What are the things that make us take actions that drive the change of society? For Christophe Debard, it was cancer and disability. His optimism and the lessons learnt from this experience, made him realize that altruism is key to transforming adversity into opportunity. He created an initiative called “Humanity Lab“ to empower his colleagues at Airbus become volunteers helping other human beings.

Given that humility is praised as a virtue in leadership, why is it that narcissists are vastly over-represented among senior leaders? Jeff Eggers is a retired Navy SEAL and co-author of the national best-seller Leaders: Myth and Reality. In this provocative and personal talk, Jeff explores the many paradoxes of leadership, and offers a unique perspective on the true nature of leadership, why we so often find it to be so frustrating, and a powerful suggestion for those looking to do more with their leadership.

Alex Dima’s passion for changing his community and the world around him is perfectly captured in this insightful, inspiring and moving talk, where he highlights how we can build change, within and around us, if we only look closer to the needs right in front of us. If we only find reasons around us to change things to the better.

Food plays a central role in the evolution of humans, and civilization. As we enter a new geological era – the Anthropocene, the age of humans- we realize our consumption habits are one of the main causes of environmental degradation and climate change.
Charles takes us on a journey from the emergence of life on Earth, to the birth of civilization, agriculture and cities, and how the way we eat can either lead us to our demise, or can shape a brighter future for us, and the planet. Sharing a “Guide to Conscious Eating“, Charles highlights that eating and cooking are powerful political acts, and that eating consciously could be one of the keys to meet the 2030 UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Annastiina shows us in this insightful talk how a better life leads to better performance. It’s all about building the foundation, not about something you achieve or maintain on the side. She challenges us to better understand how we can live our life purposely but also healthier.
If you were to ask yourself “What are you optimizing for, and are you headed the right direction?“ what would your answer be?

After a modeling agency suddenly dropped her for not being “thin enough”, Tijana co-founded Female Narratives with associate model Franziska Klein. An overnight idea, a creative agency that operates to connect brands to real female freelancers & real stories began. Her stories come in many different forms: a branding concept, an experiential marketing strategy, a social media campaign or a travel/culture article. In her powerful #metamorphosis speech, Tijana Tamburic argued for changing the narrative about how we perceive and fit within the perceived boundaries of femininity and masculinity, thus helping us evolve and reach our full potential.

This talk shows how technologies play an active role in our everyday lives, including in morality. Olya focuses on the moral side of this technological mediation, explaining how technologies help to form our moral inclinations, actions and even change our values, giving references to modern-day examples, such as voice assistants, Snapchat and Instagram, the sex selection technology.

The Global State of Awe is an experience – talk aiming to give insight into the awe-inducing event and mindset shift that astronauts undergo when looking at Earth from space. This is known as the overview effect. Astronauts who have seen Earth from space report an explosion of awareness that triggers a new relationship between one’s self, others and the environment.

Through a personal story of grit, inspiration and willingness to power through external factors, Mihai shares how we are the drivers of our own “cars“, and that our own fears are the enemies of our metamorphosis, as individuals and as a society. By fighting the “impossible“, on task at a time, Mihai shares how we can build hope and courage around us and transform our communities.

Ana Maria Lucaciu, brilliant and renowned performer and choreographer, shows us how with a little courage and a few tools, we can allow the chaos of dance improvisation to put us in a better mood, make our bodies feel better, spark our creativity and provide us with deeper insight into ourselves. Ana Maria Lucaciu is a freelance choreographer and performing artist based in New York City.

Florica Zaharia takes us on a circular personal journey, from a small village in Apuseni mountains to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, centering her talk around her love and passion for textiles and heritage. She gives a powerful example of how understanding and respecting your roots and being passionate about what you do can lead to a life of purpose and fulfillment.

By putting her passion at work relentlessly, and having the grit to stick to what she loved doing, Antonia discovered how true innovation comes from your individuality. Now it’s the time more than ever to just keep doing the things that you love to do and embrace change where it fits right for you, to be curious and keep learning. In her view, all these new innovative ides and medium of communicating are just an ever growing play box for experimenting with and telling more stories.

Within the framework of her favorite novel – Murakami’s “Kafka on the Shore“ – teen activist and gender equality advocate Sofia Scarlat recounts her personal experience with overcoming subjectivity and reconnecting with the issues in her community, and explains why our world needs everyone to do the same.