Keynote Speaker
Mining engineer turned creative activist. Bold keynotes on turning complex crises into stories that actually move people.
Benjamin Von Wong didn’t set out to influence UN treaty negotiations. He was a hard-rock mining engineer until a personal turning point pushed him to pick up a camera. Those early experiments evolved into large-scale environmental art — a Guinness World Record sculpture from 168,000 straws, a four-story faucet spilling plastic onto the lawn of the United Nations, a six-meter “Biodiversity Jenga” tower at COP16.
His driving idea: if you want people to care, you have to make them curious first.
On stage, Ben isn’t an activist with all the answers. He speaks as someone who invented his own path — learning to persuade institutions, mobilize communities, and translate overwhelming systems into stories that move people. His core message is disarmingly hopeful: you don’t need to be the hero who saves the world. You need to lean into what you uniquely bring and create change where you are.
“His talk was easily one of the highlights of our conference. Ben captured the room.”
Satpal Gobindpuri, Managing Partner — DLA Piper Asia“A brilliant speaker. His ability to captivate and engage the students was truly remarkable.”
Ahmad Antar, Ph.D. — Harvard UniversityHow your fear of irrelevancy might be our greatest strength — and why the art of the impossible starts with asking for help.
Watch talk → World Economic ForumWhy data alone doesn’t change minds — and the creative strategies that make environmental crises go viral.
Watch talk → Creative MorningsThe honest reality of building massive installations with limited budgets, tight timelines, and why micro-bravery shapes careers and impact.
Watch talk →