Theme: Crossing Boundaries

Our modern existence is defined by socially accepted limits, both physical and psychological. And we’re told they are meant to keep us safe and enable us to operate optimally within society. But the people who changed the world are those who challenged limits. They committed acts of disobedience or empathy and caused a shift in the way we understand our emotions which ultimately lead to innovation. Once a boundary is breached, it’s breached forever. Those who dare change, those are the ones who create something together, breaking down silos and transforming lives, crossing perimeters of territory, industry, race or identity.

It’s time to object to these borders with ideas. It’s time to burst the bubble and cross off the lines guarded by fear and uncertainty. And it's time to embrace change and address what IS possible. At the 10th edition of TEDxBucharest we aim to push ideas even further, breaking them out of schools, out of books and out of gender and racial constructs. This year we will challenge you to cross your boundaries. Because you don’t just happen.

Auditorium Pallady
40 Bulevardul Theodor Pallady, Bucharest
Bucharest, București
Romania

Alexa Valianatos

Vice President of MozaiQ. Human Rights Fighter.

Alexa Valianatos is a transgender woman and an adamant activist for the rights of the LGBT community and, particularly, for the transgender people. In 2017, she participated and left her mark on many actions and activities in the LGBT community and in May 2017 she initiated an important endeavor of informing and educating the broader society with the help of media and press. Member of MozaiQ - a Romanian community organization for the LGBTQIA+ persons that wants to deepen and strengthen the community through solidarity and mutual trust - Alexa knows and understands the dire need of an organization in the relationship with the rest of the community. She believes it's of utmost urgency to establish support and assistance solutions for members of the community in the country outside the reach of the organisation. She believes that such activities of sustained, solid information are necessary in the public space, both for the society as a whole and for target groups.

Alyssa Carson

Youngest astronaut in training. MARS ONE Ambassador.

At the delicate age of only three, Alyssa told her father that she wanted to be an astronaut and be one of those pioneers that get to stand on the red surface of Mars. Fourteen years later, at 17, she has already attended Space Camp for seven times and Space Academy three times. She is the youngest alum of the Advanced Space Academy. Alyssa’s received the Right Stuff Award, the highest award you can receive from Space Camp. In January 2013, NASA invited her to be on the MER 10 panel in Washington DC, to debate the future of Mars missions, live on NASA TV. She’s also been selected as one of seven ambassadors who represent the Mars One mission, a mission to build the first human colony on Mars in 2030. in October 2016 she was the youngest alum of the Advanced Possum Academy, thus officially authorizing her to go to space, and making her an astronaut trainee, upon completing her Applied Astronautics Professional Certification from the Embry-Riddle University in August of 2018.

Andrei Tudor

10-year old Robotics Mastermind. Passionate apprentice.

Andrei Tudor’s passion is robotics and he managed to build his first robot at eight years old, after finishing the special courses from the Faculty of Electronics and with the aid of the “Flex Team". After that, he went on to compete against high school students with his robot in the “Robochallenge” contest, followed by the “Chindiei’s Cup” national contest, in Targoviste, where he finished second. Algorithmics (which he learns in C++ courses) helped Andrei a great deal in actualizing another one of his projects: the MBB or “Multifunctional Message Board”, a project with which he competed in another competition that took place in Dublin where he won in the “Evolution” category. In case you thought Andrei doesn’t have enough time for leisure time too, between his enthusiasm in robotics and algorithmics, then you should know that he likes mountain hiking, going to the park, riding his bike or scooter, playing with his friends and watching Science Fiction movies.

Andrew Chakhoyan

Futurist. Globalist. Optimist.

Andrew Chakhoyan is a #ContextCurator who is dissatisfied with the status quo and is keen to upgrade our business lexicon. He thinks that the good old hierarchy is going out of fashion with new organizational designs such as holacracy and humanocracy coming to the fore. Andrew is a founder of the Netherlands-based advisory firm, Strategic Narrative Consulting (www.snconsulting.nl) and is a strong believer in the determinative power of language. This talk offers a fresh take on the dichotomy of #management vs. #leadership. Andrew identified three megatrends, which might spell the end of the management era: millennials dominating the workplace, all repetitive and routine tasks getting automated, and the breakneck pace of change that renders forecasting absolute. Will the traditional managers survive in this new reality?

Aural Eye

Visions Studio

video mapping · interactive installations · digital art · live visuals · 3D stuff

Avram Iancu

Overachiever. Record-breaker swimmer. Sportsman.

Avram Iancu is a daring action man and swimmer who crossed countless of boundaries, and broke even more records. Knowing this, it’s not surprising that he’s the first human to swim across the Danube river, from its flowing point in the Black Forest, all the way to its emptying point, in the Black Sea, without a neoprene suit. He completed this veritable feat of strength in just eighty nine days, swimming across 2.860 kilometers. Starting out as a librarian at the Municipal Library of Petrosani, he went on to become the first Romanian to be nominated in the “Swimmer of the Year” category by the World “Open Water Swimming Association”. With a catalog of impressive achievements which is boundless, and an undying ambition to burst through the shroud of normalcy, Avram Iancu wants to show us that there are virtues which can transcend death.

Claudiu Miu

Founder of Climb Again, Activist, Sportsman, Social Entrepreneur.

Claudiu Miu is an activist, manager, sportsman and, above all, a dauntless and fearless man. Multiple national and Balkan climbing champion, Claudiu’s life was drastically changed when in 2010 he was diagnosed with a disease affecting his articulations and pinning him to the bed. While recovering, he had the idea of opening a sport therapy center for all of the disabled people. This idea turned into the Climb Again center, where children and teens with disabilities can find their true potential and live a normal, fulfilling life in spite of their physical limitations. He’s also set the foundation of the National Para-climbing Team, comprised of blind athletes, winners in the Para-climbing World Cup.

Cosmin Dominte a.k.a. JAZZ 8

HOST of TEDxBucharest 2018, former TEDxBucharest performer.

Cosmin Dominte is just an ordinary man, with an extraordinary job. To expand on this and give a bit of context, Cosmin, also known as JAZZ 8, is a bona fide Renaissance Man who made a career out of expressing his eclectic creative power and speaking the truth. His home is where the stage is, as he cruises through theatre, film, music and verses with masterly ingenuity. Born and raised in Galati, Cosmin’s path to success has not been without its peaks and valleys. Working since he was fourteen years old, he went through diverse jobs, from carrying heavy merchandise and doing construction work, to bartending, advertising and being a bank treasurer of four counties (Galati, Braila, Vrancea, Buzau). However, he knew that something was amiss; so, in his twenties, he left his hometown for the restless Bucharest where he pursued the art of acting, graduating from U.N.A.T.C. He’s appeared both on the silver screen and under the spotlights.

David Mattin

Global Head of Trends & Insights at TrendWatching

David Mattin is obsessed with a single, powerful question: what next? As Global Head of Trends and Insights at TrendWatching, he's an in-demand global keynote speaker on emerging trends in technology, innovation, business and consumerism. Meanwhile, his writing on trends and change has appeared in a wide range of outlets including The Times, Fast Company, Quartz and Google Think Quarterly. David sits on the World Economic Forum's Global Future Council on Consumption, which brings together experts from industry, academia and the public sector to promote innovative thinking on our shared future.

Emil Pantelimon

Manager of ‘Madrigal’ National Chamber Choir. Changemaker.

Emil Pantelimon has started his career at a young age, and he is a man who changes, moulds and defines both the scholastic and cultural aspects of our country. With an experience of over fifteen years, he’s coordinated projects and worked in the staff of two Romanian Ministers of Culture, on communication and performance of arts. With a bachelor degree in Political Science and a degree in Foreign Policy Diplomacy, Emil forges perfect mediums that are oriented towards results for every team that he leads and guides. As the current manager of the “Madrigal - Marin Constantin” National Chamber Choir, his vision on management has impacted, and continues to do so, the lives of thousands of children nationwide by helping them achieve their dreams of stepping up on the podium alongside the National Chamber Choir, with the help of the Cantus Mundi National Programme. Emil Pantelimon is devoted, impassionate and has a fervent desire to have a lasting impact on the lives of those around him.

Enass Abo-Hamed

Entrepreneur. Founder & CEO of H2GO Power. Environment Guardian.

Enass is the co-founder and the CEO of the award winning clean-tech company “H2GO Power”, which aims to bring inexpensive and stable energy to a million of people across the globe. More than that, with ten years of research and business experience in hydrogen production, nanotechnology, catalysis, renewable energy and energy storage, she campaigns for movements like women entrepreneurs in science and technology, action for climate change, energy security and the hydrogen economy. She's been awarded the 2017 “Visionary of the Year” accolade, conferred by the MIT Tech Review magazine, in their Innovators Under 35 Europe awards, and the Best Energy Start-up awards at the Global Hello Tomorrow Summit. In 2015 she was picked by the “Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards” as one in 18 best women entrepreneurs globally, and one in three representing Europe. She's spoken at important forums like the World Economic Forum, MIT Tech Review EmTech, Women’s Forum or UN Global compact – LEAD symposium

Eugen Rădescu

Co-director Bucharest Bienalle

Eugen, one of the most prominent people shaping the arts and culture scene of Bucharest, is a cultural manager, curator, theoretician and a political scientist specialised on moral relativism and political ethics, wanting to discover if morality can be found in politics by combining politology with the sensible affair of ethics. He’s been, amongst others, the co-founder, co-director and curator for the contemporary art biennale “Bucharest Biennale 1”, of the exhibitions “How Innocent Is That?, presently I have nothing to show and I’m showing it!” and “Common Nostalgia” at the Pavilion center, in Bucharest. He’s published the book “How Innocent Is That?”, he’s the co-editor of PAVILION - journal for politics and culture and a member of the selection board at apexart New York. He's held numerous lectures at diverse institutions such as apex, New York; Badischer Kunstverein, Karlsruhe; Casa Encendida, Madrid; Paris Photo, Paris; Gulbenkian Centre, Lisbon and University of Arts, Cluj.

Florin Stoican

President of Vacaresti National Park Association & Kogayon Association. Conservationist. Ashoka Fellow.

Florin Stoican, a conservationist, social entrepreneur and Ashoka Fellow, is mobilizing a citizens driven movement aiming to establish a functional system for protected areas in Romania. His initiatives led the Romanian government to create under its custodianship two natural and national parks: Buila Vanturarita National Park and Vacaresti Natural Park. Over time, he’s assembled over a thousand volunteers, persuaded the local community of Buila to co-design an eco-tourism offer, created an added value of 30 million EUR on a 300.000 EUR investment, increased tourists' numbers over 100 times while also saving 3000 hectares of forest from abusive exploitation. Florin’s ambition is to transform the Vacaresti National Park in Bucharest's main tourist attraction, building best practice examples which influence policy change, a new way of managing protected areas in order to support economic and social development and create a global standard for environmental protection and education.

Gabriel Hallevy

Law Professor. Long Distance Runner. Pilot.

Professor Dr. Hallevy is a Full Professor at the Faculty of Law, within the Ono Academic College, in Israel. He lectures on almost every classification of law there is: Criminal Law, Criminal Justice, Evidence Law, Corporation Law, Conflict of Laws, Bankruptcy law, Legal Systems, Game Theory and the Law, and Law and Mathematics. His achievements in the judiciary field are well renowned, having authored and published over forty books, in circulation around the world, some of them even translated to Chinesec or cited by the highest courts like the Supreme Court. His constant drive and dedication helped him being honored, in 2013, with the distinction of being chosen as one of the 40 most promising persons under the age of 40 by the "Globes" magazine ("Top 40 under 40"). As well as being an authority on everything that pertains to the law, he is also a long-distance runner, holds a pilot license and speaks English, French, German and Hebrew.

Gregory Caremans

Brain Master. Founder of the Brain Academy. Author.

Gregory Caremans, a psychologist with a Master in Communication specialized in Neurocognitive and Behavioral Approach, is the former Director of the Institute of Neurocognitivism Brussels. His area of expertise covers the brain, the organic machinery with one hundred billion neurons that forms our personalities and governs our thoughts and daily lives. Fascinated by the human mind, he created, in 2014, the “Brain Academy”, a platform which provides the essential devices we need in order to understand how our brain works and now sharing insights into the human brain with more than 100.000 students around the world. Brain Academy’s courses have been featured in the “Entrepreneur” magazine, while “The Economist” have contacted them for a partnership in which these courses are offered to their readers. The Brain Academy is a member of the highly esteemed “Max Planck Institute of Brain Research” in Germany,ensuring the veracity and high quality of the content which it provides.

Ian Bradbury

Military expert. Soldier. Human. Social issues activist

Ian Edward Bradbury is a former soldier with the Canadian Forces and has served in a range of security and public and safety positions within the federal public service. A non-commissioned officer, he is the founder and CEO of The 1st New Allied Expeditionary Force (1st NAEF), a non-profit stability operations and peace support organization. Putting his skills and experience into practice, he became an expert in security matters, serving in a broad number of Canadian Agencies that includes the Privy Council of Canada as a specialist in Security and Intelligence Branch Threat Risk and Vulnerability, and as an Internal Security Branch Physical Security Advisor with the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service. In 2010 he put in motion the Terra Nova Strategic Management consulting firm, based in Ottawa, which provides multidisciplinary services.

John M. Florescu

TV Producer. Businessman. Journalist.

John M. Florescu is recognised internationally due to his achievements in television production, historical documentaries production & journalism. He is one of the founders of the media company Centrade, former President & CEO of David Paradine Television Inc. and founder of Chainsaw Europe Studios. He activated for 30 years in democratic politics gaining expertise in presidential campaigns & fundraising. He is the man behind ‘King’s War’, an acclaimed documentary that depicts the life of Romania’s last monarch: King Michael I. Broadcasted internationally, this documentary was held in high regard by the Royal Family who awarded Mr. Florescu with the order ‘Crown of Romania’ in rank of Knight & Commander. As a Co-Executive producer, Mr. Florescu interviewed almost every past U.S. President (except President Barack Obama and Donald Trump) since Richard Nixon; several foreign heads of state including Mikhail Gorbachev and Margaret Thatcher and several Middle Eastern leaders.

Laura Raetchi

UN Political Affairs Officer, Peacekeeping Department

Laura Raetchi has been the first and only Romanian to be part of the United Nations political negotiating teams mandated to address the war in Sudan and the ongoing armed conflict in Syria. Having always dreamed of working for peace under the flag of the United Nations, twelve years ago Laura joined the global organization and has dedicated her career to resolving armed conflict. Born in Brasov, Romania, Laura holds a MA degree in Security Studies from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in Boston, Massachusetts. She is also a graduate of the American University in Bulgaria, where she earned a BA degree in Political Science in 2000. The wars in the Balkans during her years at university, and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s advocacy in the name of the victims persuaded her to join the UN one day, which she was able to accomplish six years later.

Lucian Constantinescu

Former Marine Engineer Officer, Mental Illness Fighter.

Lucian Constantinescu has worked for twenty one years as a mechanical officer first in the Romanian Commercial Fleet, then in the Australian Commercial Fleet, sailing the seas. Yet, he hated every day spent on the water. He enrolled, against his wishes and at his mother’s and father’s behest, in the Faculty of Naval Electromechanics; both of them wanting their child to be an officer and engineer, disregarded his love for the written word and his dream of becoming a journalist. This is how Lucian started his life: doing what others wanted of him, forgetting to pursue his own desire. Life on the sea is difficult and demanding; brimming with adventures, it has changed and shaped, for better or for worse, Lucian’s personality; in his battle against his mental illness, Lucian fought boldly and with obstinate determination, emerging as the victor. This battle defined him as a relentless fighter who overcame even the greatest vicissitude.

Marius Ursache

Designer. Entrepreneur. Former doctor

Marius Ursache has an eclectic career; he’s a designer, an entrepreneur and former doctor. He’s interested how, with its disruptive demeanor, Artificial Intelligence can improve our experience with death and dying, a concept that is strange to us as well as stirring. For the last twenty years, Marius Ursache has worked in media, healthcare, design, marketing, financial technology, innovation consulting and Artificial Intelligence. In this time he’s founded four companies and an NGO, all of which are aiming to find what these fascinating fields have to offer. His most recent company, Eternime, a pioneer in digital immortality, creates cybernated simulacrums of people, based on their digital shadow. The company seeks to link life and death together so that the hereafter will become a palpable truth, rather than remain an elusive fantasy.

Nadya Zhexembayeva

Reinvention Specialist. Sustainability strategist. Businesswoman. Author.

With the distinction of being named “The Reinvention Guru” by the “Venture” magazine and “The Queen of Reinvention” when sharing her insights into the world of business with audiences at TEDxNavesink, Dr. Nadya Zhexembayeva is an educator, consultant, speaker, accomplished author and business owner; her speciality is reinvention. As a consultant, Nadya has helped such companies as The Coca-Cola Company, ENRC PLC, IBM, CISCO, Erste Bank, Henkel, Knauf Insulation, Vienna Insurance Group and many other renowned organizations to reinvent their brand, products, processes and leadership practices. She has also written two books together with Chris Lazlso, with whom, in an effort to reinvent corporate approaches to sustainability strategy, coined the concept of “embedded sustainability”; virtually non-existent when they started in 2009, today it is a staple for corporate sustainability efforts.

Nicolae Voiculeț

Pan Flute Maestro

Nicolae Voiculeț is a highly gifted and accomplished piano and pan flute player, the latter being the instrument in which his strength and passion lie. For his artistic merits and national representation, he is a cultural ambassador of Romania and ambassador of Romanian tourism. In 2006 he was decorated by the president of Romania with the “Order of Cultural Merit”, with the rank of knight. He proudly promotes and represents Romania, its authenticity and important traditions on the greatest stages of the world, having performed in front of over 65 states leaders and in many cosmopolitan countries such as France, Spain, Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Hungary, the UK, the U.S.A, Japan, Thailand, and Italy. In addition, Nicolae Voiculeț is the first Romanian to have performed at special occasions such as the World Bank meeting, at the international exposition in the city of Nagoya and at the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games.

Simona Dabija & Răzvan Stoian

Multimedia dance performance. Movements & Lights.

Directed by Millo Simulov.

Soundopamine

Bucharest based duo live act

ntsh (natasha) - lead vocals / songwriter chrs (cristian.munteanu) - mix / drum machine / keys / vocals / producer

Steven D’Souza

Award-winning bestselling author, Consultant & Executive Coach.

Steven D’Souza is a prominent and valued public speaker in many global companies; with international experience in the fields of HR, leadership and talent management, diversity and organisational development, he has taught at the Harvard Kennedy School and London Business School. Besides being an accomplished consultant and executive coach, Steven is also an award winning and bestselling author; he had the grand distinction of having his first book, the international bestseller “Made in Britain” personally presented to His Royal Highness Prince Charles. Steven has been featured in both national and international media, and has been acknowledged by HR Magazine in their top 30 Most Influential thought readers and in Thinkers50, on their Radar List for the world’s top management thinkers.

Tammy Nelson

World-renowned relationships expert. Sex therapist & Author.

Tammy Nelson is a PhD Board Certified Sexologist, Licensed Relationship therapist and a Psychology Professor. As a sex and relationship expert and prolific author, she is internationally recognized as one of the top experts in the field of relationship therapy, with almost thirty years of experience working with individuals and couples. She authored the books “The New Monogamy”, “Getting the Sex You Want”, “What’s Eating You” and the upcoming “When You’re the One Who Cheats.” She’s been quoted as an expert in publications such as The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Rolling Stone Magazine, Washington Post, Martha Stewart, CNN, The Sun, Cosmopolitan, Redbook, Woman’s Day, and Time Magazine. Dr. Tammy Nelson also blogs for the Huffington Post, Medium, Thrive Global and is on the Advisory Board of the Men’s Fitness Magazine. She also writes her own award winning blog at www.drtammynelson.com/blog

Thomas Webb

Tech Artist

Thomas Webb is a British born artist living in London, UK. His work orbits around real-time data and how it can be applied to reveal present contemporary life but also exact thoughts, feelings and beliefs of digital data. Webb uses a variety of media, mainly producing works that are programmed utilizing numerous server systems connected to real-time data sources and social media. Some of his recent works include a collaboration with Valentino, Proof Of Parallel and Depression Has No Face, a smart mirror using sentiment analysis AI to display individual tweets from all users worldwide expressing views of depression, stripped of their profile, picture and location. Thomas Webb has given varied TEDx talks and global keynote addresses on the themes of hacking systems for artistic purposes, was featured in 2018 in WIRED magazine for creating a mind-reading AI and in 2017 exhibited his study as a social engineer and hacker by creating viral ‘magic performances’ on America’s Got Talent.