irene oksen

Brainstormer, Connector, Educator/Teacher, Global soul, Idea generator, Life mentor, Promoter, Social entrepreneur, World traveler

Hi, I'm Irene. A Business and Economics teacher by trade, a marathon runner by questionable life choices, and someone who genuinely enjoys meeting people (yes, really). I've ran across the Sahara Desert for fun. Yes, that Sahara, during the Marathon des Sables, which is basically a week of sprinting across the Sahara with sand in places sand should never go. I’ve also done several “normal” marathons, though I’m still waiting for one to feel normal. But for me, endurance isn’t just about sport, it’s about life, resilience, and showing up. Outside the classroom, I’ve volunteered for suicide prevention hotlines and homeless shelters, because I believe everyone has a story worth listening to, and supporting. That belief has shaped a lot of what I do, including my Master’s degree in Education and International Development, which taught me that real change happens when we lift each other up. I love organising events, building communities, and creating spaces where people feel like they matter My motto? I don’t win alone. We only win together. And I’ll bring the snacks!

I’m proudly pro-woman, pro-education, and pro-people-being-decent-to-each-other

We don’t win alone: Why building human connection is the most underrated skill in education, endurance, and life. As a teacher, marathon runner, and believer in the power of people, I’ve come to see education the same way I see endurance;it’s not about racing ahead alone. It’s about running alongside others, listening, learning, and growing together. Education isn’t something we do to people. As Paulo Freire wrote in Pedagogy of the Oppressed: "Knowledge emerges only through invention and reinvention, through the restless, impatient, continuing, hopeful inquiry human beings pursue in the world, with the world, and with each other." Education, at its best, is a journey of personal growth; a constant unfolding of understanding, curiosity, and connection. It’s not about control, or simply passing down facts. It’s about awakening the desire to learn, and walking beside others as they discover what they’re capable of.

I didn’t set out to become a TEDx organiser. I just thought I was going to a couple of conferences. The first was an education event in Finland, all about technology in the classroom. The second was a TED event at UCL in London. Two very different experiences, but something clicked in both: it wasn’t just the content that moved me; it was the people. The stories. The hallway conversations. The sense that ideas are powerful not because they’re perfect, but because they’re shared. I left those events with a simple but slightly mad question: “What if I could make that happen for other people?” What if I could create a space where strangers become collaborators, where educators, students, creatives, and community members all sit in the same room, not to be told things, but to be part of something together? So I applied for my first TEDx license. I got it. And just like that. I was off. Now, I’m working on my third TEDx event and each time, the goal is the same: make it more meaningful, more inclusive, and more connected than the last. I don’t do it alone, I couldn’t. Because the magic of TED isn’t the red dot or the polished talks, it’s the people you meet, the stories you hear, and the sparks that happen between them. That’s the heart of my work: building spaces where people feel seen, heard, and inspired to grow. Because ideas don’t change the world, people do. Together.

Active listening; Telling stories; Being involved