Theme: Rewriting the Narrative

Stories are the vessels of humans. It is the why in what we do. But just like stories, this "why" keeps on evolving. There is never just one way of approaching something, always a different perspective to look from. TEDxAUCollege invites you to flip the script of everyday life. An event full of visionary entrepreneurs, scientists, and people who dare to challenge their stories. They will teach us that a narrative is far more than perception-it can carry us around the world. Come, listen, and rewrite your story with us!

CREA
Nieuwe Achtergracht 170
Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, 1018 WV
Netherlands

Bilal Ahmad

Human rights lawyer

Bilal Ahmad is a human rights lawyer from Pakistan. He is part of a religious minority and defended his people in front of the court in Pakistan. His activism made him a target so he fled to the Netherlands where he is now taking courses for International Commercial and European Law at the Leiden University. After 2 years, he finally got a work permit, allowing him to build a new life here.

Henry Staal

Co-owner and chairman

Henry Staal is co-owner and chairman of Myne Circular Metals. He played a key role in transforming Reukema, one of Europe’s largest scrap exporters, into Myne. Myne is a high-tech producer of circular metal that uses a technique developed in collaboration with the University of Delft to transform scrap metals back into metals worthy of competing with primary materials. Sustainability is central to Myne's mission. In addition to Myne, Henry is currently chair of Endura, a local energy cooperative in Harderwijk that enables residents and businesses to invest in and collectively generate renewable energy.

Ingrid Gercama

Investigative journalist

Ingrid Gercama is an award-winning freelance investigative journalist specializing in the rule of law, environmental crime, and conflict. Her work explores the interplay between global issues and local realities, often telling stories that transcend borders. She leads journalism in an era of AI and social media, paving the new ways journalism can still remain prevalent. Her journalistic contributions include New Lines Magazine, Süddeutsche Zeitung, NRC, De Groene Amsterdammer, Redline Collective, and provides live reporting on TV and radio.

Josephine Jongbloed

Writer + creative entrepreneur

Josephine Jongbloed is a writer and creative entrepreneur who connects the world with stories. In a world that prioritizes constant movement and productivity, she encourages us to pause, and look. Have you ever wondered what the building you stand in used to be? What was the symbolic meaning of the street lamps you see? As the co-founder of Ommetje met Tom with her father, she shares hidden city stories through newsletters, Instagram and interactive maps. Her bestselling book, ‘Strolling Around Amsterdam’ will also be released in English this summer.

Kate Manning

Student at Amsterdam University College

Kate Manning is an Honours student in Liberal Arts and Sciences at Amsterdam University College, Class of 2027. She grew up in France before making Amsterdam her home for university. With an interest in philosophy and a passion for writing, Kate approaches the world with a childlike sense of wonder and curiosity—an outlook that helps her stay present, mindful, and intentional in how she engages with the world around her.

Mafalda Candal

Student at Amsterdam University College

Mafalda Candal is an honours student at Amsterdam University College, Class of 2026, studying Liberal Arts and Sciences with a major in the Sciences. Her main fields of interests include Artifical Intellegince and Machine Learning. Originally from Portugal, Mafalda moved to the Netherlands in 2023 to continue her education. She is curious and driven, with a reflective approach to learning and a clear interest in developing her own perspective on life.

Sander Bakkes

Game Researcher and Associate Professor

Sander Bakkes is a Game Researcher and Associate Professor at Utrecht University, where he has developed the courses Playful Learning, Game Design, and Play Lab. Sander is interested in designing personalized game interventions to enhance play experiences and in exploring the positive effects of gameplay on (mental) health and socio-emotional development. Recently, Sander has been involved in developing a game for chronically ill children, working with an interdisciplinary team of paediatricians, neurobiologists, and psychologists to help these children better cope with their condition.

Sarah Abdoo

Founder of NGO

Sarah Abdoo is the founder of a NGO that helps women who experienced sexual violence in Bolivia. She grew up in London and went to boarding school from middle school on. After finishing her studies in Psychology and Philosophy in Oxford, she started traveling in South America where she volunteered in a women’s shelter. There she got the idea to empower the women by giving them the opportunity to teach others how to cook. Thereby, she gave them a purpose and a sense of achievement. The organization quickly grew with a variety of activities, helping the women to get their life back.