TEDxVitosha

Speakers

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

• Adriana Dikancheva

  Subterranean Explorer

  Ivo Anev and Adriana Dikancheva are members of Club "Smisal" and explorers of hidden Sofia. Their mission for a better urban environment takes them deep into the city's darkest places. They explore spots most of us will never see - abandoned bomb shelters, hidden undergrounds, and secret bunkers. After years of navigating the labyrinths beneath the surface, the two are ready to shed light on the city's real challenges, its hidden spaces, nature, and most importantly, its rivers.

• Galya Petrova

  Research Geneticist

  Galya Petrova is a geneticist, biology teacher, and a researcher dedicated to the hidden lives of rare and endemic plants. Her deep dive into the botanical world challenges our fundamental understanding of how living things communicate. We usually associate "intelligence" with a brain, and "conversations" with spoken words. While today's world constantly debates whether intelligence is artificial or natural, Galya asks us to look at nature differently: could there be such a thing as plant intelligence?

• Irena Tsakova

  Ecological Optimist

  Irena has dedicated her career to answering one crucial question: what do we leave behind after a mining project ends? Recognized as one of the 100 most inspiring women in the global mining industry, she led Bulgaria's first successful mine reclamation. Now, she faces her most ambitious mission yet at Ada Tepe - Europe's oldest gold mine - proving that modern industry, cultural preservation, and a sustainable future for the community can coexist successfully.

• Ivan Donev

  Designer Haute Couture

  A renowned designer with an international career and an alumnus of Koefia—Rome’s oldest haute couture academy, Ivan Donev is the recipient of 34 international fashion accolades. His collections have been showcased all around teh world and his creations have been featured on the pages of Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and ELLE, and on the podiums of Rome, Milan, Tokyo, New York, Beijing, Dubai, and Doha to Chicago. Ivan brings a unique perspective on fashion to our stage — one where the most valuable material is history, and the most modern approach is creating rather than discarding. Long before ""slow fashion"" became a global topic, he already knew how to repurpose the old - to mend, to preserve, and to pass things on. Ivan will take us on a journey from global runways to Bulgarian heirloom chests, showing us how the past can serve as the raw material for the future through his latest creation The largest Bulgarian Dress woven by the golden hands of our mothers and grandmothers. "

• Ivo Anev

  Economic and River Expert

  Ivo Anev and Adriana Dikancheva are members of Club "Smisal" and explorers of hidden Sofia. Their mission for a better urban environment takes them deep into the city's darkest places. They explore the spots most of us will never see - abandoned bomb shelters, hidden undergrounds, and secret bunkers. After years of navigating the labyrinths beneath the surface, the two are ready to shed light on the city's real challenges, its hidden spaces, nature, and most importantly, its rivers.

• Luca Lombardo

  Quick-Change Artist

  What would you do if you knew that only a single, instant change stands between you and the life of your dreams? A bold, deeply desired change that is authentically yours. It was exactly this question and drive that provoked Italian artist Luca Lombardo, at the age of thirty, to strip off his military uniform and epaulettes, fully embracing the creative chaos and freedom of the performing arts.

• Marco Gietzen

  Аrchitect

  Marco Gietzen, architect and founder of Edge Creatives Studio, uses neuroarchitecture to rethink the spaces where we spend 90% of our lives. By focusing on natural materials and human well-being, he designs environments that go beyond form and function - creating spaces that make us feel good while protecting the planet.

• Mehmet Sait Uyanık

  Ambassador of Turkey to Bulgaria

  With a strong focus on COP31, Ambassador Mehmet Sait Uyanık brings Türkiye’s climate policies to the forefront. He shares the experience of a nation situated between Europe, Asia, and the Middle East to tackle geopolitics, energy, and climate justice, and to accelerate global electrification and Net Zero emissions.

• Mirella Gudram

  NatureTech Pioneer

  As founder of SCION and Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, Mirella has evaluated over 1,000 startup pitches across Google and leading VC funds. Searching for the future, she realised that the biggest tech opportunity was already here. Today, she pioneers NatureTech in Bulgaria - where nature is no longer a resource, but a partner.

• Nicolas Tubbs

  WWF’s International Programmes Director

  Nicolas Tubbs knows that when you are running from an enraged elephant or wrestling a crocodile, the global economy is the last thing on your mind. Yet, at WWF he sees the obvious connection. Having worked across 45 countries over 20 years - from Amazonian campfires to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa - he has learned that our biggest challenges never fit neatly into one category, proving that nature and humanity must thrive together.