Theme: Are you ready for the truth?

Are you ready for the truth? Are you ready to question all that you know?

What is the truth anyway? Is it hidden somewhere out there or exists just in front of us? Do we see it, discover it or fabricate it? Does the truth actually exist? Is there any connection between my truth and yours? Can they be associated? And at that point, is it possibly more powerful? Basically, the truth seems to be different when seen from the perspective of each one of us. Some say that they look at it right in its eyes, some are accused of closing their eyes at it and ignore it, some that look half of it and others gaze at it in awe or with wonder.

Which truth will I notice when travelling as a refugee and which when travelling for pleasure? When reading books? When using my PC? When using a microscope or telescope? From the point of the moon? Which truth do I highlight when I speak with others and which when I speak about others?

Stories and ideas of people who have seen and pointed out their truths, with their work or their way of living, as they knew, perceived or fabricated themselves…

Together we will attempt to learn, see and finally define our truth, the truth that we wish to take with you from this special TEDx.

Hotel Astir * Egnatia Alexandroupolis
Egnatia Park
Alexandroupolis, Evros, 68100
Greece

Alexandros Kallegias

Architect

Alexandros Kallegias graduated from the Architecture School of the University of Patras and completed his postgraduate studies at the Architectural Association Design Research LAB (ΑΑDRL) in London. He is the Head of the AA Summer DLAB and directs the AA Visiting School in cities in Greece where he teaches as Studio Master. He is also a key member of the AA Istanbul Visiting School. His research has been published in peer reviewed reports and international publications. He gives lectures in Greece and abroad while he has been an invited in juries like the Archiprix 2015 in Ankara. He is an Associate Lecturer at the School of Architecture at Oxford Brookes University, and he has previously taught in the School of Architecture of Liverpool University. He is a Senior Architect at Zaha Hadid Architects, acting as BIM Coordinator for different projects in different countries.

Anastasia Spyridou

Midwife

Anastasia Spyridou is almost 53 years old, she grew up in Thessaloniki and she is a Midwife. She is married with Vaggelis Tsiakiroudis, a lovely person and she is mother of Lia, Sofia and Nasia! She lives and works in Alexandroupolis the last 28 years! 14 years ago, after the necessary permission from her husband, she got into an “affair” with a new “life partner”, that she wishes to stay together for many-many years to come! So there it was, cancer in her life… It confused her, it changed her, it redefined her, but never destroyed her! 10 years ago, people that crossed paths with it also, founded the organisation “Keep GOing” where she holds the position of Chairwoman for 8 years now. What she realised is that CANCER IS NOT INVINCIBLE! It can conquer your body, but if YOU decide it, it CANNOT conquer you life also. She says “I keep GOing with GO in capitals, I am glad I grow up and I long impatiently to meet my first grandchild in three months!!!

Anastasios Markouizos

Top rally driver, a recognised one but also recognisable from many aspects

«Iaveris» - also known as Anastasios Markouizos. Top rally driver, a recognised one but also recognisable from many aspects. It is his social sensitivity that distinguishes him, his image of a fighter, his conscious attitude to problems when others remain indifferent. He is the one who has been trying for years to transmit his concerns and experience of the road to all. This is the reason he founded the Iaveris Safe Driving School with a sole purpose to transfer deep knowledge to those interested. The School awakens and informs 40.000 - 50.000 students every year. Iaveris has been the author of four books on Driving Behaviour and Safety (National Issue, National Mourning, Ignorance of Ignorance, Foolishness Pandemic) which have been distributed free of charge in at least 1.000.0000 copies. At the same time, he has a constant presence on television, radio and online media in his effort to continue the awareness process.

Christos Moridis

Dr. Moridis is founder and director of Digital Agency NetValue S.M. Ltd.

Dr. Christos N. Moridis received the BS degree in communication, media, and culture from the Panteion University, the MSc degree in advanced systems of computing and communications, specializing in intelligent systems, from the Aristotle University, and the PhD degree in information systems from the University of Macedonia. He is the author of 13 journal publications and 12 papers in international conferences and book chapters. His research interests include affective computing, embodied agents, emotional assessment using electroencephalography, machine learning, search engines, e-commerce and Human Computer Interaction. Dr. Moridis is currently a Visiting Professor at International Hellenic University. Dr. Moridis is also the founder and director of Digital Agency NetValue S.M. Ltd. He is a member of the IEEE, the IEEE Computer Society, and the HUMAINE Association.

Demetri Chriss

Μember of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of Tuvunu S.A.

Demetri Chriss is a member of the Board and CEO of Tuvunu, a Greek producer and exporter of all-natural beverages and condiments headquartered in Thrace. He has held managerial positions in organizations large and small, including Macedonian Thrace Brewery and the Express Kalofolias where he served as Director of Business Development, and Senior Development Officer-North America of Anatolia College. Over the past two decades, Demetri has worked as a contributing editor and columnist for publications in Greece and the US such as Kathimerini, The National Herald of New York, Makedonia Daily, Athens News, Athens Insider and Paratiritis of Thrace. He has also appeared as a guest commentator on CNN International and BloombergHT TV in Turkey. In addition to his media experience, Demetri served as publications editor for PricewaterhouseCoopers Prague and foreign relations adviser for the Prefecture of Thessaloniki. Demetri holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Sarah Lawrence College in NY .

Dimitris Charitos

Assιstant Professor in the Department of Communication and Media Studies at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

Dimitris Charitos (1965) is an Assιstant Professor in the Department of Communication and Media Studies at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens where he teaches human-machine communication, interactive design, digital art and visual communication. He studied Architecture at the National Technical University of Athens, and C.A.A.D. at the University of Strathclyde (Glasgow). He holds a PhD in interactive and virtual environments design. As a researcher or coordinator, he has participated in more than 15 research projects (funded by Greek and European programs) on the subjects of virtual reality, interactive design, locative media, mediated/hybrid cities, digital art. He has more than 90 publications in books, journals and conference proceedings. Since 1983, his artistic practice includes electronic music (1983-1993), audiovisual and interactive installations and virtual environments (1997-to the present). He has participated in 15 exhibitions in Greece, the UK and Cyprus.

Fotis Antonopoulos

President at the Greek eCommerce Association and has a position on the Board of Advisors at the European eCommerce Foundation

Fotis Antonopoulos currently holds the position of Group eCommerce Director at Fais Group of Companies, a fashion group with international presence and the local distribution of some major global brands (Puma, Under Armour, Fila, Burberryetc) At the same time, he participates on various start-ups (Adaplo.com, Qrator.com, Pricetracker.gr, OliveShop.com, etc) He began his relation with eCommerce back in 2001, and at some point he took the position of Head of Innovation, at Atcom, Greece’ leading web agency. Thereafter, he joined MyShoe.gr as eCommerce Director, managing to win over 25 awards, amongst which the one for “Best Greek eShop 2015”, gaining also the honorable 5th position at the European eCommerce Awards. Fotis is currently the President at the Greek eCommerce Association and has a position on the Board of Advisors at the European eCommerce Foundation. Among others, he has been awarded the titles of “Digital Manager of the Year (2015)” and “eCommerce Manager of the Year (2016)"

Ilias Papadopoulos

Lawyer

Elias Papadopoulos was born in Thessaloniki in 1979. He is a Lawyer and an active member of Law Association of Thessaloniki since 2007. He studied Law in Law, Economic and Political Studies of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and he is an LLM graduate of Univeristy of Koln in Personality Protection Law. The respect in the right of development of personality, self-determination, of personal freedom and also of the right in the establishment and maintaining of interpersonal relationships and also of the freedom of erotic choice and cohabitation are not just parts of theory of his studies but his everyday mission through the exercise of law profession. In 2015 he participated in the research on behalf of Law Association of Thessaloniki on the subject: "The challenges of law profession and the alternative forms of services of Lawyers". He is a fluent speaker of both English and German.

Pavlos Evmorfidis

Founder and Owner of the company COCO-MAT

The naked abundance of the Laconian field is my birthplace. I have an everlasting yearning for knowledge but I pride myself only for knowledge that cannot be taught. I am insatiable for new travels, which makes me supremely rich. My wisdom is the price for my mistakes. One companion, four children, my brother and a handful of friends are the source of my inexhaustible inspiration. I long to reach out for the unknown and for everything that resists it’s unravelling. I have been walking this world for more than half a century being constantly at war with tallow until I transform myself into pure energy. COCO-MAT is merely a stop in my life’s journey. My destination is the salty taste of seaweed in my mouth, the shaking of the leaves at noon, the gasp of my lungs when I try to climbthat steep road, the love that blooms between two quadriceps and two bicycle wheels, the bursting laugh in the dead of night The naked abundance of the Laconian field.

Sophia Madouvalou

Author

Sophia Madouvalou, dreaming, writing and acting for more than three decades to create a better self and a better world, has played a very active part both in the fields of children’s literature and education. Born in Athens in 1949, she early on made two inseparable friends: Imagination and Humour. Her studies in developmental psychology, educational technology and film directing helped her realize that without humour, imagination and creative expression, education cannot mould and shape creative and happy people. Over the many years she has written for children and worked in Educational RadioTelevision promoting children’s literature in schools with more than100 programmes, she has succeeded in combining the imaginary and real elements of life, mixing the visionary with the everyday. From her first illustrated book, DoReMiFaSolLaSi (Mrs Music’s Little House, 1982) till the most recent, The Butterfly Garden (2013), her contribution to children’s literature has numbered some 70 titles.