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).

Francois Bassil Amphitheatre
St Joseph University, Sports & Innovation Campus
Beirut, Beyrouth, 0000
Lebanon

Alaa Maarouf

AI Community Manager

From her work, she has been named a City AI Ambassador. Her passion for tech, and her desire for knowledge lead her to where she is today, an inspiration to all girls and boys who are seeking passionate knowledge. Maarouf is a community manager at Beirut AI, a local community that is part of a global network of AI communities around the globe. They host events to share the knowledge of practitioners with anyone interested in applying AI or just learning about it. They also host a technical workshop approximately once a month where they code hands-on on Data Science or Machine Learning problems. They aim to create an all-inclusive community of talent in Lebanon, centered around Artificial Intelligence, where any member can join, connect and share knowledge with the rest. Maarouf is also a Research Assistant in Machine Learning at the American University of Beirut and a Scholar at the Arab World’s Largest Education Fund.

Danielle Hatem

Business Influencer

Danielle Hatem boasts of many degrees, starting with a Bachelor in economics from the American University of Beirut she went ahead and got herself two Masters Degrees in Finance from Warwick Business School in Coventry and from HEC in Paris. Hatem has a very rich background in the world of business, after being a consultant in management, strategy and then finance, she is now an investment advisor and has her own blog. Through “D Does Business”, Hatem shares her insights on today’s business climate and puts a twist on topics and problems she has witnessed throughout her career. She hopes to guide millennials with matters concerning money, savings and investments, and help readers of her blog look at the business world differently, through her own perspective.

Rola Hoteit

Pilot

Rola Hoteit is the first female pilot at Middle East Airlines. Hoteit’s story began with a challenge from one of her colleagues at the American University of Beirut, where she was completing her BS in Mathematics, when her colleague carried a newspaper that has an advertisement about recruiting new pilots, including females at MEA, mocking that “women cannot drive a car, how will they be able to fly a plane?” Her colleague’s words pushed her to apply to MEA, to be the only female from the 9 accepted applicants out of almost 2000. Hoteit later traveled to Scotland to continue her studies and have her trainings in Scotland’s Aviation School. In 1995, she had her first trip to Brussels as a co-pilot, and later in 2010 she helmed her first trip as a pilot to the Jordanian capital Amman, where the Former Prime Minister Tammam Salam was one of the passengers on this trip. She’s also the regional vice president of the International Federation of Airline Pilots’ Associations.

Sarah Abdallah

Social Entrepreneur

Sarah Abdallah is co-founder and CEO of LIBRO, a social enterprise that aims at helping today’s youth in pursuing their ambitions and achieving what they aspire to do in life. After working in technical consultancy for several years, it is in volunteering that Abdallah found her calling, she worked with more than six social organizations that concern themselves with women and youth empowerment before devoting herself to helping others in shaping their future through her company. She is also the co-lead of Facebook's Developer Circles Beirut, a group dedicated to software developers and software engineers. Abdallah studied telecommunications engineering at Université Saint Joseph de Beirut’s ESIB, and is now a lecturer at that same university.

USJ Music Club

The USJ MUSIC CLUB unites USJ musicians in order to perform together during events and concerts, on and off campus.