#TEDxCT speaker profile: Penelope Tainton

Give us some background about yourself and your career/initiative?

Tainton: My passion is to contribute to making South Africa succeed. I believe in this country, and that, to paraphrase Clinton (Bill, that is), there is nothing wrong with South Africa that can’t be fixed by what’s right with South Africa.

I’ve had a very varied career, starting out in IT in the early days of mainframes and punch-cards, moving from programming in now antiquated languages, into systems analysis. This gave me a fantastic foundation in building solutions. I then spent a number of years in business, before moving into the exciting field of politics. I’m excited by new ideas, by innovation, and love it when my passions and my work come together, as they have in my role of driving two of the Premiers of the Western Cape’s Game Changers (eLearning and After School Programmes).

So, I’m a bit of a “Jack of All Trades”. My driving motivators are a passion for this country, built on my belief in the power of the individual, and my firm conviction that, in our constrained environment, we have had to become leaders in innovation and solution-based systems thinking that the rest of the world should watch closely.

Is this your first TEDx presentation and how are you feeling about it?

Tainton: Yes this is my first TEDx presentation. I’m feeling nervous but also excited. The reality of owning a whole stage in front of a large audience, with live streaming, and a video made for posterity, has hit home. The challenge of remembering a fairly lengthy speech with no notes and no prompting is quite daunting. I am overwhelmed by the awesome responsibility to clearly articulate this important idea of delivering equality to our children through a properly structured eLearning program delivered throughout the Province.

But I am also excited to be able to share this amazing work I get to experience every day with others.

What is your interpretation of the theme Here/Hear to Listen?

Tainton: Here/Hear to listen is a reflection on where we find ourselves in our society. We are bombarded with so much noise and busy-ness every day. What we actually listen to and absorb, is just a small percentage of the volume of stuff that gets thrown at us every day. TEDxCape Town is providing an opportunity for people to step out of that space and to spend some time consciously focusing on ideas that are worth thinking about

How will your presentation relate to the theme?

Tainton: My presentation is all about delivering equality in our equality society through a change in the system of education, as well as a change in the way that government works.

It is critical that the voice of the learner, and particularly those in under-resourced schools who are in desperate need of support, informs what we do. My speech deals with the change that is possible when a government is prepared to listen, to actively seek solutions, to move out of typical government processes, and to deliver for impact.

What are you looking forward to the most about TEDxCapeTown this year?

Tainton: It being over… :-) This has been an interesting process of really interrogating what I do every day, and understanding why it is important to me and to others.

Mark Twain famously said “If I had more time I would have written you a shorter letter”. I’ve been pushed to be my own biggest critic, editing the flood of ideas down to the core of what I believe is really important to share. So I am interested to see if that idea really gets through.

I’ve been amazed at the generous support of people who have been prepared to help and share ideas and time. I am hoping that I can do their work and their confidence in me justice. Mostly I am honoured to have an opportunity to share this important idea with others.

TEDxCapeTown 2016: Tech-enabled to go green and enhance audience experience

For the first time since 2011, TEDxCapeTown is committed to a more tech-enabled team and delivery of the event. Audience members can expect to experience a web-enabled application, implemented by Accenture South Africa, allowing them to view the programme of the day, listed speakers and their bios and directly engage via the TEDxCapeTown social channels in-app.

For the second consecutive year, Accenture South Africa has decided to partner with the largest TEDx event on the African continent, to demonstrate and share contributions to innovation. Accenture strongly identifies with the ethos of TEDx which exists to discuss ideas worth spreading.

“Accenture and TEDx believe passionately in the power of innovation to change attitudes, perceptions and behaviours. In South Africa, Accenture remains committed to playing a strategic role in supporting our clients and helping to drive sustainable economic growth,” says Suren Govender, managing director of Accenture Analytics, part of Accenture Digital. “Our focus at TEDx this year really is to listen to the ideas local TEDx folks have and assist by translating these ideas – from strategy to outcome – into meaningful and actionable results that could contribute to job creation and growing the economy.”