Cover Here’s everything you should know about the TEDxTinHau Women 2024 (Photo: courtesy of TEDxTinHau Women)

Ahead of the return of TEDxTinHau Women in Hong Kong, we highlight some of this year’s event information, speakers, themes and more

TEDxTinHau Women, the longest-standing TEDx event dedicated to women in Hong Kong, is returning this year for its eighth edition.

The event, which will take place at the Xiqu Centre in West Kowloon on December 6, is promising to highlight some of Hong Kong’s unheard voices: those advancing gender equality, exploring new subjects, and more. This year’s theme, “in motion”, harnesses the power of ideas to move and shape our community.

The TEDxTinHau Women team exclusively revealed to Tatler this year’s expected participants—ten individuals from diverse backgrounds and walks of life selected out of a hundred storytellers. From Olympian Camille Cheng to Cantonese opera singer Mitche Choi and designer Anita Lam, here are the speakers to look forward to at the 2024 edition and the important subjects they’ll cover. 

Read more: These are the most popular TEDWomen and TEDxTinHauWomen talks

Reimagining a zoo of the future by Anita Lam

Anita Lam, co-founder of The Collective and curator for the charity platform Alan (Artist who Love Animals and Nature), is an entrepreneurial changemaker who uses design as a catalyst for a good cause: animal welfare. 

In this year’s TEDxTinHau Women, she will talk about how she curated the world’s first digital art aquarium, Blutopia, in 2023, the future of zoos, and more. 

Why Cantonese is worth preserving by Angeline Yu

Angeline Yu’s passion for voice acting is undeniable, having spent decades dubbing various characters in Cantonese. In this edition of TEDxTinHau Women, she’ll show how she aims to preserve the vibrancy of Cantonese in her art and highlight the irreplaceable human element of voice acting.

You might also like: Mak Pui Tung on dubbing in Cantonese for Garfield in ‘The Garfield Movie’—and relating to the famous ginger cat in real life

Bringing an Olympic mindset to life by Camille Cheng

This year marked freestyle swimmer Camille Cheng’s third appearance at the Olympic Games for Hong Kong—it was a thrilling prospect for the seven-time Asian Games medallist, who was looking at the Paris edition with a renewed perspective on her training and identity.

Using her background as an Olympian and her degrees in psychology, Cheng uses her platform and the charity she co-created, Mind The Waves, to share her experiences in the hope of inspiring and empowering the younger generation.

Let’s harness AI to fight financial crime by Debra Au

Money laundering, fraud, compliance and other financial crimes are pains of the modern era. 

In this edition of TedxTinHau Women, Debra Au will explain how AI can help tackle this issue. Au has led the Hong Kong Legal Compliance and Compliance Secretariat teams at DBS Hong Kong since 2022. She started her career at Goldman Sachs, where, following the 9/11 terrorist attack in the US, she specialised in compliance, anti-money laundering and financial crime.

Invisible and visible disabilities by Jessica Chan and Sophia Hotung

Jessica Chan was born with achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism. Sophia Hotung was diagnosed with multiple autoimmune diseases as a young adult. Together, they will take to the TEDxTinHau Women stage to talk about invisible and visible disabilities, gender equality, and more.

Read more: Illustrator Sophia Hotung on how she rescued herself and uplifts charities through art

How can we prevent suicide in vulnerable communities? by Professor Paul Wong

For over 25 years, Professor Paul Wong has dedicated his career to clinical psychology and academia, with a passionate focus on supporting individuals with suicidal behaviour and young people facing hidden challenges. He is one of very few academics in the Asia region to champion the transformative power of positive human-animal interactions to connect and uplift marginalised individuals. 

In this year’s TEDxTinHau Women, he will share how to foster a socially inclusive Hong Kong, where those who suffer in silence can find a voice.

The art of Cantonese opera by Mitche Choi

Mitche Choi is an apprentice of famed Cantonese opera actor Man Chin-sui and the founder of NGO Shan Opera, an organisation devoted to the preservation and development of the art form. 

At TEDxTinHau Women this year, she will share about her art and the challenges it’s been facing.

You might also like: AI and Cantonese opera: How Xiqu Centre, NGOs and arts groups are reinvigorating the sunset industry

Let’s end medical gaslighting by Dr Vanessa Wong

Dr Vanessa Wong’s fascination with the human psyche has instilled in her a profound understanding of cultural nuances in patient care. 

Although educated and conventionally trained in Hong Kong and the UK, her own healing journey from hormonal imbalances, gut issues, detoxification and multiple surgeries kick-started a passion for more holistic healing methods especially when it comes to women. That’s why at TEDxTinHau Women 2024, she will talk about medical gaslighting, aka when healthcare professionals seem to invalidate or ignore your concerns.

How not to be a TEDx Speaker (and what it taught me) by Katya Virshilas

Katya Virshilas’s passion for dance was ignited at the age of 13; she went on to become a professional dancer on the BBC’s hit show Strictly Come Dancing, and a choreographer on US series So You Think You Can Dance.

However, her true calling has been to break down gender stereotypes. She does so with BallroomBees, an initiative that makes dance more accessible and inclusive for kids in Hong Kong and beyond—which she’s going to share more about at this year’s TEDxTinHau Women. 

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