Theme: Play

Looking back to your childhood, what is your first memory of playing and what does this memory trigger in you? Happiness? Enjoying yourself? The power of creation?

Science says PLAY is an imaginative, self-directed activity that fosters creativity and joy without specific goals. It reconnects us with our inner child, countering self-criticism and encouraging emotional expression. Ultimately, PLAY taps into our intrinsic motivation and emotional experiences, allowing us to create meaning and joy in our lives, reconnecting us with a childlike excitement.

FIND EVENT PICTURES HERE: https://www.flickr.com/photos/201239302@N07/albums/72177720321181359

Tabakfabrik Linz Lösehalle
Peter-Behrens-Platz 8
Linz, Oberösterreich, 4020
Austria

Antonia Bartning

Game Designer, Trainer for Sustainable Entrepreneurship

With a background in Business Communication Management as well as Sustainable Business Management, Antonia is one of the founders of systainchange, a German company, which develops card- and boardgames about sustainability. www.systainchange.com

Ayapana

Violinist, Multi-Instrumentalist

Carolina Avellaneda - Colombian performing artist, with a background in contemporary dance, interpretation, choreography and pedagogy- and Ayapana -Vienna-based violinist and loop artist with a passion for sound exploration- join their creative paths for the very first time at the TEDxLinz Stage. https://ayapana.at/ IG: @caroav1894

Bernhard Bürger

Risk, Crisis, and Emergency Management Specialist

Bernhard Bürger is a crisis manager and researcher. He worked in various large-scale crises, such as widespread floods or COVID-19, and helps organizations to prepare for them. https://www.bernhardbuerger.com/

Carolina Avellaneda

Performing Artist

Carolina Avellaneda - Colombian performing artist, with a background in contemporary dance, interpretation, choreography and pedagogy- and Ayapana -Vienna-based violinist and loop artist with a passion for sound exploration- join their creative paths for the very first time at the TEDxLinz Stage. https://ayapana.at/ IG: @caroav1894

Chris Noelle

Multimedia Visual Artist

Chris Noelle aka TOFA is crossmedia artist and creates multimorphism - art described by the presence of multiple forms simultaneously. www.metofa.com

Costantino Roselli

Author, Entrepreneur, Futurist

Costantino Roselli is a bestselling author, serial entrepreneur, and futurist, recognized globally as one of the top 50 thought leaders in the Metaverse and Avatar Economy.

Dario Solina

Humanitarian and Social Change Activist

Dario facilitates workshops on Play and Care and leads programs across Europe, the USA and Latin America. He collaborates with Patch Adams' Gesundheit Institute, the School for Designing a Society, and the Play Manifesto. He is the founder of Say it to a Clown, a member of the Danish Caring Clowns and has served as a Public Policies consultant for the Governor's Office of Jalisco State (Mexico). https://sayittoaclown.com

Eva Kirchhofer

Technology Enthusiast, Project Manager, Entrepreneur

Eva Kirchhofer is an entrepreneur, founder, and CEO of bizfeat, a technology enthusiast, and an operational mastermind, mainly within multimillion-dollar projects as a project manager. https://www.bizfeat.at

Irmi Schäffl

Biotechnologist, Team Developer

Irmi Schäffl and Jasmin Justen are storytellers, scientists and the founders of twelve or higher, where they specialise on team development and bringing people together through tabletop role-playing games. https://www.twelve-or-higher.de/wir

Jasmin Justen

Team Developer, Physicist

Irmi Schäffl and Jasmin Justen are storytellers, scientists and the founders of twelve or higher, where they specialise on team development and bringing people together through tabletop role-playing games. https://www.twelve-or-higher.de/wir

Jessica Dreyer

PhD in Child Studies & Teacher-Researcher

Jessica Dreyer is a teacher-researcher at the International School of Billund where she integrates the Pedagogy of Play research project. She holds a Ph.D in Child Studies by the University of Minho and a Master in Education by the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. Prepare for an emotional journey where Jessica Dreyer - creator of http://www.Playground.Cards - draws from her experience as a teacher-researcher and shares compelling observations from the primary school playground, illustrating how friendships shape a child's world and impact their emotional well-being. Discover how to cultivate a culture of connection and empathy for all children, culminating in a call to action that will inspire change in our schools and communities.

Leo Dörsch

Creative & Curious Mind

Leo is a primary school student and open-minded interviewer.

Lucas Fernandez

Researcher in Astrobiology, Teacher

Lucas Fernandez is a Researcher in Astrochemistry and Astrobiology.

Marcus Orlovsky

Conference Host, Speaker, Chartered Accountant

Marcus is a Conference Host and speaker on creativity, education and finance. He is a Chartered Accountant and his passion is working with school students to activate their curiosity and with others to remove barriers. https://bryanstonsquare.com/

Martin Hochreiter

Founder

Wirtschaftsinformatiker, HTL Maschinenbauabsolvent, IT-Trainer und Prozess- und Technologiemanager. Die Neugierde und der Entdeckergeist treiben ihn in seinem täglichen Tun an. Ausgleich findet er seit Jahren in zahlreichen handwerklichen Projekten, vom Schmieden bis hin zum Möbelbau, sowie in verschiedenen Outdoor-Aktivitäten.

Michael Artner

Quantum Computer Scientist

Michael Artner is an enthusiastic computer scientist with a passion for explaining hard to grasp topics comprehensibly. Hence, in his master studies at JKU, he developed QRogue – an educational puzzle game aiming to teach the basics of Quantum Computing playfully. Other interdisciplinary stages of Michael’s career include ArsForNons – an installation for smartphones exhibited at the Ars Electronica Festival 2022 and engaging as a climate activist of Fridays For Future. Further info about QRogue: https://www.cda.cit.tum.de/app/qrogue/ And a paper about it: https://www.cda.cit.tum.de/files/eda/2023_fdg2023_qrouge_teaching_quantum_computing_using_rogue-like_game_concept.pdf

Mischa Blanos

Neo-Classical pianist, progressive electronic & acoustic composer

Mischa Blanos is a pianist and producer. https://www.instagram.com/mischablanos/ https://mischablanos.bandcamp.com/

Romanovstra (Band)

Band

Romanovstra is a musical success story that has been captivating audiences since its inception in 2010 in Ottensheim, a village near Linz, Austria. Founded by Romanian singer Nicu Stoica alongside local musicians, the band has forged cultural and musical connections between Romania, Bosnia, Hungary, Bulgaria, and the Mühlviertel region of Upper Austria. The result is a unique and powerful fusion of sounds—a band that unleashes vibrant storms of song, music, and dance, captivating audiences with their energetic performances.

Stephan Klinger

Strategic Thinker, Change Maker, Consultant

Stephan is a regulatory consultant, storyteller and coach.

Tobias Zucali

Founder

Designer, Softwareentwickler und Trainer. Seine Interessen und beruflichen Tätigkeitsfelder liegen an der Schnittstelle von Design und Technologie. Die Leidenschaft, die optimale Lösung zu finden, zieht sich durch alle seine Aktivitäten, egal ob es sich um Prozesse, Formate, Software, Räume oder Handwerk handelt.