Theme: Bridging Within

In a world defined by divisions and boundaries, there is a single word of extraordinary power: ‘bridging’. It has the power to connect, creating pathways that lead us to new horizons. But when we enrich it with the essence of ‘within’, something truly deeper happens. An essential journey of discovery begins, where we become aware of the connections we all fit into.

‘Bridging Within’ is a call to effective action. It urges us to venture beyond our safety zone and explore uncharted territories by analyzing the complex web of links that surrounds us. Within these connections lies the key to unlocking our true potential as we shatter the illusions of mental boundaries and harness the immense power of human communication.

‘Bridging Within’ extends far beyond personal growth.

It reaches into the challenges that our entire world faces. Whether in technology, education, human relations, or entertainment, it acts as a beacon of hope. It unites visionaries and creators who push the boundaries and who strongly believe in the power of determination and hard work.

Together, we look within ourselves, our communities and our world to discover innovative solutions. We seek to bridge the gaps that divide us, shaping a more cohesive and balanced future.

At TEDxPatras 2023, we will immerse ourselves in the vibrant energy of like-minded individuals, where inspiration and ideas converge. We will explore, connect and activate the infinite possibilities of ‘Bridging Within’.

Come and be part of TEDxPatras 2023, where the power of Bridging Within awaits.

Conference Center
University of Patras
University of Patras
Patras, Achaïa, 26504
Greece

Anastasios Karantakos

Tasos Karantakos is a documentary filmmaker from Greece who for the past 4 years has been travelling around the world documenting its most unexplored, often dangerous, stories including: The war in Ukraine, Overfishing in Mexico, Remote tribes in West Myanmar, Alleged Witch Camps in Ghana, Pakistan’s Gun Markets, Indonesia’s Air Pollution, and many more. It all started in November 2019, when he bought a one-way ticket to SouthEast Asia with just a camera in his hands and the goal of finding his creative voice that seemed to be hard to express in Greece, visiting countries like Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar and Singapore. That trip was a landmark in his later career as that’s where his first-ever expedition took place. Fast forward to a year later, he head over to Mexico. A few months later, in early 2022, he returned to Europe to cover the War in Ukraine on three separate occasions. All these projects led him to the creation of “Unseen Voices” in January 2023, a project aiming to “Give Voice to 100 Communities Around the World”. Since, he’s been to Ghana, Pakistan and Indonesia trying to do exactly that: Give a voice to those that have no voice.

Anne Kathrine Overgaard

Anne Kathrine Overgaard is head of External Projects at the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU). She founded the SDU Citizen Science Network and Citizen Science Knowledge Center with Thomas Kaarsted. As part of her engagement in Citizen Science, she is a member of the LIBER’s (Ligue des Bibliothèques Européennes de Recherche) Citizen Science Working Group and project manager of a long range of Citizen Science projects in close collaboration with researchers and library staff.

Elisabeth Calbari

Elisabeth Calbari (MISCP) is a neuropsychologist, executive neuroleadership consultant and keynote speaker focusing on the brain as well as the psychological and behavioural aspects that influence and transform our performance in a variety of settings. Elisabeth focuses on self-improvement and culture change programs that lead to enhanced performance, focus, resilience and emotional control while she is an award-winning program designer with an expertise in combining the neurosciences, psychology and leadership development. In her over 20 years of experience, Elisabeth has built up a clientele of primarily multinational corporations comprising players from heavy industry sectors, banking and shipping as well as the healthcare, pharmaceutical and the retail sectors. Leaders and executives learn how to optimise motivation, to cultivate self-awareness, control emotions and stability under pressure and peak stress. Elisabeth is the founder of Self Balance, a learning and development solutions company using evidence-based tools with real time biometric devices that engineer corporate growth on the basis of tailor made neuroscience-based programs. Self Balance’s mission is to promote and foster individual and organisational effectiveness by unleashing the human potential, while enabling both individuals and organisations to change at the core.

Foivos Delivorias

Fivos was born in Kallithea, Athens, in 1973. Having taken classical guitar lessons with Orfeas Peridis, in 1989, he presented his compositions to Manos Hadjidaki, leading to the release of his debut album, ‘THE PARADE’ under the label ‘Sirios’. Since then, he has consistently released albums that have firmly established him as one of the most significant Greek songwriters. His work is characterized by a distinct personal style, a unique and confessional lyricism, and a continuously evolving sound. Developing a songwriting language entirely on his own, he narrates everyday life with direct and poetic expressions, capturing the essence and history of his generation. He has become a pivotal figure in Greek music through timeless stories that resonate with all of us”. He is also responsible for a series of original and very successful live performances and concerts over the years, some of which he collaborated with important creators from various areas of Art. In the summer of 2017, he created the “Terrace of Phoebus”, a modern multi-spectacle that writes its own story on Athenian nights every summer.

Martin Koehring

Martin is Global Director of Impact at the International non-profit organisation Forum for the Future. He leads the International Impact team, which works across four geographics in partnership with business, government and civil society. Prior to joining Forum, Martin held leadership positions at Economist Impact, part of The Economist Group and publisher of The Economist newspaper. He led the World Ocean Initiative and Economist Impact’s sustainability, climate change and natural resources practice in the EMEA region – Europe, Middle East, Africa. As part of his broader engagement with sustainability, Martin is a trustee of the New Economics Foundation (a think tank focused on social, economic and environmental justice). He also sits on the Thomson Reuters Foundation Inclusive Economies Advisory Group and the Sustainable Brands Turkey Global Advisory Board.

Michael Petychakis

Michael Petychakis is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of ORFIUM, the global technology leader providing software, data, and licensing solutions to the entertainment industry. As CTO of ORFIUM, he is head of the Research & Development department which, despite the international activity of the company, is based in Greece and consists of more than 220 talented professionals, mainly Data Scientists, Software Developers, Product Managers and Designers. Michael has been involved in numerous research projects on topics related to artificial intelligence, robotics and future versions of the WWW and the Internet. In recent years, he has transferred his knowledge and experience as a mentor to many start-ups. In 2021, ORFIUM was honored with the First National Young Enterprise Award of Elevate Greece, for its significant technological contribution to combat the use of unlicensed works and copyright infringement, for the benefit of creators. Michael is a graduate of the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering of the National Technical University of Athens, where he has also conducted extensive research in Application Programming Interfaces (API) research.

Ola Labib

Ola Labib is one of the leading breakout comedians taking the UK comedy circuit by storm. Being the only black, Muslim, female Sudanese performing comedy in the UK, the talented artist offers a unique insight into her traditional African Islamic upbringing through comedy. On a mission to smash stereotypes, Ola has performed at leading comedy venues, including The Comedy Store, Hot Water and The Frog and Bucket and has appearances on shows, such as BBC’s Funny Festival Live, Yesterday, Today & The Day Before and The Lateish Show with Mo Gilligan. As a big fan of the industry heavyweights Dave Chappelle and Ricky Gervais, Ola takes inspiration from the legendary comedians in her performances and is mentored by the award-winning creator Danielle Scott-Haughton, who has helped her develop as a comedian. In addition to her comedy work, Ola has made an appearance on the CBBC show The Dog Ate My Homework, she has contributed to documentary projects for Afromic and hosts the weekly online series ‘Would You Rather’, known for making even the most collected guests sweat from her animated and cheeky content.

Phyllis Gabriel

Phyllis is the co-creator of the first and independent Greek-language personal development podcast The Brain Hacking Academy and the founder of the personal development and self-awareness community Growth Academy. She is also the creator and editor of the newsletter Phyllis and the author of the book “The Secrets of Memory”. With a background in Education and many years of teaching experience, she realized early that Learning, Self-Awareness and Personal Development are interconnected elements for our development. A journey of personal quest that turned into a professional journey based on people and their individual development. She studies, researches, writes, and constantly seeks ways to think and live better. Her vision is to live in a world where people recognize their true potential and make the most of it. A world where human creativity and rational thinking work together to help individuals improve their lives, and with it the world they live in. You can find her writing on her website phyllisgabriel.com and in the online community Growth Academy where she discusses, teaches, interviews, and shares her material with people seeking ways to create a balanced and better life.

Stelios Tsoukias and Band

Stelios Tsoukias was born in Athens and grew up in Exarchia. He studied Statistics and Mathematics in Samos and completed his postgraduate studies in Applied Economics and Finance at the Athens University of Economics and Business. For more than 5 years, he lived in London and continued to live between two countries, resulting in exposure to different cultures. Accusatory, Dionysian, ‘sentimentalist’, and socially restless, he has performed a series of successful concerts, carrying with him two albums, AGIOS PSEFTIS (2019) and KOITAZO EXO (2023), with songs that have already been loved by audiences throughout Greece, where emotions, experiences, and ideas are intertwined with fresh sounds. Stelios Tsoukias is coming to TEDxPatras 2023 along with Iasonas Economou (bass) and Thanos Stavridis (accordion). Blues embraces tradition, contemporary Greek songwriting meets American folk, and denunciation intertwines with eroticism, through the electricity of a band that will stir us up.

Thomai Gklarou-Stavropoulou

Thomai joined Google in 2020 and is currently a Sector lead, leading a regional Sales Team that covers Greece, Cyprus and Malta. Her main focus is partnering with top advertisers and helping them maximize their business results through Google’s ad solutions in a sustainable way. Prior to Google she was the Head of Greece for Matterkind & held various senior roles in TDG enabling business growth through ad-tech products.

Thomas Kaarsted

Originally the managing director of a publishing house, Thomas Kaarsted joined the University Library of Southern Denmark in 2008 and was appointed Deputy Library Director in 2013. He has since worked on a number of strategic community/society-based projects on a national and international level and together with Anne Kathrine Overgaard, they co-founded the Citizen Science Network and the Citizen Science Knowledge Center at the SDU. He also teaches Citizen Science and is a member of the LIBER’s (Ligue des Bibliothèques Européennes de Recherche) Conference Programme Committee and the Citizen Science Working Group.

Vassilis “Bilos” Manthopoulos

Vassilis ‘Bilos” Manthopoulos was born and raised in Patras. He studied at the Technical University of Patras, Civil Infrastructure Engineering and continued his studies at Norwich University of the Arts in England, where he obtained an MA in Communication Design, Distinction. At the age of twelve, he became engaged in graffiti and his interest in public art began. Since 2009 he has been professionally involved in mural painting and illustration. He actively exhibits his works in Greece and abroad and his murals can be found in several European cities. He lives and works in Sofia, Bulgaria with his wife and their two sons.