TEDxNazarbayevUniversity

Speakers

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

• Akbota Sabetova

  Akbota is a career coach, business consultant, and LinkedIn strategist who helps clients worldwide build powerful personal brands, elevate their careers, and increase their income through strategic visibility. With more than 1,500 hours of consultations and over 500 clients, her portfolio includes entrepreneurs generating $75K in monthly revenue and Silicon Valley edtech startups. Akbota is also a Kazakhstan Public Speaking Champion TMI 2024, and has over nine years of experience in Toastmasters.

• Alua Nurbay

  Alua Nurbay is a PhD candidate in Business Administration from Nazarbayev University, founder and director of Native Language Solutions, and a member of the Research Group at the Nazarbayev University Center for Entrepreneurship. With over a decade of academic experience, she has taught risk management, finance, investments, business planning, digital transformation, and entrepreneurship. Her professional background spans banking, project and financial management, and international media research. She is the author of books and academic publications and has presented at international conferences, including TED-style talks. Former President of the Association of Consulting and Trading Companies and a trainer and mentor at “Atameken,” Alua actively supports entrepreneurship development, innovation, and women's leadership in Kazakhstan.

• Irina Zelenkova

  Dr. Irina Zelenkova, MD, PhD is a sports physician, hypoxia researcher, and founder of OWNTOP, a science-based system for fast and safe high-altitude and extreme-environment preparation. For more than 18 years, she has worked at the intersection of medicine, human performance, and sport innovation — from the Olympic Games and professional cycling teams to Everest expeditions and Polar challenges. A leading global expert in altitude training and hypoxia, Dr. Zelenkova designs personalized protocols that enable “ordinary” people to achieve extraordinary results. Her patented hypoxic preparation method made possible one of the world’s most remarkable feats: an ascent from sea level to Everest in 3 days, 23 hours, and 7 minutes. In recognition of her contribution to altitude science and applied practice, she was named the Best Altitude Training Coach in the United States (2025).

• James Hutchinson

  Jim is an Assistant Professor at Nazarbayev University. His work mostly centers around the values and norms connected with truth, and the history of 19th and 20th century philosophy. He grew up in Dundas, Ontario. He did his undergraduate degree in philosophy at Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Toronto. He finished his Ph.D in 2018 at the University of California, Berkeley, with a dissertation about Gottlob Frege. He has held visiting positions at the University of Indiana, Bloomington, Simon Fraser University, and the University of Toronto Mississauga.

• Jane Hoelker

  Jane Hoelker has led an impressive career as an instructor of English as a Foreign Language in universities in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Her professional biography is published in the 2023 edition of Marquis Who’s Who. She was elected to the TESOL International Association Board of Directors in 2008. Prior to this, she was President of TESOL Arabia in the United Arab Emirates, where she practiced leadership through motivation, high energy, and a strong understanding of others. She supported leaders and educators in cultivating their personal landscape as a Life Coach certified by the International Coach Federation. Her strong social conscience inspired her to give service in the global context. Volunteering for the Peace Corps, she taught in African universities. As an English Language Specialist consulting with the US State Department, she conducted teacher training workshops in India, Bahrain, Egypt, and Oman.

• Veronika Khraneko

  Veronika Khraneko is the founder of “Glavnoe Slovo,” a leading public-speaking project for entrepreneurs and executives. She is also an invited lecturer at the Higher School of Economics and the author of the book “Меньше слов. Как управлять диалогом и раскрыть любого собеседника,” published by Альпина PRO. Veronika combines deep expertise in communications with extensive experience in media, education, and business communities. She studied at SKOLKOVO Startup Academy, International Coaching Academy, the Academy of Moderation, MІTRO (Ostankino), and holds a degree in Romance Philology from Lomonosov Moscow State University. At the core of her work is a mission to help people speak with clarity, confidence, and purpose — turning any dialogue into a space for influence, authenticity, and transformation.

• Zakhar Zhadaev

  Zakhar is an entrepreneur who began his journey at just sixteen, when he founded his first online English school. Today, he speaks five languages and has taught students from more than 35 countries, building a global learning community grounded in curiosity, growth, and accessible learning. Across social media, Zakhar has built an audience of over 170,000 followers on TikTok and Instagram, sharing insights on language learning, productivity, and self-development. His expertise has led to invitations to interviews, podcasts, and collaborations in the education and creative sectors. Driven by a clear mission, Zakhar is dedicated to helping people discover their passion and unlock new opportunities through high-quality, affordable education.