Originally from Kazakhstan, raised in a third-culture environment, moved to Switzerland after getting a degree from Harvard University, Sergali is a Director at the world’s primary private bank based in Zurich, has a work background in large multinational industrial and oil & gas companies, while in his spare time has founded the first Swiss-based all-inclusive social network “Swiss Social”. Passionate networker, loyal friend, inspired leader and an enthusiastic life lover. He is the founder and permanent Curator of TEDxLugano.

Geoffroy is working as Project Manager Digital Development at Fondation Luma in Arles (France), was eCommerce Frontend Specialist at Nestlé Nespresso. He worked for 2 years for KaVoKerr, an international dentistry company, and before that he worked for six years in London (GB) and Lugano (CH), for Jannuzzi Smith, a communication design studio based in London. Concurrently, he worked as a webmaster and web designer for one of the top cultural events in Switzerland – the Festival del Film Locarno. He co-founded FrontEnders Ticino, the first technical networking group about front-end web development in Ticino. Geoffroy enjoys scuba diving and loves to dance to anything, from swing to hip-hop, though his heart says “I have the boogie-woogie and swing.” He has been a volunteer team member since the launch of TEDxLugano. He is the co-organizer and web admin and also manages and coordinates the incredible team of volunteers.

Ana Maria was born and raised in Medellin, Colombia. After obtaining her Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology she moved out of her country to embark on new adventures around the world. This brought her to live, study, and work in different countries including the US, Africa and Europe. She currently works as a consultant and lives in Lugano with her family. She loves traveling, reading, and learning. Thus, she is a persistent follower and endless promoter of TED.

Originally born and raised in the Northeastern United States, Andrea moved to Switzerland to start her family and learn the beautiful Italian language. Prior to making the grand move across the pond Andrea, a Bentley undergrad, worked for the largest company in the world in marketing and consumer goods where she dabbled a bit in the technology and investment banking sectors. In her spare time Andrea earned her MBA from Fordham University and established two businesses based out of Lugano Switzerland. Now that her Italian is at a conversational level Andrea looks forward to pursuing her other passion of networking and getting to know as many local and interesting people as possible.

A graduate in Marketing Management at Bocconi University, Alessandro has more than 10 years of experience in Marketing, Consultancy and Product Management. He spent the first part of his career in Accenture, a global leading management consulting firm and Juventus, the Italian football club, holding leading roles in marketing and business development. Currently, he is in charge of global marketing strategy for Timex Group Luxury Division.

Elisa Lanzi is a Master’s student in International Communications. She was born and raised in Stabio and later pursued her academic studies in Fribourg and Lausanne. She speaks Italian, French, English, and German and has a passion for intercultural studies. Elisa had her first encounter with TEDx in Geneva in 2017 and immediately fell in love with the dynamic environment and multiple ideas. Now, being part of the TEDxLugano team, she is looking for inspiration for her dissertation as well as starting to build a network for her future.

Born and raised in Ticino, Elisa has just obtained her Master’s degree in Biomedical Science at the University of Bern. Her major interest in research, especially in oncology, encouraged her to perform various internships in the course of her studies, which led her to get to know the research field in Ticino. Her mother tongues are Italian and Portuguese and she is fluent in English, French and German. Elisa is a nature lover who likes to hike and discover the magical landscapes hidden in Switzerland, taking her enthusiasm, curiosity and determination to another level, always in search of new experiences.

Elizabeth was born and raised in South Africa. After matriculation, she did 2 years at RAU but decided to move into the workforce. In 1994, she moved with her then-husband to Switzerland to support and work with him. After 12 years in the Canton of Aargau they moved to Lugano in 2006 as it felt the best option to raise their son, now 17 years of age. She worked for the same company from 1987 until 2016 as administrator and accompanied the CEO on most travels. Hobbies include traveling, reading, hiking, painting and TED Talks.

Federico currently works and studies at IDSIA (Dalle Molle Institute for Artificial Intelligence Research). Although he has an IT background, he is really attracted to many different fields: he works as Social Media Manager for WWF and he is a “Guide for Religious and Intercultural Dialogue” for the amazing project “Dialogue en Route” launched by IRAS COTIS. Federico decided to join TEDxLugano after participating in TEDxLugano2017, as he was really amazed by the whole event to the point where he said “I want to learn how they do this, and to be part of it”.

Born and raised in Lugano, Francesca pursued studies in Business at Bocconi University in Milan. With the heart of a globetrotter, she completed several exchange programs at LSE, Harvard and New York University. After a gap year traveling across Asia, she started a career in strategic consulting. She then moved into the Medical Industry as a European Marketing Manager based in Germany and since 2007 she is a Principal at Executive Insight, a boutique consulting company focused on life science based in Zurich. In her current role, she is responsible for accounts such as Roche, Merck and Shire for which she organizes, among other things, international Advisory Boards with multiple stakeholders. She feels a real mission to break all access barriers to innovative and life-changing drugs and she regularly speaks at international congresses on the topic of Market Access of Personalized Medicine. Married with 2 daughters, in her personal life she enjoys readings on pedagogy, education and communication, especially how to deliver a message and create compelling stories. For this reason, she is a passionate listener of TED Talks, which she enjoys during her weekly hike in the hills around her home in Montagnola.

Gianpiero, along with his brother Paolo, is an entrepreneur and investor in industrial real estate, active in the Torino area. He’s also involved in  startups, venture capital, private equity and REIT endeavors. In his free time he loves developing TEDx events in Europe.

Giovanni is an Italian from Vicenza with a strong connection to Switzerland, where he was born and where he’s already spent 10 years of his life. Born as an industrial designer, Giovanni has been working for over 15 years in the management of design projects, where the professional training has been continuously enriched in the creative field, touching different work areas. His main strength is given by a wide transversal experience, developed in working both in teams and autonomously, in international working environments of different types. A big fan of creating value for himself and others, he considers himself a good coach and motivator. He likes to venture beyond the clichés, the familiar or the obvious. He is constantly looking to develop strengths by enhancing skills, polishing style, revamping appearance and expanding knowledge.

Helen is a positive and hardworking individual from Poland, holding a Master’s degree, who always works towards achieving objectives while maintaining the highest possible standards. She has comprehensive sales and operational experience within international fashion and fitness organizations. Privately, Helen is a former equestrian competitor, horse lover and photographer.

Jack has been called a poet in a business suit. Nowadays, he seems to have lost the suit. Born in Woodstock, NY, Jack has lived half his life in Europe, most of that between Spain and Switzerland with two stints in London. “I live in a weird place between Strategy and Poetry,” he says, “a place called Paradox.” Jack helps companies sell more effectively through tactical sales training and business storytelling. He’s also written three books, his second was the topic of his 2014 TEDxLugano Talk, “A Sale Is A Love Affair.” He speaks at industry conferences throughout Europe and North America, but finds particular joy in hosting the stage at conferences. “It’s all about giving to the organizers, the speakers and, of course, the audience,” he says. “Above all, for TEDxLugano 2019, I want the audience to have fun.”

Raised in Switzerland and originally Croatian, Kristina has been interested in developing places where people can feel safe and at ease, regardless of their origin. Always ready to find accurate solutions, she graduated as an Interior Architect and has worked for atélier RiBo+, with arch. Zaccarelli for the restructuring project of the museum Villa Malpensata, as well as with privates for small projects. In parallel, she curated an exhibition for a graphic designer at Grafic’16 in Zurich, has worked in an engineering studio and designs furniture. Curious and collaborative, she enhances the power of sharing ideas.

Originally from Azerbaijan, Leyla has seven years of experience in the Banking and Financial sector. After completing her Bachelor’s Leyla continued her education in Corporate Finance at the London School of Economics. In 2013, she moved to Switzerland and recently graduated MSc in Economics with a major in Management. She then became Events Officer of the Swiss LSE Alumni Association in Switzerland and a member of the British Swiss Chamber of Commerce. Due to her enthusiasm for networking, she joined Swiss Social in 2014 and has been actively involved in the marketing sector. Leyla also worked with AIESEC, in a team with 19 nationalities from all around the world. Currently, she is working as a business developer on external relations between Asia and Europe. She is passionate about networking, art, learning and traveling.

Linda recently completed her Bachelor’s degree in International Relations with an emphasis on International Politics at the Global Studies Institute of the University of Geneva. A curious mind since childhood, she always looks forward to new challenges and opportunities. Lately, she’s been involved in multiple projects touching on human rights, digitalization and the startup world, allowing her to combine her dynamic, innovative and creative sides. Fluent in four languages (Italian, English, French, German), she has a penchant for traveling and discovering new cultures. In her spare time, she is a keen reader (both fiction and non-fiction) and enjoys playing the piano.

Lorenzo is a freelance filmmaker currently based in Switzerland. After graduating with a Master of Fine Arts in Filmmaking at the New York Film Academy, he collaborated on the production of numerous short films while living in Los Angeles. His short film “The Washing Machine” was selected by more than 40 film festivals around the world. He moved back to Switzerland at the end of 2014, where he currently lives and works. He has collaborated with the Festival del Film Locarno, Sony Europe and Swisscom among others. This is Lorenzo’s third year with the TEDxLugano Team.

Mattia Cantoni is a graphic designer specialized in branding, corporate identity and illustration. He studied at the “CSIA” in Lugano (Switzerland), where he obtained his Federal Diploma in Graphic Design. Mattia now works as a freelancer for different customers such as Bang & Olufsen, Casinò di Campione d’Italia, Selection 1847 Fashion & CO, among others. In September 2016 he won a poster design contest in Mexico City. In November 2016 his portfolio was selected by “Behance portfolio review” as one of the best by a young Swiss graphic designer. This is Mattia’s third year with the TEDxLugano Team.

Omar Gueye was born on June 15, 1989 in Lausanne to a Swiss mother and a Senegalese father. After high school he graduated as a video editor in the field of cinema. He started as a musical performer, training in Milan and then he worked for a period in Germany. In 2013 he wrote and directed a Musical (Gymnasia) with the participation of 80 gymnasts. Currently, he is a vocal coach at the Prina Music School in Milan and an acrobatic teacher at the circus school of Lidia Golovkova.

Paolo, along with his brother Gianpiero, is an entrepreneur and investor in industrial real estate, active in the Torino area. He’s also involved in  startups, venture capital, private equity and REIT endeavors. In his free time he loves developing TEDx events in Europe

Originally from Romania, Raluca grew up in Italy where she had the opportunity to learn the Italian language and culture. She moved to Lugano 8 years ago, where she fell in love with the Mediterranean flair and splendid viewpoints offered by the city. Here, she completed her Bachelor’s in Economics and a Master’s degree in Business Administration. She is currently employed as an Administrative Assistant at CSCS Swiss National Supercomputing Centre, where she is involved in the organization of scientific events and where she assists the Research Collaboration Coordinator in the management of European research activities.

A young and motivated individual, Raluca loves to connect with people, identify shared interests and engage in networking, but at the same time she also feels comfortable and energized when reading a book and spending quality time on her own.

She is excited to be part of this year’s TEDxLugano Team!

Born and raised in Lugano, Stefano is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Political Science at the University of Geneva (Unige). He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Sociology from the University of Zurich (UZH). Before starting his Master’s, he did an internship of six months at the Embassy of Switzerland in Portugal (Lisbon). Aside from the studies, he’s politically active as a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party (Switzerland). His mother tongues are Italian and Portuguese. He also speaks fluent English, Spanish, German and French.