TEDxDanubia

Speakers

Speakers may not be confirmed. Check the event website for the latest lineup.

• András Kovács

  Cosmologist

  András’s research focuses on understanding the large-scale structure of the universe, aiming to unravel how billions of galaxies are arranged across the cosmic web. For him, cosmology provides the perfect vantage point, combining insights from particle physics, telescope observations, and data science to explore the 13.7-billion-year history of the universe. He currently leads a research group at the HUN-REN Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences, with support from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences’ Momentum Program and the European Union’s Marie Curie Fellowship. Through international collaborations, he works with data from the most advanced sky surveys to create the largest map of the universe ever assembled.

• Balázs Pőcze

  creative

  Balazs is a co-founder of Mito Group and the Creative Director at Mito Creative. Raised in Békásmegyer, he typically went to school in tracksuit bottoms. He used to browse the internet at C3 and the Kunsthalle (Műcsarnok), jotting down his favourite websites in notebooks and printing out the best ones. He spent nearly a decade working in television, worked as a copywriter at Hey, and was the managing editor of Sanoma Budapest’s online division. For the past sixteen years, he has been a key member of the creative team at Mito Creative.

• Dávid Keszthelyi

  Spacecraft Engineer

  Graduating from the University of Southampton, David has spent his career working in the UK as a spacecraft engineer – mostly specializing in Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC). His passion truly took off at Nanoavionics, where working on CubeSats and leading a small technical team taught him how to balance hands-on engineering with leadership. This path led him to Astroscale, where he now leads the development of the GNC system for the ELSA-M mission, designed to remove defunct satellites from Earth’s orbit and make space a safer place. His dedication to the space industry earned him a spot on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list.

• Dr. Anna Ránky

  Lawyer, Founder of KLART Family Constitution

  Dr. Anna Ránky is a strategic expert in generational transition within family businesses. She deepened her expertise through professional training in the UK and the United States, focusing on family constitutions and business succession planning. Over the past decade, she has guided numerous families through this complex and often sensitive process.

• Dr. Juli Füredi

  Organizational Psychologist

  Julia is an organizational psychologist, a professional rebel, and an organizational culture fanatic with close to three decades of experience in top HR positions at major multinational companies. Setting up greenfield operations, doing carve-outs, mergers, expansions, and downsizing — she has done it all. After being the driving force behind these changes, she joined the “dark side” as an entrepreneur, doing what she loves best: putting innovative technology behind organizational transformation. As a fierce advocate of the topic, she speaks, writes, and evangelizes on all issues related to corporate culture. She is also the bestselling author of a book on burnout (ELÉG! Kiégtem. Most hogyan tovább?), and her book on leadership (Csúcsragadozók — Tabuk és kamuk nélkül a vezetésről) was chosen as one of the best management books of 2024 by Forbes.

• Dr. Milan Janosov

  data scientist, researcher, author, working at the intersection of social and urban networks

  Milan Janosov is a data scientist with a PhD in network science, focused on geospatial data and the connections that influence everything from urban development to pop culture trends. A Forbes “30 Under 30” honoree and bestselling author, he works across fields of academic research, business intelligence, and data visualization. His projects have appeared in outlets from Towards Data Science to GQ, and he has collaborated with major companies and institutions, including Bell Labs, the European Commission, Oxford Economics, LinkedIn, and many others.

• Esther Horvath

  Arctic Photographer

  Esther Horvath is a documentary photographer dedicated to the polar regions, a National Geographic Explorer, and a photographer at the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research. She documents polar scientific expeditions and collaborates with scientists across a wide range of polar research fields. To date, she has taken part in 28 Arctic and Antarctic expeditions. Her photographs have appeared in major media outlets, museums, books, and films worldwide, and her work has been recognized with honors including World Press Photo, the ICP Infinity Award, and the National Geographic Wayfinder Award.

• Fatima Korok

  Freediver, Four-Time World Champion, World Record Holder

  For me, this sport has never been just about performance. Freediving is my life, my philosophy, and my way of being, a path guided by breath, mindfulness, and self-awareness. In the depths, I’ve learned that our greatest limitations are not physical, but rooted in fear. I believe that if we dare to dream big and refuse to let fear hold us back, anything is possible. To me, the meaning of life lies in breathtaking moments , the kind we can truly experience only through presence, peace, and openness. Diving also symbolizes constant transformation: sometimes we rise, sometimes we sink – just like in life. My mission is to share this journey and inspire others to explore their own depths and heights.

• Florian “Doc” Kaps

  artist, sound designer, and food urbanist

  Widely regarded as the “savior of analog,” he saved the last Polaroid factory from demolition in 2008, at the very last moment, helping to spark the global comeback of analog instant photography. Since then, Doc has specialized in “impossible” projects, some of which were fittingly captured on 35 mm film in a documentary by Jens Meuer. Currently is working on the next global revolution called PHONOCUT at crazy fake italian palazzo in Vienna.

• Gábor Szabó

  Sports Reporter, Editor-in-Chief of Eurosport Hungary

  Gábor Szabó is the head of the Eurosport Hungary team and has been a commentator for nearly thirty years. Since 1996, he has reported from every Summer and Winter Olympic Games. His main sports include athletics, tennis, and alpine skiing. As a guest commentator, he covered the professional boxing matches of István “Koko” Kovács and Zsolt Erdei on RTL Klub, and during the London and Rio Olympics he also contributed to the Hungarian public broadcaster’s coverage. He is active as a journalist as well, publishing his weekly column “No One Asked” every Tuesday on Eurosport.hu.

• Generációs Disputa

  Nagy Gergely, Gryllus Dorka, Kiss Gergely, Dr. Mihalik Judit, Kovács Korinna, Seres Samu, Sugár Míra és Staudt Gábor közreműködésével

• György Márk Varga

  Software Developer

  Gyorgy began his career as a software developer in early 2018. With a background in business informatics, from the very beginning he has been interested not only in technology but also in the world of finance and investments. He sees his work not just as a profession, but also as a hobby. As a developer, he is constantly exploring new technologies and innovative solutions. Beyond coding, he regularly gives talks, leads trainings, and appears on podcasts. In his daily work, he strives to automate processes as much as possible with the help of artificial intelligence – enhancing not only his own efficiency but also that of his colleagues. That same mindset guides him now: it’s why he takes the stage – to share his experiences with others.

• Imre Végvári

  Curator, Consultant, Author

  Imre’s activities are diverse – starting from online communications, through founding and managing various businesses, he has gradually moved into the field of strategic consulting. He is passionate about curating the content of both national and international events – for example, between 2009 and 2019 he served as content curator for TEDxDanubia – as well as speaker coaching and even writing children’s books. His book Jövőmenők (Future Kids), set in 2050 and published by Ecovit, inspired a workshop series through which he has already met and spoken with more than 5,000 children about the future, both in Hungary and abroad.

• Kriszta Marton

  Director of the Világszép Child Protection Foundation

  ‘I remember the exact moment I decided to change careers: after twenty years in the business sector, I chose the world of nonprofit foundations. Nothing could deter me, not the uncertainty of how much of my experience as an economist I would be able to use, nor the fact that in the eyes of others, this might not be a step up the career ladder, but rather a step down. That was the moment I realized: I was undoubtedly born to work in the civil sector – it just took until that day for anyone, including myself, to notice. That was almost a decade ago. Since then, as the head of the Világszép Child Protection Foundation, I have been working to ensure that the 204 children under state care, instead of their own families, receive the individual attention, emotional security, and opportunities for development they need. A real chance for an independent, happy life.’

• Pál Nánási

  Photographer

  Pál Nánási is not only Hungary’s most renowned photographer but also a passionate storyteller. He has worked around the globe creating iconic fashion photos and magazine covers, yet his most meaningful project started at home: his family. Together with his wife, TV host Nóra Ördög, he built thriving businesses while traveling the world with their two children. He believes beauty lies not in perfection but in authentic moments.

• Prof. Dr. Fruzsina Albert

  Research Professor, University Professor, sociologist

  Fruzsina Albert is a Research Professor at the Institute for Sociology, Centre for Social Sciences of Eötvös Loránd University, and a Professor at the Faculty of Health and Public Services, Semmelweis University. Her work centers on the study of personal social network, exploring how they shape integration, well-being, and belonging across different groups, from international students and people experiencing homelessness to individuals of different genders, ages, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Over the course of her career, she has moved from studying friendships to examining family ties and, more broadly, the dynamics of social networks. What drives her is not only understanding these connections but also seeking ways to translate research into social policy – an area where opportunities are still limited, but where she sees vital potential.

• Prof. Dr. Gyarmathy Éva

  Clinical and Educational Psychologist

  Prof. Dr. Éva Gyarmathy is a clinical and educational psychologist, university professor, and faculty member at Apor Vilmos Catholic College, as well as a visiting lecturer at several universities. For over thirty years, she has worked in the field of neurodivergent development, including twice-exceptional and multiply gifted talent, learning differences, attention and hyperactivity disorders, and the autism spectrum. She founded the Methodological Center for Neuroatypical Development, and with her professional guidance, development and learning approaches suited to the challenges of the 21st century are being implemented in practice.