TEDxPolignano a Mare

Speakers

Speakers may not be confirmed. Check the event website for the latest lineup.

• Andrea Mercuri

  Entrepreneur

  Andrea Mercuri is an entrepreneur from Calabria who grew up in Rome. Passionate about independent publishing and design, she studied Art History and Heritage Conservation at Roma Tre University. In March 2019, she opened Edicola Erno—*Edicola Romana Non Ordinaria*—located in Piazza Americo Capponi, in the Prati district, just steps from St. Peter’s. This innovative urban regeneration project transformed an old newsstand, closed for seven years, into a cultural and artistic space. Erno embraces change by organizing cultural events, book presentations, exhibitions, and pop-ups in collaboration with artists and brands such as Maison Valentino, Armani, Max\&Co, Nike, Uniqlo, L'Oréal, Espressoh, Jil Sander, Artknit Studios, Dodo, and many others. The newsstand—designed as an accessible, informal place where diverse people can meet and engage—is now a vibrant hub for the creative community.

• Angela Curri

  Actress

  Born in 1993, she grew up in Locorotondo, in the region of Puglia, before moving to Rome to study acting. She began her journey in the world of cinema at a very young age, making her big screen debut at just 10 years old in the film Nel mio amore by Susanna Tamaro. In 2014, she portrayed Saint Agnes of Assisi in the miniseries Francesco by Liliana Cavani, and soon after played Bea in the popular RAI series Braccialetti Rossi 2. Audiences will also remember her as Angela Giammarresi in La mafia uccide solo d’estate – the series directed by Luca Ribuoli. She has also appeared in the docu-films Raffaello, il principe delle arti and Artemisia Gentileschi, pittrice guerriera, as well as in the television series Chiedilo al mare, Liberi sognatori, and Imma Tataranni – sostituto procuratore, and in the film Dei by Cosimo Terlizzi. On stage, she performed in Just the End of the World directed by Francesco Frangipane. On the big screen, she starred in Scordato by Rocco Papaleo.

• Clementina Makula

  Entrepreneur

  Clementina Makula is an Italian-French entrepreneur with an international background, having grown up immersed in different cultures and countries. After years of dealing with gut issues related to food intolerances and poor eating habits, she discovered the transformative power of nutrition and holistic wellness during the lockdown. It was during that time—after losing her job—that she decided to turn a crisis into an opportunity. Sensing a gap in the market, she founded Clemi’s Market, a wellness brand born on social media that combines taste, transparency, and functionality. Today, Clemi’s Market has thousands of loyal customers, is available in over 120 retail locations – including Esselunga – and continues to grow with a clear mission: to make wellness accessible, simple, and authentic, starting with what we put on our plates every day.

• Flavia Giordano

  Author and food-writer

  Flavia Giordano, a food educator and cookbook author for Feltrinelli and Giunti, is an authentic voice in promoting the food and wine culture of Puglia. Trained as an archaeologist, she is a certified taster of extra virgin olive oil and cheese, and is currently completing her sommelier training. She has lived in France, the United States, and Sweden, where she founded her own Italian cooking school, which she ran for eight years. Today, through her company "Spaghetti ABC", she offers cooking classes, leads tastings and food and wine tours in Puglia, sharing her passion for regional cuisine with an international audience through immersive, sensory, and storytelling-based experiences.

• Gianluca Fratellini

  3D Leader Character & Creature Animator

  Born in 1980 in Bari, he began his career at Ubisoft Montreal as a 3D Senior Animator, working on major titles like *Assassin’s Creed* and *Far Cry*. He later joined Animal Logic in Sydney to animate the main character "Mumble" in *Happy Feet*, directed by George Miller, which won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature in 2006. He then worked at Sony Pictures Imageworks on *Hotel Transylvania*, and at Blue Sky Studios on *Epic*, *Rio 2*, *The Peanuts Movie*, and *Ice Age 5*. After three years in the U.S., he moved to London, contributing to *Beauty and the Beast* and *Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2* with Framestore, and later to Disney’s *Dumbo*, *The Lion King*, and *Maleficent 2* as Lead Animator at MPC. He also worked on *Pinocchio* (Zemeckis), music videos, and ads for brands like Coca-Cola and PETA. Recently, he animated the Howler in *Star Wars: Ahsoka* and is currently working on *Fortnite Lego* at Epic Games.

• Irene Forti

  Coaching Psycology Professional

  Irene Forti is a professional with a multidisciplinary background that integrates business management, human resources, and coaching psychology. After earning a degree in Business and Management from LUISS University in Rome, she pursued further studies in International Human Resources at Westminster University and completed an MSc in Coaching Psychology at Birkbeck, University of London, gaining accreditation from the Association for Business Psychology. After years as an HR Director in tech and creative companies in London—leading organizational transformation and human potential development—she chose to deepen her expertise to have a broader, more meaningful impact on people’s lives. She complemented her managerial background with advanced training in Coaching Psychology and cognitive neuroscience at Birkbeck. In 2020, she founded HomeMeansCasa, a coaching practice and mind-body space based in Rome and operating online

• Jordi Urbea

  Senior Vice President Ogilvy Spain & CEO Ogilvy Barcelona

  He has led the company’s digital transformation in Barcelona and established Ogilvy’s international Customer Engagement & Data hub in Europe. He is also the driving force behind Ogilvy Mobile and Ogilvy Upcelerator, the group's first global startup accelerator—a pioneering initiative in the industry. Urbea is one of the early Internet pioneers in Spain, having worked in the sector since its inception. As Senior Vice President of Ogilvy Spain, he is a regular speaker at conferences, companies, universities, and institutions, and a recognized voice in the media on emerging trends in marketing, advertising, and the digital transformation of businesses and brands. An investor in several startups, he also serves as coordinator of the Master’s program in Direct and Digital Marketing at Pompeu Fabra University and is the author of several books, including *Éxito* (Grupo Planeta) and *Recrear, cómo ganar en el juego de la vida* (Plataforma Editorial).

• Raffaella Garritano

  Cultural Communicator

  Research, content creation, and a constant questioning of both define her approach to the subject. She studied art history in Naples and later in Paris, delving deeper into museology and the history of ideas—never stopping asking questions. For about ten years, she has been creating social media content to spark users’ curiosity through Stories Dell'Arte, a series where, as a side effect, she shares the many anecdotes uncovered during her research work. Since 2022, she has been collaborating with universities and academies to discuss ethical communication on social media. In the complex world of cultural work in Italy, she has found a voice through which she expresses the doubts, opinions, and emotions of those who have chosen a beautiful yet challenging path. She doesn’t believe in impersonal storytelling, and the motto she holds dearest remains ludendo docere—to teach through play.