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).

Hotelschool The Hague
Brusselselaan 2
Den Haag, Zuid-Holland, 2587AH
Netherlands

Adrienne Cullen

Adrienne Cullen is an Irish journalist, editor, and author living in the Netherlands. In 2013, she was diagnosed with cervical cancer – a diagnosis that came two years too late due to her test results being mishandled by UMC Utrecht and lying unseen in her patient file for two years. If she would have been treated properly two years ago, she would have had a 90% to 95% percent likelihood of a complete cure. Adrienne sued the hospital and was awarded the largest pain-and-suffering damages ever in the Netherlands – though still tiny compared to international standards. She forced the hospital to issue a personal, written apology, the first ever sent by the CEO of a Dutch hospital. In April, she launched the first annual Adrienne Cullen Symposium on ‘Open Disclosure After Serious Harm’ at UMC Utrecht, and was the first patient ever to be the lead author of an article in the Netherlands Journal of Gynecology in May. Against the odds, she’s still alive.

Chris Khouri

The motor cross accident that left Chris paralyzed from the chest down 10 years ago has changed his life in more ways than he ever imagined. Whilst leaning to cope with his new physical limitations and the constant pain; he discovered the importance of determination, and the contagious power of a positive attitude. Having decided early on that although he was broken, he was not beaten, Chris Khouri, a Hotelschool The Hague Alumni, worked very hard to go back to all the things he loved: being fully independent, working, traveling the world with his wife Silvia and their two young children, and experiencing new thrills through sports. Although Chris knows that his life would have been very different without his injury, it would not necessarily have been better. So he now seeks to make a meaningful impact on people's lives by showing them that adversity can be overcome, and that only a positive attitude and perseverance can ensure that limitations do not become a handicap.

Duy Doan

Duy Doan is a student at Hotelschool The Hague and has worked in the hospitality industry for over four years. He is currently in the final stage of his bachelor studies and aspires to run his own consultancy business in Asia in the future. He recently wrote a report about “the conscious and excessive time spent at home”, a trend he formulated and underpinned for the elective “Trends & Future Hospitality Analysis”. The report addresses several aspects, for instance the behavioral changes of Generation Z and younger in specific. He achieved the highest grade within his elective and was encouraged by his lecturers to further investigate this matter. From a young age, Duy was confronted with technology and quickly realized the positive, as well as negative impacts on him. As technology was still quite underdeveloped for the consumer, most of his time was spent “offline” and technology was just an enabler to have fun and to work efficiently. As time has passed, he acknowledged the fact that technology had an increasing influence on his thoughts, hence his feelings and behaviors. All of it boiled up during his last vacation in Asia, where he suddenly realized, that our society is on the verge of a significant change and how the “flow of information” might have a different impact than expected.

Inge De Lathauwe

Inge De Lathauwer is the founder of Sumba Hospitality Foundation. Her Foundation combines Inge’s belief in sustainable tourism with her academic disciplines and her conviction that education is key to improve life chances. She holds a masters both in Asian Studies and Hotel Management and has more than 15 years’ of experience serving on school boards and charitable organizations in her home country, Belgium. Inge and her husband have four sons, all of whom support the Foundation and are proud of its achievements. Inge chose the Indonesian Island of Sumba to set up her foundation because it is on the cusp of tourist development and desperately in need of investments and jobs. Her Foundation has built a unique eco resort and permaculture farm which shows that tourism can be a force for good. Her mission is to provide students with a rigorous education in hospitality, as well as nurture their responsibilities to the beautiful natural environment. Graduates get secure jobs and the broader community is invited to attend free English classes and learn permaculture techniques. By working closely with local people at every stage of development, the Sumba project provides a blueprint for sustainable tourism that puts local communities at its heart.

Piyush Katayan

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Ruben Meulenkamp

After the passing of Ruben’s mother when he was 9 years old, he became withdrawn. Growing up he found it difficult to connect and to see things from a positive perspective. From his 17th he was fed up with his insecurities and negative thinking so he decided to take action on changing this. By learning more about psychology and applying positive thinking, he started seeing an amazing change in himself and the way people respond to him. Ruben noticed however that the way we communicate on the work floor is often negative.Having had his own negative working experience in a two star Michelin restaurant and seeing many people being dissatisfied in their jobs, Ruben started asking questions like: Why do we do what we do? Why are we focused on the things that go wrong? Why are people so sad when Monday comes around and so happy when its Friday?As a result of his drive to find answers to these questions Ruben had founded two companies by the age of 23. With the first company he helped hundreds of people gain confidence through psychological and practical coaching. With his second company he trains employees to become more positive and stimulate this positivity in their colleagues.What is his vision? Giving everyone the conscious ability to see and act through a positive perspective. Why? Because live is a lot more beautiful that way.