PepTalks Melbourne, 16 June 2017

Want to feel empowered to fulfil your potential? It’s time for a pep talk from life coach, speaker and raw beauty queen Kemi Nekvapil. English born with a Nigerian heritage, Kemi spent her entire childhood in foster care and draws on her early experiences of disempowerment to inspire other women to create lives of worthiness and fulfilment. Kemi empowers people around the world through sharing stories of her life – assumptions cast on her about who she is, not just as a woman; but as a black woman.

Charismatic, engaging, dynamic and wholehearted, Kemi radiates warmth and energy through her actions and words, connecting deeply with people and offering truth to the notion that where you start in life isn’t where you must end up. In a space that is often crowded with conflicting and confusing messaging around what it means to live empowered and passionate lives, Kemi’s distinctive approach cuts through. Her humorous and unapologetic narrative is refreshingly rare, and her insights around choice and empowerment resonate powerfully with women from all walks of life.

When it comes to corporate social responsibility, John Elliot has years of insider experience and a realistic, pragmatic view on how companies can create real change. He worked in the retail industry since the 80s with roles at Puma, And1 and Sportsco, discovering his passion for social responsibility and business when he chaired Nike’s environmental group and joined its first Global Climate Change summit. He is also the founder of Save Our Soles, which is responsible for recycling shoes in Australia. He joined TOMS as Australian managing director in 2012.

TOMS was founded in 2006 by American traveller, Blake Mycoskie, following a trip to Argentina. After noting that the children in villages had no shoes to protect their feet, he turned to the traditional Argentine alpargata shoe as a simple solution. TOMS was born, complete with a pledge to give one pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair purchased. The company has since given more than 60 million pairs of its trademark shoes.

Searching for a way to add more peace and calm to your life? Laura Poole is a vedic meditation teacher who has trained intensively over the past eight years with great masters in Australia, India and the United States. Based in Melbourne, she also teaches in Sydney and hosts meditation retreats in India. Laura’s desire is to share the wisdom of meditation, Ayurveda and the ancient vedic culture, making it relevant for living in today’s world.

Laura is also a program developer and board member of 1 Giant Mind, a mental health not-for-profit delivering free learn-to-meditate programs via a smartphone app. Passionate about creating community, she wants to inspire young people to take care of their mental and physical health, while encouraging them to make a real difference in the world. For her, it’s all about sharing simple how-to techniques for creating balance and harmony, while guiding people to live a radical and fierce life in flow with nature.