TEDxUSVT

Speakers

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

• Beck Samuelsson

  Singer, songwriter, product designer and co-founder of a social business based in Timișoara

  Beck Samuelsson is a singer, songwriter, product designer and co-founder of a social business based in Timișoara. As an author and performer, Beck combines poetic lyrics with soulful melodies. Her debut album, Bridges of Peace, had a significant impact and was broadcast on Radio România Cultural, establishing her as a distinctive voice in Romania's independent music scene. Beyond her artistic career, Beck is deeply involved in social impact projects. Together with her husband, she founded a business that actively supports Roma citizens and marginalized communities. Three years ago, she opened an Upcycle Jewelry Hub dedicated to Roma women — a space that is more than just a workshop: while creating unique jewelry, participants also shape new opportunities for inclusion, empowerment and self-expression, through art made with their own hands.Her work lies at the intersection of creativity, sustainability and community development.

• Bogdan Enache

  Cardiologist

  Bogdan Enache is a cardiologist specialized in electrophysiology. After a period of training and professional activity in Monaco, his research has been published in prestigious journals such as Circulation EP and PACE. He has also contributed to important journals such as The New England Journal of Medicine, American Heart Journal, and International Journal of Cardiology. He is a reviewer for Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes (since 2018), European Heart Journal – Case Reports (since 2018), and JACC: Case Reports (since 2019). Dr. Enache obtained his doctorate in 2019 from the "Victor Babeș" University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Timișoara (Romania), where he defended his thesis titled "Ultra-high density mapping of persistent atrial fibrillation". During his residency, he developed an interest in defibrillator reuse and, more broadly, in the field of health policy. He pursued an Executive Master of Science in Health Economics at the London School of Economics.

• Ciprian Stănescu

  President of Social Innovation Solutions

  Ciprian is a sustainability professional, leading the Social Innovation Solutions (SIS) ecosystem in Central and Eastern Europe. SIS aims to empower individuals and organizations to understand the transformations of the future and develop sustainable solutions. It runs business education programs in 5 CEE countries, as well as global climate action programs, such as the Climate Change Summit. He worked for 12 years for international organizations such as Ashoka and the Aspen Institute, is a Global Shaper Alumni of the World Economic Forum, a board member of Rethink Romania, and a member of the Romanian Business Leaders community. Starting in 2023, Ciprian is the host of the sustainability show "Pro Verde" at Știrile Pro TV. Ciprian also teaches foresight and sustainability courses at The Entrepreneurship Academy in Bucharest and has recently completed programs in sustainable finance and circularity at Harvard Business School and Cambridge Judge Business School.

• Elena- Alexandra Miron

  President & Co-founder of YPS

  Elena-Alexandra Miron has over ten years of experience in sustainability and climate change, serving as the youth representative of Romania at the UN Climate Change Conferences (COP27, COP28, and COP29). In this role, she has promoted the integration of youth perspectives into international negotiations on adaptation, loss and damage, climate finance, and climate change education, while also facilitating national consultations to connect the younger generation with global decision-making processes.She served as Chief of Staff at the Ministry of Investments and European Projects, where she supported initiatives on sustainability, aligning national strategies with European objectives, and cooperation and dialogue processes between authorities, the private sector, and civil society, including in platforms such as M100. Currently, she is a researcher at the Energy Policy Group, where she focuses on building decarbonization, energy efficiency, and climate policies.

• Ella Overkleeft

  Founder & Director Rural Radicals

  Ella has 20 years of experience in the cultural and creative industries, specializing in urban and rural development. With a holistic vision, she ensures that innovation is both systemic and grounded in real-world impact. With over a decade of international experience, she has built an extensive network while living and working abroad. At Trans Europe Halles – a European network that brings together over 100 independent cultural centers in converted buildings – she played an essential role in promoting cross-border collaboration. She believes that creative spaces are portals for human development – essential in an era of rapid technological change and increasing individualization. Through her agency, Rural Radicals, Ella is paving the way for culture-based rural development across Europe, transforming non-urban areas into vibrant and sustainable cultural hubs that strengthen communities and contribute to the regeneration of local economies.

• Fady Chreih

  CEO of REGINA MARIA

  Fady Chreih is the CEO of REGINA MARIA – The Healthcare Network, the leading company in healthcare service quality in Romania. Since 2018, he has also held the position of Chairman of the Board of MediGroup, the main private healthcare provider in Serbia. Together with over 11,000 employees and collaborators, Fady promotes the development of sustainable and responsible organizations built on a strong organizational culture. In recent years, he has become increasingly active in supporting equitable access to quality education, being, since 2016, a board member of Teach for Romania. Fady has attended courses at Harvard, Stanford University, as well as at INSEAD and London Business School.

• Florin Negruțiu

  Journalist, analyst, and TV host

  Florin Negruțiu is a journalist, analyst, and TV host, recognized for the clarity, courage, and depth with which he views the world around him. With over two decades of experience in the press, from the newsrooms of Gândul and Republica.ro to the shows on Digi24, Florin has built his voice on respect for facts, dialogue, and critical thinking. He believes that journalism is not just a profession, but a form of civic responsibility: to ask the questions that matter and to keep critical curiosity alive in a world eager to forget.

• Olivier Kleynjans

  Founder of Yoboo

  Olivier spent over a decade playing field hockey at the highest level, discovering how the smallest habits can influence performance and well-being. This passion for human potential led him to a seven-year career as a sports physiotherapist, helping both elite athletes and ordinary people to recover, progress, and achieve balance. Today, Oli translates these lessons into Yoboo — a health-tech startup with the mission to help people everywhere optimize their lifestyle and feel their best, combining science, technology, and personal balance.

• Silvia Ioana Fierăscu

  Network science researcher, educator and innovator, working at the intersection of data, governance and social change

  Silvia Ioana Fierăscu is an internationally recognized network science researcher, educator and innovator, working at the intersection of data, governance and social change. With over 15 years of experience as a global analyst, consultant and trainer, she specializes in applying data science and network analysis in fields such as anti-corruption, change management, organizational development and innovation ecosystems. She is the founder and director of FabLab – Social Fabrics Research Lab, a dynamic hub dedicated to connected research and social impact, and Head of OrgMapper Academy at Maven7, where she coordinates international training programs in organizational network analysis. As a lecturer at the West University of Timișoara, Silvia promotes project-based and career-connected learning in the field of data science. Silvia also contributes to the development of Living Labs, designing participatory frameworks for urban resilience, governance and civic innovation.

• Stefan Vaida

  Founder of Monumentum Association, the Ambulance for Monuments Project, and the Interethnic Museum of Hârtibaciu Valley

  Stefan Vaida was born on December 26, 1983, in Altana village, Sibiu county, right on the main street. 35 years later, we find him still here, but on "parau' napilor" as he likes to say, which is the former Romanian street in Altana, with a beautiful personal history. He became a restorer. He saved houses from destruction or mistreatment, participated in the restoration of many heritage buildings in Transylvania, alongside his brother Eugen Vaida - architect. Together they established the Monumentum Association, the Ambulance for Monuments, and the Interethnic Museum of the Hartibaci Valley.