TEDxUHasselt

Speakers

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

• Andries Boelen

  PhD Researcher in Quantum Materials

  Andries Boelen is a final-year PhD student at KU Leuven and imec, investigating advanced materials for next-generation computing technologies. His work focuses on bridging materials science, photonics, and quantum physics to enable scalable quantum computing. Together with his team, Andries recently published a pioneering article in Science on the cryogenic electro-optic properties of SrTiO₃, a material that could revolutionize how quantum computers are controlled at extremely low temperatures. He is passionate about making complex science accessible to arouse curiosity and stimulate innovation.

• Anneleen Michiels

  Professor of Finance · Author · Keynote Speaker

  Anneleen Michiels is a professor of finance who studies what happens when money and human relationships collide across generations. For over fifteen years, she has examined how wealth and ownership influence decision-making, conflict, and legacy in families and organizations worldwide. As the author of Money & Generations, Anneleen translates rigorous academic insight into ideas that change how people think and talk about money, responsibility, and the future.

• Charlotte Van Brabander

  Founder of Slim Sparen · Finfluencer · Investor · Poker Player · Keynote Speaker

  Charlotte Van Brabander is a finfluencer and founder of Slim Sparen, a platform where she teaches people how to invest in the stock market. Her mission is to raise awareness around money psychology and help individuals and couples build a healthier relationship with their finances. As a poker player, investor, and entrepreneur, she engages with financial decision-making on a daily basis. Through her work, she aims to break the taboo surrounding money. She is the author of the bestselling books ‘FIRE’ and ‘Meer geld, minder stress’.

• Malu Luecking

  Biodesign and Material Researcher · Food Futurist

  Malu Luecking is a designer fascinated by the ocean's potential to reshape our material world and food futures. With a background in biodesign and material research, she explores how marine ecosystems, particularly algae, can offer regenerative solutions to the challenges of climate change. Her work spans from algae-based materials to speculative culinary futures, blending scientific collaboration with creative experimentation.

• Robbe Breugelmans

  Postdoctoral Researcher · Sustainable Energy Engineer

  Dr. Ing. Robbe Breugelmans is a postdoctoral researcher at Hasselt University where he investigates how to power the Einstein Telescope with sustainable energy solutions. The Einstein Telescope is a proposed underground observatory designed to detect gravitational waves, faint ripples in spacetime that carry information from the most extreme events in the universe. Envisioned as Europe’s most advanced facility of its kind, it could potentially be hosted in Belgium.

• Vincent Vermeulen

  Founder of the School for Butlers and Hospitality · Keynote Speaker

  Vincent is the founder and director of School for Butlers and Hospitality. He is already the fourth generation of a family that has dedicated its life to working in the hospitality and service sector. His family’s experience in this field is simply unrivalled in Belgium. His relationship with the world’s greatest luxury establishments also means that the school can open doors that remain closed to all others. He has worked in various Michelin-star restaurants, trained and worked as a butler in London and led hospitality and service departments in a number of multinationals. He is first and foremost a customer experience expert and consults for organisations and companies worldwide.

• Yanina Wickmayer

  Former Professional Tennis Player · Career High #12 · Tennis Coach · Keynote Speaker

  From a childhood dream to reaching the semifinals of the US Open, Yanina Wickmayer has conquered the highest peaks of international tennis. As a former world number 12, her career is defined by explosive power, relentless perseverance, and a fierce winning mentality.