In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized (subject to certain rules and regulations).

The Bay Theatre
80 Gangwan Avenue
Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518067
China

Amara Diamond Hall

Singer/Songwriter

Amara was born in the UK. She spent the first 4 years of her life shuttling between the East and the West before making her home in Shenzhen and joining SIS in 2012. Since 2017, Amara has been homeschooled as she has worked to launch her chosen career as a singer songwriter.

Amy Nie

Shekou International School Student

Amy Nie was born in Irvine, USA. She is currently a third-grade student in the French International Programme of Shekou International School. In addition to being fluent in three languages, she has been systematically studying figure skating, ballet, and piano. Amy likes figure skating and performing on the stage. Recently, she rescued a kitten and has cared for it exceptionally well.

Ann Chung Ketcham

SIS Primary Teacher

Anne Chung Ketcham’s journey has been shaped by uncertainty. After moving to the U.S. as a teenager, she navigated a new culture and language, strengthening her ability to adapt. In her early 20s, she explored diverse career paths—working in restaurants, education, marketing, wholesale, and international trade. Drawing from her business experience, she founded a female empowerment podcast that surpassed one million downloads. In 2021, she sold the show and transitioned into education, where she inspires and empowers young learners to reach their potential. Her TEDx talk will explore why embracing uncertainty is more important than ever in our post-COVID world.

Annie Zhu

Shekou International School Student

Annie Zhu was born in Los Angeles. She is currently a grade 5 student at Shekou International School in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China. She loves music and making crafts. She makes her own pieces of music and share her pieces with her friends. She hopes that people can see and admire the hidden messages of music.

Bonnie Yuan

Shekou International School Student

Bonnie Yuan was born in Hong Kong. She is currently in Grade 8 at Shekou International School, which she has attended since Grade 1. She hopes with this talk, she can lead others to believe that fitting in doesn't matter. In her free time, she loves to watch movies, sleep, and travel to different places and countries.

Emma Wells

Shekou International School

Emma Wells was born in Denver, Colorado. She's had the amazing opportunity to grow up in places like Singapore, Jakarta, and now China. Currently, Emma is in the 7th grade at Shekou International School in Shenzhen. One of her passions is music, and she loves playing the Guzheng, a traditional Chinese instrument. She hopes to share her love for this unique type of music by performing for others. In her free time, she enjoys hanging out with friends, reading books, playing badminton, and watching TV.

Folke Engholm

Entrepreneur

Folke Engholm is a Swedish-born serial entrepreneur who has called Shenzhen, China, home for the past twelve years. With a BA from Sweden and Spain and an MBA from Tsinghua University in China and Australia, Folke has built a career at the intersection of innovation and global business. A passionate tennis player who competed as a junior in Sweden, he also spent several years working with the ATP through his previous clothing venture. Today, Folke specializes in social media communication, branding, and influencer marketing, helping global brands like H&M, Spotify, Hyundai, and Gap elevate their digital strategies. He is perhaps best known for launching Daniel Wellington in China and Southeast Asia, a testament to his knack for turning ideas into winning campaigns. When he’s not strategizing or hitting the tennis court, Folke is exploring how the lessons of sport can help us navigate life’s challenges—especially the art of losing gracefully.

Geeta Mahesh Nambiar

Shekou International School Student

Geeta Mahesh Nambiar was born in Shenzhen, China, to a Chinese mother and an Indian father. She has spent her entire life studying at Shekou International School (SIS), making this her 15th year there. This is also her 6th year in fencing, where she has achieved many accomplishments. Geeta aims to share her journey to inspire people of all ages to persevere through tough times with a strong and resilient mindset. In her spare time, she enjoys hanging out with friends, playing sports, and, above all, indulging in her favorite activities: eating and sleeping.

Harshil Thacker

Shekou International School

Harshil Thacker is a Student at SIS who was born in Texas and has lived in China for most of his life. Harshil enjoys learning and aspires to change the world so that everyone benefits. His hobbies include playing football and volleyball.

Jena Prather

SIS Primary Teacher

Jena Prather was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. Prior to teaching abroad, Jena taught in Atlanta for two years. She has spent the last 7 years in China. She is currently teaching Grades 3-5 English in the French International Program at Shekou International School as well as coaching MS touch rugby and HS soccer. Jena hopes to inspire change in students both inside and outside the classroom by helping them to realize their strengths so that they can pay it forward to others. In her free time, Jena enjoys baking, listening to music, and traveling. She is the proud mom of a fur baby and aunt to 5 nieces and 2 nephews.

Joy Juwon Woo

Shekou International School Student

Joy Woo was born and raised in South Korea, Seoul. Joy moved to China when she was 7 years old because of her dad’s company. She is currently in G5 in Shekou International School. Joy enjoys doing crafts and art.

Luca Silun Noyek

Shekou International School Student

Luca Silun Noyek was born and raised in Guangzhou, China. He is proud to be British and Chinese. Luca moved to Shenzhen when he was 8 years old. He enjoys soccer and badminton and also working out with his younger brother.

Michael Hoe-Knudsen

Shekou International School Student

Michael Hoe-Knudsen (LinkedIn: Michael Hoe-Knudsen). is an 11th-grade student currently pursuing the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he has since lived in five countries. He enjoys spending quality time with family, as well as his interests in basketball, economics, business, and finance. His intellectual pursuits are reflected in his extracurricular activities, including serving as president of the Debate Club and the Business & Economics Society, captaining both the varsity basketball and football teams and co-founding the non-profit organization Nhilis.

Riley Laird

MYP Design Teacher

Riley Laird was born in Calgary, Alberta, and has embraced a life of global exploration. She has lived around the world as both a student and a teacher in places like Switzerland, Indonesia, Thailand, China, and Canada, infusing her teaching with a broad range of international experiences. She holds degrees in Earth Sciences and Education, with a minor in Biology, enriching her approach to interdisciplinary learning. For the past decade, Riley has been teaching at Shekou International School in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China, where she transitioned from teaching middle school Science to the MYP Design program. Outside the classroom, she indulges in a variety of hobbies including gaming, reading, photography, and paddleboarding— and she is often found navigating the waters of British Columbia during her summer breaks. Riley's commitment to education seeks to inspire students to innovate and lead in the ever-evolving field of design technology.

Shun Chun Yi Au

Shekou International School Student

Shun Chun Yin Au was born in Hong Kong. Before moving to Shenzhen, he made a lot of friends and memories. He is currently living in Shenzhen. In his free time, he enjoys listening to music.

Wabble Street Crew

Dance Crew

Dance Crew based in Shenzhen, China

Yuyang Zhang

Shekou International School Student

Yuyang Zhang was born in Singapore. His ethnicity is Chinese as his parents are from China. He has a brother that he fights with daily and gets lots of new interests because of him. He loves to play badminton because it’s the easiest sport to play in his opinion. He watches YouTube in his spare time and plays games. He lived in Singapore for most of his life before moving to China because his parents had to work here. With his talk, he hopes that everyone find the truth about themselves in their hearts, and be yourself.