Cover A bumper line-up of speakers is confirmed for the tenth anniversary edition of TEDxTinHau Women, taking place on October 2 at the Xiqu Centre in West Kowloon (Images: courtesy of TEDxTinHau Women)
A bumper line-up of speakers is confirmed for the tenth anniversary edition of TEDxTinHau Women, taking place on October 2 at the Xiqu Centre in West Kowloon (Images: courtesy of TEDxTinHau Women)
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Convened under the theme “Uncharted”, here’s what to expect at this year’s TEDxTinHau Women event, returning to the Xiqu Centre in West Kowloon on October 2
Hong Kong’s homegrown women-focused TEDx event, TEDxTinHau Women, has revealed the speakers for its tenth anniversary gathering, a landmark edition slated for October 2 at the Xiqu Centre in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District.
Held under the theme “Uncharted”, this year’s TEDxTinHau women event encourages audiences to venture into the unfamiliar, embrace new viewpoints and consider the insights that emerge when people move beyond what they already know. The theme aligns with the Chinese goddess of the sea, Tin Hau, the namesake of the chapter–evoking constant transformation, curiosity and possibility, and charting new intellectual territory.
See also: 7 rousing TED Talks on women’s rights and the feminine experience
In addition to a community fair with local brands, the 2026 edition introduces a new feature called Quests—small, expert-led workshops and excursions intended to extend the experience past the main stage. Designed to spark curiosity and foster connection in unexpected ways, the sessions invite participants to learn something about themselves along the journey.
To mark ten years, TEDxTinHau Women is presenting what it describes as its most ambitious programme yet: 13 speakers delivering 11 talks, the biggest roster in its history. Representing a striking mix of voices, the participants hail from six countries, speak eight languages between them and range in age from their twenties to their sixties.
Angela Wong, co-founder, Strive Foundation; William Lo, co-founder, Strive Gold Team
Above Angela Wong and William Lo (Image: courtesy of TEDxTinHau Women)
Angela Wong and William Lo (Image: courtesy of TEDxTinHau Women)
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Angela Wong leads the only programme in Hong Kong that combines elite basketball training for girls with academic support and mentorship. Through Strive Foundation, she has built an environment where young female athletes can pursue sporting excellence without sacrificing their education or personal development. At this year’s TEDxTinHau event, she joins her husband William Lo, a seasoned coach who has trained some of Hong Kong’s top athletes, among them Olympic fencing gold medallist Edgar Cheung. The pair will explore the physical and mental strength required to compete at the highest level, and how young people can push past limits set by background.
See also: The NBA’s new mamba: Victor Wembanyama’s quest for Kobe Bryant’s throne in Asia
Gina Li, certified water sommelier
Above Gina Li (Image: courtesy of TEDxTinHau Women)
Gina Li (Image: courtesy of TEDxTinHau Women)
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Gina Li arrived at her unconventional profession of water tasting via journalism, banking and tea entrepreneurship before a fascination with how water chemistry shapes flavour took hold. Trained at the Doemens Academy in Germany, she now consults and speaks on water culture, working with partners including universities and consulates, and elevating something as everyday as hydration into a genuine sensory craft. Her talk invites audiences to rediscover the “ordinary”, showing how learning to taste and pair water can reshape how we drink—and how embracing fluidity helps us feel confident in our multifaceted identities.
Helen Geng, assistant professor of teaching, Lingnan University
Above Helen Geng (Image: courtesy of TEDxTinHau Women)
Helen Geng (Image: courtesy of TEDxTinHau Women)
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Helen Geng teaches in the division of science at Lingnan University in Hong Kong, where she leads general education courses on sustainability. Holding a PhD in geology, she brings a distinctive “deep-time” perspective to her work, viewing present-day challenges against the vast backdrop of the planet’s history. Her expertise spans environmental geochemistry and interdisciplinary sustainability studies, allowing her to connect scientific detail with the bigger picture. In her talk, she reframes how we think about sustainability through several stories drawn from the Earth’s 4.5-billion-year past, offering audiences a longer and more grounded view of change.
See also: The saltwater lamp that’s challenging the power industry and how we think about clean energy
Jane Houng, author, speaker and humanitarian
Above Jane Houng (Image: courtesy of TEDxTinHau Women)
Jane Houng (Image: courtesy of TEDxTinHau Women)
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Jane Houng is a Hong Kong-based writer educated at the University of Cambridge, with sixteen children’s books, a memoir titled Beirut is More Beautiful by Bike, and the podcast Mending Lives to her name. In 2017 she lost her daughter Rebecca “Becky” Dykes to gender-based violence in Lebanon, a tragedy that reshaped the course of her life. She went on to found Becky's Button, a UK-registered charity that educates young people on preventing violence and distributes free panic alarms to vulnerable communities worldwide. Her deeply moving talk explores how personal trauma can be transformed into meaningful and lasting action.
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Jo Lodder, endurance runner and founder, Limits Are Just Borrowed
Above Jo Lodder (Image: courtesy of TEDxTinHau Women)
Jo Lodder (Image: courtesy of TEDxTinHau Women)
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Jo Lodder began his career as a professional jockey, until a back injury in his twenties pushed him to rebuild himself in luxury real estate across Asia. Then, he reached another turning point, giving up alcohol and committing to endurance running. In 2025, he ran 3,140km from the Great Wall of China to Hong Kong alongside nine students facing life challenges, a journey that inspired his philosophy, Limits Are Just Borrowed. His talk examines how shared belief can expand what feels possible, helping us challenge the labels we inherit.
Kazi Anisha Islam, PhD fellow and presidential scholar, University of Hong Kong
Above Anisha Islam (Image: courtesy of TEDxTinHau Women)
Anisha Islam (Image: courtesy of TEDxTinHau Women)
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A chemical engineering graduate, Kazi Anisha Islam is now a PhD fellow and HKU presidential scholar in the Department of Clinical Oncology at the University of Hong Kong. Her research in cancer molecular genomics focuses on advancing precision medicine for nasopharyngeal carcinoma, with her findings presented at the Gordon Research Conference and the American and European Associations for Cancer Research. Her talk looks at how transforming complex, multi-dimensional cancer data into clear narratives can reveal hidden patterns, predict outcomes and guide personalised treatment—offering a tangible source of hope for patients and their families.
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Mary Schaus, founder, Talos Foundation; Joanna Bowers, film director and founder, Cheeky Monkey Productions
Above Mary Schaus and Joanna Bowers (Image: courtesy of TEDxTinHau Women)
Mary Schaus and Joanna Bowers (Image: courtesy of TEDxTinHau Women)
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Mary Schaus is a former practising lawyer and talent strategist who founded Talos Foundation, a Hong Kong-registered charity that raises awareness of neurodiversity and invisible disabilities. Inspired by her son, she built the organisation after witnessing first-hand how limited understanding of these issues can be in Hong Kong. Joanna Bowers is an award-winning British film director, screenwriter and founder of Cheeky Monkey Productions. Her impact filmmaking shines a light on marginalised communities, with internationally acclaimed documentaries including The Helper and reFashioned earning recognition well beyond Hong Kong. At this year’s event the two women will share how a desperate Facebook post sparked an unlikely and fruitful collaboration, and what happens when individuals stop waiting for perfect conditions and simply begin.
See also: Visible impact: how Hong Kong film ‘Invisible Differences’ is changing perceptions of neurodiversity
Nance Lokos, UX designer and abstract artist
Above Nance Lokos (Image: courtesy of TEDxTinHau Women)
Nance Lokos (Image: courtesy of TEDxTinHau Women)
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A British designer and abstract artist with more than seventeen years in art direction, Nance Lokos moved to Hong Kong in 2016 and pivoted to user experience (UX) design, combining creativity with logic in her work. As someone living with a visual impairment, she experiences first-hand the barriers that poor design can create, from low contrast to small text and overlooked usability. Her talk explores how accessibility is deeply personal, challenging the assumption that beauty and inclusion are at odds.
Shiela M. Cancino, founder, 4S Scholarship Foundation
Above Shiela Cancino (Image: courtesy of TEDxTinHau Women)
Shiela Cancino (Image: courtesy of TEDxTinHau Women)
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Shiela M. Cancino is a former global financial services executive who has competed in the Chess Olympiad and earned the FIDE Woman Candidate Master title. Over the course of her career, she came to see profound parallels between the chessboard and life itself. Through her commitment to helping others, she founded the 4S Scholarship Foundation, Pinoy Impact Community and Pinoy Chess Community Hong Kong. Cancino’s talk traces the "Pawn to Queen" journey, illustrating how individuals who are easily overlooked can step into their full potential and reshape their futures through careful strategy and a hard-won belief in themselves.
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Sofie Fella, rugby player and entrepreneur
Above Sofie Fella (Image: courtesy of TEDxTinHau Women)
Sofie Fella (Image: courtesy of TEDxTinHau Women)
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Sofie Fella is a Chinese-German international rugby player, Harvard alumna and entrepreneur whose work covers sport, culture and identity. While competing around the world, she uses storytelling, community events and her brand The 大 Collection—named after the Chinese character meaning "big"—to challenge entrenched narratives around strength, femininity and body image, particularly for Asian women and girls. She also co-founded Girls Lift Girls, a global community that brings women together through sport. Her talk argues that becoming a woman is not about becoming smaller, but about becoming bigger.
See also: “I realized this is no longer just a race…” How Hyrox became a culture in Hong Kong
Stella Jiang, self-taught programmer and AI developer
Above Stella Jiang (Image: courtesy of TEDxTinHau Women)
Stella Jiang (Image: courtesy of TEDxTinHau Women)
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Stella Jiang is a self-taught programmer driven by the belief that technology should serve people first. After experiencing postpartum depression and anxiety, she turned towards mental health, exploring how technology might support the mind in its most vulnerable moments. She rebuilt herself by repeatedly asking, “Can I do this?” Based on her journey, at 38, she taught herself to code and created AI tools designed to foster self-validation. Her talk touches on how the real power of AI lies not in supplying answers, but in helping people rebuild trust in themselves.
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Cat Wang is an editor at Tatler Asia based in Hong Kong, where she covers business, wealth, innovation, and impact. Previously, she was a Forbes Asia reporter and assistant editor of the Forbes Asia 100 to Watch list, spotlighting startups and small companies on the rise across the Asia-Pacific. She began her career as a trainee reporter at the South China Morning Post, Hong Kong’s newspaper of record. Born in New York City, she graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles, with a B.A. in political science.
