Theme: Thinking Change

Sustainability is the capacity to endure, the ability to be maintained. For us 21st century citizens it means responsibility in environmental, economic, and social dimensions. Twenty years after the United Nations came together to discuss environment and development for the first time, the Rio+20 conference on Sustainable Development will take place in Brazil on June 20-22, 2012. TEDxBerlin will provide a stage for leading figures from the fields of politics, science, art and social entrepreneurship to speak about Rio+20's critical issues.... and much more.

Google Berlin
Unter den Linden
Berlin, 10117
Germany

Lars Krückeberg

Lars Krückeberg studied architecture in Germany, Italy and the US. In 1998 he established GRAFT in Los Angeles with Wolfram Putz and Thomas Willemeit. GRAFT is conceived as a ‘Label’ for Architecture, Urban Planning, Design, Music and the “pursuit of happiness”. At TEDxBerlin Lars Krückeberg will introduce his project ‘Solar Kiosk’ - an autonomous modular unit to electrify rural Africa.

Guya Merkle

Guya Merkle studied management and communication. She worked for the fundraising platform betterplace.org and took over her family’s business - the jewellery company Vieri Haute Joaillerie in Switzerland - in 2007. Guya wants to make a real change in customers’ minds and in the jewelery industry, which is why she founded the “earthBeat Foundation“ in 2012. This foundation is committed to raising awareness for legal, safe,environmentally friendly and fair gold mining as well as the miners work.

Daniel Klink

Daniel Klink is an expert on the topic of "The Honorable Merchant". His research work at Humboldt University was honored with various academic awards. Klink runs an online platform dealing with the model of the honorable merchant. He is also involved in several economic and education projects and works as a consultant for medium sized companies, advising them on their sustainable communication and business strategies.

Jim Kroft

Jim Kroft is a Scottish artist who promotes his projects himself. He lives in Berlin and has established himself as a singer/songwriter in Berlin’s thriving music scene. Jim Kroft’s single „Memoirs From The Afterlife“ was featured in the Top 100 Mainstream- Airplay Charts for two months, even though the artist has no record deal. After performing with several famous singer/songwriters and bands in Europe and in Germany, he is currently working on his third album.

Jacob Bilabel

Jacob Bilabel is Managing Director at the Berlin based Think-Do Tank THEMA1, which specializes in accelerating social change. He is founder of the Green Music Initiative, which provides a platform for the music and entertainment industry to coordinate projects in the fight against climate change. He is also a mentor at the Akademie der Künste (University of the Arts) in Berlin and founding member of the ReDesign Deutschland initiative. Jacob Bilabel has also been Chairman of the Product Carbon Footprint World Forum since 2009.

Peter Seeberger

Peter H. Seeberger studied chemistry and earned his Ph.D. in biochemistry at the University of Colorado. He worked as Professor and Director at several university institutes in the US, in Switzerland and in Germany. Seeberger is a founding member of the board of the “Hope for Africa” Foundation that aims at improving health care in Ethiopia by providing access to malaria vaccines and HIV treatments. At TEDxBerlin he will speak about a cost-effective and ground-breaking way of making a malaria drug from the waste products of a plant.

Ken Yeang

Ken Yeang studied architecture in London and received his doctorate at Cambridge University. He is best known for his signature deep green architecture and master plans and has completed over 200 projects. He is regarded as the inventor of the ‘bioclimatic skyscraper’. His research and design work has been published in several authoritative books.

Achmed Khammas

Achmed Khammas is a German/ Iraqi author, translator and interpreter. He is most popular for being one of the very few authors to write about Islam and science fiction in the Arabic language. Khammas is also active in the field of sustainable energy and has continuously worked on renewable energy projects in Syria since the 1970’s. In his talk he will give us a historical overview of sustainable energy systems which goes back hundreds, even thousands of years.

Werner Aisslinger

The work of the designer Werner Aisslinger covers the spectrum of experimental and artistic approaches, including industrial design and architecture. He introduces new materials and techniques to the world of product design, much like in his unique gel furniture with the collection “soft cell“ and the chairs „soft“ for zanotta in 2000. His work is exhibited in the permanent collections of international museums such as the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the French Fonds National d´Art Contemporain in Paris and the Vitra Design Museum in Weil, Germany.

Gesine Schwan

Gesine Schwan is a German politician. Her main fields of research are Political Philosophy and Theories of Democra cy, as well as issues of Political Psychology and Political Culture. She is one of the joint founders and president (as of June 2010) of the HUMBOLDT- VIADRINA School of Governance. Gesine Schwan was nominated by the parties SPD and Bündnis 90/Die Grünen as candidate for the office of Federal President in March 2004 and in May 2008. At TEDxBerlin, Gesine Schwan will speak about advancing European integration through good governance.