See speakers for last year's event. Full speaker details available in May 2011

Tal Ben-Shahar is an author and lecturer. He taught the largest course at Harvard on 'Positive Psychology' and the third largest on 'The Psychology of Leadership' - with a total of over 1,400 students.

He currently teaches at the Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya, where he co-founded The Institute for Positive Psychology in Education.

Tal consults and...

Trained in general and internal medicine, psychiatry and clinical research, Dr. Stuart Brown first recognized the importance of play by discovering its absence in the life stories of murders and felony drunken drivers. His years of clinical practice affirmed the importance and need for healthy play throughout the human life cycle and his independent...

Rita Carter is a writer, broadcaster and lecturer who specialises in brain science.

She is the author of “Mapping the Mind” the first comprehensive layman’s guide to neuropsychology. Her other books include “Exploring Consciousness”, “Mapping Memory”, “Multiplicity – the new science of personality” and, most recently “The Human Brain Book”. She has...

Having served as a classroom teacher, a curriculum consultant, an assistant superintendent for instruction and as the Director of Educational Programs for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Dr. Costa has made presentations and conducted workshops around the world.

He authored and edited numerous journal articles and books including - Developing...

Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D., is the Lewis and Virginia Eaton Professor of Psychology at Stanford University.

Her world-renowned research has highlighted the critical role of mindsets in education, business, and sports and has shown how praise for intelligence or talent can undermine motivation and learning.

She recently won five major awards in social psychology,...

Goldie Hawn is an Academy Award winning actress, producer, director and children’s advocate.

She is the founder of The Hawn Foundation, a public charity with a mission to equip children with the social and emotional skills they need to lead smarter, healthier, and happier lives. Alarmed by increases in school violence, youth depression and suicide, and...

After a post-doc at UCSF with Paul Ekman, in 1992 Dacher took his first academic job, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and then returned to Berkeley’s Psychology Department in 1996, where he is now a full professor.

Dacher’s research focuses on two time-honored questions – one about the biological and evolutionary origins of human emotion, and...

Matthew Lieberman is Professor of Psychology, Psychiatry, & Biobehavioral Sciences at UCLA.

He coined the term social cognitive neuroscience and has published more than 80 papers in this area in journals such as Science, Nature Neuroscience, American Psychologist, and Psychological Science. He is the editor of the journal Social Cognitive and Affective...

For more than three decades, Dr. Merzenich has been a leading pioneer in brain plasticity research.

In the late 1980s, Dr. Merzenich was on the team that invented the cochlear implant. In 1996, Dr. Merzenich was the founding CEO of Scientific Learning Corporation which markets and distributes software that applies principles of brain plasticity to assist...

Daniel H. Pink is the author of four provocative, bestselling books on the changing world of work.

In his latest book, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, Pink shows us the secret to high performance and satisfaction in today's world. In A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future, Pink charts the rise of right-brain thinking...

Dr. Judy Willis practiced neurology for fifteen years before obtaining her Teaching Credential and Masters of Education. She then taught elementary and middle school for ten years in Santa Barbara, California where she is currently an Associate Lecturer at University of California.

Dr. Willis writes books, presents at conferences and conducts workshops...

Dr Tanveer Ahmed is a psychiatrist and opinion columnist for the Sydney Morning Herald. He is a former television journalist who sits on the Advertising Standards Board and is a Governor of the Smith Family.

He has previously co-hosted a prime time gameshow. He has been chosen by a PM's committee as one of hundred future leaders of Australia and as a...

Richard Aedy is a broadcaster who's spent a good portion of his adult life overseas. He did his degree and journalism studies in New Zealand, where he began his career.

He spent five years in London, mostly at the BBC, and returned to Australia 11 years ago. Richard’s been presenting Life Matters on ABC Radio National since the beginning of 2006.

After...

Maxwell Bennett is Professor of Neuroscience in the University of Sydney, Scientific Director of the Brain & Mind Research Institute and holds the first University Chair awarded for research ‘recognized internationally as of exceptional distinction’. He graduated in Electrical Engineering and did his doctoral research in Zoology at Melbourne University...

Philip Boyce is Professor of psychiatry at the Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, and head of the Perinatal Psychiatry Service at Westmead hospital.

Li Cunxin was born into utter poverty in China, at eleven he was selected to train at the Beijing Dance Academy.

The 7 years of harsh training taught him discipline, resilience, determination and perseverance. Li’s astounding drive and relentless hard work made him one of the best dancers in the world. Li made a successful career transition from ballet...

Tania de Jong AM is a leading Australian soprano, speaker and social entrepreneur.

She founded Creativity Australia and Creative Universe to improve wellbeing, engagement and innovation in organisations and communities. She has a Bachelor of Law (Honours) from the University of Melbourne and is a graduate of Victorian College of the Arts. Her numerous...

Catherine Deveny is a speaker, MC, author, columnist and stand-up comedian.

Deveny is self-described as "a serial pest and professional pain in the arse” and is best known for her controversial writing for The Age, where she has a weekly column on Wednesdays. She writes extensively for television, is a regular host on ABC 774 and often appears on...

Estelle was born in Perth, Western Australia where she has lived all her life.

She is married to Michael Dragun and has been blessed with two beautiful children, Matthew and Charmaine. Charmaine passed away in 2007. Estelle has been involved in drama and music education for almost 40 years. Some of her students include Rove McManus and Lisa Adam and...

Richard Fidler is a broadcaster who has had several lives as a musician, writer and performer.

He currently hosts the ABC radio programme The Conversation Hour, broadcast on 612 ABC Brisbane and 702 ABC Sydney. In another life Richard was a member of comedy group The Doug Anthony Allstars (DAAS), which played to audiences all over the world, as well...

An expert in the area of our ten different intelligences, Jennifer Goddard works with a wide variety of organisations and schools in Australia, NZ, USA, UK, South Africa, Middle East and Asia.

A world renowned Master Trainer in Tony Buzan’s Mind Mapping® and other Advanced Learning Techniques, Jennifer has a passion for mental literacy, whole brain...

Phillip Heath achieved a First Class Honours degree in Reformation History and taught at Trinity Grammar School Sydney and King’s School Ely (UK), before becoming Deputy Head of The William Clarke College in Kellyville, and then Headmaster of St Andrew’s Cathedral School, Sydney. The formation of the Gawura Campus for indigenous inner city children is...

From 2000 to 2003 Professor Hickie was CEO of beyondblue: the national depression initiative and from 2003 to 2006 served as its Clinical Advisor. In 2003, he was appointed as the Executive Director of the Brain and Mind Research Institute.

In 2006, Professor Hickie received the Australian Honours Award of Member (AM) for services to medicine in the...

One of Australia's leading community choir conductors, Shaun is chief conductor of Creativity Australia's 'With One Voice' program. With One Voice programs aim to recognise each unique voice. The programs bridge social capital and assist migrants and others to develop a sense of belonging, new networks and employment pathways. Participants develop leadership...

Known as the Chief Imagineer, because of his unique ability to help companies imagine what they might become and engineer a way forward, Bill Jarrard is a Thought Leader in Strategic Thinking, Creativity and Innovation.

Bill is one of the few people in Australia accredited to present the de Bono programs - Lateral Thinking™, Six Thinking Hats®, and...

OzHarvest was founded in 2004 when events organiser, Ronni Kahn, stunned by the amount of food wasted by the hospitality industry decided to do something about it. Inspired by AmericaHarvest, a charity that had successfully been operating for over 20 years, Ronni brought the food-rescue model back to Sydney.

In its first month, OzHarvest delivered 4000...

Julie McCrossin talks to people for a living. After 20 years as a broadcaster with ABC Radio National, ABC TV and Network Ten, she is now a freelance journalist and facilitator. She presented the radio show Life Matters on ABC Radio National for five years, covering countless health, welfare and educational topics with a frequent rural focus. Julie is...

Michael Morgan is the founder and CEO of Herrmann International Asia. With more than 25 years of experience, he is one of the region’s leading experts on Whole Brain Thinking, innovation and creativity. He presents widely to professional audiences and has written two major books: Making Innovation Happen and Creating Workforce Innovation.

Since the early...

James Morrison has become a world jazz legend in his own lifetime and is yet to turn 50, he is an idol to fans in more countries than most people can name and regularly gives live performances in most of them.

James is the Australian multi-instrumentalist who has been a guest performer with most of the world’s truly great symphony orchestras and national...

Toni is Adjunct Professor at ACU and is widely known in education as co-author of many practical best selling teacher resource books including the award winning BOUNCE BACK! Program and a new book on student engagement titled HITS and HOTS. Her Australian Government projects include the revision of National Safe Schools Framework and Scoping Study on...

Renate Ogilvie works as a psychotherapist in private practice in Sydney, and as a senior lecturer in Buddhist philosophy at Vajrayana Institute. She is a director of WHF (World Happiness Forum), and co-director of Machik Labdron International Women’s Retreats in Paro, Bhutan. She is a special advisor to BNF (Bhutan Nuns Foundation).

Ruth Ostrow is a Walkley nominated journalist, and a respected speaker specialising in the psychology of success. In the 80s she worked as a finance journalist for The Financial Review and wrote a bestseller on the motivations driving many of our most powerful business leaders; in the 90s she became a social commentator with a column syndicated around...

Gordon Parker is Scientia Professor of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, and Executive Director, Black Dog Institute.

He was awarded a Citation Laureate, Psychiatry/Psychology, for being the most highly cited researcher in Australia. He was Head, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales for 20 years, and Director of Mental Health,...

Dr. David Rock coined the term ‘NeuroLeadership’ and co-founded the NeuroLeadership Institute, a global initiative bringing neuroscientists and leadership experts together to build a new science for leadership development. He co-edits the NeuroLeadership Journal and heads up an annual global summit.

David is also the founder and CEO of RCS, a global...

Martina Sheehan is a Founder and Author of the growing range of Mind Gardener® resources, an Australian initiative that translates research from neuroscience into simple and practical guides to cultivate a healthy mind. Martina was involved in the first public dialogues at the US based Mind & Life Institute and is passionate about making emerging...

Janine Shepherd’s story reads like the plot of a Hollywood movie.

A champion cross-country skier in training for the Winter Olympics, her life was irrevocably altered on a training bike ride in the Blue Mountains. A near fatal accident shattered her body, and her dreams. Doctors warned her parents that she was not expected to survive her injuries. Even...

Dr Julian Short graduated in medicine from the University of Sydney and is a fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists. Julian is a consultant psychiatrist at three Sydney teaching hospitals, works with the Black Dog Institute at the University of New South Wales and with the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

In his private practice,...

Host of the Health Report, on ABC Radio National, presenter of Health Minutes on ABC NewsRadio and health commentator on ABC Television’s Catalyst, Dr Norman Swan, is a multi-award winning broadcaster and journalist.

In addition, he is the medical host in the 2010 season of Biggest Loser on Channel 10. One of the first medically qualified journalists...

Ven Dr Chönyi Taylor (Ven Tenzin Chönyi, Dr Diana Taylor) is a retired psychotherapist, an authorized teacher of Tibetan Buddhism, and a coordinator for the AABCAP professional training course.

She has presented a number of papers on Buddhism and western psychology in Australia and overseas. Her writing appears as a regular column in Mandala...

Peter Thompson presents ABC TV’s “Talking Heads” – a program about the lives of prominent Australians – now in its sixth season.

He is a Fellow of the Australia and New Zealand School of Government and an Adjunct Professor at Macquarie University’s Department of International Communication. Peter directs the Centre for Leadership which works with the...