For the past two years, TEDxParklands has been on a mission to create a global platform for as many Kenyans as possible to share brilliant ideas with the world. We are honored to bring you, for the first time, TEDxParklandsWomen. This is an event organized around the official TEDWomen conference bringing together a global community of people interested in exploring how change begins with innovative thinkers who catalyze ideas toward action.

The theme

The theme of this event is Bold & Brilliant Without Apology. It is a celebration of moving forward, boldly and brilliantly while sharing ideas from a variety of disciplines that will shape our future. These ideas will be delivered by brilliant Kenyans making power moves and those who are just getting started.

The speakers

This event will showcase 9 speakers from Kenya who will come to The Anderson Centre, Nairobi hospital to share their Ideas.

1. Buddha Blaze

Buddha Blaze is the Head of Talent at Temple Management East Africa and he is unapologetic about fighting for the rights of creatives. He is a creative entrepreneur heavily involved behind the scenes in management of platforms for African creatives to harness their craft. He is passionate about shaping the artistic business narrative by getting brands to partner with creatives.

2. Lorna Muthamia-Ochido

Lorna is the Founder and Director of Speech therapy Totos, the largest speech therapy clinic in East and Central Africa. She creates online courses for parents who seek to improve their childrens’ communication outcomes. She is soon to launch a speech therapy online school to cater for the training needs of teachers, therapists and parents. Lorna is unapologetic about her dreams, her ambitions, her learnings, her triumphs, her successes and her unrelenting pursuit for efficiency, homegrown solutions and excellence.

3. Shikoh Kihika

The Founder and Executive Director of Tribeless Youth – an initiative established with a view of promoting peaceful coexistence among the youth in Kenya devoid of tribe – Shikoh is unapologetic about neither standing up against any forms of injustice nor being a mom at a young age because it has helped her raise a son and shape his future to becoming a voice of the voiceless. She is passionate about empowering young people and creatives and inspiring them to rebel against impunity thrown at them by the political elite.

4. Dr. Jane Wakahe

She is a reproductive wellness coach who is unapologetic about sexuality; she will call organs as they are. Dr. Wakahe is passionate about cervical cancer prevention, empowering masses through knowledge on their reproductive health, advising hospitals on their preparedness to handle gender based violence and maternal and neonatal mortality.

5. Laura Chite

Laura is the Chief Executive Officer at CIO East Africa. She is not apologetic about the choices she has made in life with regards to love, her career or friends. She has over twenty years working experience in the information technology (IT) industry. She is a champion of corporate networking and digital transformation as well as the founder of HerNovation – a women in technology platform organized by Kommunication Ultimate. She is also passionate about rugby!

6. Simon Bransfield-Garth

The CEO of Azuri technologies – a business that combines the latest solar innovation with mobile payment technology for affordable clean energy, is unapologetic about wanting rural off-grid households to have all the benefits of their urban cousins. Simon is an award winning entrepreneur with a passion for technology, a BA and PhD engineer from St Johns College, Cambridge UK, a governing council member of the African centre for technology studies (ACTS) and a believer in African economies bypassing costly traditional infrastructure through state-of-the-art innovation to the digital world and knowledge-based economy.

7. Janet Mbugua

She is a media personality and gender advocate who is not apologetic about speaking out against issues pertaining intolerance. She is also a TV host with experience as a news anchor, reporter and producer, the founder of Inua Dada foundation, a consultant for the Hive and the author of ‘My First Time’ – a book that uses storytelling to influence change around menstrual equality.

8. Cyprine Odada

Cyprine is an urban planner with a keen focus on non-motorized transport. She is also the organizer and coordinator for Critical Mass Nairobi, which currently stands as the largest gathering of non-competitive cyclists in Africa. She is also a mother and an avid cyclist who is not apologetic about her drive to change her city.

9. Qabale Duba

YALI fellow 2016, McKinsey & Co. next generation women leaders award winner and Global Citizen’s choice award winner 2019, Qabale Duba is the founder of Qabale Duba foundation – an organization that is empowering pastoralist girls and women through education in Marsabit County. She is also a nursing graduate, an epidemiologist in the making, a wife, a mother, a go-getter, a believer in self-belief, and a change maker who is neither apologetic about her campaign against harmful cultural practices like female genital mutilation and early marriages nor about breaking the silence/taboo around menstrual hygiene management among pastoralist communities in Northern Kenya. 

People all over the world are no longer accepting the status quo. They’re rising up, breaking out and pushing boundaries. Whatever their focus and talent – business, technology, art, science, politics – these pioneers and their allies are joining forces in an explosion of discovery and ingenuity to drive real, meaningful change. Get your ticket here, come along to our event on 7th December at The Anderson Centre, Nairobi Hospital and let this be your year to be bold and brilliant – without apology!