Cover TEDxTinHau Women 2025 speakers: Dr Shirla Sum, Katie Oropallo and Gigi Ngan (Images: courtesy of TEDxTinHau Women)
TEDxTinHau Women 2025 speakers: Dr Shirla Sum, Katie Oropallo and Gigi Ngan (Images: courtesy of TEDxTinHau Women)
1 / 1
From redefining identity to rethinking education, here’s what to expect at this year’s TEDxTinHau Women event, returning to the Xiqu Centre in West Kowloon on November 12
Hong Kong’s homegrown women-focused TEDx event returns for its ninth edition this November, bringing a powerful line-up of voices to West Kowloon’s Xiqu Centre.
This year’s edition of TEDxTinHau Women focuses on the theme ‘Reframe’, challenging audiences to see the world differently—shifting perspectives, pushing boundaries and finding opportunity amid disruption.
‘Reframe’ speaks to transformation in uncertain times: how a subtle shift in approach can unlock resilience, spark innovation and open the door to new possibilities and opportunities. It’s a fitting theme for Hong Kong itself—a city that constantly balances tradition and modernity while reimagining its future.
See also: 7 rousing TED Talks on women’s rights and the feminine experience
A diverse line-up of changemakers
Nine speakers will take to the Xiqu Centre’s stage on November 12 for TEDxTinHau Women, each bringing unique insights from fields spanning design, ecology, healthcare, education and more.
Jacqueline Chak, co-founder, Edit and Editecture
Above Jacqueline Chak (Image: courtesy of TEDxTinHau Women)
Jacqueline Chak (Image: courtesy of TEDxTinHau Women)
1 / 1
An architect-turned-entrepreneur, Jacqueline Chak blends architecture, fashion and art to design objects and environments keeping sustainability front and centre. Since launching Edit in 2011 and Editecture in 2014, she’s championed upcycling, transforming waste materials into furniture and innovative products, and creating objects designed to have multiple lives beyond single-use applications.
See also: How design studio Editecture is driving Hong Kong towards a circular future
Kate Hu, stand-up comedian
Above Kate Hu (Image: courtesy of TEDxTinHau Women)
Kate Hu (Image: courtesy of TEDxTinHau Women)
1 / 1
Born and raised in China, Kate Hu developed her sense of humour poking fun at the cultural shocks she faced while navigating the Western world—and the reverse culture shock of returning to her roots. A stand-up comedian and emcee who now performs in both English and Mandarin, she has performed and hosted events across Asia, the US and Europe, and boasts 20,000 followers on her RedNote comedy page.
Inga Conti-Jerpe, assistant professor, Lingnan University
Above Inga Conti-Jerpe (Image: courtesy of TEDxTinHau Women)
Inga Conti-Jerpe (Image: courtesy of TEDxTinHau Women)
1 / 1
An ecologist and coral reef scientist, Inga studies mutualisms—the cooperative partnerships that let species thrive together. Her work on corals, lichens and fungal networks has sharpened an urgent message: reefs and the species that depend on them are entangled with human well-being. Conti-Jerpe’s talk will reframe conservation from isolated action to collective responsibility, urging consumers and communities alike to make informed, hopeful choices to protect fragile ecosystems.
See also: Vriko Yu of Archireef on coral reef conservation and how 3D printing helps Hong Kong’s marine life
Shulin Ho, student podcaster & Emily Kusunoki, trauma therapist, Hong Kong Dignity Institute
Above Shulin Ho (Image: courtesy of TEDxTinHau Women)
Above Emily Kusunoki (Image: courtesy of TEDxTinHau Women)
Shulin Ho (Image: courtesy of TEDxTinHau Women)
1 / 2
This joint presentation pairs a high-school podcaster who has spent her teenage years amplifying conversations about mental health with a seasoned trauma therapist who has clinical experience supporting survivors of trafficking, forced marriage and complex PTSD. Together they’ll explore the harm of being unheard and the radical act of compassionate listening—reframing vulnerability as a source of strength and connection.
See also: In Conversation: Judy Kan and Patricia Ho on the fight for women’s rights
Uzma Naveed, diversity & inclusion coordinator, Christian Action Centre for Refugees
Above Uzma Naveed (Image: courtesy of TEDxTinHau Women)
Uzma Naveed (Image: courtesy of TEDxTinHau Women)
1 / 1
Born in South Asia, Uzma was forced to flee religious persecution, becoming a refugee in Hong Kong where she traded a career in engineering for refugee advocacy. She now supports women and families seeking asylum and works to dismantle the stigma around asylum seekers. Her talk at TEDxTinHau Women reframes the refugee experience from a single, tragic narrative to one of resilience and dignity, calling for empathy and improved awareness.
Gigi Ngan, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner
Above Gigi Ngan (Image: courtesy of TEDxTinHau Women)
Gigi Ngan (Image: courtesy of TEDxTinHau Women)
1 / 1
With a Chinese medicine degree from the University of Hong Kong, and a Master’s in reproductive medicine and clinical embryology, Ngan’s work as a registered TCM practitioner today spans menstrual care, fertility support and menopause management. At TEDxTinHau Women, Ngan will make a case for integrative approaches that marry TCM’s cycle-aware, holistic wisdom with modern reproductive science.
See also: Excerpt: Anca Griffiths on how women can take back control of their health
Katie Oropallo, hair and make-up artist; lecturer, Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts
Above Katie Oropallo (Image: courtesy of TEDxTinHau Women)
Katie Oropallo (Image: courtesy of TEDxTinHau Women)
1 / 1
Katie Oropallo’s work as a hair and make-up artist has taken from London’s West End to Netflix productions. However, her specialism lies in wig making, which often takes her beyond the entertainment industry as she seeks to help individuals dealing with hair loss. In her talk, she will explore the role of hair as a symbol of identity and self-expression, showcasing the historical and transformative power of wigs as vehicles for agency and personal reinvention.
Above Dr Shirla Sum (Image: courtesy of TEDxTinHau Women)
Dr Shirla Sum (Image: courtesy of TEDxTinHau Women)
1 / 1
Dr Shirla Sum, principal, Victoria Shanghai Academy
A former economist at Goldman Sachs who pivoted into education, Dr Sum has founded programmes that blend design thinking and inclusive tech in schools. As one of Hong Kong’s youngest principals, she is leading conversations on how AI can be an augmentation, not a threat, to students. Sum’s talk will reframe the role of schools in the AI age—from gatekeepers of knowledge to incubators of creative, humane problem-solvers.
See also: Debra Au on the evolution of financial crime in the digital age and how AI can help to fight it
Why it matters
Attendees of TEDxTinHau Women can expect a programme that moves across scale and subject: ecological urgency beside intimate stories of healing; design experiments that speak to circular economies; and forward-looking conversations about education and identity, delivered by a line-up of professionals, thinkers and storytellers—from teenagers to established leaders in their field, modelling the kind of cross-generational and -occupational reframing the theme demands.
Topics
About
Rachel Duffell is regional content director for Power & Purpose, including Front & Female, and former regional content director for Tatler Dining. She is a journalist and editor who has been covering people, gender, impact, leadership, culture and lifestyle for more than 15 years.
