brad Stelfox | Energy: Full Spectrum (2013)

Especially amidst our current environment of rampant "Me, Here, Now" thinking that emphasizes short-term gratification over long-term thinking about the impacts of our gradually changing land use habits, Dr. Brad Stelfox's message from our Energy: Full Spectrum event in 2013 is even more important than ever. And, as many climate change activists remind us, time is running out. It's a stark and compelling reminder that we need to engage in deeper societal discussions about the way in which we intend to use our most precious assets of water, land, and energy. Back in 2013, more than 77% of Alberta's land was under some form of active use, and key indicators of water quality were steadily declining. Today's picture is no better, and likely worse based on the historical numbers. The challenge is that such change is gradual, and easily slips past our human notice – akin to the famous "boiling frog"…

Events: Energy: Full Spectrum (2013)
Website: ALCES Landscape and Landuse

Satya Das | Breaking Through (2011)

Satya Das | Breaking Through (2011)

An accomplished professional strategist, commentator, and multi-book author, Satya's talk at our 2011 "Breaking Through" event contributed a recurring theme for us as an organization: helping to make Calgary not just one of the best cities IN the world, but one of the best FOR the world. There are many people and organizations across Calgary – and Alberta – who are seeking a similar outcome, but few express it as eloquently, thoughtfully, and passionately as Satya. In his talk, he reminds us that we enjoy the unique position of having won the "geological lottery", sitting atop some of the world's most impressive proven reserves of oil and gas (not to mention other forms of geothermal energy, solar, and wind). Along with the relative prosperity and immense opportunity that brings in comparision to other parts of Canada and the world, it also conveys with it a sense of responsibility. Alone, our…

Events: Breaking Through (2011)
Website: Us - the book website

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Announcing the full list of speakers for PACE: Impact Beyond Speed on October 25th!

Individual speaker profiles will continue to appear over the next couple of weeks, but here's the overview of our speaker line-up.

Top Row, Left to Right

Chad Lefevre

Transformational Changemaker

Julien LePage

Registered Social Worker (BSW, MSW Leadership), trauma specialist, and lifelong drummer

Dr. Kerry Black, PhD, PEng

Assistant Professor and Canada Research Chair (Integrated Knowledge, Engineering & Sustainable Communities), in the Center for Environmental Engineering Research and Education (CEERE) and the Department of Civil Engineering, at the University of Calgary

Kate Thompson, Architect, AAA, FRAIC

President & CEO of Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC)

Middle Row, Left to Right

Dr. Chelsea Matisz, PhD, MSc

Gut-Brain Scientist and Science Communicator

Wish Bakshi

Founder & AI Systems Engineer | Specialist in Commodities Trading & Operations (OT) | Power, Nat Gas, Data Centers, LNG, SCADA

Shone Thistle

Calgary Poet Laureate, 2024-26, author, poet and multidisciplinary artist

George Damian

Philanthopist and Tech Investor

Bottom Row, Left to Right

Gayathri Shukla, PEng., MBA

Storyteller and founder of Campfire Kinship

Dr. Laleh Behjat, PhD, PEng (b. 328/423 ppm*)

Professor in Electrical and Software Engineering at the University of Calgary and the NSERC Chair for Women in Science and Engineering – Prairies

Dr. Linah Kattan, PhD. P. Eng.

Professor in the Schulich School of Engineering, the Urban Alliance Professor in Transportation System Optimization, and program director of CREATE-Integrated Infrastructure for Sustainable Cities

The Honourable Leela Aheer

Former Alberta MLA and Minister of Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women (2019 - 2021)

*A personal measure of what the Earth's CO2 levels were at birth, compared to now. All of us should know this!

Tickets are on sale! Join us on October 25th for a day of ideas and interactions at the pace of insight...

Check out our list of Past Events, complete with links to all the amazing talks we've recorded!

We're immensely proud of all our speakers, and encourage you to enjoy the talks.

The TEDxCalgary Team

Being at an event is a unique experience, quite different from simply watching a TED or TEDx talk online after the fact. Click to learn more about what to expect about attending one of our events in person, and why it's so worth the price of admission!

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