Speakers 2011

Marianna Bednarska – started her adventure with percussion when she was eight. In 2008 she was a finalist at the Young Musician of the Year contest. Today she is one of Poland’s most promising percussionists and an exciting marimba player. Marianna will take as on a journey through the inspiring sounds of marimba.

Wojciech Eichelberger – psychotherapist from Warsaw, a pioneer and writer in the field of integral psychotherapy in Poland, nationally known commentator and propagator of ecology, feminism and social/religious diversity. Wojciech talked about ways of living in modern times.

Paweł Golik – geneticist and molecular biologist. Heads the Institute of Genetics and Biotechnology at the University of Warsaw. Works on genetics and evolution of mitochondria, RNA processing and mitochondrial diseases. Paweł talked about how the Human Genome Project changed our views on genetics.

Marcin Jamkowski – journalist, traveler, photographer and film maker. His passion for exploring has led him into the mountains of Africa, into the tombs of Nubian kings in Sudan, and deep under the surface of the sea. Marcin talked about the spirits haunting the Baltic Sea – Steuben, Gustloff, Goya.

Stanisław Karpiński – scientist, professor at Warsaw University of Life Sciences, whose research in molecular biology of plants, genetics and biophysics has resulted in publication in “Nature” and “Plant Cell”. Professor Karpinski talked about his (and Magdalena Szechyńska-Hebla) investigation on the secret life of plants.

Marcin Kobylecki – producer at Platige Image, a film studio highly regarded for many computer animation projects, including the Oscar nominated “Cathedral”; BAFTA award “Fallen Art” and “Ark”. Marcin talked about the opportunities of smart Polish design to be used to promote the country abroad.

Oskar Korkman – consumer insights director at Nokia, with anthropology/ethnography and business design background; currently works on global understanding of people’s ways of connecting and building relationships. Oskar talked about the importance of developing deep insights in our everyday lives, and what is stable and essential in social networks.

Mark Krawczynski – architect and pianist from Sydney and Warsaw, responsible for the rebuilding of the Sydney Opera House and an advocate for architecture as a means of fostering national identity. And his story.

Toshi Nakamura, Ewa Wojkowska – social entrepreneurs from Japan and Australia, based in Indonesia. Co-founders of Kopernik (online marketplace of technologies for the developing world) talked about their rapidly growing project.

Grzegorz Niedźwiedzki – biologist and paleontologist. His foremost research success (in partnership with Piotr Szrek) was the discovery of the world’s oldest tetrapod. Their finding, which reached 395 million years into the past, became a cover article in “Nature” in January 2010. Grzegorz talked about remaining ancient secrets waiting to be discovered.

Karol Okrasa – renowned Polish chef, host of popular cooking programmes in public television and an expert in local cuisine who promotes the use of Polish flavours in various dishes. For Karol food is not only an occupation: it is a lifestyle. He runs his signature restaurant “Platter” in Warsaw. Karol talked about old Polish tastes in the XXI century.

Grzegorz Piątek – architecture critic, curator and an editor at Architektura-murator magazine. He has written widely on design and architecture, curated a number of successful exhibits, including one at the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2008 and is the Creative Director of Warsaw as a candidate for the title of European Capital of Culture in 2016. Video.

Grzegorz Piechota – journalist and editor. Head of public awareness and social campaigns at Gazeta Wyborcza, responsible for initiating, planning and executing cultural undertakings and social campaigns, such as “School 2.0″ “Human health-care” and “Poland runs”. Grzegorz told us an intimate story about the birth of his son.

Krzysztof Rybiński – professor and rector of Vistula University in Warsaw. In the past deputy governor of the National Bank of Poland, partner at Ernst & Young, chief economist at three commercial banks and software engineer in Tokyo. In less than 12 minutes he showed us how to turn Poland into the most innovative country in the world in less than one year.

Tomek Sikora – photographer who is in demand around the world as much as an advertising man as a maker of art images. He talked about the “Homeless Gallery” – a little idea which has grown into a rapidly growing international art movement.

Wojtek Sówka – artist and musician who has been building and playing percussion instruments for twenty-five years. Recently Wojtek and an international team of friends constructed a set of twelve giant drums (largest in the World.) Wojtek, a practitioner of the Caribbean art of making and playing steelpans, told his story and played for us.

Martin Varsavsky – a leading european tech entrepreneur. His current project is the wifi network Fon.com. In addition, Martin has extensive philantropic interests and teaches at the Instituto de Empresa in Madrid. He is a passionate TEDster and appeared via video conference to talk about Europe’s startup ecosystem.

Kushtrim Xhakli – entrepreneur who has been challenging emerging markets by introducing new innovative solutions to boost education and entrepreneurship. He explained how broad-scale online projects have helped to transform and reform education in Kosovo and to create equal access to an open, transparent and fully connected society on the web.

The Long Walk Expedition – Filip Drożdż, Tomasz Grzywaczewski and Bartosz Malinowski reconstructed the route taken by Polish refugees walking over 6000km from a Siberian Gulag to India in 1942. Then they walked it. Their expedition was a tribute to those who didn’t survive enslavement by the Soviets.

This isn’t a typical conference. Rules for TEDxWarsaw speakers include a ban on “selling from the stage” (no plugging your company or organisation) and a strict enforcement of the clock (maximum 18 minutes for a talk).

A carefully prepared presentation of brief length can have astonishing impact. This format also allows us to fit in more speakers and performers into the event. There are no questions after each talk. (There are defined conversation breaks for that purpose. The aim is to electrify the audience and open their minds to new ideas worth sharing.)

Contact person:
Ralph Talmont
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