The International Youth to Youth Summit’s Team is delighted to announce that we have secured a number of prominent speakers coming from different industries to make sure that our event explores as many angles of the topic as possible.
Speakers
Hans Reitz was born in 1966 and raised in Bad Abbach (Bavaria). Today he lives with his family in Wiesbaden.
At the age of twenty he embarked on a journey that took him from India to Afghanistan and Iraq. His deep interest for the arts and culture led him to the studies of classical south-Indian music during his time in India.
Back in Germany in 1994, he founded the creative agency “circ” and thereafter he continuously expanded the agency’s expertise. Today the company serves as a reliable partner in content driven live communication for established brands such as BMW, Merck, Deutsche Post and E.ON. circ was repeatedly voted “the most creative agency in Germany”.
As a creative consultant of Nobel Prize winner Prof. Yunus, he has helped spread the idea of “Social Business” since 2007. Together with Prof. Yunus, he founded the “Grameen Creative Lab”. Since 2010 Mr. Reitz has been the Creative Director of the Yunus Centre in Bangladesh.
At the age of twenty he embarked on a journey that took him from India to Afghanistan and Iraq. His deep interest for the arts and culture led him to the studies of classical south-Indian music during his time in India.
Back in Germany in 1994, he founded the creative agency “circ” and thereafter he continuously expanded the agency’s expertise. Today the company serves as a reliable partner in content driven live communication for established brands such as BMW, Merck, Deutsche Post and E.ON. circ was repeatedly voted “the most creative agency in Germany”.
As a creative consultant of Nobel Prize winner Prof. Yunus, he has helped spread the idea of “Social Business” since 2007. Together with Prof. Yunus, he founded the “Grameen Creative Lab”. Since 2010 Mr. Reitz has been the Creative Director of the Yunus Centre in Bangladesh.
Deepak Ramola is the Founder & Artistic Director of Project FUEL. An organisation that collects life lessons from people of all ages and backgrounds around the world and designs them into interactive activities and workshops.
Deepak started Project FUEL at the age of 17 and has been teaching age groups 4-96 for past 7 years. From victims of human trafficking in Nepal to middle school children in Afghanistan to refugees in Europe, Deepak has been able to benefit more than 60,000 people all over the world. Project FUEL has also been featured as an educational innovation in the database of “Center for Education Innovations”.
Deepak, is a United Nations speaker, two times TEDx speaker, an educator, a writer, actor, lyricist and a gold medalist in Mass Media studies from the University of Mumbai. As a lyricist, Deepak has written songs for films like ‘Manjhi, The Mountain Man’, ‘Time Out’, ‘Dear Dad’ and ‘Wazir’. He recently featured in the fifth season of the hit show “The Dewarists”.
Deepak started Project FUEL at the age of 17 and has been teaching age groups 4-96 for past 7 years. From victims of human trafficking in Nepal to middle school children in Afghanistan to refugees in Europe, Deepak has been able to benefit more than 60,000 people all over the world. Project FUEL has also been featured as an educational innovation in the database of “Center for Education Innovations”.
Deepak, is a United Nations speaker, two times TEDx speaker, an educator, a writer, actor, lyricist and a gold medalist in Mass Media studies from the University of Mumbai. As a lyricist, Deepak has written songs for films like ‘Manjhi, The Mountain Man’, ‘Time Out’, ‘Dear Dad’ and ‘Wazir’. He recently featured in the fifth season of the hit show “The Dewarists”.
Emad Karim has more than 10 years of professional experience and skills, that are drawn from the small villages in Egypt to the premises of the UN in New York in international non-profit organizations, for-profit corporates, as well as academic institutes. Karim is the Youth Engagement Lead at UN Women Regional Office of Arab States with a long work experience and academic background in designing educational technology solutions for development. Karim works as a capacity building expert of Social Media for Social Change, Innovation, Public Debates, Youth Political & Civic Participation, and Active Citizenship programs. Also, he has been working as an expert for the League of Arab States, the World Bank, UNESCO, UNICEF, ILO, the British Council, and Anna Lindh Foundation. He is the author of the iSurvive: Disasters, Revolutions & Control 2.0, a book that explores the interrelations between big events, humans, politics, information, and technology with lessons drawn from the Arab Uprisings, Haiti, Japan, and more. He has M.A in Educational Communication & Technology from New York University and certificates from Microsoft with focus on ICT for development. Karim is also an awarded talented photographer specializing in people and photos stimulating social change.
Ingi Mehus fell in love with personal storytelling when she was 11 years old and read Anne Frank’s Diary for the first time. Since then, she has taken an active role in listening to other people’s stories from around the world, as well as sharing her own in the hope to create a more inclusive society. This personal journey led her to found Pocket Stories, an organisation that works to bring people together through curiosity for cultural diversity and stories. On a more formal note, she has earned a bachelor in Communication and a Master in Politics of Global Development and has worked with international migration across four continents with local NGOs, UNHCR and IOM.
Shahira Amin is an independent journalist based in Cairo. Former Deputy head of state run Nile TV, Amin resigned from her position in the height of the 2011 uprising to protest censorship. A longtime contribute to CNN’s Inside Africa, Amin has filed TV stories from the North Africa region including feature stories on minority rights, women’s rights and sectarian unrest. Amin is a board member of the Washington based International Women’s Forum and a cofounded of the Egyptian Media Women Union. She has won several international awards including CNN’s Best news report, Sweden’s Holmes of the Year Award 2011, Spain ‘s Julio Anguita Parrado Award 2012, Global Thinkers Forum Excellence in promoting gender equity 2013 and BMW Foundation ‘s Responsible Leaders Award 2016.
Nadia Ho de Guillén is Asian-born, European-raised, and Latin-American-spirited.
She is a co-founder of the project “Green Passport Goes Around the World” that commits to inspire Vietnamese youth to become global citizens, and she is soon launching an online education platform that aims to bridge gaps between people across the globe and to bring them together on the same page.
She has gained professional experience working at non-profit organizations, such as the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, the Nordic Chamber of Commerce in the Czech Republic, the French-American Chamber of Commerce in New England, and The Global Citizens’ Initiative, at international for-profit corporations, such as Expedia and Siu & Sons International Trading Corporation, at universities, such as Charles University in Prague and Panamerican University in Mexico City, and at startup projects. Nadia is also an author and co-author of four books published in Vietnam and Bolivia.
Ole believes in challenging conventional thinking and in inspiring people and organizations to create a better world. He has helped individuals and organisations find their true purpose instead of being driven by profit only.
Ole is a firm believer in the power of trust and human kindness – and that the future belongs to purpose-driven individuals, companies, and organizations. He believes that these will have strong cultures, engaged employees and enthusiastic customers, patients, users, and citizens.
In 2012 Ole first turned up at his neighboring aged care home in Copenhagen, Denmark offering trishaw rides to the residents – an act of kindness that sparked the collaboration with Dorthe and the launch of Cycling Without Age. Spreading like wildfire to 38 countries the initiative has grown to be a global movement. Ole has a Master in Business, Language and Culture.
Ole is a firm believer in the power of trust and human kindness – and that the future belongs to purpose-driven individuals, companies, and organizations. He believes that these will have strong cultures, engaged employees and enthusiastic customers, patients, users, and citizens.
In 2012 Ole first turned up at his neighboring aged care home in Copenhagen, Denmark offering trishaw rides to the residents – an act of kindness that sparked the collaboration with Dorthe and the launch of Cycling Without Age. Spreading like wildfire to 38 countries the initiative has grown to be a global movement. Ole has a Master in Business, Language and Culture.
Milda Mitkutė is the co-founder at Vinted – the world’s largest pre-loved fashion marketplace. More than 18 million women around the world sell, buy, swap clothes they don’t wear anymore. Headquartered in Vilnius, Vinted employs 160 people. Founded as a hobby website in 2008, Vinted has raised over $60-million and is considered to be the most valuable start-up in the Baltics.
Jeroen Lauwers is a former academic researcher turned project manager with a strong passion for pedagogy and society. He is appointed by the municipal education of Antwerp to coordinate the active citizenship programme for approximately 140 schools, ranging from kindergarten to adult education. His main tasks consist of inspiring and assisting schools in their pursuit of strong lessons for the pupils, but also stimulating an evolution of his organization into an optimal learning environment for democratic citizenship. In a superdiverse metropole like Antwerp, he is especially engaged to offering a hopeful perspective to newcomers in society, which form approximately 5% of the pupils of the schools in Antwerp.
Finnur Sverrisson is the founder of the Little Big Malmö foundation. A foundation with the soul mission to make Malmö the worlds most international city. Having at least one person living from each UN member states living in the same city. Finnur has been named the most entrepreneurial person of southern Sweden and the most inspiring forces of Malmö.
Passioned for people and ideas that happen when two backgrounds meet. Born and raised in Reykjavik – Iceland, his parents always pointed out that where there was a problem, there must be a solution. Finnur started his first business at the age of 11 and since then work, or as he calls it “I’m just getting things done” has been his driving force. No matter if the problem/task in hand is connected to his businesses or if it is an issue in the society. He never waits if the gut feeling is “go for it”.
Passioned for people and ideas that happen when two backgrounds meet. Born and raised in Reykjavik – Iceland, his parents always pointed out that where there was a problem, there must be a solution. Finnur started his first business at the age of 11 and since then work, or as he calls it “I’m just getting things done” has been his driving force. No matter if the problem/task in hand is connected to his businesses or if it is an issue in the society. He never waits if the gut feeling is “go for it”.
Malena Sigurgeirsdottir and Jessica Buhl-Nielsen founded Dare to Eat, which creates edible insect snacks as a viable solution for affecting climate change.
Malena has for the last seven years been focusing on sustainable solutions in food and agriculture. She has done research in Peru, India, and Eastern Africa examining the cultural and nutritional benefits of eating insects.
Jessica has spent the past five years studying and working in Latin America with social entrepreneurship, focusing on sustainable development. Before Dare to Eat, Jessica created the startup Carcel.
Malena has for the last seven years been focusing on sustainable solutions in food and agriculture. She has done research in Peru, India, and Eastern Africa examining the cultural and nutritional benefits of eating insects.
Jessica has spent the past five years studying and working in Latin America with social entrepreneurship, focusing on sustainable development. Before Dare to Eat, Jessica created the startup Carcel.
Roopam Sharma is an Indian Scientist and innovator creating Social
impact through disruptive technological inventions and solves perennial
problems. He is the youngest person ever to be recognized as one of the
top innovators under 35 by the MIT Tech Review for the year 2016 and was
awarded the Gifted Citizen Prize – the Nobel Prize of Social Innovation
in 2016. He recently has been bestowed upon with the National Youth
Award, the highest youth honor in the country by President of India for
his contribution to the field of national development and social service
through research and innovation in the year 2018. He is best known for
his work on Manovue, the world’s first intelligent personal assisting
system for the visually impaired suffer from braille illiteracy and
remain unemployed. Manovue combines vision intelligence and internet of
things in the form of an inexpensive wearable to deliver a technology
that would replace the 200 year old braille language and empower more
than 94% of the visually impaired people. Roopam believes that people
with passion can change the world for the better and is always inspiring
others to bring a positive change and think differently.
impact through disruptive technological inventions and solves perennial
problems. He is the youngest person ever to be recognized as one of the
top innovators under 35 by the MIT Tech Review for the year 2016 and was
awarded the Gifted Citizen Prize – the Nobel Prize of Social Innovation
in 2016. He recently has been bestowed upon with the National Youth
Award, the highest youth honor in the country by President of India for
his contribution to the field of national development and social service
through research and innovation in the year 2018. He is best known for
his work on Manovue, the world’s first intelligent personal assisting
system for the visually impaired suffer from braille illiteracy and
remain unemployed. Manovue combines vision intelligence and internet of
things in the form of an inexpensive wearable to deliver a technology
that would replace the 200 year old braille language and empower more
than 94% of the visually impaired people. Roopam believes that people
with passion can change the world for the better and is always inspiring
others to bring a positive change and think differently.
Jesper has years of experience in developing cities and organizations
based on human resources. With the help of broad commitment and
ownership, he has set the course for locally based solutions that have
helped to implement policies and strategies in relation to settlement,
citizen involvement, business and cultural development. Jesper
establishes sustainable organizations that continue the solutions he
has helped to launch.
based on human resources. With the help of broad commitment and
ownership, he has set the course for locally based solutions that have
helped to implement policies and strategies in relation to settlement,
citizen involvement, business and cultural development. Jesper
establishes sustainable organizations that continue the solutions he
has helped to launch.
Anne Dvinge is the founder and CEO of Low-Fi, an online community connecting musicians and music lovers through user generated, intimate live music experiences. Before starting Low-Fi, Anne worked for more than 10 years as a researcher and teacher of cultural studies and music at University of Copenhagen. Her research lead her to a love for the house concert format and an understanding of the lack of sustainability and fairtrade in the music business. Rather than applying that passion and knowledge in yet another research project and driven by a desire to have a greater and more immediate impact, she quit her job in 2015 and began a journey as an entrepreneur.
Ricardo Koanuka is an entrepreneur, and NLP master coach, taught by Richard Bandler, John Grinder, Tony Robbins and Janet Attwood, providing practical tools and personal experience in discovering your life purpose and transform it into a business.
He has explored starting different companies and living in the United States and Brazil but moved to Sweden to work as a coach and lecturer. Here he founded a production company and directed the documentary Resilience – mindset that tightens our limitations and functionality.
He has explored starting different companies and living in the United States and Brazil but moved to Sweden to work as a coach and lecturer. Here he founded a production company and directed the documentary Resilience – mindset that tightens our limitations and functionality.
Victoria Ibiwoye is the Director of OneAfricanChild Foundation for Creative Learning, a youth-led organisation focused on redefining education for disadvantaged children and youth in Africa through activity-based workshops on global citizenship. Since 2013, her organisation has impacted thousands of children and youth through education for sustainable development (ESD)and is now empowering teachers with professional skills and competencies needed to integrate ESD into learning outcomes. Victoria’s influence as an education advocate has earned her a role as the new Youth Representative to the SDG-Education 2030 Steering Committee, the global coordination mechanism for education goal on SDG-4. She has spoken at several UN meetings and consultations to dialogue with education stakeholders and leaders to priortise education for all.She is also one of nine youth ambassadors of the UN Global Education Monitoring Report on its“Accountability in Education” campaign, calling on governments and education stakeholders to enforce the right to education in practice and national laws.Victoria believes that education can contribute to a new vision of sustainable global development and thus, she spends most of her time bridging education and skills training with employment int he 21st century workforce. She enjoys listening to Jazz music and making new connections.
Hannah Stanton started her career in the public sector working on citizen participation and meaningful inclusion of marginalised community members. Undertaking a strong volunteering role in advocacy for girls’ and young women’s rights, she has been UN delegate for the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, taking a lead in the negotiations for the 2030 Agenda. Today she is the Director of TheGoals.org – an innovative crowdlearning platform for transformative education for sustainable development based on the SDGs. For her efforts she received the Compass Rose scholarship, awarded by HM King of Sweden to a young leader demonstrating courage, care and willingness to take action.
Trainers
With her first work experience in one of the biggest consultancies worldwide, Kim shifted towards a career that aligns with her personal interest in sustainability. Started as a blogger at ‘Kim goes eko’, the female entrepreneur has been part of the founding team of a social enterprise in Germany. VinoKilo has scaled quickly to create awareness on sustainable fashion consumption. Now, with her graduation in Leadership for Sustainability, she is a coach and project leader at Drivhuset. Drivhuset is a creative space and pre-incubator in Malmö.
Kim is a passionate sustainability geek and change maker. She believes sustainability can be part of a systemic change of every industry existing today.
Marco Valente is a consultant and teacher based in Malmö, Sweden. He works with approaches to participatory leadership to solve intractable problems like the sustainability challenges we face. He is passionate about heightening the collective intelligence of the teams and make them more able to solve complex problems in generative ways. He is a former pedagogy faculty at the Masters in Strategic Leadership towards Sustainability (MSLS) in Karlskrona. He is the founder of Plecter.
Everything that happens in the universe has an impact on every thing in this world, and every action of every single individual in this world has an impact on the whole universe. This principle has always been part of my DNA as a change maker. I have been a social entrepreneur and social innovator now for more than 15 years and have devoted my life in translating global challenges into local actions around the globe. Besides my own foundation, Culture Clash4U, which has been very active in youth work, gender equality, talent development and human rights education in the Netherlands and across Europe for almost 12 years, I also have initiated several civil actions and social enterprises in almost 60 countries. Yet I feel that we have barely scratched the surface and lot of works needs to be done. I truly believe that in order to make significant change, we need to reconnect our energies. And as energy cannot be created nor destroyed merely transformed from one form into another, why not try to convert this collective energy into a form from which we all benefit? That’s the mission of my life.
Special guests
Denise&Martin is a Malmö based duo that plays covers of their taste; all from Leonard Cohen to Erykah Badu.