Dr Jordan Nguyen

Dr Jordan Nguyen is a leading Australian engineer, inventor and innovator, committed to improving as many lives as possible, and becoming a driving force behind both human and technological evolution as we move into the future.

An internationally renowned engineer for humanity, Jordan designs life-changing technologies to transform the lives of people with disabilities and the elderly through his role as founder of Psykinetic, a social business committed to bringing positive, sustainable and life-altering change. He also shares his adventures through documentaries across the world. Inspired by human endeavour, Jordan has big ambitions to see our world step consciously and creatively into a better future.

Jordan is Founder and CEO of Psykinetic, a social business creating futuristic, inclusive and empowering technologies to improve independence and quality of life for disability, aged care and beyond. Dr Jordan and his team have successfully created a mind-controlled wheelchair, numerous Virtual and Augmented reality applications, inclusive gaming, an instrument that enabled a friend with cerebral palsy to perform live music with her eye movements and blinks, and devices that make it possible to control household appliances or even drive cars using only the tiny electrical signals created from eye movements.

Author of the book 'A Human's Guide to the Future', Jordan is also an award-winning documentary maker and presenter. In 2016 he collaborated with the Australian-based production company, The Feds, and the ABC Catalyst to create and present his first TV documentary Becoming Superhuman, which went on to win many prestigious awards both locally and internationally. His work is regularly featured in the media. He has since gone on to present a second ABC Catalyst documentary Meet The Avatars exploring the impacts of Virtual Reality, including creating virtual interactive avatars to preserve memories of loved ones. He has also presented numerous documentaries with Discovery Channel and National Geographic “ including Frontiers of Science, Smart China Start-up Revolutions, Vietnam: Connecting East Africa, and Tibet: Living On The Roof Of The World. He recently founded his own media company and aims to continue creating world-changing content on the intersection between technology and humanity.

Jordan is a passionate ambassador for STEAM education, adaptable mindsets and big-picture thinking, and holds a degree in Electrical Engineering, First-Class Honours, Diploma in Engineering Practice, and a PhD in Biomedical Engineering (Chancellors List) from the University of Technology Sydney. He has taught university engineering masters students and overseen PhDs in Artificial Intelligence design and Biomedical instrumentation and has supervised many more research students. He believes our young generations are the change-makers of tomorrow and has the potential to create solutions to the world's greatest challenges.

In November 2022, the Dr Jordan Nguyen Innovation Centre at Baulkham Hills North Public School was officially opened - named by the school's students. Jordan was a finalist for NSW in Australian of the Year in 2017, and a finalist in the AmCham (American Chamber of Commerce) awards for Artificial Intelligence. He was named in the six Harper's BAZAAR Visionary Men of 2019, has made the list of Australia's Most Innovative Engineers by Create Magazine, was named twice in Onalyticas Top 100 Global Influencers on Virtual Reality, travelled on a Think Inc tour with Steve Wozniak, won the Australian Computer Society's (ACS) ˜ICT Professional of the Year Digital Disruptors Award, and has had the honour of being MC for An Evening With President Barack Obama on his last visit to Sydney.

Jehan Casinader

Jehan Casinader is a journalist, keynote speaker and mental health advocate.

His was named “Reporter of the Year” at the New Zealand Television Awards, and “Best Political Columnist” at the Voyager Media Awards.

In the aftermath of natural disasters, terror attacks, sporting triumphs and everything in between, Jehan has helped hundreds of Kiwis to share their deeply personal stories with the rest of the country.

Now one of New Zealand’s most-booked speakers, Jehan is a respected voice in the areas of wellbeing, leadership and workplace culture. He has delivered training and development opportunities for councils across the country.

A survivor of depression and suicidality, he is the author of This Is Not How It Ends: How rewriting your story can save your life (HarperCollins). He is also an official ambassador for Men’s Health Week.

Jonathan Pawley 

Team Lead Partnership & Assistance | National Cyber Security Centre

The NCSC will present on the cyber threat landscape as explained through the five key judgements; Aligning with NZ's National Cyber Security Strategy; The uptake of AI in the public service and the NCSC’s minimum standards for Government.

IM Stream

Stewart Lomax

Venn Consulting Limited

Making Councils Ready for Transition: Building the Information Foundations for Reform

As local government faces resource management reform, rising performance expectations and AI, councils need strong information foundations to navigate change. This session introduces a practical Transition Readiness Framework, developed through local government experience, to help councils assess their readiness across governance, stewardship, data quality, privacy, interoperability and AI readiness. Using examples from Auckland Council and Auckland Transport, discover practical steps to build trusted information foundations, reduce risk and prepare for future operating models.

Smart Communities Stream