Macinley Butson

Growing up, Macinley may not have known of ‘STEM’ but was certainly familiar with the word “why”. This simple question shaped her childhood, as inventing became an integral part of life and her passion for STEM grew as she did. Follow Macinley’s journey as she recounts how one goes from first developing a pair of sunglasses at age 7, to inventing a device to improve radiotherapy breast cancer treatment when she was only 16.

Driven by a natural curiosity and with more than 6 devices under her belt from a diverse range of scientific areas, she describes her experiences in failure, perseverance and pushing boundaries. In the midst of the Information Age and digital revolutions, she advises how we can better utilise our resources in order to advance STEM and improve our world together.

As an advocate for women and youth her presentation also explores current perceptions of STEM and young generations, challenging what is currently considered ‘possible’ in our world and leaving the audience inspired to be the change they want to see.

Who is this for: can be tailored for any audience

In a world of overwhelming information, this powerful resource has potential to shape the future and growing up with the world literally at their fingertips, young generations are in a prime position to do so. Research comes second nature to Macinley as she has been inventing much of her life, allowing her to make advancements in STEM which have challenged previous perceptions of ‘truth’.

She describes the growing dependence on STEM and advises how we must position ourselves for the future, by questioning data we are exposed to daily. Explaining how modern factors such as social media and informal learning are becoming increasingly influential, she also prompts reflection on what we each blindly accepted as truth.

Aligning with the scientific method, audiences will end up with more questions than answers and can be sure to be thinking long after the presentation concludes.

Who is this for: can be tailored for any audience

A wave of critical thinking has stormed the world, and many developers have credited the process coined ‘Design Thinking’ for much of their success. A unique approach to tackling our challenges, it has the potential to unlock new secrets and global advancements throughout many sectors.

Be taken through the fundamentals of Design Thinking, as Macinley shares her personal experiences and how this process is intertwined with her work. Macinley has often utilised this practical method as she finds it allows her scientific creativity to be combined with technological development in an innovative way, whilst maintaining an empathy for humanity throughout all work. She will

Audiences will explore cognitive concepts involved in Design Thinking, which expand opportunities for innovation and be encouraged to pursue this line of thinking in their daily and work life.

Who is this for: this can be delivered as either a speech or workshop and tailored to suit schools or corporate.