Marta Balint

Business mentor, Connector, Global soul, Parent, Philanthropist, Social entrepreneur, World traveler

I am a social entrepreneur and economist, and I have always been interested in how we can use what we already have...our knowledge, connections, businesses and communities to create something useful for others. I grew up and studied in Debrecen, and this is also where my TED journey started. I first stood on the TEDxDebrecen stage as a speaker in 2016, and later became involved in organising the event and preparing speakers. Since 2021, I have been part of the curatorial team. In my work, I bring together people, companies and organisations that might be able to create something valuable together. I think this is probably what connects most of the things I do: I like finding connections between people and ideas and seeing what can come out of them.

I am passionate about people and what can happen when the right people find each other. A lot of my work has been about connecting businesses, nonprofit organisations, communities and individuals around something they care about. I love seeing an idea turn into something real because people with completely different experiences decided to work together. I am also curious about how technology is changing the way we live and relate to each other. The more technology becomes part of our everyday lives, the more interesting I find the very human questions around it. And I love conversations that make me go home thinking differently about something I thought I already understood.

I believe most of us have much more to give than we realise. It doesn't always have to be money. It can be our time, knowledge, experience, connections, creativity or simply our willingness to help. Sometimes the most useful thing we can do is introduce two people who should know each other. I don't think social problems belong only to governments or charities. Businesses, communities and individuals can all be part of solving them, and I have seen through my own work how much can happen when these different worlds start working together. Maybe instead of asking 'Who should fix this?', we could ask more often: 'What can I contribute?' or simply, 'Where can I be useful?'

and turning social ideas into practical solutions., building partnerships, community building, connecting businesses and nonprofit organisations, organisational development, Social entrepreneurship

My TED story started in 2016, when I was a speaker at TEDxDebrecen. At the time, I had no idea that I would still be involved ten years later. After my talk, I started helping other speakers prepare for the stage and gradually became more involved in organising the event. In 2021, I was invited to join the curatorial team. Over the years, I have realised that what I enjoy most about TEDx actually happens long before someone walks onto the red carpet. It is sitting down with someone who has something important to say and asking question after question until we understand what the real idea is. Sometimes that means questioning things, cutting things out or looking at the same story from a completely different direction. Then, eventually, it becomes a talk. I grew up and studied economics in Debrecen, later studied abroad and travelled a lot through my work. I have met people from very different backgrounds, and I think that made me curious about perspectives that are different from my own. This is one of the reasons TEDxDebrecen is important to me. I want people in my home city to have access to ideas, people and conversations they might not otherwise encounter. If someone leaves the event with a new question in their head, starts a conversation they wouldn't have started before, or sees something from a different perspective, then I think we have done something worthwhile.

Remembering people and making connections between them. Quite often, when I meet someone, another person immediately comes to mind and I think: you two should talk.