#TEDxTinHauWomen – TEDxTinHauWomen

What it means to be a TEDx sponsor…

The long-standing support from our sponsors including J.P. Morgan and Allen & Overy makes the annual TEDxTinHauWomen events in Hong Kong possible

While our beloved city, Hong Kong, is slowly distancing itself from the pandemic gloom, we at TEDxTinHauWomen have chosen to showcase ideas that celebrate optimism and spark conversations with our 2021 theme – “What Matters Now?”. Taking a colourful, illustrative approach to re-emerge, our December 10 event will be held at the impressive Xiqu Centre in the West Kowloon district.

In the last few years, our events have attracted strong visionary speakers, and have garnered support from a variety of corporates, as well as institutions, and have received an overwhelming response from our audience.

In our journey thus far, we are hugely grateful to all of our supporters along the way — big and small — for their contributions in making our yearly event the success it is today. As the organizer of a non-profit event, we direct sponsorship stipends towards photography and video, renting an accessible venue and curating a memorable experience for our guests. All of this helps us set the stage for our speakers to share ‘ideas worth spreading’. Sponsors such as J.P. Morgan and Allen & Overy – who over the years have title sponsored every single one of our events – make it possible for us to shine a light on Hong Kong’s unsung stories and inspirational speakers.

Our partnership with J.P. Morgan and Allen & Overy, which began in 2017, has generated 5 successful events and provided platforms to 28 passionate speakers who have shared their impactful initiatives with over 1,500 attendees to date.

Needless to say, that we would not be able to make TEDxTinHauWomen a success without the support of our sponsors. We therefore ask if:

women equity is on your corporate agenda
you would like to enable the voices of change and innovation
you are looking to support drivers of positive social change

If that’s a yes, then we could be the partner for you. TEDxTinHauWomen events not only highlight the contribution of women in Hong Kong, but also provide a safe space for people coming from all walks of life to come, enjoy stimulating talks, discuss important topics and new ideas worth spreading.

What to expect on 10 December 2021?

This year, we polled our community to find out what you want to hear and the themes of self-care, purpose and perspective came out on top, taking inspiration from the notion that it is okay to feel the way you do and still find it in you to focus on what really counts – health, kindness, patience, empathy, enthusiasm, love and optimism.

This year we plan to return with a bang! and there are a variety of excellent ways to have your brand involved in our regular sell-out event:

Cash sponsorship – packages ranging from HKD5,000 to HKD50,000. All of which include complimentary event tickets for staff or clients.
Goody bags for event attendees – branded gifts, the bag itself, or a bespoke offer.

We are looking to create long-term partnerships, where the TEDxTinHauWomen event becomes a major asset for your company. For further information, please email sponsorship@TEDxTinHauWomen.com on how you can become an official 2021 partner.

Together we can provide impetus to great ideas that can transform the world and build a socially-engaged community in Hong Kong.

Tickets will go on sale for the Dec 10, 2021 TEDxTinHauWomen event soon, watch this space.

Learn more about TEDx partners here: https://tedxtinhauwomen.com/partners/2018-event-partners/).

To hear our talks from previous years, click here: https://tedxtinhauwomen.com/watch/

#TEDxTinHauWomen #WhatMattersNow

TEDxTinHauWomen are back!! So What Matters Now…

“No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new heaven to the human spirit.” – Helen Keller

These words by Helen Keller, humanity’s extraordinary icon, bring a special meaning at a time when the pandemic has brought life to a virtual standstill. Yet a lot has changed in the last one year as our routines got disrupted, forcing us to reformat our existence.

Keller’s words also resonate well with the event we are planning in December, whose theme incidentally is “What Matters Now.’’ The gathering is set to showcase ideas and prompt us to re-think and re-align.

If the global health crisis brought despair to many corners of the world, it also made many of us focus on issues that were critical to our overall wellbeing. While health and immunity became priority, mental health is getting the attention it deserves. There is a staggering rise in domestic abuse due to lockdown, many women quitting workforce to support home schooling. On the flip-side working from home not only became necessary but also found acceptance. Our kids got used to attending classes online. Families got closer, communities rallied to help those in need.

“The pandemic deeply impacted everyone. It forced us to re-look at every aspect of our life. But it also shone a light on compassion, shared experiences and brought us closer. And challenged the creative thinkers, problem solvers, innovators, to go beyond the ordinary,” said Jen Flowers, our Co-Founder and Co-Chair.

So, what now? Where do we go from here? What would the world be post Covid? What will the new normal be?

It’s the time to Pause, Breathe, Reflect, Reset and Re-imagine a better future.

“We are thrilled to bring back our annual event, especially with such a thought-provoking theme this year. Our Hong Kong community will be inspired by diverse topics from amazing speakers who are passionate about big ideas and making a difference. With some new changes all around, we can’t wait for you to see what we are planning,” added Daniella Lopez, our Co-founder and Co-Chair.

The TEDxTinHauWomen tribe in Hong Kong is already supercharged about this. The manic frenzy has started! The stage is set. Be sure to join us and be a part of these inspiring talks that will spark stimulating conversations.

So mark your calendar and save the date. Our 2021 countdown will take place in Hong Kong on Friday, December 10, 2021. Half a day of gathering together as a community, celebrating visionary speakers with powerful messages.

We will share more details on the event and how to get tickets soon, so save the date [December 10, 2021], follow our TEDxTinHauWomen Instagram, Twitter and Facebook accounts and sign up for the TEDxTinHauWomen email updates.

Where does the name “Tin Hau” come from?

Summary:
People often wonder why the name TEDxTinHauWomen? Learn about the history of Tin Hau (the “Empress of Heaven”) and what it means to our committee.

People often wonder why the name TEDxTinHauWomen? Where does it come from?

Selecting the name TEDxTinHauWomen pays homage to the Chinese Goddess of the Sea, Tin Hau. According to legend, a young, kindhearted, and brave Chinese woman named Lin Mo Niang possessed special gifts, including the abilities to forecast weather and heal people. She lived with her family of fisherman in Fujian during the Song Dynasty. When she was a teenager, her brothers and father were at sea during a particularly treacherous typhoon that she knew they would not survive. In some folklore, Lin Mo Niang prayed and fell into a trance during the typhoon to save them, while in other folklore they say she swam out to sea during the typhoon to find her family members. In either case, those who survived the storm returned to the village to share their miraculous tale.

After Lin Mo Niang’s death, people believed she rose to heaven as a goddess because of her many courageous and benevolent acts during her life. Sailors and seafarers reported seeing her spirit guide them from shipwreck to safety on several occasions, and eventually, seaside villages in Southern China and Southeast Asia began recognizing her as a deity, who protects sailors and fisherman from the perils of the sea, bestowing on her the name Tin Hau, or “Empress of Heaven”.

Because Hong Kong was historically a fishing village, Tin Hau is highly revered. More than 100 Tin Hau temples line its historical coastline. For her worshippers, Tin Hau uniquely embodies compassion and bravery simultaneously. So, what’s in a name? As an organization of 60+ women, TEDxTinHauWomen aims to live up to what Tin Hau means to people in Hong Kong and by doing so, inspire others to act with compassion and bravery for what they care about and believe in most. Like Tin Hau, TEDxTinHauWomen will become a symbol of what women can do.

Tickets for Dec 6, 2019 TEDxTinHauWomen event: http://pelago.me/TEDxTinHauWomen

To see 2018 talks, click here

Written by: Floria on behalf of TEDxTinHauWomen

TEDxTinHauWomen: From a male’s viewpoint

Summary:
We speak to Jack, one of TEDxTinHauWomen’s male volunteers, to hear about his experience and views on equality. Read on to learn more.

Meet Jack. Jack is from the UK and works as a consultant in Hong Kong. I met up with him to discuss his involvement with TEDxTinHauWomen and what it meant to him: He’s volunteered at both the 2017 and 2018 TEDxTinHauWomen events as a goodie bag stuffer, security and general support throughout the event. Jack emphasised that despite our events being female-led and orientated, he’s always felt welcome and included. Whilst he notes the value of the network and community, he finds there’s nothing he enjoys more than the actual talks.

He referenced two speakers who were particularly memorable for him, and of which he still references today:

From 2017, Fiona Callanan-Thorsby and her Living Life to the Fullest talk. Jack shared that her 2004 tsunami survival story left a lasting impression. And what she’s achieved through fundraising and as an advocate for disability services in Asia is particularly impressive.
From 2018, Dr. Zoe Fortune and her Showing Up for your Mental Health talk. A focus on mental disorders and depression highlighted the importance of wellness for Jack and something he thinks we should all be aware of.

Jack continues to speak about the value of women and equality in the workplace, “I work for a large organisation and when I look at them globally, they’re certainly hitting their equality goals in places, but there’s always progress to be made. Businesses should promote equality and diversity for the different perspectives that result from it. I think equality not only elevates women but can enable positive changes for men as well. One day, when I have kids, I would like to have the option to take more time off to spend with them, and if we were to shift mindsets, erase stereotypes and encourage cultural changes in gender roles this would be achievable.”

“Most of my office is female, and most of my managers have been too. It’s not really out of the ordinary for me, and I think this has a lot to do with my mum. She’s always been the one who brings home the bacon. It has never been unusual for me to see women in leadership roles. We moved around to follow her career, but it worked because it was always a discussion and a partnership between my parents.”

Jack’s openness and ease on the topic of equality are a testament to his upbringing and his mother. He affectionately and undoubtedly shares that his mother was and is a strong role model in his life – “I’ve always noted the level of respect and admiration she receives at every company she has been a part of, and at its core it really stems from the fact that she is remarkably good at what she does.”

He also notes that Lady Hale has had a significant influence on him – and someone who he thinks is a great role model. So, who is she? Dubbed the “Beyoncé” of the legal profession. Lady Hale is the UK’s first female head of the supreme court, having taken up the role in October 2017. She has long been breaking down barriers in the judiciary, which has struggled to cast off the perception it is an old boys’ club, overwhelmingly white, male and public-school educated. She has been outspoken throughout her career about sexism in the judiciary and lack of diversity more broadly.

Jack first learnt of Hale during his time at University when he studied Law. His family law curriculum had a strong focus on her cases, “She simply has fantastic judgements that anyone can understand, and she has taken her training as a family law judge and applied it within the Supreme Court, which has allowed her to bring a necessary sense of empathy to her role.”

So, how do we get more women like Hale in leadership positions? “It’s all about mindset. To gain equality anywhere, it’s about shifting mindset and thinking logically. It’s not just about equality, it’s about being open and more fluid about our definition of gender roles. There is a clear benefit to greater diversity and equality in everything we do, whether it be gender, race, social class, etc.”

“There is always more work to be done. Hong Kong has made progress, but that doesn’t mean we need to stop. Standard maternity and paternity leave are not where they should be. There is some negativity around inclusion, diversity, but the more clarity and information we have on benefits and rights, the better. It’s a discussion to keep having.” We couldn’t agree more, Jack!

It’s support like Jacks that really help our TEDxTinHauWomen events come to life. If you’d like to volunteer, please get in touch with the TEDxTinHauWomen Committee.

Tickets for the Dec 6, 2019 TEDxTinHauWomen event: http://pelago.me/TEDxTinHauWomen

RSVP for the most up to date event information: https://www.facebook.com/events/3154923897852879/

To see 2018 talks, click here

Interviews and gathered by: Kara Barclay on behalf of TEDxTinHauWomen

The thoughts represent Jack and are reflective of his opinions while being interviewed as part of our organization’s support team

#TEDxTinHauWomen #BoldAndBrilliant #WithoutApologies

Choosing TEDxTinHauWomen speakers

We are changing things up a little this year. Instead of just being able to nominate yourself, you can now nominate someone else. It could be your colleague, your best friend, someone you met at a networking event once, or maybe you have never met, but heard they have an idea to inspire or share. Now you get the chance to help us build our speaker line up, by either nominating yourself or someone else. It’s still a mix of process and intuition. This time we’re able to hear more ideas in a shorter amount of time, relieving a lot of pressure from our Curation committee and speeding up the whole process.

Fundamentally, we are looking for ideas from our speakers that can showcase women in Hong Kong who are leading scientific breakthroughs or social movements, who can inspire the audience to think in new ways, and who will challenge and educate us through their talk. TEDx gives us an opportunity to showcase our ideas to the world and from the first year we have made it our responsibility to make sure that our program reflects diversity in the line up, both in terms of ideas as well as representation of Hong Kong communities. We look for credible speakers who need a platform and have an inspiring story to share.

For our TEDxTinHauWomen events we laregly source speakers in a 2-step process

1. Open Nominations [NEW]: This year we are adding a more detailed nomination process where you can nominate yourself or someone else. We have a large and well-connected committee of women with networks throughout HK – business, society, charity, education, parent groups, as well as a great following on social media platforms. Help us spread the word and nominate amazing people in the community.

Find that nomination form here.

2. Open Mic audition process: We actively seek diversity and look for people who fit a certain profile: We want everyone that attends to connect with at least one idea on the stage. So we will carefully go through our nominations and a select diverse group of speakers will be invited to attend the open mic.

You will be notified of the May / June dates if you are selected for the Open Mic.

What is the Open Mic audition?

This is an invitation for us and our community to get to know you.

Set in a casual, relaxed and intimate environment we hope our committee will gain better insights into you as a speaker and into the topic of your TEDx talk. There are no power points – it’s just you, a mic, and a small room full of people waiting to hear your Idea Worth Spreading.

What is the selection criteria?

During the Open Mic process we invite potential speakers to share their idea in a 3-minute slot where a small representation of the committee partake in voting based on three main factors:

1. Link to current theme: this year’s theme will be announced late May

2. Relevance of the topic to HK and Global Women: to ensure our talks are locally grounded, with international relevance

3. Wow factor: this is quite subjective and gives the Curation Committee a chance to debate the ‘wow’ factors of each idea. Credibility of the speaker also plays a role. We ask ourselves – is it a trending topic (vs overdone and passes), is it groundbreaking, does it bring a new perspective?

Throughout this assessment process we also keep an eye and close liaison with TEDGlobal so all talks keep to the TED Content Guidelines:

And the dont’s:

• No selling from the stage

• No political agendas

• No religious proselytizing (including new age beliefs)

• Only good science

Speaking at TEDx is more than a simple talk – it’s people from our community sharing a big idea and it’s a big time commitment from the speakers, including professional coaching to make sure the talk is a success. We advise all potential speakers to consider the time commitment.

Read more about TEDx speaker guidelines here:

#TEDxTinHauWomen

To hear 2022 talks, click here: https://tedxtinhauwomen.com/watch/ 

Be the first to know what’s happening with TEDxTinHauWome by signing up for our newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/gr-9Yz

Originally written in 2018 by Stefanie Myers, former Co-Chair and Head of Curation and Community.

Updated in July 2019 by Co-Chair and Head of Marketing and Communications, Daniella Lopez, on behalf of TEDxTinHauWomen

Updated in May 2022 by Head of Curation, Martine McKenna, on behalf of TEDxTinHauWomen