Theme: Make it possible

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).

TEDxGlarus
Winkelstrasse 1
Glarus, Glarus (de), 8750
Switzerland

Alex Afonso

Alex started his career as a computer science engineer at 16 and at the age of 20. He supported a pioneering project with Sonova Group as part of the IT infrastructure team at the Wireless Competence Center in Murten - the world’s first generation of carbon-neutral buildings. He then decided to pursue his dream of becoming a creator, worked as a parttime journalist while studying at Zurich University of the Arts in 2021, and continued to dive into the art space himself as a freelance photographer with his productions at verfluecht.ch. Since 2022, he is the Creative Tech Lead at ZEAM, a one-of-a-kind Gen Z consulting firm that went viral with its business model and manages some of the biggest TikTok Accounts in Switzerland.

Alexander Spiridonov

ETH student

Initially inspired by NASA’s Mars rover missions, Alexander Spiridonov had an early interest in everything related to space and science. Following this passion, at 21, he now studies Mechanical Engineering in his final bachelor semester at ETH Zürich. During his time there, he has led teaching assistant classes for courses ranging from Dynamics to Electrical Engineering. For the last two semesters, he has been involved in the Focus Project SpaceHopper. Here his roles are that of the System Engineer and in the Modeling and Control Team. Beyond that, he enjoys spending time in nature. Be that during hikes, skiing, or simply viewing the stars during a clear night.

Andri Silberschmidt

FDP-Nationalrat und Unternehmer

Andri Silberschmidt wurde 1994 geboren und ist FDP-Nationalrat, Vize-Präsident der FDP.Die Liberalen Schweiz und Gastro-Unternehmer aus Zürich. Im Zürcher Oberland aufgewachsen, entschied er sich nach der obligatorischen Schulzeit für eine Banklehre mit Berufsmatur. Anschliessend arbeitete er bis 2019 für den Finanzdienstleister Swisscanto beziehungsweise für die Zürcher Kantonalbank (ZKB), wo er als Fondsmanager die quantitativen Fonds für Entwicklungsländer führte. Heute ist Andri Silberschmidt als Assistent der Geschäftsleitung der Planzer Support AG tätig. Von 2013 bis 2019 studierte Andri Silberschmidt nebenberuflich Betriebsökonomie und schloss mit einem Master in Global Finance an der CASS Business School in London ab. Weiter ist Andri Silberschmidt Mitbegründer und Verwaltungsratspräsident von kaisin. – ein Gastrounternehmen mit Filialen in den Städten Zürich, Basel und Zug sowie Präsident von FH SCHWEIZ, dem Dachverband der Fachhochschul-Absolventinnen und -Absolventen.

Christa Uehlinger

“The world is my classroom”. Dr. Christa Uehlinger has a doctorate in law from the university of Zurich. Dr. Uehlinger’s penchant for lateral thinking and her fascination for different people and cultures led her into intercultural communication studies. Professionally, Dr. Uehlinger works in a global environment, experiencing cultural differences were ignored and sometimes blocked cooperation. Where others experienced only frustration, Dr. Uehlinger embraced possibilities. However, after 10 years working in management positions with international business management, she realized she need to more deeply explore the world of intercultural communication, leading her to study with some of the foremost experts in the intercultural field in the US. Today, she is the owner of christa uehlinger linking people, supporting people and organisations to discover the gift of foreignness through coaching and training. Dr. Uehlinger is also a lecturer in intercultural communication at OST and HWZ, and is an author and columnist for "Schau genau ..." on NZZJobs. In 2019, Dr. Uehlinger received the Rooney Scholarship from Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh/USA. Her curiosity to discover other cultures led her to the USA, Canada, Australia, Asia, Africa and Europe, both professionally and personally.

Evie Sedgwick

Student

Evie Sedgwick, a British teenager living in Switzerland, is a student at the International School of Zug and Luzern. She has a great passion for activism, especially with body image struggles as well as women's rights and equality, and is willing to raise awareness and inclusivity.

Frederik De Meyer

Head of Digital Buildings

As Head of the Digital Buildings business segment, he is globally responsible for all software offerings and developments that manage HVAC, Fire, Security or Energy related information in a building, campus or a fleet of buildings. He previously managed global businesses in the OEM, Security and Fire domains, has a strong reputation as innovator and change leader and is a well appreciated sparring partner among clients and consultants in the Buildings market.

Georgii Lisitsin

Georgy Lisitsin was born in 1992 in Moscow, graduated from the Moscow Aviation Institute with a degree in aerospace engineering in spacecraft life support systems. After university, he worked at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center and trained crews in case of emergencies before launching to the ISS. He successfully trained three international crews, worked as CAPCIM at Mission Control Center (Moscow), and trained Mission Control Center (Houston) employees at the NASA Center in Houston. Сompleted advanced training in the psychological and pedagogical aspects of cosmonaut training. In parallel, Georgy began to work at the Museum of Cosmonautics. Created educational programs for children and adults (quests, quizzes, etc). Also lectured online and for a live audience. In his free time he reads books, supports Arsenal London football club, loves travelling and brings up a son.

Hera Zimmermann

Unternehmerin

Die Glarner Jungunternehmerin Hera Zimmermann hört auch im Businesskontext auf ihre Intuition. Als erfahrene Digital Expertin führt sie ihre eigene Agentur mit Sitz in Zürich und Sargans. Dafür aufgegeben hat sie ihren Produzentinnenjob beim öffentlichen Rundfunk. Geraten hat ihr dazu niemand, sie hörte auf ihre innere Stimme. Mit Erfolg! Heute vertrauen ihr und ihrem Team unzählige nationale Organisationen das Marketing an. Daneben wurde sie schon mit 27 Jahren Board Member und ist seit vier Jahren Jury-Mitglied des Swiss Comedy Awards.

Joschua Wüthrich

ETH student

Joschua Wüthrich is currently in the last year of his bachelor studies in mechanical engineering at ETH Zürich. He has a huge fascination for technological systems and how one can model, control, and optimize them. He likes sitting in front of complex problems and solving them by using an interdisciplinary approach combining all the different engineering disciplines. As a teaching assistant in control systems I and II he enjoys passing on his knowledge to other students. He is part of the modeling and control team in the SpaceHopper project at ETH Zürich, where a hopping robot for asteroid exploration is being developed.

Markus Blum

Markus Blum steht für die verrücktesten Unternehmungen. Er durchquerte Grönland, ritt per Pferd durch die Wildnis von Kanada und Kirgistan, bestritt ein Leben als Selbstversorger abseits jeglicher Zivilisation und zähmte wilde Kamele um mit ihnen und einem eigens dafür gebauten Planwagen, durch das Outback von Australien zu ziehen. Ziele die an sich bereits eine grosse Herausforderung darstellen, bewältigte er, abgesehen von Grönland, zusammen mit seiner Frau und ihren beiden Töchtern. Beeindruckend sind ihre Herangehensweisen an neue Projekte und Ziele um ihren Traum leben zu können. Die Abenteuer die er mit und ohne Familie bestreitet, sind alles andere als ein Selbstläufer: Grenzerfahrungen weit ausserhalb der Komfortzone, viel Mut zum Tun, Verzicht und immer wieder Rückschläge - dennoch folgten sie unbeirrt ihrem Weg. Das Interesse der Medien, dem Schweizer Fernsehen und mittlerweile tausende begeisterte Zuhörer an Unterhaltungsvortägen und Businessreferaten bestätigten Markus Blum, dass er mit seinen Geschichten vieles zu erzählen hat. Er schlägt dabei gekonnt die Brücke zwischen der Wildnis in den Alltag und berührt, motiviert und inspiriert damit Menschen.

Nils Birkeland

IT-Ingenieur

Nils Birkeland has been a professional snowboarder before he worked on his degree in computer science to become a software-engineer. He lives in the mountains of the Glarus region with his family and enjoys canoeing in the lake, wintersports and walking through the trees. Today Nils works as an IT-engineer in the field of photovoltaics, electric-mobility, hydrodynamics and heat-distribution-grids in a regional clean-energy utility and in one of the 1000+ international “Solar Impulse Efficient Solution” companies.