Theme: #BeBrave

Our event is about this moment, where people are paralyzed by fear. We would like to show examples of courage, regardless of when or how they've happened. Our speakers will tell you stories about paradigm shifts and courage.

TEDx Conference
plac Bohaterów Getta
Wrocław, Dolnośląskie, 50-076
Poland

Aleksandra Zejdler

Athlete

Aleksandra has performed a long-distance trekking in the US, named Pacific Crest Trail, covering over 4,300 km from Mexico to Canada on foot. Not least, in the middle of the corona virus pandemic. Her story is about how she overcame fear and challenged the boundaries of human resistance, while at same time working since childhood to dream big and make it happen.

Alicja Igielska

Coach, Lecturer and Translator of Foreign Languages

Alicja is a coach, lecturer and translator of foreign languages. Her talk will be about language barriers and development. In many languages, the second spoken language is called foreign, immediately implying it's not a part of us. Does it affect our cognitive skills? Isn't it sometimes the case that we cast a curse onto our perception? Over 14 years of her experience, she heard thousands of times about this barrier. In her talk Alicja will also address how language programming affects our development and what is the deep immersion in learning a second language. Come to see this Entrepreneur, recalcitrant agitator, local activist, word operator, free time organizer and gourmand guide you through the labyrinth of your brain, to find a perfect way to speak a second language with pleasure.

Amelia Kopel

National Tennis Champion

Amelia is a young, polish athlete - a tennis player - and currently a student in International high school. She is a national champion under sixteen years of age and a member of national team. She took part in finals of European Junior Championships (under sixteen years of age). She will speak about the pressure and struggles of young athletes based on her experiences. She will show how she has managed that and understood the meaning of pressure while encouraging people to do the same. To quote Travis Bradberry: "Mistakes and pressure are inevitable; the secret to getting past them is to stay calm."

Ananta Vangmai

Rebel/Artist/Anthropologist

Ananta is an artist and a multiculturalist that has lived and travelled around Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the British Isles for 8 years before stumbling on to Wroclaw and deciding to call the city Home. She works with music festivals and other cultural events bringing artists and audiences together, while trying to make a mark in the professional world through her academic interests in Governance and Cultural Anthropology. Her interests are varied, and while travel photography remains her favourite she also loves to spend time reading up on alternative Historical and Political narratives, Mental Health and Philosophy. Ananta's talk will highlight pivotal moments from her life, anecdotes that include going against cultural norms. What results is an adventure that finally brought her to achieving a feeling that was considered impossible : contentment.

Bastian Küntzel

Writer, Learning Experience Design Expert

Bastian Küntzel is a writer, the author of a book on how to use Storytelling as a Design Principle to create powerful Learning Experiences. He is a skilled learning facilitator, father and prolific baker. He will talk about learning and growth from a learner perspective and radical paradigm shifts towards more humanity.

Ehssan Chameiy

Standup Comedian, Volunteer

Ehssan is a Syrian, living in Poland for 5 years. According to him, "being brave is challenging when you are far from home but not impossible". He had to learn a different language and a different culture, and integrate even when he was afraid to leave his comfort zone. Over time he became a Sales Operation Analyst helping to improve Customer Service Experience, a Stand Up Comedian, a Volunteer to various charities, Event Organizer and a Talented Musician.

Gaston Sitbon

Entrepreneur

Gaston Sitbon was born in Chicago. Due to his French father, he spent a good chunk of his life living in Paris. His own enlistment in the US military and natural sense of curiosity allowed him to continue exploring the world into adulthood. Today he lives in Wroclaw, where he is the owner and roaster of a organic coffee company and does B2C on a local farmer's market.

Gustavo Javier Brusasca

Rock climber, Photographer

Gustavo is an Argentinean living in Poland. His talk will be about comfort zone, risk perception and management through sharing own experiences and stories. He is an IT professional, passionate rock climber and amateur athlete, enthusiast of the outdoor, mountains, and photographer.

Iga Machalewska

Psychologist and Trainer

Iga is a psychologist, trainer. As a positive psychology enthusiast she is interested in helping us improve how we manage emotions so they are an ally in our work and everyday life. She is also an expert in the area of cross-cultural communication. In her talk "What kite surfing taught me about the growth mindset" Iga explores why some of us fear and avoid challenges while others actively seek out new opportunities. We often hear that failure is not the opposite of success but a part of it. Yet some of us give up just after a few unfortunate missteps while others allow themselves to fail freely just to learn from it? And is it possible to change your mindset and learn to use failures to your benefit? Spoiler alert: according to Carol Dweck’s Growth vs. Fixed Mindset theory, it definitely is. So let’s see the science behind it and hear what kite surfing taught Iga about failing.

Kumbia Mać

Band

Kumbia Mać was formed in 2015 from a group of friends who liked to play tropical, cumbia and latin music together. They had their first concert in Księgarnia Hiszpańska ELITE in Wroclaw some months later and have since then played in several venues in Wrocław and other polish cities such as Warsaw or Lodz. The band started with 5 members and then grew to its current formation, with 10 amazing Guys, from 4 different countries (Cuba, France, Poland and Spain)

Malika Murzagali

Cultural Manager & Pedagogy Enthusiast

Malika is a Kazakhstani born cultural manager living in Wrocław for almost three years now. She has been part of the international project for children since March 2017 starting as an EVS Volunteer and working currently as the Program Manager. Malika is an advocate of the peer-learning pedagogy which is rooted in a foundation of compassion and trust, striving to build up the children’s confidence in their own abilities, not only as artists, but also as leaders in their communities. She believes that these children not only teach each other, but they can also teach us, adults, that barriers are merely nominal and that peace is always an option.

Mariana Verzaro

Neuroscientist

Mariana is a Brazilian with a Phd in Psychology and relevant experience in the field of Neuroscience research. She is interested about the fundamental questions cognitive neuroscientists seek to answer about neurons, the essence of intelligence and consciousness. She can talk about how the knowledge of the human brain can help with today's challenges and a better development of technologic advances for humanity.

Paulina Basta

Blogger, HR Director

Basta is a Polish surname but in Italian means also "Enough!" - here's a call to end with conformity by this brilliant Blogger, Human Resources Professional and Working Mother. Paulina writes to make people think and change things. She connects with people and gather insights after years of working in Managerial roles for Global corporations, combined with an urge to conquer the world and challenge the status quo.

Roksana Obuchowska-Waślicka

Communications Specialist, Volunteer

Roksana is a Communications professional with legal and business background, specialized in Corporate Communications, PR and Customer Relations. She is also an active volunteer engaged in creative problem-solving program involving students from kindergarten through college. While supporting the Odyssey of the Mind program she works together with kids at length to solve long-term problems and present their solutions to the problems, not only at a competition but life.

Sam Alty

Guitarist and Composer

Samuel Alty has had music all through his particularly dynamic career which has led him to dance in the Royal Opera House, physical theatrical performances in the Arctic Circle and even being a musical rabbit in a touring traditional circus, that was murdered up to 3 times a day by the trombone player! Performing three songs from his album 'The Call Of The Black Cat', for TEDx with Christian Danowicz on Violin, Marcin Orzechowski on keyboard and Darek Miklasz on Percussion. Alty is a New Zealand award winning composer, singer songwriter, teacher and actor based in Poland. As well as performing internationally, he has been on regional and national television (TVP3, Echo24 and ATM Rozrywka), is regularly on Radio Wroclaw, Radio RAM and Radio Wrocław Kultura, and has appeared on BBC 6 introducing with Tom Robinson, and received the Best Music Award In Ozdemir Nutku Theatre Awards (Turkey) - 2019. To find out more samuelalty.com

Victoria Havrylyuk

Project Coordinator, Intercultural Trainer

Victoria is a Project Coordinator, Cross Cultural Competencies trainer and a creative soul. She came to Poland for Doctoral Studies 8 years ago. She is fascinated about communication and for the past 3 years has been exploring special corners of the human mind that attenuate working and existence in nowadays life. In her deeply personal talk, Victoria describes how the knowledge about the brain can become a key to a rewarding your life and what to do when mindfulness doesn’t help on her own example. Her talk will show three main aspects, which have an unique influence on people but are underestimated by scientists. You`ll also find out why your brain is the most powerful part of you. Be brave to study yourself and start smart living.

Zawartko / Piasecki

Duet

Magdalena Zawartko is a talented singer who plays music opening up new sound and compositional possibilities with World music, Ethnic Polish and Jewish songs and Jazz. She has a track of beautiful recordings with Jazz legends like Billy Harper, Billy Hart, Leszek Możdżer, Dariusz Oleszkiewicz, Dominik Wania and Piotr Wojtasik. In partnership with Grzegorz Piasecki she has a Duet and also extensive work with Piotr Wojtasik, Tomasz Wendt, Artur Tuznik, Marek Kądziela, Wojciech Buliński and José Torres. The most recent project, "Leć głosie" combines ethnic music with jazz improvisation. The project was presented in many European countries and awarded by Gazeta Wyborcza with the WARTO Award in 2016.