TEDxDonauinsel

Speakers

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

• Alma Zadić

  Alma Zadić is a Bosnian-born Austrian lawyer and politician of the Green Party. She served as Minister of Justice of Austria.

• Babett Baraniec

  Medical Biologist and Oncology Patient Educator

  Dr. Babett Baraniec is a medical biologist, medical educator, and founder of Krebs Campus, a digital platform for cancer patient education. Drawing on both scientific expertise and her own experience as a long-term cancer patient, she helps people navigate cancer with evidence-based knowledge, confidence, and self-management skills.

• Chiara Louisa Riolfi

  Clinical Sexologist and psychological counselor

  I’m Chiara Louisa, a clinical sexologist and psychological counselor based in Vienna. I support people in reconnecting with their bodies, setting boundaries and living more authentically. My work focuses on the connection between sexuality, mental health and self-worth.I’m fascinated by the answers our bodies have when we listen to them – it’s basically my favorite “research field.”

• Gloria Mangi

  Journalist & Media Consultant & Educator

  Gloria Mangi is an award-winning creative technologist and journalist blending storytelling, media, and innovation. She is the founder of the African Queens Project, recognized by the World Summit Awards, and has been named among Africa’s top innovators by Google. Her work focuses on shaping narratives that inspire and empower.

• Ivory Parker

  Musician

  Ivory Parker is a four-time Austrian beatbox champion and a pioneer in the scene who uses the human voice as a powerful tool for self-expression and personal development. With over two decades of experience, the founder of the European Beatbox Championship demonstrates in his interactive sessions that a sense of rhythm is not only an art form but also significantly boosts self-confidence and team spirit. His central credo, “Anyone can beatbox!” inspires the audience to completely redefine their own creative boundaries.

• Jo Nara

  Singer & Songwriter

  Jo Nara creates intimate Alternative Pop about finding oneself in a noisy world. Combining soulful piano and bilingual lyrics (English/Austrian Dialect), the half-Filipino artist delivers a warm, decelerated sound; authentic, moving, and uniquely his own.

• Joris Lechêne

  Decoloniality, Sociology of the built environment

  I'm a trainer in Anti-racism, Bias, Privilege and decoloniality. Drawing on my lived experience of various marginalised identities at the intersections of race, neurodivergence, class and sexual orientation, I combine my background in Architecture with my practice of sociology and my lived experience navigating the colonial World, to propose analytical frameworks, create workshops, content and strategies tackling the topics of systemic inequalities, bias and decoloniality.

• Luísa Franco Machado

  Founder & Executive Director, EquiLabs + UN Young Leader for the SDGs

  Luísa Franco Machado is a digital rights advocate challenging who shapes technology and whose futures it serves. She founded EquiLabs, a youth-led digital rights lab advancing intersectional AI and data governance, and is a UN-appointed Young Leader for the SDGs who has influenced policy at the UN, GIZ, and OECD.AI. Bridging LSE and Sciences Po research with activism, her work has reached over 10 million people worldwide.

• Margad-Erdene Ganbold

  Founder, Mongolian Center in Austria & Erasmus+ project assistant

  Margad is the founder of the Mongolian Center in Austria and an Erasmus+ project assistant at EU Active, working on youth and education projects. Currently completing his master’s in Finance and Economics at the University of Vienna, he connects economic ideas with real stories from Mongolian and European communities.

• Sachi Wickramage

  Technology Leader & Human-Centered Design Advocate

  Sachi Wickramage works at the intersection of technology, design, and human behaviour. He has helped shape and scale digital products across startups and large organisations, with a focus on experiences that feel intuitive, human, and empowering. His work explores how design quietly influences behaviour, trust, and access in an increasingly digital world.

• Sarah Rauchlechner

  Graphic- & Informationdesigner

  Sarah is a graphic- and information designer based in Vienna always looking for moments of aha – in work projects and in her live.

• Sebastian Kernbach

  Professor, Author, Curator

  Sebastian Kernbach is Professor associated with the University of St.Gallen, Stellenbosch Business School, and Stanford University. He is a global Life Design pioneer and winner of the HSG Impact Award. He advises organizations such as NASA, the UN, IOC and presented Life Design as proactive career and transition competence to overcome procrastination at the UN Goals House at World Economic Forum.

• Sophie Nicolas

  Financial Coach

  Sophie is a financial coach and founder of Financial Feminist. She challenges traditional money advice and teaches women how to build wealth through sustainable systems instead of discipline, restriction, or sacrifice.

• The Unity Dance

  Dance Group

  Hello, we are The Unity Dance—a renowned dance studio that has been shaping the Austrian dance scene since 2014. Our studio combines sports, art, and culture and offers a wide range of classes—from children’s to adult classes, for beginners through to advanced dancers. From day one, our mission has been to connect people through dance and movement and to create an inspiring community. Since day one, we have provided a space for personal development, open-mindedness, and mutual respect. Our focus is on training, growth, and fostering acceptance within a diverse and supportive community. Over the years, we have grown and established a solid place in the scene through numerous performances, awards, and events. The Unity Dance stands for diversity, passion, and creative expression—a home for all dance enthusiasts. WHERE PASSION IS HOME.

• Thomas Brezina

  Storyteller rethinking happiness

  Thomas Brezina has written over 600 books — and spent years chasing happiness. Today, he questions the idea that we have to be happy at all. Through storytelling, he explores a different path: creating a life that feels real, meaningful and truly fulfilling.

• Valerie Huber

  Actress, Author, Activist

  After growing up in Africa and the United Stated, Valerie studied acting in Vienna to play in numerous films and series. She is a Unicef honorary representative, an EU climate pact ambassador and a climate and social justice activist. 2025 she published the bestseller „Fomo Sapiens“.