Ghanaian youths to share inspiration and innovation at TEDx

On April 10, Ghanaian youths would be joined by other global thinkers to share inspiration and innovation for the youth at TEDxYouthInspire conference in Accra to capture the spirit of a TED conference. The four sessions will include powerful, short talks focused on a single topic or idea.

TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas worth Spreading. Started as a four-day conference in California 25 years ago, TED has grown to support those world-changing ideas with multiple initiatives. The annual TED Conference invites the world’s leading thinkers and doers to speak for 18 minutes. Their talks are then made available, free, at TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Al Gore, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Nandan Nilekani, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Isabel Allende and UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

The annual TED Conference takes place in Long Beach, California; TEDGlobal is held each year in Oxford, UK, and this November, the TEDIndia Conference will be held in Mysore, India. TED’s media initiatives include TED.com, where new TEDTalks are posted daily, and the Open Translation Project, which provides subtitles and interactive transcripts as well as the ability for any TEDTalk to be translated by volunteers worldwide. TED has established the annual TED Prize, where three exceptional individuals with a wish to change the world are given the opportunity to put their wishes into action

TEDx, which offers individuals or groups a way to host local, self-organized events around the world, and the TED Fellows program, helping world-changing innovators from around the globe to become part of the TED community and, with its help, amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities. Speakers at the TEDxYouthInspire will include:

Iyinoluwa E. Aboyeji, 18 President, Imprint Publications A Nigerian teenager with a passion for philosophy, global politics and economics, is President of the Board for University of Waterloo publication Imprint. Using his weekly column “E is for Error” to discuss development and post secondary education, he aspires to be a tenured professor by age 25.

Asanti Dance Theatre Performing Arts Ensemble The Asanti Dance Theatre is a dynamic ensemble that combines traditional, contemporary and freestyle dancing along with drumming. Founded in 2003, the group raises awareness of prominent issues facing West Africa and is dedicated to developing and preserving the cultural heritage of Ghana.

Yawa Hansen-Quao, 26 Founder, Leading Ladies Yawa Hansen-Quao is the founder of the Leading Ladies Network, an organization that provides a platform for dialogue, skill-building and mentoring for women. Believing that women must play a central role in spurring economic and social advancement in Africa, Yawa, a travel professional, supports travel as a tool to “transform people without permission”.

MacJordan Holdbrookes-Degadjor, 25 Social Media Activist Social Media Activist Mac-Jordan Holdbrookes-Degadjor is passionate about Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D), youth empowerment and ending poverty through education. With three blogs to his credit, he often writes about global events, social entrepreneurship, traveling and how it feels to be a geek in Ghana.

Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah Host, Joy FM ’s Super Morning Show

Shirley Osei-Mensah, 18 High School Student & Entrepreneur Shirley Osei-Mensah, an 18 year-old entrepreneur, knows adversity well. At the age of 15, she fell ill and had to stop schooling to pursue treatment. Not willing to let sickness deter her education, Shirley searched for solutions that would allow her to continue studies. Now a student at Keystone National High School, Shirley, who lives with her parents and sister in Kumasi, takes all her coursework online and has found time to create a lucrative business from blogging.

Focused on inspiring others, Shirley uses her web exposure to share her story of self-motivation, and provides tips about entrepreneurship and making money online.

Esi Yankah, 25 An active changemaker from Agona Kwanyako in the Central Region of Ghana, Esi Yankah is founder and president of The Africa Mentor Network (TAMN), a new kind of organization that allows African leaders to shape the lives of the younger generation through a measurable, long-term networking program. Cautious to always live a life that is cheerful and purposeful, Esi does not believe that entrepreneurs like herself are an extraordinary breed of people; rather, as she explains, “We just back our faith with action.”