Edward Lucas

Journalist

Edward Lucas is a senior editor at The Economist, the world’s foremost newsweekly. His expertise includes energy, cyber-security, espionage, Russian foreign and security policy and the politics and economics of Eastern Europe. He has also contributed to books on religion and media ethics. An experienced broadcaster, public speaker, moderator and panelist, Edward Lucas has given public lectures at Harvard, Oxford, Cambridge and other leading universities. He is a regular contributor to the BBC’s Today and Newsnight programmes, and to NPR, CNN and Sky News.

Alex Carlin

Musician

Alex was born in Chicago, and also lived in New York City and San Francisco. His musical career began in 1967, when, at the age of 10, he formed his first rock band, „The Constipated Orange”. In the early seventies Alex was an original member of „The Rubinoos”, a group with hit records in the USA and the UK. They played Alex’s song „Rock and Roll is Dead and We Don’t Care” on the famous American music performance show, „American Bandstand”.

Prof. Wojciech Narębski

Born 14th of April, 1925 in Włocławek – Polish geologist, specialized in geochemistry, petrology and mineralogical sciences of volcanics and metabasites. In 1941, Wojciech Narębski was arrested by NKWD and imprisoned. After the Polish Armed Forces formation, he went to the 2nd Corps, where he took part in the 22nd Artillery Supply Corp. He published many works on the activities of 2nd Corps in the Italian Campaign.

Paweł Tkaczyk

Branding strategist

Branding strategist who makes his living by telling stories. Author of two best-selling books. „Brand inside and out” won Marketing Book of the Year 2011 award. Public speaker and trainer. Named one of the top 10 marketing personalities of Polish internet by largest Polish internet portal.

Robert Desmond

Software developer

Programista Robert Desmond is a London Software Developer who has been living and working from Katowice with his girlfriend Basia for the last 18 months. He came to Poland, not by plane, but by bike, after a meaningful 25 day solo journey following a path of liberation that the allies took to end WWII in Europe. The trip ended in the disturbing camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau…

Jonathan Ornstein

Jonathan Ornstein is the Director of the Jewish Community Centre – an organisation conceived of and opened by HRH, the Prince of Wales. Prior to the centre’s opening in 2008 Jonathan had lectured in Modern Hebrew at the Jagiellonian University’s Department of Jewish Studies for 6 years and founded the “Gesher” association for Polish–Israeli dialogue.

Emi Maj

Designer

Emi is driving software product from inception through execution, working closely with designers and engineers to ensure that products amaze and delight end-users. She’s a designer with artistic background and a passion to technology. Day-to-day – previously at Applicake, Base CRM, now at Pilot – helps clients create functional and visually attractive applications.

Agnieszka Kiela-Pałys

Mountain climber

Born and passionate traveller, has already set her foot on all the continents, is never tired of visiting new places though. A graduate of English philology and post-graduate MBA studies; currently works in HR department of an IT company. Restless spirit; spends all the free time travelling, diving (her greatest love beside the mountains), climbing, training, planning next expeditions…

Leszek Jodliński

Art historian

Art historian, civil servant (The National SCHOOL of Public Administration), manager of cultural institutions; in the years 2002 -2003 Director of the Polish Year in Austria; Director of the Museum in Gliwice (2003-2008) and the Silesian Museum in Katowice (2008-2013). Member of the boards of museums in Pless and Opava, as well as Project Katowice Experts Council 2016 European Capital of Culture and Malopolska’s Virtual Museums (2009-2012)…

Kuba Bochiński

Astronomer

Jakub Bochinski is a professional astronomer and a science communicator at the Open University – one of the largest academic institutions in the world. His current research aims to help us understand how Earth was formed by seeking out and studying new planets outside of the Solar System. In recent years, Jakub contributed to discoveries of several new planets as a member of SuperWASP and PIRATE telescope programmes and is currently running his own project, attempting to look under the surface of an evaporating planet using the William Herschel Telescope located at La Palma, Canary Islands.

Samuel Cook

Entrepreneur

Samuel Cook has been lucky enough to see a lot of the world before settling down in Poland. Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland to an English father and American mother he moved to the United States at the age of 9. When he was 18 he joined the United States Military Academy where he graduated in 2000 with a degree in European history and German languages, after graduation he received his commission as an officer in the United States Army and was stationed in Germany for 3 years where he deployed to Turkey in support of the Invasion of Iraq…

Sonja Larson

Musician

Sonja Larson grew up on a farm in Western Minnesota and recently graduated with a degree in vocal performance from Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wi, and is now researching in Krakow, Poland with a prestigious Fulbright Grant. While at Viterbo, Larson researched Music in the Holocaust: A Means of Survival abroad in Poland with a summer research fellowship. She has presented her research at local and international conferences and retreats.

Joanna Antonik

Activist against antisemitism

Associated with the Festival of Jewish Culture in Krakow as a volunteer for 5 years, also as a coordinator for one year. In addition to the work on the Festival, she started one-year project, about which she will tell at the TEDxKazimierz. PhD student of pedagogy at the Jagiellonian University, interested in non-formalEDUCATION , cultural pedagogy, and everyday life sociology.

John Scherer

Leadership consultant

As a former Combat Officer on a US Navy Destroyer, Lutheran Chaplain at Cornell University, Gestalt and Family Systems Therapist, Graduate School co-creator, author, successful consultant andentrepreneur, John brings a unique perspective to his life and work. Business and community leaders from 23 nations have graduated from his Executive and Leadership Development Intensives. His most recent best-selling book, Five Questions that Change Everything: Life Lessons at Work, called ‘the best business self-help book ever written’ by CEO Robert Middleton.

Jim Williams

Comedian

Born on the same day as Buster Keaton, Jim Williams grew up on a steady diet of American cartoons. He discovered mime when he was 15 and later began studying theater and dance to help him towards his ultimate goal of becoming a human cartoon. At age 21, Jim began performing internationally and continued to tour across the U.S. and Europe…

Karolina Liberka

Marketing specialist

Karolina Liberka is a deputy editor of the monthly press called Marketing w Praktyce (Marketing in Practice). Strongly related to the topic of women entrepreneurship, she worked in the ACTIVE Women Association for a few years, where she helped people to start their own businesses. Regular mentor on the startup workshops.