Theme: Mindscapes

An inspiring exploration of the future of learning, where we delve into innovative educational approaches, groundbreaking technologies, and transformative mindsets. Unleash your curiosity as we navigate through uncharted territories of human potential, fostering dynamic discussions and enlightening ideas that shape tomorrow's educational landscape. Prepare to be inspired as we re-imagine the learning experience, empowering individuals and communities to thrive in an ever-evolving world.
The event is inspired by the 125 year anniversary of HSG, the University of St. Gallen.

University of St. Gallen
Dufourstrasse 50
St. Gallen, Sankt Gallen (de), 9000
Switzerland

Adrian Rouzbeh

Best-selling author, Entrepreneur and MMA-Trainer (Black-Belt)

Adrian Rouzbeh was shaped by a tough school time. By discovering martial arts, he was able to lift himself up from being a written-off outsider. Now he is not only black-belt in martial arts but also an entrepreneur, coach and expert in the field of learning and human psychology.

Cinzia Sanvido

President of the Julius Bär Art Committee

Cinzia Sanvido was born and raised in Lugano. After her studies in Germany, England, and the US, she started as a relationship manager for Julius Bär in Frankfurt and New York. In her traineeship in New York during the late 1980s, she first touched upon the field of arts and developed her passion. After a couple of years, Cinzia got deeper into the art scene and developed a passion for the subject. She delved deeper into it which led to her joining the Julius Bär Art Committee in 2009. There, she became president of the Committee a couple of years later.

Cynthia Hansen

Managing Director, Innovation Foundation by the Adecco Group

With a career spanning business, civil society, and public-private partnerships, Cynthia Hansen is an experienced executive specializing in driving and scaling social impact. Cynthia joined the Adecco Group in 2017 to establish the company’s first global foundation, The Innovation Foundation, which operates as a social innovation lab focused on increasing the employability of underserved populations. Her areas of expertise include social impact, strategy, change management, and partnerships. Before joining the Adecco Group, Cynthia held senior positions at the World Economic Forum, Action Planning, World Affairs Council of Washington State, and Amity Institute. Cynthia has served on corporate and non-profit boards and advisory bodies, as well as advising start-up ventures.

Jacqueline Gasser-Beck

Jacqueline Gasser-Beck is heading the «Teaching Innovation Lab» at the University of St.Gallen.

Together with her team, she is developing innovative teaching formats to foster digital literacy among faculty and students. Involved in politics and being a board member of various associations she tries to connect the academic world with the needs of the digital society. After her studys in Law at University of Zurich and Harvard Law School she worked at University of St.Gallen as Executive Director at the Law School. Leaving Switzerland again to work with «Swissnex Boston» she was in charge of various projects and events promoting Swiss excellence in Higher Education in the US. As a loving mother to two teenagers, Jacqueline enjoys sports and pop culture. Ever the enthusiast and tech lover, she thrives on exciting creative projects and never hesitates to wander the world, embracing its wonders.

Lou Cadorin

Student Speaker

Her passion for languages led her to her studies in England and later in St. Gallen, where she now studies Business Administration in German. When she’s not working on passion projects such as hosting WASH (Week Against Sexual Harassment) or volunteering in Youth Engagement, she can be found on the basketball court playing and coaching the university team. In her talk, Lou will draw on past experiences to deliver a thoughtful and insightful message surrounding the understanding of well-being.

Manfred Hückel

Managing Partner StGIS

After 23 years Manfred Hueckel changed his job at Red Bull – where he was CCO and a Board Member - for saving a small school (pro bono). Five years later, St. Gilgen International School is regarded as one of the best schools in Europe. Further, he is a university lecturer for leadership and negotiations at HSG (CH), WU (Vienna), and HHL (Leipzig), where he was voted best guest lecturer in 2022. In 2023, he published his book “Lighthouses of Education” (“Leuchttürme der Bildung”/Styriabooks).

Manu Kapur

Manu Kapur is a Professor of Learning Sciences and Higher Education at ETH Zurich, Switzerland

Manu Kapur is a Professor of Learning Sciences and Higher Education at ETH Zurich, Switzerland. Before this, he worked in Singapore and Hong Kong, heading learning sciences labs and initiatives. A footballer-turned-engineer-turned-learning scientist, Manu’s notoriety comes from his research on learning from productive failure. For more information, visit www.manukapur.com

Sophie Bonnaire Lafont

Global Head of Learning & Development

Passionate about people development for 24 years, Sophie held various HR roles across companies and geographies in France, the UK, Poland, Italy, Switzerland, and China. After graduating from Business school with an MBA in HR, Sophie has led many strategic projects and transformations, impacting significant organizational cultures and people. She loves spending time with friends and family - especially her three kids, meeting new people, and keep learning.

Thomas Kehl

Best-selling author and media entrepreneur

Thomas Kehl, once an investment banker, is nowadays a successful media entrepreneur and bestselling author dedicated to explaining the complex world of finance to individuals simply and understandably. Together with his co-founder Arno, Thomas launched FINANZFLUSS in 2016 - a success story that has grown into the largest finance community in the German-speaking region. Through various social media channels, the financial expert reaches millions of followers every month.