Theme: Press Play

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized (subject to certain rules and regulations).

ACS Beirut
67 Nigeria St.
Beirut, Beyrouth, 0000
Lebanon

Alan Kairouz

Entrepreneurship and Self-Mastery Coach and Trainer/Parent

Alan Kairouz is a Certified Master Neurolinguistic Practitioner, a Timeline Therapist, a Motivational Speaker, an Entrepreneurship Coach, and a Self-Defense, Survival, and MMA trainer. With over 20 years of program management experience, he has planned, organized, and led over a thousand humanitarian and environmental projects, and campaigns to help resolve numerous crisis situations. With his management, leadership, and motivational roles in Lebanon and abroad, Alan has planned, facilitated, and delivered countless soft and hard skills trainings and workshops, including crisis management, self-development, civic engagement, and entrepreneurship startup projects. He has supported and helped initiate several NGOs and businesses. He has trained, led, and guided numerous expeditions to some of the highest mountains in the world. He has motivated, coached, and mentored hundreds of individuals and has been well known for his continuous contribution as an environmentalist and philanthropist.

Badria El Jilani

Teacher

Badria is a history teacher who loves her subject so much — she did her Masters in it. She has a passion for reading and writing, as well as sketching cartoons in her free time. However, with a baby under 1, where free time is rare, she still finds the time to pursue her passion in researching historical issues and practicing her hobbies.

Elliot Yonas

Student

Elliot Yonas is a current 9th Grader at the American Community School Beirut. He is a multi-sport athlete who often competes in different local competitions. As an asset to the community, he puts effort into doing what he finds right.

Haya Hassan

Student

Haya is a daughter, a sister, a friend, and an aunt. She holds extreme gratitude that she gets to be all of those things. She is an overly sensitive and caring human being who tends to feel with others. She loves being surrounded by people that she cares for, especially her family. But she also enjoys spending time alone, being in the presence of her own self. She is aware and conscious of her feelings and of others. She aims to constantly better herself and her mental health whether it be through working out, reading, art, and school work.

Janine Bezuidenhout

Teacher

Janine is a theatre lover, a traveller, compassionate and enthusiastic about living life to its fullest. She believes that people should enjoy life fully and that might look different for everyone. But to her, it is important to identify the things that bring us to life, make us feel like we live in the spotlight of our own minds, and chase after it.

Juliana Nahlus

Student

Juliana is a Lebanese soon-to-be 9th grader who is passionate about school as every day she is closer to her goals. She enjoys drawing, journaling, studying, and helping people. She has multiple goals at the moment such as getting straight A's in school to be able to enroll in an Ivy League School. Other than that, she plans to open a study club on psychology and participate in ''Tiny Desk'' (a group of talented students who sing and play specific instruments). She's a very outgoing and open person who likes talking to people about self-growth. She tends to share something new she learns every day. Despite having social anxiety, she tries to join as many social events to help overcome it. TEDx offers her an opportunity to help overcome it and be more confident.

Marcelle Dagher Kairouz

Teacher

Marcelle is a middle school science teacher at ACS. She is a passionate educator with 23 years of experience. She is an avid believer that now, more than ever we need to understand ourselves and our world at a qualitatively higher level of mental complexity in order to advance to a more sophisticated stage of mental development. She is here to share her story of failures, lessons learned, and ultimate transformation.

Phoebe Kemp

Student

Phoebe is a 14 year old girl living in Lebanon. Her love for animals has given her new experiences and changed her life today. She started rescuing and fostering animals in 2018. Almost all of the animals I saved faced abuse or neglect due to dire situation of animals in Lebanon. She has published two books with all proceeds going towards rescues and fostering.

Ryan El Khayat

Student

Ryan is an enthusiastic speaker with lots to offer. He often ponders ways to improve and enhance his community and jumps at every opportunity. Ryan is a lifer at the American Community School of Beirut and cannot imagine the person he would have been without this home. He is a people person who is fun, loving, yet intellectually curious and always eager to learn new things.

Sara El Chediac

Teacher

The following speaker is a high school social studies teacher at American Community School Beirut - teaching a variety of subjects such as History, Global Politics, and Theory of Knowledge. She has a deep curiosity for everything related to ideologies, institutions, policies, classes and the human behavior and mind. She does believe that the social sciences and humanities, in general, have helped her develop a more profound understanding of the world, of where people come from, and how we are much more similar than we think… and she believes she’s now a better person for it. On a personal level, she’s a social introvert (who likes people, nevertheless), a daydreamer, and a lover of art, literature and beauty. In her free time, she likes to read, to watch sci-fi, and to play Roblox with her nieces. She goes above and beyond for the people she cares about and, despite occasional disappointments, she wears her capacity to fiercely love others as a badge of honor.

Simon Barakat

Teacher

Simon is an engineer who chose to be an educator and a science teacher. He is the Head of the Science Department at the American Community School Beirut Middle School. He enjoys working with students of all ages, but mostly with middle schoolers. He is a tinkerer, coder, maker, innovator, and a curious explorer. His hobbies are boating and fishing and his life is full of stories that are far from the usual.

Wassim Daniel

Head of Growth and Partnerships

Wassim Daniel has more than 20 years of experience in Advertising and Marketing in the MENA region. He managed multinational Advertising Agencies in Dubai and Levant markets. He has built Digital Agencies across the region and recruited many talents that supported him through his journey. He holds a BA from NDU in Advertising & Marketing and EMBA from ESCP Paris. He has 2 kids, Ralph 14 years and Marc 11 Years old.