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Marinda van Wyk
Keynote Speaker
I am cervical cancer survivor, video producer, keynote speaker and facilitator who specialises in creating spaces for authentic human connection. I produced Here to Stay, a documentary on autism in the workplace. The project highlights the importance of challenging assumptions and shaping a more inclusive workplace culture.
Beyond film, I lead Hello Human, a business that helps corporate teams move past surface-level interactions and build authentic connections that deepen collaboration and trust. My work bridges storytelling and facilitation, giving organisations new tools to build empathy and mutual understanding.
Keynote Topics:
Connecting Across Neurodiversity Without Guesswork
We assume communication breaks down because people aren’t listening properly or aren’t clear enough when they communicate. That’s not usually the problem.
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The real issue is that we don’t all process the world in the same way.
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In this talk, I unpack what actually happens when different communication styles meet, especially between neurotypical and neurodivergent people.
Why tone gets misread, why some people need more context while others want things said directly, and why conversations that feel “normal” to one person can feel uncomfortable or confusing to someone else.
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This isn’t about getting it perfect or overthinking every interaction. It’s about noticing what’s going on beneath the surface and making small shifts that change how people experience you and each other.
The Call That Changed Everything: From cervical cancer diagnosis to healing
It starts with a phone call I never expected to receive.
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In this talk, I share my experience of being diagnosed with cervical cancer: what it felt like in the moment, and everything that followed. Not just the medical side, but the quieter, more personal parts that don’t get spoken about enough.
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I also talk about HPV, prevention, and early detection in a way that’s easy to understand and hard to ignore, because this is one of those things people think won’t happen to them, until it does.
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It’s not a polished “everything worked out” story. It’s honest, and at times uncomfortable. But it shifts something. People leave seeing their health and their priorities differently.