Past TEDx event

TEDxLeiden University

Empowering Echoes

Took placeApril 10, 20267:00 PM - 10:00 PM (GMT+2)
LocationThe Hague, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands
FormatUniversity
Join us for an inspiring evening of fresh ideas, bold perspectives, and compelling stories at TEDxLeidenUniversity! On April 10, 2026, professional speakers will join Leiden University student speakers and take the stage to share groundbreaking insights and create Empowering Echoes. TEDxLeidenUniversity is more than just an event; it’s a movement that celebrates the power of ideas to transform the world. Each year, we curate a stage for visionaries, storytellers, and changemakers to share their unique perspectives and inspire action. This year, under the theme Empowering Echoes, we invite you to explore how ideas can resonate beyond the mind and lead to change. Through powerful stories and impactful ideas, our speakers will challenge you to think differently and act without fear. Join us as we create a space for connection, innovation, and the pursuit of a better tomorrow.

Speakers

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

  • Aditeya Sukumaran

    Aditeya looks at how our ideas of “traditional gender roles” are often shaped by assumptions of universality. Drawing on his homeland of Kerala’s matrilineal lineage system, his talk offers a perspective on how different societies have approached gender and family in different ways. He hopes to encourage a more reflective and open-ended way of thinking about tradition and how the past can inspire us.

  • Max Ernst

    We tend to think of ourselves and our identities as being quite unchanging. Not only do these naturally shift but we can actually influence how they change. In this talk, Max explains how playing party games led to him discovering the power of reframing, and how it accidentally led to a more fulfilling life. Max is a student speaker at Leiden University who can’t wait to share how that happened.

  • Monika Jacheva

    Creativity is a key part of being human, but most people no longer put in the effort to nurture it. A simple way to transform ourselves from consumers back to creators is by changing our mindset. In order to do so, we should ask ourselves a simple question before buying something that we want: “Can I make this? And if not, can I make something creative with it?” Monika Jacheva is a student speaker at Leiden University who sees the creative potential in the world all around her and wishes to share her mindset with others.

  • Tom Pullen

    Tom Pullen is the founder of Innovinco, the innovation acceleration company. He spent 18 years driving growth in major companies including Boots, Mars and Danone, where he served as Global Innovation Director. He has since worked with over 30 of the world’s leading corporations, helping people from more than 40 countries to innovate with speed, scale and confidence. Most people don’t think they’re innovators. But they’re wrong. In this TEDx talk, Tom Pullen will break down the five behaviours of successful innovators – and how you can boost them every day.

Organizing team