Theme: Winds of Change

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).

Stavanger Konserthus (Concert Hall of Stavanger)
Sandvigå 1
Stavanger, Rogaland, 4007
Norway

Al Greenall

Artist & Painter

Al was born in Salford in 1981, then moved to grow up under the Malvern Hills area. Excited and excitable about books, music and art, his main area of interest grew from the analysis of topics, exploring media studies, cultural theory and the nature of perception. After practical training with a Foundation Studies Diploma in Art and Design Diploma at Cheltenham College of Art, he went on to B.A. Hons in Visual Culture in Brighton, Film Studies at Falmouth College of Arts, and taught Visual Culture at Bristol University. Greenall picked up his paintbrushes again in the early 2000’s to augment his copious theory work, and has been consistently producing, exhibiting and writing about art ever since. His contemporaneous passion for working with people and food meant a dual career as restaurant manager and concept developer. He now works with cultural community projects as well as teaching arts and humanities to youth groups.

Ben David Normann

Cosmologist (phd)

He was born in Trondheim, one of Norway’s beautiful towns, specked with history. His mother would soon learn that he had a lot of «whys» begging for answers. She would send Ben to his father, which would eventually send him to university, kicking off a decade-long, question-fueled journey of studying that culminated in a Ph.D. in mathematical cosmology from the university of Stavanger, where Ben worked with the question «why does the Universe look the way it does?». Ben loves questions, and that is why he wants the title of the book he is currently writing to be in question form. The art of asking the right question is immensely valuable and at TEDx he wants to present to you one of the very best. Ladies and gentlemen, please join Ben in welcoming — for a daring few minutes! — a neglected companion of your past and an ancient giant: What is reality?

Jørn Bjørn Augestad

Traveler

Born in 1989, he grew up in Finnøy, a small island outside of Stavanger. He is a world explorer, couch surfer, author, speaker and off the beaten path tour guide. In 2019 he became the youngest Norwegian to have visited every country in the World. During his travels he saw places through locals’ eyes – living, eating, praying and celebrating life with them. Savoring cultures at both peace and at war. His message is as clear as the title of his book: “Go Discover – the World might be different than you think”In his TEDx talk Bjørn shares people’s stories – not defined by over-generalized stereotypes – but through the belief that people are good everywhere, which might encourage you to go discover it for yourself.

Maria Aasbø

Entreprenurship advocate

Maria was born and raised in Rognan, Nordland, just north of the Arctic circle. She holds a degree in economics from Trondheim, and moved to Stavanger and started her career in banking and finance. But still, Maria was looking for this bigger purpose. She wanted to create values beyond financial results. By coincidence, she became aware of the work of Junior Achievement (Ungt Entreprenørskap, UE) and discovered an organization she was really fascinated by. When the opportunity came in 2017, her choice was easy. Now in her position as general manager in UE, the job is to create good school days for students today and at the same time build important competence for the future of business in Rogaland. The most important lesson learned so far: education is not just about learning stuff. It’s about finding your purpose by creating value for others!

Mina Christensen

Student

Mina is from Lindesnes in the south of Norway, attending boarding school in Tryggheim, outside Stavanger. She is in a youth company where they have seen that inequalities are enriching. Her message is just about that. Mina wants to show how she has seen through her youth business what powerful resources people can be and how we should look at all people with equal value. “I want to show the possibilities, not the challenges with differences.” Mina is keen to show that we need to see the value of other people. Through her youth business and working with people with different challenges, it has affected the work her business have been doing and people’s mindsets. “I want to show people all the possibilities you can get if you change the way we look at other people. This is very relevant to how we live today, that we need to see equal value in all people and look at the possibilities to create new resources.”

Nashater Deu Solheim

Leadership researcher / Writer

Dr Nashater Deu Solheim is CEO of Progressing Minds and Amazon bestselling author of “The Leadership PIN Code”, which debuted on the 2020 Forbes list of 8 books “..that will change the way you handle relationships”. She is an HBR contributor and advisor to businesses and executive coach on leadership influence based on the approach within her book. She is a popular keynote speaker onher experience as a psychologist in forensic and business settings and an accomplished moderator onthe international stage.. She has 25 years of practical business experience across diverse sectors for governments, NGOs, corporate, healthcare and more recently in oil and gas. Nashater has held executive leadership positions within strategy, competence & learning roles and leadership development in international corporations and SMEs. She holds a doctorate in Psychology from the University of Surrey and trained as an Expert Negotiator at Harvard Law School.

Per Ivar Selvaag

Designer

Per Ivar Selvaag is a Norwegian designer and the Head Of Design at Equinor. Per has worked in 6 countries and has spent the best part of the last decade running a consultancy in California’s San Francisco Bay Area, before coming back home to Norway. Human Centered Design as a discipline has helped Per evolve as a creative thinker. As a chief designer at Peugeot he was responsible for the creation of the concept car Onyx, a 21st-century uber-French supercar that helped shape the use of copper and black; a now globally ubiquitous feature in all categories of retail. At Equinor he is working to help shape a people-centered strategy for combining the humanities with data science. Per Ivar grounds his work in his background and upbringing in the rural fjords of Norway. In this talk Per wants to remind us of a universal power that is often hiding in plain sight, and how we can all recognize it within, by returning to our common sense.

Riana Steen

Professor at BI and University of Stavanger

After studying the Planning and Analysing of Financial Systems at the Science and Research University in Tehran, Riana received her PhD in Risk Management and Social Security at the University of Stavanger in 2010. She works as Associate Professor at the BI Norwegian Business School, where she lectures many courses in the field of corporate finance and corporate management. As an organisational scientist, she has a deep passion for understanding how to design resilience capacities in organisations. She had spent the past decade studying how improving the adaptive capacity in an organisation enhances its capability to deal with a crisis when it struck. Riana is Associate Professor at BI Norwegian Business School, the department of Accounting, Auditing and Business Analytics. She also has an Adjunct Professor position in Risk Management and Societal Safety, University of Stavanger. Riana has an MBA and PhD degree in risk management.

Trio Triola

Artists

Trio Triola consists of three professional musicians established in Stavanger, with passion for classic music. Since 2005, the trio has had performances in Norway and Germany with a wide repertoire ranging from operettas, musicals, film music, cabaret, tango, and more. Astrid Kallenbach-Gustavson (sopran), Milan Rabrenovic (piano) og Ivana Jasova (fiolin) will give a unique audio experience.

Trond Magne Hegglund

Clinical Psycologist

Trond grew up by Haraldstøtta so close to the coast in Haugesund that love of the ocean came automatically. His playground was only interrupted by tourist buses and some archaeologists telling them not to dig in the Viking burial mounds. Presently he is working as an organizational psychologist, managing his own company for past 5 years. Through work as a speaker, leader coach and psychologist Trond has worked with thousands of people since the start of his career in 2003. If you know what’s normal and what’s to be expected you can stop treating yourself badly for being normal. In my experience this change of perspective totally saves people from making there lives a misery looking for something that doesn’t exist. The myth of stable and long-lasting happiness has stolen the life quality from too many people. It’s ;me we revealed the secret of a good life: it’s to settle with what is. This insight will save you millions. In some cases it can also save lives.”

Vera Ottesen

Singer, student and actor

Are you ready for some magical music? Meet Vera Ottesen whom is ready for the TEDx Stavanger stage with her guitar singing self-composed songs in Norwegian. Vera Ottesen is a 17 years old student at Bjergsted High School, attending the musical line in Stavanger. Music is a great passion of hers, she has several musical favourites she is inspired by, including the band Fleetwood Mac and artists as Susanne Sundfør, Emilie Nicolas and Lana Del Ray. Vera is also an actor, this autumn she is one of the actors in Rogaland Children’s Theater and will be playing the role of Jossi in the production of «the brothers lion heart» by Astrid Lindgren.

Yrja Oftedal

Yrja is an award-winning podcaster. With her podcast “Power Ladies”, she showcases women who stand out in their expertise and have a focus on sustainability, from influencers, to athletes and entrepreneurs. Yrja believes showcasing role models is a key factor to inspire women to lean in – in business and life in general – leading to equality. Yrja has an entrepreneurial background and has a special focus on Community Management. She is also an experienced live stream producer and host. Yrja is from Stavanger originally but lives in Oslo.What led her to present at TEDx is her passion for inspiring women to lean in. “I’d like to talk about my journey on daring to start my own business while involving some of the key factors from my interviews with 100+ women.This is important to hear for many women because they end up not doing it…because they are too scared to go after what they want and they don’t know-how.

Yrja Ofthedahl

Female activist & podcaster

Yrja is an award-winning podcaster. With her podcast “Power Ladies”, she showcases women who stand out in their expertise and have a focus on sustainability, from influencers, to athletes and entrepreneurs. Yrja believes showcasing role models is a key factor to inspire women to lean in – in business and life in general – leading to equality. Yrja has an entrepreneurial background and has a special focus on Community Management. She is also an experienced live stream producer and host. Yrja is from Stavanger originally but lives in Oslo.What led her to present at TEDx is her passion for inspiring women to lean in. “I’d like to talk about my journey on daring to start my own business while involving some of the key factors from my interviews with 100+ women.This is important to hear for many women because they end up not doing it…because they are too scared to go after what they want and they don’t know-how.