Theme: TEDxLiège - Back To The Future

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).

Salle Philharmonique
Boulevard Piercot, 25
Liège, Liège (fr), 4000
Belgium

Alexander Zosel

Co-Founder & Chief Innovation Advisor at Volocopter

In 1981, aged just 15, he construed and built one of the first skateboard halfpipes in Germany together with a few friends. Whilst studying for his degree in civil engineering he developed his first patent and in his capacity as “Serial Entrepreneur” and self made man he is now an entrepreneur through and through. With his enthusiasm and his firm belief in his vision regarding mobility of the future in the third dimension he brings much innovative buzz to the whole team.

Aline Muylaert

CitizenLab Co-Founder | Digital Democracy Builder | Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe 2018

Aline Muylaert is the co-founder of CitizenLab, an e-democracy platform that allows governments to give their citizens a direct say on the topics that matter to them. Today, the citizen engagement platform is used by more than 80 local governments around the world, including big cities such as Vancouver, The Hague, Brussels, but also way smaller municipalities. Aline got recently awarded as Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe in Law & Policy for her work on bringing local democracies into the digital age. Aline studied Business Engineering in Brussels and founded CitizenLab as a student entrepreneur.

Céline Thillou

Head of Research and Technology Transfer Office at UMONS

Between two countries, living in France and working in Belgium, Céline is also a multicultural person, loving travellling and learning with all rich human-based experiences around. As a civil engineer in France, 2002, Céline kept studying and holds a PhD in Applied Science at the University of Mons (UMONS), 2006. In order to give the highest impact to university research, she moved in 2008 to the UMONS technology transfer office and became head of this department in 2015. Her main professional interests are artifical intelligence, fablab, image processing and open science and the development of research-based structure in developing countries such as recently in DRC. In daily life, all emerging experiences excite her, such as adventure sport, being a welcome family for foreign students and raising two adorable children !

Deborah Papiernik

UBISOFT SVP New Business Development, Technology and Strategic Alliances

With a passion for creating bridges between different worlds, Deborah Papiernik is in charge of bringing into play Ubisoft’s IPs and expertise beyond video games, including Live Entertainment and VR experiences. An appreciated deal-maker and inspiring leader, she also develops strategic and technology alliances with companies from other industries looking for Ubisoft’s broad range of expertise, ranging from automobile or architecture to health and cultural institutions. As a graduate from ESCP Business School (Paris) and Drexel LeBow MBA (Philadelphia), Deborah joined Ubisoft in 1997 as a Marketing Manager. She then headed up Emea Business Development for 10 years and became Managing Director of Ubisoft Partners, supervising third parties game development, for 5 years.

Domenico La Porta

Chief Editor @ Cineuropa.org - Director @ R/O institute - Transmedia Manager @ Wallimage Creative

When it comes to storytelling, Domenico has acquired a transversal experience that has helped him build bridges across various entertainment platforms such as cinema, comic books, and video games. He is specialized in audience mapping and transmedia architectures for producers, story doctoring for authors and consumer behavioral models that can be triggered within the everyday crowd rather than in a specific and limited silo environment.

Dorota Stanczyk

Visual Artist

Dorota Stanczyk is a Polish visual artist, creative director, movie director, commercial and fine art photographer and designer. She completed her studies at the world-renowned College of Applied Arts ESAA Duperré in Paris.

Flora Clodic-Tanguy

Mobilization accelerator

Flora Clodic-Tanguy aims to create ties, using communication tools to serve the social and environmental causes that are dear to her (ecology, social connections, neurodiversity …). She has one goal : to make her personal centers of interest as a citizen and her professional activities converge. A word-lover, she helps project leaders to convey their vision in order to reach and mobilize as many people as possible. She also sees a great vector of communication and mobilization in crowdfunding, and has already managed several successful crowdfunding campaigns. Since 2016, she has been working on “Au Bonheur des Zèbres”, an international network (France, Belgium, Switzerland …), a series of events and a book she is writing about the ways atypical personalities transform the world. To her and to the many people she meets on the project, lucidity and the search for coherence are both factors of vulnerability and powerful assets.

François Vaxelaire

The Lot Radio Founder

Born and raised in Brussels, Belgium, Francois first studied Sociology and Anthropologie before traveling extensively to practice photography and video. Over the years, his passion for music had developed steadily but was just too sacred for him to consider turning it into something professional. Thanks to a grant from The New School, Francois was able to move to NYC to pursue a Master in Media Studies. After his studies he decided to make NYC his home-base while traveling with NGOs doing photography and video work in Africa. But the energy and constant momentum of NYC’s music scene kept on astonishing him and he became eager to partake in any capacity. That is when he discovered that the empty lot that had become a familiar sight in his Brooklyn neighborhood was for lease. On that day he instantly knew he would be opening an independent internet radio right there, on that lot. After a year of red taping, The Lot Radio finally went live, and hasn’t stopped streaming since then.

John Rizzo

School transformer

After 20 years of experience in educational innovation for professional IT professionals, he sold his business in 2012. Since then, he has contributed to the transformation of our school system. He became a primary teacher to experiment and refine with children, the innovations thought for adults during his career. His book « Save the school? » relates these experiences. It is now helping traditional schools to transform themselves. His specialty is the differentiation of large groups where everyone evolves at their own pace. In other words, how to do more and better, with less.

Judith Biernaux

PhD in Space Sciences

Judith Biernaux just completed her PhD in Space Sciences, on the topic of dark matter in galaxies. She is fascinated by the mysteries of the Universe, its origins, what it is made of, and how humble humans can better understand it. You could call her a science geek. She loves exploring the science behind everything she encounters, from the movies she watches to the food she eats. This boundless curiosity drove her through a bachelor’s degree in Physics and a master’s degree in Space Sciences, both at the University of Liège. What she finds most fulfilling in this scientific journey is science popularisation. She loves discussing science, especially with youngsters, as they tend to shift your mindset and keep your brain sharp through their insightful questions. For that reason, she is also a language enthusiast, as a new language gives you a new perspective on the world.

Julia Milner

Professor of Leadership, Director International Centre for Leadership Coaching

Professor Julia Milner is an award winning practitioner and an award winning academic in the field of leadership. She has extensive industry experience as a Management Consultant. She is a Professor in Leadership and the Academic Director of the Global MBA program at EDHEC Business School in France and is an Honorary Professorial Fellow at the Sydney Business School in Australia. Julia has studied with 11 Universities, worked thus far with 14 Universities worldwide, across six disciplines and in seven cultures. She is involved in research projects in the area of Leadership, Communication, Coaching and Organisational Effectiveness. Julia has worked or studied in Germany, North America, Spain, Belgium, Finland, China, France, Great Britain and Australia, she has been named in the World’s ‘Top 40 Business Professors under 40’ list by Poets & Quants, and received the German Coaching Award as well as the National Teaching Award from the Australian Government.

Manu Di Martino

Artist

Manu Di Martino is an artist with an unusual career. As a former researcher in biochemistry and genetics at the University of Liège, he starts dancing late on in life – at the age of 24. At the crossroad between two worlds, Manu Di Martino experiences as much he creates to accomplish his artistic appetite. He merges his origins of researcher in biochemistry and genetics to the dance which he practices lately. His double degree allows him to apprehend this sector with a new look and filled with a belief in the fundamentals of those two passions As dancer he comes in contact with various dance styles but he specializes in urban dances. He becomes then choreographer / video-maker / visual artist. Involving body movements to those of lights, it’s naturally that he founded the label Okus Lab , a real multidisciplinary laboratory and dance company.

Michel Claessens

ITER Policy Officer at European Commission

Currently working for ITER, the international fusion reactor under construction in France, where he was director of communication from 2011 to 2015. His most indulgent colleagues qualify his career as « diversified ». Having a PhD in physics-chemistry, his passions drive him towards both science and literature, and have allowed him to hold responsibility positions in the European Commission for over twenty years. Professor at the University of Brussels, he is also an author and international speaker. He is currently finishing a book on the history of the ITER project.

Petit Navire

Pop electronic music duo

Petit Navire (\p .ti na.viʁ\) – A nautical craft designed to navigate on water. Alternatively, a metaphorical musical vessel purposed to take individuals onto a journey across the ocean, to a sunny, dancing, utopic universe. Formed in 2018, Petit Navire is a pop electronic music duo from Switzerland. Childhood friends who connected through music over the years, regardless of the different paths their life followed now reunite to bring you their own, fresh vibe. Combining the power and class of the basics with the sounds of today, their music opens the gates to new sonorities

Philippe Baret

Professor at Université de Louvain and Dean of the Faculty of bioengineers

Philippe Baret is an agricultural engineer specialized in tropical crops. Professor at the Université de Louvain and dean of the Faculty of bioengineers, he developed different research programmes on genetic diversity, bioinformatics and agroecology. Field work with farmers in Africa (Burkina Faso, Kivu, Burundi, Rwanda) and in Belgium was very influential on his career. He is convinced that new models of agriculture are the key of a transition of our food systems. To explore these new models, he proposed a new approach based on the analysis of the lock-ins in the agricultural and food systems and on the identification of the pathways of transition within the diversity of the extant farming systems. He co-funded the Groupe interdisciplinaire de recherches en agroecologie, GIRAF and was expert for EFSA and the Belgian Biosafety Council. Philippe Baret is president of the NGO SOS Faim.

Therese Vien

Managing Partner, PowerWay Asia

Ms. Vien has developed a fast tracked career as entrepreneur in the digital ecosystem since 1995 in France and in the Silicon Valley after a dual degree both in Architecture in France and Master of Sciences in MIT (USA). She serves as advisor for cross-border France-China investments. Through BADGE, Ms Vien is also investing as Business Angel in start up in Asia and Europe. With her unique ability to bridge cultures, functions & industries, Ms. Vien devotes her International Business Development expertise to help startups and new ventures. Since her time with MIT Media Lab in 1983, Ms. Vien has been in the ecosystem of Innovation and Technology.