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).

TEDxSUMAS
Route Suisse 35
Gland, Vaud (fr), 1196
Switzerland

Alessandro Armillotta

Co-founder and CEO of AWorld

AWorld is the platform and App in support of the United Nations campaign for individual action on climate change and sustainability. AWorld is a guide intended to inspire the public in learning about sustainability and take action in the fight for climate change. The app is a user-friendly application with the aim to educate all the communities on how to make small sustainable everyday actions and to connect people to sustainable brands, international and non-governmental organizations contributing to the different dimensions of sustainability. Alessandro is an award-winning tech entrepreneur devoted to innovation and sustainability. He has extensive communications and marketing expertise in startup and e-Commerce environments, both in the United States and internationally. He was awarded with; 2020 Zurich Innovation Championship Award, 2019 Impact Now Award, 2017 Netcomm Award Winner - Best B2B, 2017 NC Digital Awards - Best B2B

Amanda Ho

Co-Founder of Regenerative Travel

Regenerative Travel is a booking platform for the Regenerative Resorts collection of independently owned eco-luxury boutique hotels dedicated to the highest levels of social and #environmentalimpact. She is the brand architect behind developing Regenerative Travel as a market leader for regenerative tourism and enables the hotels in the collection to create a deeper impact together. Previously as the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Electrify Magazine, a multi-media lifestyle publication, Amanda honed her craft as a storyteller, producer, and creative strategist for luxury hospitality and real estate companies, and lifestyle brands with a passion for sustainability.

Ana Maria Montero

International TV, Radio and Print Journalist

Ana Maria is an international TV, radio and print journalist with 20 years of experience who grew up professionally within the CNN family - from intern to anchor desk – working for CNN International. During this time, she hosted 'Escenario', a Los Angeles-based daily entertainment news show focused on all things arts and entertainment. In 2017 AM traded red carpets for stock markets and joined the CNNMoney Switzerland team as an anchor for their flagship business and finance show, The Swiss Pulse. Replacing movie stars and rock legends with CEOs, founders, entrepreneurs, bankers, analysts from top global companies, she also became the host of the long-format interview show, The Newsmaker, as well as Tech Talk, a show about all things tech, with a focus on sustainability, the Swiss start-up scene and women in tech at such international events like CES Las Vegas and Viva Tech in Paris.

André Harms

Founder of Ecolution Consulting

Ecolution Consulting is a sustainability and green-building consulting firm based in Cape Town. André is an electro-mechanical engineer and qualified Renewable Energy Professional with extensive experience in design, project management, commissioning process implementation and auditing sites for sustainability projects. He was a key player in the success of Africa’s Greenest Hotel, Hotel Verde, being the lead sustainability consultant on the project. Having spent 14 months in Antarctica as a mechanical engineer and team leader of the South African National Antarctic overwintering expedition, he has a special interest in efficiency, functionality, serviceability and robustness of systems. With experience in Net Zero, EDGE, Green Star SA, LEED, project management and the implementation of the ASHRAE Guideline 0 commissioning process, André often performs multiple functions on projects.

Camelopard -

Kraut/kosmische Band

Camelopard is a kraut/kosmische band founded in 2013 by two Italian cousins.

Diana Körner

Sustainable Tourism Consultant

Diana Körner is a sustainable tourism consultant based in the Indian Ocean region, from where she supports small islands, developing destinations and protected areas in sustainable tourism planning, management, training and engagement. Diana is passionate about the positive force of sustainable tourism on communities and the environment and loves spending time with her rescue animals and exploring tropical islands.

Giulio Bonazzi

CEO and Chairman of Aquafil

Giulio Bonazzi has dedicated his career to evolving Aquafil S.p.A. into a leading player in the global carpet and textile materials industry. Aquafil was founded by Bonazzi’s parents 50 years ago in Arco, Italy. An innovator and disruptor, Bonazzi is transforming his family’s manufacturing business into a sustainable global enterprise.

Gunter Pauli

Entrepreneur, Pedagogue, and Author of The Blue Economy

Gunter Pauli pioneers innovations and creates disruptive business models. He accompanied over 200 projects over the past quarter of a century, translating ideas with solid science into a vision implemented through entrepreneurship. Gunter adheres to a philosophy summarized in his book “The Blue Economy” (2010) translated in nearly 50 languages. He proposes to avoid dividing opinions centered around “for or against”. Rather he continuously focuses on finding better solutions, much better indeed! He embraces radical change, shifting from the obsession to ever-higher levels of efficiency, globalization, and ever-lower prices, to resilience and the capacity to better respond to the basic needs of all, by generating value with what is locally available. His latest book “The Economy of Happiness” is based on the successful implementation of game-changing businesses, underlying principles that establish the successful pursuit of health and happiness.

Javier Goyeneche

President and Founder of ECOALF

Born in Madrid, Javier Goyeneche studied in Spain, London and Paris, while also taking part in top international equestrian competitions. In 1995, he founded Fun & Basics, specializing in contemporary fashion handbags and accessories which resulted in Javier winning the Best Young Entrepreneur of Madrid in 2005. In 2012 he launched ECOALF, a fashion and design company with the mission to reduce the amount of waste in the world by using recycled materials to produce fashionable consumer goods, including outerwear, swimwear, casual apparel, shoes and accessories.

Jemilah Ross-Hayes

Singer/Songwriter

Born and bred on Waiheke Island New Zealand, Jemilah has always had a passion for the earth and treating it kindly. She is known for her acoustic folk, sweet-like-sugar vocals and honest lyricism and can write her observations down about anything, turning them into something beautiful.

Juliet Kinsman

Sustainable luxury travel writer, author, editor, founder, broadcaster, speaker

Juliet is a multi-hyphenate eco-expert. Sustainable luxury travel writer, author, editor, founder, broadcaster, speaker - she does it all in style and consciously so. She is the first-ever sustainability editor of Conde Nast Traveller and the founder of Bouteco Hotels - an online platform for design-led eco-conscious hotels. She is also the author of The Green Edit: Travel - a comprehensive handbook for slow and low impact travel.

Laura Schober

Coach and Workshop Facilitator for Personal Growth and Positive Culture in Organizations

Laura Schober just finished her Master’s in Positive Psychology and Coaching Psychology. She is a coach & workshop facilitator for personal growth and positive culture in organizations, passionate about helping people flourish.

Merijn Everaarts

Founder of Dopper

Merijn Everaarts has one priority: to make an impact on reducing plastic waste by providing a sustainable water bottle for (filtered) tap water. His mission is to: 1: Create awareness regarding the impact of single-use plastic waste and inspiring people to initiate a change. 2: Offer an innovative product line of sustainable design bottles for drinking water. 3: Increase access to safe drinking water for people around the world.

Oscar di Montigny

Chief Innovation, Sustainability & Value Strategy Officer at Banca Mediolanum, the CEO of Mediolanum Comunicazione, Founder and President BYE (Be Your Essence) and President of Flowe

As a professional, Oscar di Montigny has made education the heart of the Mediolanum Corporate University, a project he set up in 2009, and of Banca Mediolanum’s cultural platform (a digital magazine and community events), that he created and launched in 2013. He also promotes these principles through his activities in publishing, as a keynote speaker at international conferences, as a guest lecturer at schools and universities, and in his advocacy work with business groups. In his first book “Il Tempo dei Nuovi Eroi”, he leads the reader to observe contemporaneity from a holistic perspective to understand the principles of the Spherical Economy that he has long theorized.

Silvia Vanni

Founder and CEO of ShareMyBag, the Airbnb of fashion.

Born in the heart of Italy, Tuscany, after her Master Degree in Marketing she starts her career in fashion, moving from Milan to Dubai and then to New York, which she considers her second home. During this time, she will have the idea of ShareMyBag, which will bring her to start a brand new adventure. Silvia launches ShareMyBag in 2019 in New York, creating the first community of fashion lovers with a common mission: following their passion by promoting sustainability!

Stéphanie Bretonniere

Founder and CEO of WE IMPACT.WORLD and Econology Podcast Host

WE.IMPACT WORLD is the world's first-of-its-kind collaborative ecosystem and growing global network of curated SDG's and sustainability stakeholders. Unleashing the power of Impact Hacking, global changemakers innovate, invent, impact, and hack sustainable solutions to speed up the sustainability transformation of companies while upskilling teams through the first Knowledge-as-a-Service Impact Hub. She is also the host of Econology Podcast highlighting the necessity to switch to new agile business models caring about planet, people, and profits. Member of the Experts Network of the World Economic Forum, she is incredibly passionate about innovation, green, sharing and the circular economy, as well as digital disruption for the last two decades.

Svetlana Baurens

Founder and Managing Director of Impact Investing school, Co-Founder and President of Galileo International Impact Investing Centre and Board Member of SIIA (Swiss Impact Investment Association)

Svetlana Baurens is an impact investing expert and is actively raising awareness about this topic around the world with the main purpose to transform it into a force for good. “Moving private capital into impact investing will help to solve social and environmental challenges and add meaning, purpose, and inspiration to the actors in the financial industry”. Svetlana is a keynote speaker at numerous Finance and Impact Investing conferences. She nearly has a decade of experience in the Swiss Financial Sector as a client advisor and investment specialist for reputable Swiss and international institutions (Société Generale, J.Safra Sarasin). Svetlana has in-depth experience in fundraising, project management and acts as a finance coach and strategic advisor for social entrepreneurs.

Tom Bosschaert

Founder and Director of Except

Tom Bosschaert is the visionary force behind Except's development. Starting Except at the age of 19 in 1999, his vision was to find systemic solutions for our societal challenges by combining science, business, design and communication. His vision shows that we can flourish globally when we integrate environmental, societal, economical, and technical aspects at the same time. In the past decades, Tom developed over 500 projects pioneering projects for cities, buildings, business, policy, and industry. Tom has been increasingly recognized as a leader in sustainability thinking, the circular economy, and system innovation. In 2014, he was elected number 38 of the most influential sustainability professionals in the Netherlands by the national newspaper Trouw and ranked number 21 on the Dutch Sustainable Real Estate awards.

Willy Legrand

Professor of Hospitality Management at the IUBH International University of Applied Sciences

Over the past 15 years, Prof. Dr. Legrand has established over two dozen undergraduate and graduate courses on sustainable development in tourism and hospitality management in Germany but also as a visiting professor at universities around the world. Prof. Dr. Legrand is the lead author of Sustainability in the Hospitality Industry: Principles of Sustainable Operations. His latest textbook, Social Entrepreneurship in the Hospitality Industry: Principles and Strategies for Change is a timely addition tackling the many challenges facing the industry in the coming decade. He is also the Guest Chief Editor of the Hotel Yearbook Sustainable Hospitality 2018 and 2020 Special Editions. He chairs the Hospitality Net World Panel on Sustainability in Hospitality. The aim is to get sustainability anchored more than ever into the hospitality conversation and decision-making.

Wolf -

Artist

@is.a.wolf creates art from multiple perspectives, reflecting on the world's biggest issues and the most wonderful phenomena. Is a wolf puts the viewer into places they probably have never been before.