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).

Jean Ducruet Amphitheater
St Joseph University, Science & Technology Campus
Mansourieh, Mont-Liban, 0000
Lebanon

Fouad Bechwati

PhD Acoustics

From the days he used to spend as a young child in his father’s company ELTEK (pro audio distributors), trying to figure out how mixers worked or how to weld audio cables, to being exposed to the grandeur of the Baalbek and Beit El Din festivals for the sound setups and operation, he found his calling. His passion for sound took him to the UK, where he graduated with a BSc (First Honours) in Acoustics from the University of Salford with a final project studying extensively the acoustic simulation software ODEON. He then continued to earn his PhD from the same university. Fouad returned to Lebanon in 2009 to exert his passion and bring to life 21dB (also set up in Dubai since 2014), an extremely dynamic and passionate Acoustic and Audio Consultancy firm that till today, works on creating and offering highly tailored solutions as well as collaborating on art and design projects across the globe.

Lea Baroudi

President

Lea Baroudi is a Lebanese activist working to foster cultural and religious pluralism against rising extremism through peace- building activities that focus on art, culture and human rights. She is the co-founder and Director of MARCH, a Beirut- based, civil society organization that seeks to strengthen civil rights, engender tolerance, foster diversity, and promote equality in Lebanon. Under her leadership, MARCH successfully lobbied for laws to lift censorship and mobilized public support for freedom of expression. Ms. Baroudi’s efforts to fight for women’s rights have received praise from the Euro- Mediterranean Women’s Foundation which recently named MARCH as one of the most successful organizations for advocacy and policy dialogue in the Mediterranean region. A certified professional mediator, Ms. Baroudi specializes in inter-faith and sectarian mediation and has initiated and worked actively on peace-building projects that use art to resolve conflict among youth in Lebanon.

Rind Hage

Student

Rind Hage is a 19-year-old civil engineering student at ESIB-USJ, who’s active in the field of youth engagement. She was selected as an English language winner in the 2016 “Many Languages, One World” essay contest and Global Youth Forum, during which she presented a speech at the General Assembly of the United Nations. In Lebanon, Rind is a member in UNESCO’s NET-MED Youth working group, and was guest speaker during UNESCO Beirut Office’s celebration of International Youth Day. She was also a panelist in the Sixth International Forum of NGOs on “Peace”, held in Querétaro, Mexico and organized by the NGO-UNESCO Liaison committee, and will be participating in the seventh edition of this forum on “Youth and their Social Impact”, to be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In her free time, Rind enjoys reading, hiking and amateur nature photography. She hopes to later specialize in environmental and water resources engineering.

Tamara Zakharia

Founder

Tamara is currently an Innovation Consultant at UNICEF Lebanon, leveraging technology and innovation to impact the most marginalised through UNICEF’s Innovation Labs Programme. Tamara is also the Director and Founder at SETT, a firm committed to helping its clients foster entrepreneurial and innovative mindsets within their institutions and communities. SETT published Lebanon’s Startup Ecosystem Roadmap, a BDL Accelerate 2015 publication, and co-organised the Innovation Weekend 1-6 series in Lebanon. She is a co-founder at HRMB Vision, one of the Hult Prize 2014 six finalist social enterprises. She holds a BA Economics from the American University of Beirut and an Msc Entrepreneurship and Innovation from ESADE Business School.