CHRISTINA GERAKITEYS
Opening keynote speaker
Christina Gerakiteys is a catalyst for change. She is on a mission to enable the enablers and to empower and inspire leaders and emerging leaders to converge minds, technology and fields, to have maximum impact. In a world where there is so much noise, Christina enables change-makers to create their own playbook.
Christina is CEO of UtopiaX, author of Celebrating Success One Failure at a Time, and Founder of IdeaSparx, an innovation platform. She is a sought-after international keynote speaker, facilitator, and program designer, creating interactive educational experiences driven by design thinking, purpose, engagement, and play. The programs disrupt current mindsets to Moonshot thinking, exploring what is possible, rather than what is acceptable or limited. Christina has created highly customised programs for clients including Deloitte, IAG, Employment Hero, Fragomen, Austrade, Bupa, Investa and Dulux. Christina also coaches and mentors entrepreneurs.
Christina has presented keynotes and workshops for the Singularity University (Silicon Valley, California), Entrepreneurs Organisation (international), Front End of Innovation Conference (Boston), Vivid Ideas (Sydney), Creative Innovation (Melbourne) and Inspiring Women Leaders in the Digital Era Congress (Spain), SXSW (Sydney) and SXSW (Austin, Texas).
Christina writes for several publications, hosts the podcast Inspired for Impact, and speaks on other broadcast channels about creativity and innovation. She is a contributor to the award-winning Front-End Innovation blog. Christina is an ambassador for Stone and Chalk Tech Central, Sydney, on the International Advisory Board for W Startup Community, and sits on the Hunter Medical Research Foundation. She is an ambassador for Oceanlovers Global, on the Advisory Board for One Million Women and an Action Council Member for Atlantic Council.
Christina is an advocate for innovation committees, produced the annual Hunter Innovation Festival for 15 years, and lectures in Business, Innovation and Entrepreneurship. She is a lifelong learner, undertaking doctorate studies in Creativity and Innovation.
DR KARL KRUSZELNICKI
Closing keynote speaker
When NASA classified Karl as non-astronaut material in 1981 he walked straight into ABC Radio station Double J and offered to talk about the Space shuttle launch. They said 'Okay' and his radio career took off from there. 'Great Moments In Science' ran on Double J while Karl moonlighted as a medical student.
Since then, his media career has exploded from radio, to TV, books, newspapers, magazines, scripting, professional speaking, and of course, the Net.
Karl made his TV debut in 1985 as the presenter of the first series of Quantum. Since 1986 he has reported science on the Midday Show, Good Morning Australia (including a full-time stint in 1991-2 as the TV Weatherman and science reporter), the Today Show and Sunrise. Along side his fellow geek Adam Spencer, he has written and co-produced two series of Sleek Geeks for ABC TV.
Karl popularises science on ABC radio stations across Australia and, on the BBC, for several hours each week. Many of you will be familiar with the original talk back programme each Thursday on JJJ from 11am to midday.
Karl has written (so far) 40 books, beginning with 'Great Moments In Science' in 1984, and includes such titles as 'It Ain't Necessarily So...'Bro' (2006), which was launched, quite literally, via rocket at Sydney's Bondi Beach (a world first).
November 2009 saw the simultaneous release of Karl's 28th book, 'Never Mind The BULLocks... Here's the Science', board game ('Fact OR Fishy'), and first ever music single, 'Get Fact'. In August 2010 Karl's 29th book, 'Dinosaurs Aren't Dead', was released. In November 2010, Karl's 30th book, 'Curious & Curiouser', was released into the adult non-fiction market. His latest book, 'Short Back and Science' was
released in October 2015.
In 1996 Karl was invited by the United States Information Agency to be a Distinguished Foreign Guest in their International Visitor Program. Previous Alumni of this program include Julius Nyere, Anwar Sadat, Indira Ghandi and Margaret Thatcher. As part of this program he visited NORAD, Dryden Air Force Base and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory - and got to sit in the front seat of an SR-71 Blackbird.
In August 2000 Karl was one of the first eight Australian Apple Masters to be announced (there are fewer than 100 in the entire world). The Apple Masters Program celebrates the achievements of people who are changing the world through their passion and vision, while inspiring new approaches to creative thinking.
In 2002, Dr Karl was honoured with the prestigious Ig Nobel prize awarded by Harvard University in the USA for his ground-breaking research into Belly Button Lint and why it is almost always blue.
In September 2003, Dr Karl was bestowed with the great honour of being named 'Australian Father of the Year'.
Dr Karl Kruszelnicki received the Member of the Order of Australia Award in the 2006 Australia Day Honours list. In 2007 the Australia Skeptics Society awarded Dr Karl the Australia Skeptic Of The Year Prize.
In 2012 Karl was delighted to have Asteroid 18412 named after him. Asteroid Dr Karl/18412 was discovered by Robert H. McNaught at the Siding Spring Observatory in Coonabarabran, New South Wales, Australia, on June 13, 1993.
Karl has degrees in Physics and Maths, Biomedical Engineering, Medicine and Surgery and has worked as a physicist, tutor, film-maker, car mechanic, labourer, and as a medical doctor at the Kids' Hospital in Sydney.
Dr Karl is currently the Julius Sumner Miller Fellow at Sydney University, where his 'mission' is to spread the good word about science and its benefits.
His enthusiasm for science is totally infectious and no one is better able to convey the excitement and wonder of it all than Dr Karl Kruszelnicki.
DR KARL KRUSZELNICKI
Closing keynote speaker
When NASA classified Karl as non-astronaut material in 1981 he walked straight into ABC Radio station Double J and offered to talk about the Space shuttle launch. They said 'Okay' and his radio career took off from there. 'Great Moments In Science' ran on Double J while Karl moonlighted as a medical student.
Since then, his media career has exploded from radio, to TV, books, newspapers, magazines, scripting, professional speaking, and of course, the Net.
Karl made his TV debut in 1985 as the presenter of the first series of Quantum. Since 1986 he has reported science on the Midday Show, Good Morning Australia (including a full-time stint in 1991-2 as the TV Weatherman and science reporter), the Today Show and Sunrise. Along side his fellow geek Adam Spencer, he has written and co-produced two series of Sleek Geeks for ABC TV.
Karl popularises science on ABC radio stations across Australia and, on the BBC, for several hours each week. Many of you will be familiar with the original talk back programme each Thursday on JJJ from 11am to midday.
Karl has written (so far) 40 books, beginning with 'Great Moments In Science' in 1984, and includes such titles as 'It Ain't Necessarily So...'Bro' (2006), which was launched, quite literally, via rocket at Sydney's Bondi Beach (a world first).
November 2009 saw the simultaneous release of Karl's 28th book, 'Never Mind The BULLocks... Here's the Science', board game ('Fact OR Fishy'), and first ever music single, 'Get Fact'. In August 2010 Karl's 29th book, 'Dinosaurs Aren't Dead', was released. In November 2010, Karl's 30th book, 'Curious & Curiouser', was released into the adult non-fiction market. His latest book, 'Short Back and Science' was
released in October 2015.
In 1996 Karl was invited by the United States Information Agency to be a Distinguished Foreign Guest in their International Visitor Program. Previous Alumni of this program include Julius Nyere, Anwar Sadat, Indira Ghandi and Margaret Thatcher. As part of this program he visited NORAD, Dryden Air Force Base and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory - and got to sit in the front seat of an SR-71 Blackbird.
In August 2000 Karl was one of the first eight Australian Apple Masters to be announced (there are fewer than 100 in the entire world). The Apple Masters Program celebrates the achievements of people who are changing the world through their passion and vision, while inspiring new approaches to creative thinking.
In 2002, Dr Karl was honoured with the prestigious Ig Nobel prize awarded by Harvard University in the USA for his ground-breaking research into Belly Button Lint and why it is almost always blue.
In September 2003, Dr Karl was bestowed with the great honour of being named 'Australian Father of the Year'.
Dr Karl Kruszelnicki received the Member of the Order of Australia Award in the 2006 Australia Day Honours list. In 2007 the Australia Skeptics Society awarded Dr Karl the Australia Skeptic Of The Year Prize.
In 2012 Karl was delighted to have Asteroid 18412 named after him. Asteroid Dr Karl/18412 was discovered by Robert H. McNaught at the Siding Spring Observatory in Coonabarabran, New South Wales, Australia, on June 13, 1993.
Karl has degrees in Physics and Maths, Biomedical Engineering, Medicine and Surgery and has worked as a physicist, tutor, film-maker, car mechanic, labourer, and as a medical doctor at the Kids' Hospital in Sydney.
Dr Karl is currently the Julius Sumner Miller Fellow at Sydney University, where his 'mission' is to spread the good word about science and its benefits.
His enthusiasm for science is totally infectious and no one is better able to convey the excitement and wonder of it all than Dr Karl Kruszelnicki.