Event schedule

From doors to dusk on the waterfront.

12:00 PMMorning Refreshments & Welcome›

Guests arrived to a spread of fresh fruit, desserts, cookies, and homemade breakfast treats — picking up their name badges, meeting the team, and taking in the Harbourfront views with a coffee in hand.

All AttendeesHomemade Breakfast

12:45 PMOpening Remarks›

A welcome from Valentin Cela and the TEDxHarbourfront organizing team, with a brief orientation to the day and the ideas ahead.

1:00 PMSession I: Understanding & Caring for the Brain›

Talks on the foundations of the mind and everyday brain science, alongside mental health, wellbeing, and the choices that shape how we think and feel.

Everyday Brain ScienceMental Health & Wellbeing

3:30 PMStructured Networking Break›

Not a coffee line, a facilitated pairing session over 15 large homemade pizzas. Attendees met someone outside their subfield: a clinician across the table from a computational neuroscientist, an engineer beside a psychiatrist. Every connection had intention — and nobody left hungry.

Networking15 Homemade Pizzas

3:55 PMSession II: The Mind in the World›

Talks on brain technology and AI, the philosophy of mind, and the communities and connections that shape who we become.

Brain Tech & AIMind & SocietyCommunity & Connection

6:30 PMClosing Note›

A final reflection synthesizing the day’s ideas into one unforgettable thought — the last thing guests heard before heading out into the world.

6:40 PMWrapping the Event›

Thank-yous to the speakers, volunteers, and partners who made the day possible, a final group photo by the water, and warm goodbyes as Bridges & Brains came to a close.

All Attendees

7:00 PMHarbourfront Walk (Informal)›

The signature TEDx walk along the waterfront, followed by drinks together nearby for everyone who wanted to keep the conversation going.

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Speaker moments, behind the scenes, and highlights from the day. Relive it on our feed.

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You. Your voice matters.

Leave us your feedback for our next TED Talk event.

Bridges & Brains was built by this community, for this community — and the next one will be too. Two minutes, and a real person reads every word.

Minds

2026 Speakers

Eighteen speakers. Eighteen unforgettable stories.

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MW

Scharliina Eräpuro

Artist · Activist · Founder, Little Girl Project

“The Bridges We Build in Silence”

#1 charting artist and advocate; founder of Little Girl Project; has spoken at the European Parliament, UNICEF, and the World Health Assembly.

BT

Torian Richardson

CEO, DBR77 USA · former Global Director, NVIDIA

CEO, board director, and investor exploring agency and leadership in the era of superintelligence.

MW

Debbie Wilkes

Mental Health Professional · Founder, Insightfuliving

Three decades in mental health. How stress and trauma shape the brain, and how healing is possible.

MC

Andrew Daye

Mental Performance Coach · Award-Winning Speaker

Trains the minds of high performers, from Olympians to Fortune 500 teams, turning neuroscience into tools for focus and performance.

EB

Charlie Wollborg

Creative Director · Founding Partner, Curve Detroit

Six-time TEDx speaker helping professionals stop fearing AI. His theory: learning is easier when you’re laughing.

MSCould not attend Dr. Tynelle Taylor-Chase

Dr. Tynelle Taylor-Chase

Organizational Psychologist · Leadership Strategist

Challenges how leadership is practiced and measured, for workplaces where people do their best thinking.

Accepted to speak but unable to attend — her flight from the US was delayed by a storm.

MS

Vynny Hick

Bilingual Speaker · 30 Years in Law Enforcement

Former OPP officer, K9 handler, and Senior Recruiter. Three decades of leadership, resilience, and community safety.

CC

Joze Piranian

Global Keynote Speaker · Comedian · Author

Lifelong stutterer turned five-time TEDx speaker. Has spoken for Google, Meta, Netflix, IBM, and BlackRock.

MS

Megan Fuciarelli

Former School Superintendent · Author · TEDx Speaker

Creator of the Metamorphustice® framework: change as a journey, without guilt, shame, or blame.

CC

Karen Ta

DEIB Leader · ACC · CPA · CTDP

Helps those who feel invisible become visible. Founder of a 700+ member ERG.

CC

Farnaz Farahbakhsh

Medical Student · Founder, Iranian Donors Save Lives

Leads stem cell donor recruitment across Canada. One person’s action becoming a movement.

MW

Klea Mosho

Rehabilitation Therapist · OTA/PTA

Helps clients regain independence, function, and confidence through evidence-based, client-centered therapy.

CC

Imam Shuaib

Coach · Mentor · Community Builder

Has impacted thousands of lives globally. Engineer by training, educated across three continents.

BT

Akash Shetty

CTO & Co-founder, Publicus

Builds AI-native infrastructure for public-sector procurement; a fixture of Toronto’s AI ecosystem.

MW

Ehi Okoedion

Resilience & Leadership Speaker · Author

Lawyer, businessperson, and author of Resilient Every Day. His core belief: resilience is a daily practice, not a character trait.

BT

Kejvi Peti

Co-Founder & CTO, True North Material Innovations

Toronto-based AI/ML leader. MSc in Artificial Intelligence, University of Leeds.

MS

Priya V. Singh

Founder, The Clarityst · The Impossible Goals Movement

Former tech executive with 25 years at Google, Amazon, IBM, and Deloitte. Now on a mission to help a billion people achieve impossible goals.

MS

Dr. Anna Kaminska

Behavioural Economist · Former Litigator

PhD in law, Master’s in forensic psychology. Designs workplaces around how people actually think and decide.

About this event

One day, one continuous conversation about the mind.

Ideas worth spreading about the human brain, and the mind that runs on it.

This wasn’t a lab conference. It was a day about the brain you actually live with: under pressure, in love, at work, healing, growing.

Bridges & Brains was literal: we bridged what science knows with how you live.

01

One idea that changed how you see yourself.

Guests left with a thought that wasn’t there at breakfast.

02

One person who changes what you build next.

Curated networking, not chance encounters.

Who was in the room

01

High Performers

Focus and calm under pressure.

02

Working on Yourself

Healing, resilience, growth.

03

Leaders & Teams

Culture, potential, better thinking.

04

AI & Tech Curious

Where intelligence meets the brain.

05

Community Builders

Newcomers, advocates, connectors.

06

Curious Humans

Just curiosity about your own mind.

What the day held

07

Post-event walk & drinks

The real conversations started here.

08

Structured networking

Every introduction has intention.

09

Harbourfront walk

Lake Ontario. No agenda.

10

Post-event digital hub

Recordings, slides & speaker contacts.

Rare

What comes next

Want a seat at the next one?

Bridges & Brains has wrapped. We’d love to do it again — and if there’s a next TEDxHarbourfront, the people who put their name down hear first: tickets, speakers, and a shot at the front row.

A future event isn’t guaranteed — no spam, just first word if it happens.

Open doors

No one was priced out.

Bridges & Brains was built to be open to everyone. We offered free seats to anyone for whom cost was the only barrier — no proof of finances, no questions asked — and welcomed newcomers, students, and the simply curious into the room alongside everyone else.

Newcomers & immigrants welcome Passionate about neuroscience Working on yourself No proof required · confidential

Watch before you arrive

How to Start a Movement.

Three minutes on why TEDx rooms are where momentum is born.

Derek Sivers · TED2010 · 3 minutes

Where we gather

George Brown, Waterfront Campus.

Venue

George Brown College, Waterfront Campus

Address

51 Dockside Drive, Toronto, ON M5A 1B6, Canada

Room

7th Floor event classroom · take the main elevators from the lobby and follow TEDx signage

Date

Saturday, June 13, 2026

Doors

11:30 AM EDT · Program starts 12:00 PM

Transit

Union Station 10 min · TTC 514 Cherry Streetcar · On-site parking

Access

Fully wheelchair accessible · AODA compliant · All dietary needs accommodated

Calendar

Add to your calendar ↗

Contact

valentcela@gmail.com

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George Brown College Waterfront Campus main entrance

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George Brown Waterfront Campus at sunset, seen from Lake Ontario — The campus from the lake

George Brown Waterfront Campus exterior at dusk — Dockside Drive at dusk

Interior amphitheatre with floor-to-ceiling windows over Lake Ontario — Inside, the lake as backdrop

Wood-clad atrium with study spaces at George Brown — The atrium

Students walking through the campus lobby — Campus lobby

Tiered classroom with rows of seats — Tiered classroom

Lecture hall during a talk — Where the talks happen

Amphitheatre stairs with lake view at George Brown Waterfront Campus — The amphitheatre stairs

Frequently asked

About the day, and what’s next.

Will the talks be available to watch?+

Every talk was recorded. All speaker videos are being sent to the main TED team for review, and processing and uploading to TED can take up to 90 days. We can’t guarantee that every recording will be published, but we’ll share what goes live as it becomes available.

Will there be another TEDxHarbourfront?+

We’d love to — though a next TEDxHarbourfront isn’t guaranteed yet. The best way to stay in the loop is to express your interest, and if one goes ahead you’ll be first to hear about tickets, speakers, and announcements.

I’d love to speak or volunteer next time. How?+

Wonderful. When planning for 2027 begins we’ll open applications for speakers and crew. Register your interest now and we’ll reach out directly — first-time speakers and volunteers are every bit as welcome as seasoned ones.

How can my organization partner with you?+

TEDxHarbourfront is community-funded with no profit margin — contributions go directly to speakers, production, and subsidized student access. If you’d like to partner with us for 2027, get in touch here.

What is TEDx, and how is this different from TED?+

TEDxHarbourfront is an officially licensed TEDx event, organized by Valentin Cela under license from TED. TEDx events are local TED events run by approved organizers who follow TED’s strict guidelines.

What kind of event was it?+

A curated day of TED-format ideas about the brain — accessible to a general audience, substantive enough for specialists. Not a medical conference, symposium, or wellness retreat: just original ideas about the brain you live with — performance, healing, leadership, connection, and the technology changing all of it — each delivered by someone who’d earned the right to talk about it.

The organizing team

The people behind the ideas.

A small, committed team.

Founder & Organizer · Licensee, TEDxHarbourfront

Valentin Cela

BSc · MSc · PMP · Toronto, ON

Founder, organizer, and licensed curator of TEDxHarbourfront 2026. A Toronto-based project leader with graduate degrees in science and a PMP, he conceived Bridges & Brains and built it end to end: theme, venue, speakers, team, and the room you’ll sit in on June 13. He is also the founder of tuon.ca, the best mobile tutoring platform in the GTA. His belief is simple: everyone who has something to say deserves the chance to prove themselves.

TED Profile ↗

IS

Team Member

Ina Shehi

Finance & Accounting · ACCA Candidate

Finance & accounting professional ensuring every dollar serves the ideas.

LinkedIn ↗

EK

Team Member

Elena Karaj

Dental Assistant · Mental Health Associate

Dental assistant and mental health associate, trained at George Brown College.

LinkedIn ↗

LN

Team Member

Lurio Neli

Operations & Logistics

Runs venue logistics, vendors, and day-of execution with calm precision.

LinkedIn ↗

The mind is wider than the sky

Until the next one.

Thank you to everyone who shared the waterfront with us on June 13, 2026.

Relive the day

Bridges &Brains.

From doors to dusk on the waterfront.

Follow the build.

Leave us your feedback for our next TED Talk event.

Eighteen speakers. Eighteen unforgettable stories.

One day, one continuous conversation about the mind.

One idea that changed how you see yourself.