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).

Meeting & Event Center
Messeplatz
Bolzano, Trentino-Alto Adige, Trentino-Südtirol (de), 39100
Italy

Alexander Scheirle

Alexander Scheirle is Executive Director of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra in New York. Born and raised in an artistic family in Stuttgart, he discovered his preference for arts administration while studying music with a major in violoncello in Cologne and London. Having served as Artistic Director and General Manager of the Bavarian Chamber Philharmonic and the Crested Butte Music Festival in Colorado, he has been with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra since 2016. With over 70 recordings, Grammys and other awards, Orpheus is considered one of the world's most important and innovative orchestras, with a unique structure based entirely on democratic principles without traditional hierarchies.

Barbara Plag

Barbara Plagg works as a post-doctoral researcher and lecturer at the Institute of General Medicine in Bozen/Bolzano and the Free University of Bozen/Bolzano respectively. Born in Bressanone Italy, Barbara holds a doctorate in human biology from the Department of Clinical and Molecular Neurobiology at the University Hospital of Munich. During her PhD research, she focused on the neurobiology and genetics of Alzheimer's and other forms of neurodegenerative diseases. Later she worked on the identification of bio-indicators for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's at the Psychiatry Laboratory of the University of Innsbruck and since 2016 she has been working at the University of Bolzano, where she focuses in particular on the impact of the environment on health and patient care. Barbara is a member of the Alzheimer's Disease Association (ASAA) and is active in the prevention and treatment of chronic and degenerative diseases.

Gabriele Compostella

Doctor of Physics in Elementary Particle Physics, Gabriele Compostella now works as a Data Scientist for the Volkswagen group in Munich. Gabriele - originally from Bassano - has started out with a degree in Theoretical Physics in Padua and a PhD in Trento after which he worked at institutes such as the Max Planck Institute for Physics in Munich, Fermilab in Chicago and CERN in Geneva, where he participated in the ATLAS experiment, which contributed to the discovery of the Higgs Boson in 2012. Since 2015 he has been working in the Data:Lab of Volkswagen where he deals with Big Data analysis, Machine Learning and innovative applications of Artificial Intelligence related to the automotive world.

Matilde Castagna

Born in Lecco, her passion for photography grew during her travels with her father in Africa and on horseback in the Asian steppes. Matilde Castagna studied in Italy and the United States, in Milan she attended the Italian Institute of Photography and graduated in Communication Sciences with a thesis specializing in semiotics of Reportage Photography. This was followed by numerous solitary journeys that led her to cross all of Central Asia, from Chinas to Pakistan, by land from Beijing to Islamabad. She lives in Milan and is currently a freelance and editor-in-chief of Witness Journal - the first monthly online photojournalism magazine in Italy.

Rana Sabbagh

Rana Sabbagh is executive director at the Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism (ARIJ) - the most important Arab network for the development of a journalism increasingly transparent and closer to reality. Rana has dedicated the last 35 years of her career working as a journalist, columnist and media trainers with the aim of promoting freedom of speech, independence of the media, and communication and human rights. She was the first Arab woman to run a political newspaper but before that, she was a foreign correspondent for the international news agency Reuters (1987-1997) and cooperated in the establishment of Jordan's latest independent magazine, Al-Ghad.

Roland Benedikter

Roland Benedikter, an expert in multidisciplinary political analysis, is co-head of the Center for Advanced Studies at the Eurac Research Institute in Bolzano and research professor at the Willy Brandt Center of the University of Wroclaw. Born in Brunico, he gained experience as a sociologist and political scientist at important institutions such as the Orfalea Center for Global & International Studies at the University of California in Santa Barbara and the Europe Center of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies in Stanford. As a member of the Club of Rome - an association of experts dealing with important global changes - he has published more than 300 papers.

Simone Santini

Simone Santini is Vice President Sales at Adidas, a company he has been part of since 2007 when he joined the company to develop the new business model "Franchising Monobrand", thus building the first network of sports and lifestyle shops under the Adidas brand in Italy, a pilot project for Europe. Simone Santini was born in the Marche region in Italy and studied Economics and Business at the University of Ancona before starting his career - initially in national contexts - and then in large multinationals such as L'Oreal and Adidas Group. He has gained great experience in strategic roles in Sales, Cluster Reorganization, Business Development and Trade Marketing.