*UPDATE: Due to unforeseen global travel circumstances Molly will be unable to join Cairns Crocodiles in 2026. Please check out the agenda HERE for the latest sessions!
Following his smash-hit keynote at last year’s Cairns Crocodiles, presented by Pinterest, United Nations Foundation marketing boss David Ohana is back for 2026 and is bringing a very special guest with him.
Come May, Cairns Crocodiles will reunite Molly Wright, actress and Thrive by Five TED Talk star, with Ohana for a poignant and exclusive mainstage conversation.
As the-then global head of marketing, brand and campaigns at the Minderoo Foundation, Ohana wrote and produced Wright’s TED Talk on childhood brain development alongside filmmaker Michael Gracey.
Wright, then just seven years old, delivered the TED talk which quickly became a viral hit, amassing more than 2 billion views worldwide and becoming the most-watched TED Talk of 2021. It was later awarded a coveted Gold Effie as the most effective social impact campaign of 2022.
Queenslander Wright stood in front of an audience of hundreds to speak about how every child can thrive by the age of five.
In Cairns, Wright and Ohana will explore how childlike curiosity can spark ideas, inspire action and unlock lifelong creativity. From building global impact to creating work that truly connects, the session will challenge creatives to protect their curiosity, trust instinct over formulas and remember that imagination is not something we grow out of, it is something we must choose to keep.
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“Ohana’s keynote at last year’s event was a huge hit, with no seats left and queues out the door, making it one of the most talked-about sessions of the program,” Pippa Chambers, content director at Cairns Crocodiles said.
“That overwhelming response is why he returns again this year, not only for this unique mainstage conversation with Molly but also to lead a highly anticipated masterclass on day three.”
Together, Wright and Ohana will explore how stories move people, how emotion and authenticity create impact and how voices, no matter how young, can change global conversations. Their session promises to be one of the most moving and memorable moments of the program, blending global influence with youthful perspective and showing how powerful storytelling can begin anywhere and reach everywhere.
Beyond speaking, Wright is also a rapidly rising actor. She has appeared on global stages alongside figures such as filmmaker James Cameron and Pixar’s Danielle Feinberg at El Festival de las Ideas in Puebla, Mexico, and has built a growing screen career across Australia, the United States and the UK.
Her recent work includes The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (Lionsgate, 2024), action thriller Deep Water (2026), and indie drama Omaha (2026). Omaha premiered to critical acclaim in the Dramatic Competition at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, earning Wright multiple acting awards, including the Special Jury Prize for Performance at the Hamptons International Film Festival. In 2026, she will be seen in a diverse slate of films including British family drama Flavia, and sci-fi thriller Black Box.
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