Theme: Cosmos of Light

From the stars to the sea. From Japanese philosophy to Western civilisation. From human imagination to artificial intelligence. From the arts to architecture. We reveal… LIGHT.

The light that fills our lives. – The light in our souls. – The light in our minds. – The universal light.

This is why at TEDx Zakynthos, we embrace a “Cosmos of Light” – an idea that invites us to explore the vast diversity of our world, and the countless forms of light that surround us. We believe that a world, or cosmos – as derived from Latin, full of light is a world with an abundance of love, peace, harmony, knowledge, evolution, and spirituality. Every theme, idea, and narrative is a bright light that ignites and unifies us.

At TEDx Zakynthos, we dream of embarking on a journey full of inspiration, ideas, spark and passion. We envision something bright, optimistic, challenging, and resourceful. We hope to inspire every speaker, as well as touch and illuminate the hearts and minds of all attendees.

Together, let’s seek – or better yet, create a World of Light that will enable us to not only personally evolve and flourish, but also stand united to radiate light on others and across all of our cosmos.

Municipal Theatre of Zakynthos
K. Lomvardou 40
Zakynthos, Zakynthos, 29100
Greece

Alexandros Massavetas

Freelance journalist and writer of travel literature

Alex Massavetas is a freelance journalist and writer of travel literature. Born and raised in Athens, he studied law at the universities of Athens and Cambridge, specialising in international commercial law. He gave up a legal career to pursue his dream of travelling and writing and moved to Istanbul, Turkey in 2003. In Istanbul he worked as a correspondent for Greek and British media, covering Turkey and the Middle East. Relocating to Athens in 2015, he continues to freelance for Greek media. Alex has authored three travel books on Istanbul and Turkey. His first book, Istanbul, A City of Absences (2011) won the national prize for travel literature in Greece. His fourth book, "The Third Rome - Moscow's Orthodox Ambitions" (2019) explains how Russia successfully uses Orthodox Christianity as a soft power tool to manipulate Greek society, to cement a pro-Russian climate, especially within the Greek Orthodox Church and on the Greek cyberspace.

Angelos Tyrogalas

Chief Operating Officer of Contships Management Inc

Angelos Tyrogalas is a distinguished maritime industry executive, renowned for his leadership as the Chief Operating Officer at Contships Management Inc. With a diverse educational background, holding a BEng in Naval Architecture & Ocean Engineering, an MSc in Marine Engineering, and an MBA, Angelos has harnessed his technical acumen and business savvy to drive significant growth and operational excellence in the shipping sector. Beginning his career at V.Ships within their Glasgow, Monaco, Shanghai, Singapore and Cyprus offices as well as Niki Shipping Company Inc, Angelos demonstrated an innate ability for strategic investment and project management, contributing to substantial advancements in these organizations. His tenure at Contships, starting in 2015, marked a pivotal point in his career, where he played a critical role in expanding the company's fleet to 50 vessels, establishing it as a worldwide leader in managing 900-1500 TEU container Feeder Container vessels.

Chris Vrettos

Financing Manager REScoop.eu & Consultant at Electra Energy Cooperative

Chris Vrettos is working for REScoop.eu, the European Federation of Energy Cooperatives, focusing on financing, policy and advocacy. He also works for Electra Energy Cooperative, a social enterprise that promotes the active engagement of citizens in renewable energy production in Greece, the Balkans and abroad. He has worked on multiple research programs as an assistant, on topics such as the EU Green Deal and degrowth. He’s interested in international climate politics and journalism and has attended multiple UNFCCC COPs.

Eleni Michaletou

Computer engineer

Eleni is a computer engineer with a 15-year career in the technology sector. She has worked as a research engineer, technical consultant, and most recently as a cloud engineer. In her work she seeks to bridge the engineering mindset with a humanitarian and social perspective. She has researched the recognition of human emotions from speech in AI machines as well as the use of digital technologies in the performing and visual arts. She holds a diploma of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science from the University of Patras and has lived and worked abroad and in Greece. She enjoys traveling and interacting with different cultures and she volunteers in initiatives for the empowerment of women in technology and for the creation of equal opportunities.

Eleni Vardoulaki

Astrophysicist

Dr Eleni Vardoulaki is an astrophysicist at IAASARS with a PhD from the University of Oxford, specialising in active galactic nuclei and their study using data from the broad spectrum of electromagnetic radiation. She has worked in 6 international institutes as a postdoctoral researcher (2010-2024). She is a member of the international collaborations for astrophysics research COSMOS, EMU, RGZ-EMU, LOFAR KPS, MIGHTEE, ngVLA, SKA. She is specialised in the use of international telescopes to observe extragalactic sources as well as in writing algorithms and using machine learning techniques. She is a science communicator, with ongoing activities in Greek and English since 2005. She founded the public outreach hubs Astronomy on Tap Jena (2020-2022), Astronomy on Tap Bonn (2018-2020) and Rogue Astrophysics (2017-). Her first book 'The Universe in your pocket' was published in June 2022 by Key Books. Finally, she co-leads the citizen science project Radio Galaxy Zoo EMU.

George Anagnostellis

Architect - Founder of the architectural office agarch + architects

George Anagnostellis is the founder of the architectural office agarch + architects, with offices in Athens and Mytilene. The office provides a wide range of full architectural design services undertaking projects of small and large scale and participates in architectural competitions. The philosophy is to create spaces connected to the environment, with key elements the incorporation of the natural landscape throughout the design process and the use of materials and textures that express the local context. The approach focuses on the uniqueness and the special requirements of each project from the initial management and concept to the exclusive custom-made design.

Ioanna - Maria Gkertsou

Psychologist at the Children’s Hospital “Agia Sophia” - President of the Board at LARA Guide-Dog School

Ioanna-Maria Gkertsou, holding advanced degrees in psychology, has made significant contributions to the mental health sector through her work as a psychologist within the Greek National Health Service. Beyond her research and clinical work as a psychologist, Ioanna-Maria has been a pioneering figure in enhancing accessibility and support for the visually impaired in Greece. Her personal journey with the country's first guide dog laid the foundation for a groundbreaking initiative - the establishment of the Lara Guide Dog School in 2008. Her scholarly contributions are notable, with publications in esteemed journals and presentations at significant conferences, further showcasing her commitment to both the psychological and practical facets of disability support and advocacy. Ioanna-Maria Gkertsou's work not only reflects her professional expertise but also her deep commitment to creating an inclusive society where every individual is empowered to lead a fulfilling life.

Katerina Bakogianni

Co-founder, Melon Media/Head of Podcasts, Alter Ego Media

After 25+ years working in top positions for the largest Greek media organizations, Katerina Bakogianni was ready for a change. That’s when she discovered podcasts. She started fanatically listening to US podcasts during the long hours she spent in her car driving her three kids (who at the time did not yet have a driver’s license) around Athens. A pioneer in the podcast market, in 2019, she co-founded, together with other journalists and friends, the first Greek podcast production company pod.gr, which established podcasts in Greece. She is now co-founder and director of Melon Media, a premium podcast production company, specializing in investigative narrative podcasts. Her podcast “Who killed Kostas Taxtsis” (2022) remained number one in the charts of both Spotify and Apple Podcasts for months. As of September 2022, she is the head of podcasts for the Alter Ego Media Group.

Petros Klampanis

Bassist - composer – producer

Petros Klampanis was born and lived in Zakynthos until the age of 18. After leaving the Polytechnic of Athens, he went to the Conservatory of Amsterdam to study double bass. In 2009 he completed his formal studies at the Aaron Copland School of Music in New York and soon began working with leading jazz musicians on the world jazz scene. He has performed at historic venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. His musical relationship with the Greg Osby led to the release of the albums Contextual and Minor Dispute. In 2015 he was voted "Best Jazz Artist" by jazzonline.gr and the album Minor Dispute was selected among the best jazz albums of 2015 on U.S. NPR. In 2017 he released Chroma, which won an Independent Music Award for top live album of the year. His 2019 release, Irrationalities has been universally acclaimed, whereas his most recent album Tora Collective is dedicated to Greek musical tradition and its interaction with contemporary music.

Voula Florou

Co-Creator of 4D Dream Coaching® Method and co-founder of Dreamers’ Way

Voula Florou studied English Literature at the National and Kapodestrian University of Athens. She has years-long experience in financial organizations, as a manager in sales and training. In 2008 she founded her own company, providing training programs and executive coaching in many organizations and businesses. With a Master’s degree in Adult Education, she has more than 10.000 training hours of experience in skills development and behavioural change. She was trained in coaching by CoachU with specialization in Executive Coaching. She then deepened her studies experientially in Systemic Psychotherapy at the AIA, Gestalt at the Gestalt Foundation and Positive Psychology at the Hellenic Association of Positive Psychology . She also went deep into mindfulness and well-being techniques at the University of Damanhur. As a Coach, Trainer and Counsellor of Mental Health, she supports people and organizations in transforming their dreams into reality.