In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized (subject to certain rules and regulations).

Royal Theater
3 Akti Dimeon
Patras, Achaïa, 263 33
Greece

Artemis Papageorgiou

Architect and Multimedia Artist

Artemis Papageorgiou is an architect and multimedia artist exploring the repercussions of play and computational media inside the urban landscape. Her work spans interactive installations, hybrid furniture and urban games, aiming at the active participation of audiences. In 2011 Artemis co-founded Athens Plaython, the first street games festival in Athens. In 2014 she founded Entropika, an interdisciplinary design lab specialising in urban interventions and playful experiences, along with educational programmes on art, architecture and technology. Her work has been shown internationally, including the Salone del Mobile di Milano, Southbank Centre London, Polytechnic Museum of Moscow, Victoria & Albert Museum London, Benaki Museum, Eyebeam Center New York. She currently works at the Open Design School Matera, designing installations aimed for the cultural events of the cultural capital of Matera 2019.

Demetres Karavellas

CEO, WWF Greece

Demetres Karavellas is a conservation leader who has worked with WWF in various posts for nearly twenty five years. He has been active in the field and on key policy issues linked to natural resources, conservation of endangered species and critical habitats, climate change and sustainable development, at national, regional and global level. He is the CEO of WWF Greece and is presently also chairing the WWF Mediterranean Marine Initiative, a concerted network-wide effort to conserve the valuable marine and coastal ecosystems and promote a sustainable blue economy for the region. He holds a BSc in Marine Biology from Queen Mary University and a MSc in Fisheries Biology & Management from Bangor University. He has a passion for the sea and has explored many marine sites around the world, but feels most at home in the waters of the Aegean Sea.

Demetres Vithos

Change of Social Behavior Strategist

Dimitris Vythos has been acting as Creative Director and Copywriter at a Sentimental Branding level, with expertise and international experience in implemented communication and advertising. He is a postgraduate specializing in postmodernism, stereotypes and Social Media and Public Advocacy. He is actively engaged in traditional archery, Ninjutsu and Chi-Gong. A “Seeker of Truth”, as he defines himself, Mr Vythos has participated in various mystical and philosophical communities, while he considers himself an empiricist agnostic. His family origins come from Zakynthos, but he was born in Australia, where he has lived for many years. Currently, he works and lives in Cyprus.

Elias Pavlopoulos

General Director of MSF Greece

Elias Pavlopoulos is the General Director of Médecins Sans Frontières – MSF Greece from June of 2017. He studied Public Health in London and he received a Master of Bioethics from Harvard Medical School. At the same time, he collaborated as Researcher with Harvard-Chan School of Public Health around issues of ethics and public health. He has a vast experience in humanitarian missions with Doctors Without Borders / Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and Partners In Health (PIH). Over the past fourteen years, he has worked as Project Coordinator and Country Director in diverse environments around the world. In Myanmar, he led a multidisciplinary primary health care project fighting malaria and tuberculosis. In Darfur, he spearheaded the provision of health care in a conflict environment, and in Mozambique, he had the opportunity to participate in the battle against HIV and TB in a high prevalence urban setting.

Lia Haraki

Artist on stage and off and Founder of The Performance Shop

Limassol-born artist Lia Haraki juggles dance and performance in innovative ways. Lia has created performances for the stage, site specific, one on one participatory works and has won various choreography awards. Her pieces have been touring internationally, including her participation in the Venice Biennale for visual Arts in 2013 with the performance “Tune In” (special mention to the Cyprus and Lithuanian pavilion). She is a part time lecturer at the University of Nicosia. In 2016 her project “The Performance Shop” was selected by the European Dance House Network as one of the top 25 best dance practices.

Nikos Floros

Artist - Sculptor

Nikos Floros was born in Greece, but retained a strong and long lasting bond with the Greek community as he has lived most of his life in New York. He is a world-renowned sculptor, an artist whose name is constantly discussed in the circles of art and culture. He defines himself as an expatriate, art-loving, devoted to culture, loyal Greek- a person full of concern about what our present is, and what our future beholds.

Olga Spiraki

Choroegrapher - Dancer

Olga Spirakis has a Joint Degree Master in Choreography from Codarts University of Fine Arts and Performing Arts. She is a graduate of the Department of Theater Studies (Patras’ University), of Rallou Manos’ Dance Academy, and of G. Theodosiadis Drama School. She also studied in the preparatory year of the State Orchestral Art Academy (2005-2006). Olga Spirakis was selected to attend the intensive training program “Ex-In” on the Flying Low & Passing Through Techniques (conducted by David Zambrano in September 2018). Olga Spirakis has been teaching movement and dancing classes since 2008, including seminars for the Greek National Opera and the Kinitiras Studio.

Panos Birbas

Musician

Panos Birmpas was born in Athens in 1983. He has been working as a social worker at the Hellenic Council for Refugees in Athens, on integration and employment issues, for the past 10 years. At the age of seven he started guitar and piano lessons, studying theory of music as well. He has been a member of various musical ensembles both in Greece and abroad and has participated in several big music festivals. He has also been the opening act for the “Dream Syndicate” band, as the singer of “Dustbowl”. His first personal album, entitled “Mournful”, was released by Lolek Productions in 2013. In 2016, Panos Birmpas released, in collaboration with “Dustbowl”, the album “The Great Fandango”, which received excellent reviews. In 2017, it was time for his second personal LP, entitled “Finchley Road,” released by Violins Productions and followed by great reviews as well.

Philippos Tsalahouris

Composer, Deputy Director and Professor at Athens Conservatoire

Philippos Tsalahouris is a musician, composer, Deputy Director and Professor at Athens Conservatoire. He was born in Central Africa in August 1969, but he grew up and studied in Athens. He is considered one of the most active composers of his generation. Among his more than one hundred works are five Symphonies, three single-act operas, the great opera “Julius Caesar”, string quartets, functions, concerts, chorals, etc. His works have been presented in Greece and in more than twenty countries by leading music bands.

Régine Debatty

Writer, curator, critic and founder of http://we-make-money-not-art.com/

Régine Debatty is a writer, curator, critic and founder of http://we-make-money-not-art.com/, a blog which has received numerous distinctions over the years, including two Webby awards and an honorary mention at the STARTS Prize, a competition launched by the European Commission to acknowledge “innovative projects at the interface of science, technology and art”. Régine writes and lectures internationally about the way artists, hackers, and designers use technology as a medium for critical discussion. She also created A.I.L. (Artists in Laboratories), a weekly radio program about the connections between art and science for Resonance104.4fm in London (2012–14), and is the co-author of the “sprint book” “New Art/Science Affinities”, published by Carnegie Mellon University.

Santi Palacios

Photojournalist

Santi Palacios is a freelance photojournalist born in Madrid, in 1985, who is currently based in Barcelona, working around the world and contributing to international news agencies and media outlets. His work has been published in major newspapers and magazines worldwide and has received many awards, including World Press Photo, Pictures of the Year, Overseas Press Club and the National Photojournalism Award of Spain 2015 and 2016. Santi Palacios is also a trained sociologist, who during the past years has been working with a focus on migration, conflicts and environmental issues.

Sebastien Gendry

Laughter Consultant

Sebastien Gendry is a France-born American speaker, trainer and consultant, expert in laughter for wellness and wellbeing. He played a major role in introducing Laughter Therapy in North America, Russia and other countries. He has been offering a variety of laughter programs every year on 3-4 continents for over a decade and continues to do so. He is the creator of the Laughter Wellness method, a complete wellness and well-being workout that helps improve people’s health and quality of life. He has appeared in multiple media in the USA and abroad including the Oprah Winfrey Show, 60 minutes and ABC Good Morning America.

Stefanos Xenakis

Writer

Stefanos Xenakis is the writer of the bestselling book “The Gift”. For many years, he has been working on his passion; self-improvement and personal development- a passion that he shares through his speeches and personal writing. As for now, he works intensively to fulfil his dream to create a new school subject, titled “YES, I CAN”. The project aims to enhance student’s learning about values and self-knowledge, and Stefanos Xenakis’ aspiration is for it to become part of the curriculum in every greek school, starting with elementary education. The writer is also the proud father of two girls, Aura and Aneia, aged 7 and 10.

Tassoula Eptakili

Journalist and Author

Tassoula Eptakili was born on Samos island, in 1968, and raised in Piraeus, Attica. She graduated from Athens Kapodistrian University, Department of Philology, where she studied Classics. She never teached in class, though, following her inclination for journalism. For several years, she has been working as a radio producer (broadcasting through the frequency of Melodia FM 99,2 for 15 years) and a journalist writing in several printed media, including the greek newspaper “Kathimerini” (hosting her texts since 2003). Tassoula Eptakili is also a member of the “BLUE” magazine editorial team (AEGEAN publications) . Her personal literary production includes three books so far. A fourth book, second to the her series for children, is getting released mid- November, 2018.

Vasileios Nasis

Entrepreneur and Academic

Dr. Nasis is an entrepreneur and academic who has made significant scientific contributions to the telecommunications, signal processing, and computer vision sectors over the last fifteen years. He was born and raised in Greece and immigrated to the United States in 1996. He received a B.Sc, M.Sc and Ph.D in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Drexel University. In 2008, he formed Netronix Group Inc., a company that has developed a leading platform in the IoT (internet-of-things) space with a global ecosystem. Today, hundreds integrators and OEMs (original equipment manufactures) across the world, base their IoT solutions on Netronix’s platform to provide services in Environmental Monitoring, Fleet/Asset/Personnel Monitoring, Health Care and more. Today, Dr. Nasis continues to pursue innovation, acting as the company’s CEO.

Vocal Patras Ensemble

Music Band

“Vocal” is a music band of Patras in the form of a mixed ensemble, created by Katerina Polymenakou- who is also the conductor- in October 2011. Their aim is the artistic performance of jazz and contemporary compositions, while their repertoire also includes greek, spiritual and traditional songs. The band first appeared on the city’s music scene in March 2012, on the stage of “Lithographion” Theatre, participating in a tango music night. The choral ensemble has performed not only in Patras (University Conference Center, Antique Theater and Epicentro Theater, Ancient Conservatory), but also in other cities (Tripoli, Nafplio, Amfissa, Preveza, Corfu, Sparta). In June 2016, Vocal participated in the 8th Choir Festival “Mikis Theodorakis”, (contesting party) in Nafpaktos, where they won the second prize. Since December 2017, the Vocal team has formed an artistic association, also including choral sets for both children and adults.