speakers
Abbas Nazari
Abbas Nazari fled the Taliban in Afghanistan as a child and was resettled in New Zealand after his family were rescued by the Tampa containership in 2001, an international story known as the Tampa Affair.
Abbas and his family have thrived since being resettled to New Zealand. In 2019, Abbas was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to the United States, where he graduated with a Master's in Security Studies from Georgetown University, Washington DC.
His memoir, After the Tampa: From Afghanistan to New Zealand, is a #1 bestseller. Named a finalist for the 2022 Young New Zealander of the Year. Abbas will be speaking about his journey, his experiences of thriving in a foreign country, overcoming life's obstacles, and some lessons learned along the way.
Bevan James Eyles
Bevan James Eyles is a three-time Kiwi Fitness Instructor of the Year, former elite Ironman athlete, bestselling author, and a high performance mindset coach.
Bevan’s specialty? Helping individuals unlock their full potential, mentally, physically, and emotionally. From elite performers to everyday people seeking their best version, his evidence-based, real-world strategies help transform habits, sharpen focus, and elevate results across life’s most important arenas.
Dr Bronwyn Wood
Dr Bronwyn Wood, Associate Professor in the School of Education at Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington, as a keynote speaker.
Dr Wood is a social science education specialist with deep expertise in geography and social studies curriculum, textbook writing and resource development. Her research focuses on citizenship education, youth participation and belonging, and the policies that shape learning pathways.
She uses innovative visual and verbal methods to understand how young people engage in civic life and how education can nurture that engagement and prepare students for diverse career futures.
Chris Clay
Chris Clay has spent his career helping people make sense of change and imagine new possibilities for learning and work. Named International Innovative Educator of the Year by Microsoft in 2011, Chris first gained recognition for his pioneering use of technology and collaborative knowledge building to support students affected by the Christchurch earthquakes.
After leaving the classroom, he became the founding Education Director of The Mind Lab by Unitec, helping establish its postgraduate programmes for teachers and expanding its reach across Aotearoa New Zealand.
Over the past decade, Chris has worked with school leaders, business executives, and even All Black coaches, helping them apply futures thinking as a practical tool for leadership and innovation. His experience spans sectors including high-tech, energy, science and research, and high-performance sport, where he helps teams explore how emerging trends shape strategy and capability.
Chris is also the founder of Infinite Careers (infinite.careers), an initiative that helps young people and educators explore how shifting technologies, values, and opportunities are redefining what it means to plan a career. Through workshops and interactive tools, Infinite Careers encourages schools to move beyond prediction and prepare students for an infinite range of possible futures.
A sought-after speaker in New Zealand and overseas, Chris has presented at events such as TEDx, SingularityU, and other internationally recognised conferences.
Hon Erica Stanford
Erica completed a Bachelor of Arts with First Class Honours at the University of Auckland, majoring in Political Science and minoring in Māori Studies. She worked in a number of export sales roles for New Zealand manufacturers.
She also spent four years working in the electorate office of former MP for East Coast Bays, Hon Murray McCully.
Dr Johnson Witehira
Dr Johnson Witehira is a designer, educator, and creative-technology leader whose work sits at the intersection of culture, innovation, and education. He is the Head of the School of Music and Screen Arts at Massey University and founder of Indigenous Design and Innovation Aotearoa (IDIA) and Āpōpō, a creative-tech hub supporting Māori and Indigenous futures.
An award-winning designer, Johnson’s projects span from type design and virtual production to global collaborations exploring Indigenous perspectives in AI. Having taught across secondary and tertiary levels, he has also led the development and moderation of new creative programmes and degrees in Aotearoa.
His work continues to bridge art, design, culture and technology—challenging how we prepare rangatahi for a future shaped by culture, creativity, and automation.
JP Michel
Founder | SparkPath
JP Michel is the creator of the Challenge mindset and the Challenge Cards, which have been used by more than 100,000 students around the world. JP is a TEDx speaker whose work on careers has been featured on the BBC, CBC and Forbes.
Recognized as the 2022 Outstanding Career Leader by the Career Professionals of Canada, JP's holds a degree in psychology from the University of Ottawa and a master's degree in industrial-organizational psychology from the University of Manchester.
Karen O'Leary - Conference MC
A natural performer, Karen developed exceptional communication skills in her two decades as an early childhood educator, and uses those skills to great effect as an Actor, Television Personality, MC and Host.
She made her acting debut in Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement’s cult-classic feature What We Do in the Shadows. Her head-turning performance as Officer O’Leary led to comedy spin-off series Wellington Paranormal, a show that is broadcast in 70 countries around the world, including on HBO Max in the US.
She has enjoyed roles in features The Moon is Upside Down, Millie Lies Low and SXSW darlings The Breaker Upperers and Nude Tuesday. Her talents are a perfect fit for improvised television comedy Educators, and she's also an excellent television host, as illustrated by her 2024 NZTV Award win for Best Entertainment Presenter, for her work in Paddy Gower Has Issues.
Karen is a charismatic, hilarious, and charming presence whose services are highly sought after.