TEDxOdense speakers 2024
Meg Larrabee Sønderlund
Host
“Every day has the potential to expand your perspective.” We’re excited to announce that our host for TEDxOdense is once again the incomparable Meg Larrabee Sønderlund.
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American born and bred, Meg made the quantum leap across the Atlantic to Denmark in 1970. Here, she puddle-jumped from art studies, marriage, children, and degrees in English and business from SDU. Meg says she has “worked forever” teaching and coaching English, creating her own one-woman translation bureau, and finally nearly a quarter of a century teaching at University College Lillebælt. As a mentor to many students in global communication, innovation, and entrepreneurship, Meg’s generous spirit, effervescent personality, and kind heart made her the ideal host to guide us through TEDxOdense.
“I am so ready for new adventures! What a place to begin”
Vedrana Rogoznica
Speaker
Meet Vedrana Rogoznica, a 26-year-old Croatian entrepreneur and visionary in the field of robotics. Holding an MSc in Business Administration from SDU, she embarked on a transformative journey when she moved to Denmark in 2020.
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Vedrana is set to share her inspiring story driven by her motto, "Life is about intentionally creating meaningful moments and things." As the co-founder of a playful robotics business aimed at children, Vedrana has harnessed her entrepreneurial spirit to infuse joy into the realms of robotics, code, and technology. Through her talk, Vedrana aims to show that fostering an early love for robotics among children not only shapes their futures but also breaks down barriers and unlocks the hidden potential in us all.
Joel Mario Vej-Nielsen
Speaker
Joel Mario Vej-Sielsen holds a PhD from the University of Southern Denmark where he studied protein chemistry, cell culture techniques, and synthetic biology. In a world of complex ideas, he has honed his skill as a presenter to make science understandable and engaging.
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He is currently pushing the boundaries of modern diagnostics with his work on protein analysis at the Odense-based company, Evosep. Join him as he unveils the stories hidden deep inside the proteins in our blood, and uncover what they may tell us about our future.
Kriti Prajapati
Speaker
Kriti Parjapati, is an engineer by mistake and a comedian by choice. Kriti made her mark in Denmark with her unique blend of cultural humor after completing a rigorous 2-year acting program at the Commedia School in Copenhagen.
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As a well-known figure in the English comedy world in Denmark, Kriti clinched the Toastmasters International's Humorous Speech Championship in India in 2015 and Denmark in 2018.
Her entertaining and astute take on cultural shocks in Denmark has endeared her to audiences, leading to numerous sold-out shows, including “Almost Danes", "My Big Fat Indian Wedding", and "Don't Leave Us Alone with the Danes”. Kriti's journey from engineering to comedy, coupled with her ability to weave humor into everyday experiences helps her uncover the hidden joy in even the most challenging situations.
Stephen Alstrup
Speaker
Stephen Alstrup serves as an algorithm professor at the University of Copenhagen, has been a trusted advisor to the Danish Government, and is an expert advisor to the Danish Data Protection Agency.
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Stephen has a rich entrepreneurial background as a co-founder of Supwiz, a leading Danish AI SaaS company, and previously the co-founder of Octoshape, an online streaming solution, reaching hundreds of millions of users. Stephen co-founded the professional Data Ethics Council and also played a pivotal role in the establishment of the IT University in Copenhagen.
Janne Høgshøj
Speaker
Janne Høgshøj is a Happiness Director and a dynamic force within design and creativity.
As a trained graphic designer and owner of DanishConnection.dk her impact is felt across major brands as an influential teacher and coach, she delves into the creativity and innovation that lies within us all and shares insights from her rich career.
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With a pioneering history, from being a project manager at the first online newspaper in Denmark to being chairman of Visual Forum, representing 800 graphic designers in the Danish Journalists' Association, exhibiting at graphic fairs throughout Scandinavia, and passionate Burner at Burning Man. Janne weaves a captivating tale that resonates in her diverse experiences.
As a coach and mentor at LEAD THE TALENT, she strengthens the next generation with her vast knowledge and enormous personality. In addition to her thriving business, she imparts her wisdom as an external teacher at business academies and design schools all over Denmark.
Simon Vilms Pedersen
Speaker
He is a multidisciplinary researcher and Tenure Track Assistant Professor at the University of Southern Denmark. Part researcher and part entrepreneur, Simon has won awards from both the European Space Agency and Nordic Energy Research.
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Simon started his academic career looking at the unglamorous world of fertilization with manure. Getting knee-deep in muddy fields allowed him to understand the hidden emissions from agriculture.
He then combined his work with manure with the high-tech worlds of optics and machine learning. He has put considerable effort into the unlikely question ‘Can we measure pig poop from space?’. - The answer, and his journey, will surprise you.