First speakers announced for TedxBristol 2023

The first speakers have been announced for this year’s TedxBristol.

It will be the first time the festival has been held in four years, after it was held at Bristol Old Vic in 2019.

This year’s event takes place at the SS Great Britain, which organisers say is “a global symbol of innovation and ingenuity.”

This year’s lineup of speakers bring their knowledge in activism, sustainability, and creative practices, to encompass this year’s theme of ‘Tides of Change’.

These are the first six speakers to be announced:

Anurita Chandola

Anurita founded her company, Eesh, after working in the fashion industry and noticing how harmful the trade is for the planet – photo: TedxBristol

Anurita is an artist who designs clothes for the future space travellers. Her work focuses on finding sustainable fashion solutions for outer space which is weightless and has its constraints.

Beyond this space-based work, Anurita does important work creating more sustainable fashion practices with women in the Himalayas as well as appearing on MasterChef 2023.

Gail Reid

Gail studied maths at the University of Bristol, before undertaking a postgraduate in printmaking at UWE Bristol – photo: TedxBristol

Gail is a professional figurative artist, using traditional materials and methods to create contemporary work.

She often has clients model in her Bristol studio and her work has a strong focus on identity and embracing every wrinkle and line that truly makes us unique.

Jen Reid

Jen is an activist, educator and author. After the statue of Edward Colston was toppled and pushed into the Bristol harbour, Jen climbed on to the empty plinth and gave the black power salute that was then immortalised as its own statue.

Jen now works closely with schools helping to educate young people about the importance a statue can have on our own identities.

Mark Loveridge

Mark is the director of currency at the Royal Mint as well as director of sustainable precious metals.

Mark and his team are pioneering new approaches to e-waste recycling and aiming to make the UK a global leader in more sustainable approaches to the global problem of computer and technological waste.

Suzan Issa

Suzan was diagnosed at 40 with autistism, PDA and ADHD to complete the potion – photo: TedxBristol

Suzan is the founder and CEO of Raising a Wild Child and the Wildheart Foundation. She is an expert in neurodiversity and emotional regulation and in her own words is an Autistic Adhd-er with a heavy sprinkling of Pathological Demand Avoidance.

Suzan left school at eleven only to return as a teacher 25 years later before leaving again at 35 to fulfil her need to change the whole world by supporting children and parents dealing with societal ‘norms’.

Carlos Ayala

As a third generation Italian-Ecuadorian, Carlos takes his clients on a culture and heritage of chocolate – photo: TedXBristol

Carlos is a skilled chocolate maker with a passion for creating a more sustainable approach to how we all consume confectionery. He produced vegan chocolate and also offers welcoming and immersive sensory chocolate tasting experiences.

Bristol is the home of the very first chocolate factory, which makes TEDxBristol the perfect opportunity to explore Carlos’s work in encouraging sustainable food choices from mindful consumption to transparent supply chain.

TedxBristol returns on November 18. Tickets go live in the next two weeks. For more information visit www.TedxBristol.com

Main photo: TedxBristol

Read more:

• My Bristol Favourites: Jen Reid
• Texan music event hosts UK debut in Bristol
• The sustainable Bristol brand empowering work by women

Listen to the latest Bristol24/7 Behind the Headlines podcast: