Professor Iain White was the final speaker, contemplating ongoing research challenges and how policy, funding, and research are intertwined, before ending with a compelling quote: "Every disaster movie begins with a scientist being ignored" Iain White has been Professor of Environmental Planning since 2013 and is currently the Assistant Vice-Chancellor Impact. Prior to this he was the Director of the Centre for Urban and Regional Ecology at the University of Manchester in the UK.He was previously the Associate Dean Research for Arts, Law, Psychology and Social Science (2020-23), a Hallsworth visiting Professor at the University of Manchester, UK (2018-2019) and is currently an Adjunct Professor at the University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia (2019-2022) and an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the University of Manchester (2022-2024). In 2020 he won the University of Waikato Vice Chancellor's award for Research Excellence and in 2021 the New Zealand Planning Institute John Mawson Award of Merit. He is also the Co-Chair of the Australasian Cities Research network and was previously Chair of the Hamilton Arts Trust, which designs and organizes the successful BOON Street Art festivals. He is currently New Zealand's National Contact Point for the European Union Horizon Europe programme for 'Climate, Energy, and Mobility'.He is the author of four books. 'Environmental Planning in Context' (2015) with Palgrave and 'Water and the City' (2010) published by Routledge. His most recent books are: The Routledge Companion to Environmental Planning (2019), with Prof Simin Davoudi (University of Newcastle, UK), Prof Hilda Blanco (USC Price, US), and Richard Cowell (University of Cardiff, UK); and Why Plan? Theory for Practitioners (2019) with Prof Graham Haughton (University of Manchester, UK). He has over 50 peer reviewed articles or book chapters.He has led or co-led over 20 research projects, many of which are within multi-million dollar programmes. These awards have come from a number of sources: research councils, the European Union, government agencies, NGOs, the Asia-Pacific network and the private sector. He is currently leading teams of researchers in the National Science Challenge: Resilience to Natures Challenges ($40m, 2019-2024), Natural Hazards Commission ($450,000, 2024-2026) and also the MBIE Endeavour project 'Reducing flood inundation hazard and risk across Aotearoa-New Zealand' ($15.5m, 2020-2025).To support this approach he is also active in science communication and engagement. He is a TEDx speaker and often presents to stakeholders, chairs public debates, and has frequently been interviewed by the press, including for The Guardian, BBC TV, BBC Radio, TVNZ, Stuff, The NZ Herald, The Spinoff, Dominion Post, The New York Times, and RadioNZ. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

You can’t be an environmentalist and eat meat. Or drive. Or fly. Or… can you? This TEDx talk challenges the perfection trap — and offers a more hopeful path forward.In this thought-provoking talk, Irina Gerry unpacks the paralyzing weight of climate guilt — and how the pursuit of perfection is actually hurting the climate movement. Through powerful storytelling, surprising truths, and a refreshing dose of optimism, she introduces a new kind of climate hero: the Imperfect Environmentalist.Why guilt doesn’t drive change. Why food choices hit harder than facts. Why progress beats perfection.This is the mindset shift we need to build a better, cleaner, more human future.#climatechange #sustainability #environment #climateaction #progressnotperfection #TEDx #TEDIrina is a purpose-driven entrepreneur on a mission to drive widespread adoption of healthy and sustainable ways to feed the world. Her experience spans the gamut from large multinationals like Procter & Gamble and Danone, where Irina led product innovation on Silk and So Delicious brands, to early-stage food tech startup Change Foods, which is creating real dairy without the cows using precision fermentation. As a founding member and Chair of the Board of the Precision Fermentation Alliance, Irina catalyzed change in the broader food industry by advocating for innovation beyond the status quo. Irina holds an MBA from Harvard Business School. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

What if someone told you that a story could save a life? In healthcare, we rely on charts, numbers, and test results, but what gets lost in the data is the patient’s voice. Nurses, more than anyone, are the translators of human experience, turning fragmented symptoms into full narratives that can change the course of care.Dr. Jitana Benton-Lee explores Narrative Medicine, a practice that sees storytelling as a powerful clinical tool. Through fast-moving visuals and rhythmic narration, Dr. Benton shares real moments where a nurse’s ability to listen, interpret, and advocate made the difference between a missed diagnosis and a lifesaving intervention.But this isn’t just about healthcare. Storytelling is how we make sense of the world. It’s how we build trust, find meaning, and make change. The ability to hear, understand, and retell someone’s story is what allows us to form deeper connections—not just in hospitals, but in our daily lives. What stories aren’t we listening to—and what might happen if we did?Because in nursing and in life, medicine heals the body, but stories heal the person. The more we learn to listen, the better we can care—for our patients, for each other, and for ourselves. Dr. Jitana Benton-Lee is a distinguished nurse leader, educator, and health equity strategist with over 25 years of experience transforming healthcare through advocacy, inclusive leadership, and systems innovation. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Nursing at Texas Woman’s University, where her research explores psychological safety in the nurse-patient relationship and the life-altering impact of silence in clinical care. Jitana is the Founder and CEO of Cultured Remedy, a health equity consulting firm, and an Associate Professor of Graduate Nursing at Northern Kentucky University. Her professional path spans clinical care, executive nursing leadership, higher education, and health equity-focused entrepreneurship. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

Dr Sudarsan Tamang is not your typical scientist. A nanotechnology researcher by training, a community builder by heart, and a record-breaking runner by spirit, Dr. Tamang blends science, activism, and art into one seamless, purpose-driven life. Recognised as a Youth Icon by the Election Commission of India and founder of Project Life, his work came into national focus during the Teesta flash floods in 2023 where he led from the front—literally. His story reminds us: the most meaningful breakthroughs don’t just happen in labs or on podiums, but on the long, uphill paths we choose to take for others. Dr Tamang, recognized as a Youth Icon by the Election Commission of India, he is the founder of Project Life, promoting healthy living and community support—most notably during the 2023 Teesta flash floods. He is a nanotechnology scientist from Darjeeling, combines science, social impact, and the arts.A passionate long-distance runner, he has won the Darjeeling Police 10K (2022) and Tata Steel Kolkata 10K (2023), and placed second in the Ageas Federal Kolkata Half Marathon (2021). He holds a spot in the India Book of Records for running 185 km from Gangtok to Gurudongmar at 17,800 feet, and completed the K2G ultra-run from Kolkata to Gangtok. Also a prolific songwriter, Sudarsan has penned over 60 songs for Indo-Nepali rock bands. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

Lloyd Lindley Jr. confronts an uncomfortable truth: our education system, in its current form, is rigged. Not just against students, but against entire communities. Education has long been touted as the great equalizer, but how can it be, when some children enter school with every possible advantage, and others enter with none? When two schools, just miles apart, are worlds apart in opportunity, what does that say about the fairness of our system?This issue matters because it is a ticking time bomb. The future of our economy, society, and democracy is being shaped in classrooms where equity is often an afterthought. Students in underfunded schools—most of whom are Black, Brown, and low-income—are systematically denied the tools they need to succeed, not because they lack the potential, but because the system is designed to fail them. If we do not address this now, we are perpetuating cycles of inequality that will echo for generations. This isn’t just an issue we can discuss; it’s one we must solve. Now. Lloyd Lindley Jr. is a nonprofit leader and PhD student in Educational Leadership committed to dismantling the systemic inequities baked into public education. A member of The PhD Project and recipient of the Alpha Kappa Alpha South Region Community Leader Award, Lloyd speaks from both lived experience and scholarly insight. Raised in an under-resourced community, Lloyd has seen how the zip code you’re born into can determine your educational outcomes. He’s mentored students who couldn’t read, who lacked even the basics, and who were left behind by a system that was never built for them. His TEDx talk, “The Education System is Rigged,” is a call to action—for equity, for justice, and for rebuilding a system that works for every child. Attendees can expect to walk away inspired to take action, armed with both data and heart-centered insight to advocate for real, systemic change. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx