Guests

Guests

The Ideas Festival has an inspiring array of guests who will share their ideas and perspectives, and take part in conversations throughout the festival.

		Helen Greiner (Technologist and Innovator) Innovation and Invention Entrepreneur and co-founder of iRobot Corp, Helen Greiner is a robot industry pioneer and the inventor of the ROOMBA® robot vacuum.
		Charles Landry (City Futures Planner and Consultant) Design and Development Charles was born in 1948 and studied in Britain, Germany and Italy. In 1978 he founded Comedia, a highly respected European consultancy working in...
		Chris Jordan (World-Renowned Photographer and Environmental Activist) Ecology and Ethics In his stunning, eye-opening presentation, photographer Chris Jordan vividly documents the combined effects of our...
		Geoffrey Robertson (QC) Advocacy and Action Geoffrey Robertson QC has been counsel in many landmark cases in constitutional, criminal and media law in the courts of Britain and the commonwealth...
		Peter Singer (Bioethicist) Self and Society Peter Singer was born in Melbourne in 1946, and educated at the University of Melbourne and the University of...
		Yassmin Abdel-Maggied A member of the Queensland Youth Council, was the Youth Premier at the 2008 Queensland Youth Parliament and volunteers for the United Nations Youth...
		Cr Helen Abrahams Councillor Helen Abrahams was elected as Councillor for The Gabba Ward in 2008 having been the Councillor for Dutton Park Ward since 2003. Helen...
		Patricia Adams Patricia Adams’ work has explored the implications for artistic expressions and representations of corporeality of the experimental techniques of...
		Phillip Adams Phillip Adams is a prolific and sometimes controversial broadcaster, writer and film-maker. As presenter of Late Night Live, Phillip Adams...
		Vernon Ah-Kee Vernon Ah Kee is a Brisbane based visual artist, working across a variety of media, including drawing, video, installation and text based work. Ah...
		Keith Armstrong Keith Armstrong has specialised for 17 years in collaborative, hybrid, new media works with an emphasis on innovative performance forms,...
		Professor Helen Armstrong Landscape architecture, QUT
		Mark Bahnisch Mark Bahnisch is a sociologist who has recently submitted his PhD through the Humanities Program at QUT. He has been associated with the Creative...
		Michael Balfour Chair, Applied Theatre, School of Education and Professional Studies, Griffith University Michael’s research expertise is in Social or Applied...
		Gay Bilson Gay Bilson was a restaurateur and cook for 25 years in Sydney. She has been writing about food and the culture of food for many years. Her first...
		Elliott Bledsoe Elliott Bledsoe is a Project Officer with Creative Commons Australia,...
		Andrew Boe Andrew Boe is a Brisbane based criminal lawyer in private practice. He has interest in indigenous art and culture.
		Dusan Bojic As a writer, artscience researcher and interdisciplinary based artist, Dusan Bojic is working to establish a project-based, artscience laboratory and...
		Skye Bortoli When Skye Bortoli speaks, the world listens. At just 16-years-old Skye has a list of achievements that any diplomat would be proud to claim. At age...
		Mike Boyd In 2007, 19-year-old Brisbane-based entrepreneur Mike Boyd founded Coolybar Keg Hire, which specialises in mobile Keg Hire and Frozen Daiquiri...
		Emma Brindal Emma Brindal is a national liason officer for Friends of the Earth (FoE) Australia and from 2006 to 2008 was the national climate justice...
		Ash Brosnan Ash is currently the Communications Officer for the Oaktree Foundation in Queensland. The Oaktree Foundation is a youth run aid and development...
		Sam Bucolo Professor Bucolo is a former Research and Development Director of the Australasian Cooperative Research Centre for Interaction Design. As...
		J.C. Burke
		Oron Catts Co-founder and director of SymbioticA, The Centre of Excellence in Biological Arts in the School of Anatomy and Human Biology, The University of...
		Fook Chon (Peter) Chen Born in Malaysia, Peter lived for many years in Canada before moving to Australia. Peter is a social worker, and worked with people with...
		David Clark
		Jessica Coates Jessica Coates is the Project Manager of Creative Commons Australia and the Creative Commons Clinic, a program of the ARC Centre of Excellence for...
		Anna Craft Professor of Education at the University of Exeter and The Open University, and Government Advisor (Creative and Cultural Education) in England with...
		Mark Creyton Manager Education and Research of Volunteering Queensland, Mark Creyton has more than 20 years experience as an educator and consultant working with...
		Angela Crocombe Angela Crocombe is the Melbourne-based author of two non-fiction books on sustainable living, Ethical Eating (Penguin, 2008) and A Lighter...
		Ron Crump Ron has absorbed a wealth of applied practical business and people experience through his roles as a leader, general manager, internal/external...
		Indigo Cullen Twelve-year-old Indigo Cullen has performed as lead singer and guitarist for The Danger Bunnies since they began in 2006. The band has performed at...
		John Daley
		Tina Dalton Tina is Director of stock footage agency Absolutely Wild Visuals (AWV) and production company Content Mint, which specialises in natural history...
		Bryan Dawe Bryan Dawe is one of Australia’s finest political satirists. He has enjoyed a long, successful career writing and performing on national radio,...
		Christine Dew Christine Dew is a writer, photographer and film-maker who works in social research and community arts. Formerly a senior lecturer in the History...
		Phillippa Diedrichs Phillippa Diedrichs is a PhD Candidate and an Intern Health Psychologist in the Health Psychology Research Unit at The University of Queensland. Her...
		Paul Dillon In Teenagers, Alcohol and Drugs: What your kids really want to know about alcohol and drugs Paul Dillon has created a guide to parents who...
		Ernie Dingo Ambassador of The Fred Hollows Foundation, Ernie Dingo, is an Australian actor and entertainer with a particular interest in The Foundation's...
		Michael Doneman Michael is founding director of Edgeware Creative Entrepreneurship. He has a background in community cultural development which inspired...
		Nic Dorward Nic Dorward is a director and performance maker and is directing That Face for Queensland Theatre Company in 2009. He has worked with...
		Natalie Duncan Mum, business woman, entrepreneur, Nat is courageous, stoic, enterprising, energetic, organized, creative, funny, level, egocentric, an opportunist,...
		Dr Angela Dwyer Dr Angela Dwyer is a sociologist and since joining the School of Justice in 2007, has been a recipient of three Faculty of Law Vice Chancellor's...
		Richard Eckersley Richard Eckersley is a founding director of Australia 21, a non-profit, public-interest, research company, and a visiting fellow at the National...
		Kate Eltham Kate Eltham is the Chief Executive Officer of the Queensland Writers Centre. Kate has worked as a business professional and creative industries...
		Lawrence English Brisbane sound artist
		Dr Jacqui Ewart Dr Jacqui Ewart is a senior lecturer in journalism and media studies at Griffith University. She worked as a journalist and media manager for twelve...
		Sione Fa’Aoso’s A Young Indigenous Leaders forum participant who started the Hoop Dreaming Project, a national community crime prevention program for 12 to...
		Anthony Ford Hynes lawyers
		Helene George
		Lea Giles-Peters
		Brendan Gleeson Professor of Urban Policy and Management and Director of the Urban Research Program at Griffith University. Before joining Griffith in 2003, he...
		Michael Gow Michael Gow is both a director and playwright. In his current role as Artistic Director of Queensland Theatre Company, he has directed The...
		Professor Peter Gray Professor Peter Gray was appointed the inaugural director of the Australian Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology at the University of...
		Stephen Green With more than 13 years in music, Stephen Green has had experience in many different facets of the industry. From syndicated music columnist,...
		Phoebe Hart Phoebe Hart is a practicing documentary filmmaker and a scholarship-awarded PhD student at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT). As a...
		John Hartley John Hartley is an Australian Research Council (ARC) Federation Fellow, Research Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Creative Industries and...
		David Heatherington Per Capita
		Shane Heaton A nutritionist, author and organic researcher with a passion for food quality and its influence on health. Author of the widely acclaimed Organic...
		Dr Michael Hewitt-Gleeson Dr Michael Hewitt-Gleeson is a cognitive scientist, author, lecturer and consulting strategist to business and educational organisations throughout...
		Phil Heywood Associate Professor Phil Heywood from QUT’s School of Urban Development
		Dan Hill Dan Hill has been working at the forefront of innovative information and communication technologies (ICT) since the early ‘90s and has been...
		Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg Ove Hoegh-Guldberg is Professor and Director of the Centre for Marine Studies at the University of Queensland, where he leads an active research...
		Greg Hooper Dr Greg Hooper lectures in the Information Environments and Multimedia programs at the University of Queensland. He has a degree in Cognitive Science...
		John Howkins John Howkins is a leading figure in the global development of the creative economy. His book, The Creative Economy (2001) was the first...
		Rebecca Huntley Rebecca Huntley is a writer and social researcher. She is the director of the Ipsos Mackay Report, Australia’s longest-running social trends...
		Alan Huynh 2008 Queensland Multicultural Award winner, Individual Category - Outstanding Young Achiever. Alan is a committed multiculturalism campaigner and...
		Professor Sohail Inayatullah Professor Sohail Inayatullah is a political scientist/futurist associated with Tamkang University, Taiwan and the University of the Sunshine Coast.
		John Jacobs John is an ABC broadcaster, social media activist, electronic and mechanical inventor, bike rider, vegan cook, performer, promoter, composer, and...
		Adam James Born in the New South Wales coastal town of Macksville and raised in Brisbane – Adam James – is a young Indigenous Australian from the Moreton Bay...
		Dr Peter Kambouris Dr Peter Kambouris joined CSIRO Exploration and Mining, in 2007 and is currently Director of Business Development and Commercialisation for the...
		Dr John Kapeleris Dr John Kapeleris has more than 16 years' experience in the biotechnology industry having held a diverse range of roles including R&D Manager,...
		Professor David Karoly David Karoly is an internationally-recognised expert in climate change and climate variability, including greenhouse climate change, stratospheric...
		Kumi Kato Kumi Kato teaches environmental studies in Japan, Australia and Korea, and has initiated a number of community creative projects for conservation.
		Robert Kemp Robert Kemp has designed more than 50 productions for Australian theatre companies including Queensland Theatre Company, Sydney Theatre Company,...
		Josh Kennedy-White
		Dr Tamsin Kerr
		Svenja Kratz Svenja Kratz is an interdisciplinary Brisbane-based artist whose art explores the impact of new technologies on concepts of the self, other, and the...
		Nadja Kunz Nadja Kunz is a 24-year-old with a dual degree in Chemical Engineering and Business Management. She has been privileged to work across a range of...
		Meshel Laurie Meshel Laurie has been a professional comedian, writer and actor since 1994. Meshel is currently the co-host of Brisbane’s top rating Nova 106.9...
		Carmen Lawrence After training as a research psychologist at the University of Western Australia and lecturing in a number of Australian universities, Dr Lawrence...
		Rebecca Leigh A freelance business writer who creates smart, fresh copy for websites, newsletters and corporate communications. Her specialty is authentic and...
		Cathryn Lloyd Cathryn Lloyd graduated from the Queensland College of Art with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Graphic Design in 1989. From 1990-2001 Cathryn ran her...
		Christilee Louttit
		Dr John Long Dr John Long began collecting fossils when he was seven and he found his first dinosaur bones near Inverloch, Victoria, when he was a university...
		Professor Ian Lowe Professor Ian Lowe AO is Chair of the Australian Conservation Foundation and an emeritus professor at Griffith University. Professor Lowe was...
		Grace Ludwick
		Myriam Lyons
		Tony McCarthy An Al Gore-trained Climate Project Australia presenter and Queensland Youth Environment Council member.
		Sandy McCutcheon
		Jock McLeod Jock Macleod is Deputy Head of the School of Humanities at Griffith University where he researches and teaches literary studies and cultural history.
		Will Marcus Architect, ARGO Architect + master planners
		Nicholas Mathiou
		Noel Mengel The Courier-Mail's chief music writer Noel Mengel was born in Kingaroy, where he annoyed the newsagents by hanging around after school reading...
		Fiona Meyer
		Patrick Mitchell
		Dr Neena Mitter Dr Neena Mitter, Principal Biotechnologist with the Queensland Government Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, is one of Queensland’s...
		Sarah Moran Moving from Lismore to study Journalism at QUT, Sarah was inspired to set up Brisnet, a support network of students from rural and regional areas who...
		Bruce Muirhead Bruce Muirhead is the Founding Chief Executive Officer and Professor of Eidos Institute. Prior to joining Eidos, Bruce was the founding Director of...
		Cameron Neil Cameron Neil is the Operations Manager - Australia for Fairtrade Labelling Australia and New...
		Charles Neville
		Chris Nobile A Queensland Youth Council member and Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award recipient. Chris was the speaker at the Gold Award presentation ceremony, as well...
		Lilly O’Hara Lily O’Hara is passionate about social justice and the need for health promotion to be truly health promoting. She has worked with people and...
		Dr Graeme Pearman Dr Graeme Pearman was Chief of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (Australia) Division of Atmospheric Research,...
		Robert Pekin Robert is the founder of Food Connect, a revolutionary food distribution enterprise that works in collaboration with local farmers to set up a risk...
		Emily Phillip
		Alissa Phillips Social entrepreneur and Founding Director of SPACE (Specialised Programs and Community Endeavours) Alissa Phillips holds a Bachelor’s Degree of...
		Prof Hugh Possingham Hugh is a Professor of Mathematics and a Professor of Ecology at the University of Queensland. He is an elected Fellow of the Australian Academy...
		Emeritus Professor Colin Power AM
		Professor Carlo Ratti Professor Carlo Ratti is an Italian architect and engineer who practices in Turin, Italy, and teaches at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology...
		Robert Riddel Robert Riddel is principal of Riddel Architecture which was established in Brisbane in 1982. From the firm’s inception, there was a strong...
		Mark Rossiter
		Jane Ryder Twenty-year-old Townsville photographer Jane Ryder left high school with no idea what to do with her life. Not wanting to go straight to uni, she...
		Dr Chris Sarra Chris Sarra hails from Bundaberg in Queensland. The youngest of 10 children, Chris experienced first-hand many of the issues faced by Indigenous...
		Wendy Sarkissian Dr Wendy Sarkissian is passionate about our future: the future of work, of housing, of communities and of community engagement. She is committed...
		Barry Saunders
		Ghazi Sheikh Ramli Former Senator in the Malaysian Parliament, Ghazi Sheikh Ramli is founder and President of the Malaysian Association of Creativity and Innovation,
		Liz Slagus Since 1999, Liz Slagus has developed and managed the Education programs, from school, youth and family-related courses and workshops to broader...
		Bob Stein Bob Stein is the founder and Co-Director of the Institute for the Future of the Book, Bob Stein is founder and Co- Director of the Institute for the...
		Judy Stewart Judy Stewart, a lawyer, became the Managing Director of the Great Barrier Reef Foundation in 2004 after working as a director in a number of...
		Wesley Stubbings Wesley has given his time and energy to be part of International Indigenous Flame's "Hand to the Community" strategy, which helps to establish...
		Kieran Swann Kieran was engaged by the Queensland Theatre Company in 2007 as the first designer under the Emerging Artist program. For the company he has...
		Dr Ziggy Switkowski Dr Ziggy Switkowski is the chairman of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation. He is a non-executive director of Suncorp, Tabcorp...
		Dr Peter Talbot
		Dr Kelly Thanbimuthu Dr. Kelly Thambimuthu heads the Centre for Low Emission Technology as its Chief Executive Officer and brings with him a wealth of experience and...
		Tjupurru Brisbane-based International Didjeridu performer Tjupurru is a proud descendant of the Djabera Djabera tribe of the West Australian...
		Mark Thompson
		Gerald Tooth Gerald Tooth is the Director of Communications and External Relations at the Queensland Water Commission. There he oversees the Commission’s broad...
		David Trigger David Trigger is Professor of Anthropology at The University of Queensland. His research interests encompass the different meanings attributed to...
		Kaylah Tyson
		Glenn Vassalos Hynes lawyers
		Danielle Vujovich Danielle is an active young volunteer involved with a number of organisations including the Oaktree Foundation. She was Livingstone Shire Youth...
		Judy Watson Judy Watson is a Brisbane based artist, working across painting, printmaking and drawing. Watson has exhibited extensively both within Australia and...
		Lizzie Webb Lizzie Webb is the Director for Education, Training and Research for Engineers Without Borders Australia (EWB). She is passionate about...
		Marcus Westbury Marcus Westbury has spent the last decade making media and initiating and creating some of Australia's more innovative, unconventional and successful...
		Tracy Whitelaw Tracy Whitelaw creates robot brains in her position as the Chief Knowledge Engineer at artificial intelligence company 'MyCyberTwin'. Based on...
		Michael Williams Michael Williams is a member of the Gooreng Gooreng Aboriginal community from the country between Gladstone and Bundaberg in southeast...
		Ross Wilson Ross Wilson works as a writer and producer in film and tv. His credits include the observational documentary series RSPCA Animal Rescue and...
		Philomena Yeatman Philomena Yeatman of the Gunganji people of Yarrabah, North Queensland was born in 1960. Yeatman weaves traditional baskets but began her...