TEDxVera

Speakers

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

• Dariko Kholodilina

  Daria Kholodilina is a Ukrainian-born, Georgia-based wine educator, writer and judge, specialising in Georgian wine and the wider wine cultures of Eastern Europe and the Caucasus. Based in Tbilisi since 2013, Daria works closely with producers, importers and cultural organisations to help bring Georgian wine to wider international audiences. She holds WSET Level 3 certification, is a Georgian Wine Ambassador and Georgian Wine Expert titles, and was named IWSC Emerging Talent in Wine. Alongside her work in wine, she is also a mother of two kids and the creator of two children's books.

• Marta Ardashelia

  Marta Ardashelia is a Georgian journalist, media founder with more than 20 years of experience covering major regional and international issues. As the founder and editor of SOVA News, one of the leading independent Russian-language media platforms in the South Caucasus, she has spent years reporting on politics, conflicts, social change, and the human stories behind global events. Originally from Abkhazia, Marta’s personal experience of displacement and growing up in the shadow of conflict deeply shaped her understanding of information, resilience, and security. Throughout her career, she has focused not only on headlines and geopolitics, but on how difficult political and social processes affect ordinary people and their everyday lives. Her work also includes conflict reporting and peacebuilding journalism.

• Natela Potskhveria

  Natela Potskhveria is a journalist and media entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience in the industry. She is the founder of Nateli Tbilisi, an independent media project about the culture, history, and everyday life of Tbilisi and Georgia, reaching hundreds of thousands of readers every month. She is also the creator of Georgian Infusion, a project dedicated to bringing Georgian heritage to international audiences and highlighting its influence on the world of fashion. Natela also works as a creative consultant and brand strategist, and lectures at the Fashion Faculty of Tbilisi State Academy of Arts. Her work is driven by a single obsession: making Georgian culture impossible to ignore.

• Nino Dartsmelia

  Nino Dartsmelia is a Georgian linguist, lecturer, and translator with more than 18 years of experience in higher education and professional training. Her students have included senior managers, embassy staff, and professionals from major Georgian companies and public institutions. Today, she is the Head of the Georgian Language Department at a private school and one of the most loved teachers at educational centre Sami Residence. Nino’s work bridges languages, cultures, and communities, helping people not only learn a language, but feel more confident and connected through it. Her career reflects a lifelong belief in language as a tool for belonging, understanding, and human connection.

• Veronika Kikabidze

  Concept maker: turn places into empowering spaces, Mother of Wine Factory No. 1, Relaunched ex-CEO Bazari Orbeliani. Veronika is proud that, despite not having a clearly defined path while growing up, she learned how to reinvent herself across different professional and life roles. Her journey — from constantly comparing herself to others to discovering authenticity and self-worth — became the foundation of both her work and her philosophy of life. For more than 10 years, she has been creating projects built around meaning, culture, and human connection — from gastronomic and cultural spaces to educational and creative ecosystems. Working across several countries, she focuses on creating cultural contexts with long-term community and global impact. Veronika's superpower is building communities around ideas: bringing together passionate people who care not only about financial success, but also about the values and human impact behind it.

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