Theme: #TomorrowStartsNow Perspectives To Shape The Future

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).

MED Campus Graz - Aula
Neue Stiftingtalstraße 6
Graz, Steiermark, 8010
Austria

Caroline Schober

Chemist & Molecular Biologist, Innovation Leader, Healthcare Visionary, Global Research Connector

Caroline is a chemist and molecular biologist with a passion for innovation and global impact. She has held key roles in international projects in the US and China, managed major research initiatives, and shaped science policy at the highest levels. As former Vice Rector for Research and International Affairs at the Medical University of Graz, and now Chief Strategy Development & Communications Officer at the Research Center Pharmaceutical Engineering, Caroline is a driving force behind smarter solutions in healthcare. As a recognized leader in open science and organizational transformation, she serves on numerous advisory boards and juries for innovation, startups, and research. Caroline brings a bold vision for the future of medicine - one where science, strategy, and sustainability go hand in hand.

Gudrun Kern

Health & Education Researcher, Violence Prevention Advocate, Comprehensive Sexual Education, Youth Empowerment & Prevention

Gudrun is a teacher, sexual educator, medical student, and PhD candidate at the University of Graz, researching sexual education in Austria and the German-speaking region. Over the past five years, she has worked with young people and educators to create open, respectful spaces for conversations about bodies, boundaries, and relationships—both in school-based workshops and as a lecturer in higher education. Her academic and practical work also focuses on the role of sexual education as a form of violence prevention, especially when it comes to supporting young people in recognizing boundaries, building trust, and developing responsibility. She has worked with AIDS Hilfe Steiermark, where she developed and conducted school workshops on sexual health and the prevention of sexually transmitted infections. She was also actively involved in the association achtung°liebe, a project of the Austrian Medical Students' Association (AMSA), where she co-led the Graz location.

Hannah Gelbart

Youth News, Global Reporting & Presenting, Digital Culture & Disinformation, Investigative Journalism

Hannah is an award-winning BBC News presenter, podcast host and investigative journalist. She is the lead presenter of ‘What in the World’, a daily global news podcast and radio show for 16-25-year-olds. Since its launch, she’s helped grow the programme to reach millions on podcast platforms, YouTube, BBC World Service radio and social media. It won Silver for Best Daily at the 2024 British Podcast Awards. Previously, Hannah was the BBC’s Global Disinformation Reporter, leading investigations into online harms including exploitation on TikTok, revenge porn on Telegram, crypto scams and Russian influence campaigns. Her reporting on Syrian children livestreaming on TikTok was followed by platform policy changes and was shortlisted for an Amnesty Media Award. Since 2015, Hannah has worked on making news accessible for younger audiences. She helped launch BBC My World, which was exec-produced by Angelina Jolie, and produced and reported content for the BBC’s social and digital news teams.

Johanna Pirker

VR Expert, Game Developer, Education, Tech-Visionary, Forbes 30 under 30 Europe

Johanna is a computer scientist and professor specializing in game development, virtual reality, and data science. She leads the Game Lab Graz at TU Graz and is also active in Munich. Her research focuses on the use of immersive technologies and game-based learning to enhance education and foster social engagement. She began exploring virtual worlds during a research visit to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she worked on collaborative virtual environments. Her first experiences in the games industry were with Electronic Arts, and she continues to consult for game studios today. Beyond academia, Johanna is a strong advocate for diversity in technology and gaming. Her contributions have been recognized with numerous honors, including Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe (2018), the Futurezone Women in Tech Award (2019), the Käthe-Leichter-Preis (2020), and the Hedy Lamarr Prize (2021). She is also the founder of Game Dev Days Graz, Austria’s largest conference for game developers.

Lukasz Nazarko

Foresight Researcher, Science Communicator, Responsible Innovation Specialist, Innovation Policy Scholar

Lukasz is a researcher in foresight and interdisciplinary studies at Bialystok University of Technology, Poland. He has gained scientific experience as a research fellow at Tokyo University, the University of Manchester, and VilniusTech. He serves as Chair of the IEEE Technology and Engineering Management Society Poland Chapter and as a board member of the Polish Association for Technology Assessment. He is an author on foresight, technology assessment, innovation policy, and responsible research and innovation. He has been promoting the concept of Future-Oriented Technology Assessment. He is an independent expert for EIT Culture & Creativity and COST–European Cooperation in Science and Technology. He designs and facilitates foresight processes for businesses and non-profit organisations. Lukasz is passionate about public understanding of science. He regularly gives lectures and conducts workshops and simulation games in children’s universities and third-age universities in his region.

Rafael Popper

Global Keynote Speaker, Digital Foresight Pioneer, Top 30 Futurist (by Global Gurus, 2025). Foresight & Innovation Leader

Rafael is an award-winning foresight executive whose 25-plus-year career has helped governments, business, and civil society drive sustainable growth and readiness. Named one of Global Gurus’ Top 30 Futurists for 2025, he shapes change-makers as Professor of Practice at La Salle–Ramon Llull University in Barcelona and as an adjunct in Warsaw and Turku. He also mentors leaders through executive programs worldwide. A digital pioneer, he co-created the first online foresight platform and horizon-scanning app, and now leads Futures Diamond and Green Iceberg, while co-founding Barcelona’s Centre for Funding & Innovation and Poland’s Centre for Foresight & Internationalisation. His globally adopted frameworks—Foresight Diamond, SMART Futures Jigsaw, Critical Issues Analysis, and Action Roadmapping—help organisations anticipate and shape futures.

Roi Shternin

Patient Advocate, Keynote Speaker, Healthcare Innovator, Best-selling Author

Roi's background is a patchwork of patient advocacy, tech innovation, and hard-won personal experience. He has lived the challenges of navigating chronic illness, often finding himself forced to become his own advocate. This experience led him to create patient-led communities, as he understands the power of shared experience and collective voice. On the tech side, he dove headfirst into the world of medical device startups and developed the Help+ app, driven by a desire to use technology to bridge gaps in healthcare. He is not a traditional “expert”; he is a patient who has become a problem-solver, a disruptor, and a relentless advocate for a better healthcare system. He believes that by combining lived experience with innovative thinking, real, lasting change is possible.

Sahra Tasdelen

Cardiovascular Innovator, Molecular Biologist, Forbes 30 under 30, Science Communicator

Sahra is a molecular biologist with a background in cardiovascular biology and tissue engineering, and hands-on experience in cardiac surgery models and experimental surgical procedures. She investigates how to develop the next generation of heart valve bioprostheses and explores new approaches for treating heart disease. A passionate science communicator, she has co-hosted science shows on national television, spoken at high-profile festivals and innovation summits, and was honored on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list.

Sophie Gunkel

Archaeology Student, Gender & Medieval Focus, Public History Advocate, Social Media for Science

Sophie is studying prehistoric archaeology and history, with a special interest in gender archaeology and medieval archaeology. While still an undergraduate student, she already gained extensive insight into commercial archaeology through two on-site projects in Lübeck. She has experience in archaeological administration and government research, having worked for the Lower Saxony Office for Heritage since 2023, as well as in public outreach through her work in a museum and by managing the social media profiles of her university’s archaeology department. Being fully immersed in the world of archaeology, and through conversations with non-professionals in both her jobs and private life, she noticed that many people lack an understanding of the subtle yet profound impact that human history has on their everyday lives. Sophie has made it her goal to share her knowledge with a broader audience, hoping that a deeper understanding of the past might pave the way for a more enlightened future.

Tamas Landesz

Global Youth Voice, Tech Enthusiast, Future Thinker, Digital Davos Panelist

Tamas is a 15-year-old international student based in France, originally from Hungary, with Russian and Central Asian roots, and was born in Georgia. Growing up in a diplomatic family—with a father working for the United Nations and a mother involved in journalism—he has lived on three continents, visited over 20 countries, and speaks four languages. His diverse background has shaped his passion for global issues and his interest in the future—for example, how to safeguard his generation’s humanity and authentic voices in today’s overcharged political climate. Tamas has participated in multiple Model United Nations simulations, where he enjoys delving into complex multilateral issues affecting our world and devising innovative solutions. He took part as a speaker in the 2025 Digital Davos conference and joined the 2024 World Economic Forum Young Global Leaders learning journey to Norway’s majestic Lofoten Fjords, exploring the connection between nature, technology and sustainability.

Thomas Kroneis

Single-Cell Pioneer, Rare Cell Analyst, Molecular Medicine Researcher, Microchimerism Expert

Thomas studied Technical Chemistry at TU Graz and received his doctorate in Medical Sciences from Med Uni Graz (PhD equivalent, with distinction) in 2009. During his thesis, he worked on rare cell analysis in the context of non-invasive prenatal diagnostics, focusing on fetal cells circulating in the peripheral blood of pregnant women. In 2014, he was awarded a three-year Marie Curie Fellowship, allowing him to join the lab of Prof. Stahlberg in Gothenburg, Sweden, where he expanded his knowledge of single-cell RNA analyses. Back in Austria, he habilitated in Cell Biology, Histology, and Embryology (venia docendi) in 2018 and was appointed 2nd Deputy Chair of the Division of Cell Biology, Histology, and Embryology. In 2021, he started a research group and became the leading principal investigator of an international consortium running a 5.3 million USD project on microchimerism. Since 2022, he has been an assigned faculty member of the PhD Program Molecular Medicine at Med Uni Graz.

Zisis Kozlakidis

Global Health Leader, Biobanking Pioneer, Digital Health Strategist, Medical Innovation Expert

He is responsible for one of the largest and most varied international collections of clinical samples in the world. This WHO infrastructure supports multinational efforts in making treatments possible and delivering those to resource-restricted settings. He has significant expertise in the field of biobanking and has served as President of ISBER and is an active BBMRI-ERIC member. He is a virologist, with a PhD in microbiology from Imperial College London. He is an elected Fellow of the Linnean Society of London, UK, and a Turnberg Fellow of the UK Academy of Medical Sciences. He serves as editor-in-chief for the peer-reviewed international scientific journal ‘Innovations in Digital Health, Diagnostics and Biomarkers’. He is scientific advisor to the PTEN Research Foundation, holds an MBA from the Bayes Business School, City University of London. He holds visiting faculty positions in the UK and China.