Melissa Ong
Project Lead
Driven by ideas, collaboration, and storytelling, Melissa has found her match in TEDxSFU. A shameless daydreamer, documentary junkie, and design enthusiast at heart, Melissa continually embraces her surroundings to unearth her purpose in the world. Assuming a new leadership role with a curious mind and open heart, she looks forward to making a mark in this year’s 7th annual conference!
Lindsay Wu
Project Lead
Lindsay gets excited about good books, bad puns, making new friends, and the buzz from her insatiable yearning for something more. With a background in event planning and a strong belief in the power of a group of passionate people, Lindsay hopes to lead the TEDxSFU 2017 team to create a conference that celebrates ideas, diversity, and learning.
Maggie Ma
Director of
Internal
Operations
Maggie is a smiling enthusiast, mental health advocate, and dog-petting expert. You will likely find her listening to music, because it has led to her appreciation of hearing about what others have to create, and what they’re passionate about. With an open mind, and an ear for new perspectives, she is thrilled to be on the TEDxSFU team this year.
Chanittha
Vesboonchu
Director of
Marketing
From scribbles on the street to creative tea filters, she finds inspirations in all random things. When her to-do lists are voided, she can be found excavating good wines or draining her scene points on blockbusters. With a passion for promoting riveting ideas, Chanittha hopes to take TEDxSFU conference to a new height in 2017!
Jason Zhu
Director of
Events
Able to finish a television series within days, Jason is easily captivated by great storytelling. His imaginative mind is best displayed when he is cracking puns and shooting finger guns. Jason is excited to make an impact this year, and hopes to craft the conditions that will allow the inspiration generated from TEDxSFU 2017 to permeate far and wide.
Aris Grout
Director of
Content
Development
Wielding a research article in one hand and an XL black coffee in the other, Aris hopes to use his overly strategic mind to one day save the world from hereditary ailments and weak coffee. With a passion for stimulating conversation and community engagement, Aris seeks to unearth the heroes who will pave the road to wisdom for attendees of the TEDxSFU 2017 conference.
Rebecca Loree
Director of
Partner
Relations
Rebecca is a recent SFU Communications grad, who can almost always be found drinking coffee and cracking an underrated dad joke. When she’s not mentoring youth or playing soccer, she can be found skiing, baking and cooking, playing with puppies, or sparking up conversations with strangers. Rebecca hopes to bring the power of relationships to this year’s conference, further enhancing and enriching the TEDxSFU experience.
Renée McMillen
Visual
Designer
Most notably seen with either a coffee or a glass of wine in tow, Renee is constantly looking for ways to impact the world and society at an individual level and in creative ways. She’s looking forward to collaborating with a strong, focused and passionate team at this year’s conference.
Helen Bezverhaia
Graphic
Designer
Helen is a 5th year business / interactive arts & technology student and an aspiring user experience designer with a passion for innovative community engagement programs, good design, and chocolates. She is thrilled to bring her creative eye and experience to this year’s TEDxSFU. When time permits Helen likes to explore the inside and outside of Vancouver either on foot, bike or horseback.
Eloise Cai
Web
Developer
As an enthusiastic explorer looking for excitement around her, Eloise will probably be trying new foods or new things when she is not punching in code. She believes in the power of individual and finding her way to make an impact, which is why she found TEDxSFU! She can’t wait to be involved in this new excitement, TEDxSFU 2017 conference and be inspired!
Nicole Payer
Marketing
Coordinator
Nicole believes that the basis of human connection lies within storytelling and bad jokes. Fluent in sarcasm and directionally impaired, she hopes to bring her passion for engagement to the forefront of this year's TEDxSFU promotion... As long as there's a Google maps route to get there.
Caleb Taylor
Marketing
Coordinator
Starting as a door-to-door salesman, Caleb’s love for marketing has lead him into the world of SEO and digital marketing. If he’s not at home, wrapped in a blanket and slumped over a keyboard, Caleb can be found hiking through a forest or reading up on a new subject. Caleb can’t wait to apply his passions for TEDxSFU this year!
Sebastian Poon
Event
Coordinator
When Sebastian isn’t wondering about what he should eat next, he finds excitement in snowboarding, learning about the universe, and exploring new places. With a passion for self-growth, he believes that exposing oneself to different opportunities is essential – one of the reasons why he applied for TEDxSFU! Sebastian is also a big fan of both the Canucks and Raptors!
Lesley Murray
Partner
Relations
Coordinator
Lesley Murray is a recent SFU communications graduate. Originally from the east coast Lesley loves to seek out Vancouver’s best sushi, local art and all things unusual and innovative. With her steadfast passion for mobilizing positive community growth she finds inspiration in her encounters with new people. Lesley is thrilled to be a part of the positive movement of TEDxSFU and looks forward to working with a strong dynamic team for the 2017 conference.
Anika Vassell
Partner
Relations
Coordinator
If you see her daydreaming, she is probably planning her next trip! Anika has an affinity for learning about the human experience, and what better way to do it than to experience new places? Always ready to be inspired by a great story, Anika is excited to join the team to bring great ideas to the TEDxSFU stage in 2017!
Patricia Bhardwaj
Partner
Relations
Coordinator
Patricia comes fully loaded with a bubbly personality, witty banter, and an endless need to talk. She thrives off fostering relationships and finds that comes naturally to her by simply being authentic. With a degree in Psychology and a diploma in Digital Marketing and a passion for learning, Patricia is bringing her versatile background to the TEDXSFU team!
Laura Halas
Partner
Relations
Coordinator
Laura is currently a communications major and publishing minor at SFU. She is a creative soul at heart, with a love of writing, photography, and fashion. Laura also has a passion for learning and knowledge – find her at any local café, sipping on a latte while taking immense delight in the idea that there is always something new to be learned.
Ishtmeet Bhoey
Content
Development
Coordinator
Ishtmeet is a nature lover, spending time in the woods or by the water, even if it’s with her laptop. She’s happiest with a book in hand and is on a mission to visit as many farmer’s markets this summer! With a background in the hard sciences, she continues to apply her knowledge towards the betterment of society. She has found her match at TEDxSFU with a group of people who want to positively impact their local community, one talk at a time.
Rosanne Ng
Senior
Advisor
A dedicated volunteer in her community, Rosanne has been working with non-profit organizations for 20 years. Over the years, she has led a number of organizations both locally and at a global level. Serving as Board member of local non-profit organizations in recent years, Rosanne works with organizations on governance, succession planning, alignment and improving financial stability. As the Manager of Student Engagement and Recruitment at the Beedie School of Business at Simon Fraser University, Rosanne continues her work with student groups from a wide array of models and structures.
Christina Wong
Senior
Advisor
Christina loves to speak to people with open minds and adores anything related to giraffes, unicorns, and dinosaurs. After attending last year’s conference, she knew she wanted to share her passions with other individuals by bringing TEDxSFU 2017 to life!
Kathryn Koyanagi
Senior
Advisor
As a creative enthusiast and an adventure seeker, Kathryn is always searching for innovative ideas to fuel her imagination. She is passionate about travelling, relationship building, and drinking coffee. Kathryn hopes to spark inspiration with this year’s TEDxSFU conference.
Jasmine
Cumberland
Senior
Advisor
Community engagement is incredibly important to Jasmine, and she is currently on the Board of Directors for the Simon Fraser University Alumni Association and regularly volunteers with SFU events. Previously, she served as the Chair of the Board of Directors for JDC West, the largest business case competition for undergraduate students in Western Canada. Jasmine is the Manager, People & Organization at Sony Pictures Imageworks, the award-winning visual effects and animation unit of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, which is headquartered in Vancouver. She also loves to travel and has visited 30+ countries to date! Jasmine is excited to see this year's TEDxSFU team run an amazing event!
Bernhard Riecke
Licensee
When Bernhard is not teaching and researching at the School of Interactive Arts and Technologies (SIAT) at SFU, Bernhard can be found kayaking or sipping a coffee somewhere outside brainstorming new ideas. This independent TEDx event is operated under license from TED.
