Theme: TEDxHumenné: Your creative potential - your future.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized (subject to certain rules and regulations).

Mestské kultúrne stredisko Humenné
Gorkého 1555/1, 066 01 Humenné
Humenné, Prešovský kraj, 06601
Slovakia

Dominika Bodorová

Student and Traveler

Dominika is a brave student who, at the age of 19, completed the Hero’s Path of the Slovak National Uprising (Cesta hrdinov SNP) on her own, becoming one of the youngest solo travelers to ever conquer it. Dominika is the author of the book *I Grew Attached to the Mountains Too*, which intertwines her experiences from walking the Hero’s Path with the thoughts and reflections of a young person transitioning into adulthood. The Hero’s Path of the Slovak National Uprising is the longest hiking trail in Slovakia, covering a distance of 770 kilometers. Every year, dozens of adventurers embark on this journey, but only a fraction of them reach the end. On July 12, 2023, at the age of 19, Dominika became one of the youngest women to complete the trail solo. At TEDxHumenné 2024, Dominika shared that thinking about and writing on the journey was more challenging and important to her than the walking itself, and she explained why she did not feel joy when she reached the finish line.

Gretka Pavlovová

Activist and Organizer of the Atmosféra festival

Gretka Pavlovová is the founder and organizer of the Atmosféra Festival, which takes place in Slovakia. It is known for its intimate atmosphere, unique environment, and a program focused on depth of experience and beautiful natural surroundings. Gretka began organizing the festival while still a high school student. Through Atmosféra, she has built a strong community of volunteers over the years, who have become the heart of the festival, contributing to its uniqueness and community spirit through their work. After years of operation, she managed to transform this small village festival into a "lovebrand" that attracts thousands of visitors from all over Slovakia every year. In addition to organizing the festival, she has been involved in community-building for many years. Currently, she works on improving life in the capital city. For her work and contributions in the fields of culture and social innovation, she was honored with the prestigious Forbes 30 Under 30 title.

Ivana Nováková

Innovator

Ivana Nováková is an innovator and creative project manager who specializes in technological and holographic projects. She is an enthusiast of augmented reality, which she transforms into effective working and educational tools for businesses, and tirelessly advocates for its potential in real-world applications. As a child, she was terrified by the question of what she wanted to be when she grew up. She tried various professions—from shop assistant, florist, and volunteer rescuer to manager. Today, she is a director of innovative companies. Her winding path eventually led her to the world of technology, which today feels like a fulfilled childhood dream she never even imagined. Surrounded by holograms and immersed in the dynamic technology of augmented reality, which has become her passion, Ivana is an innovator and co-founder of the technology company APONI, specializing in holography and augmented reality.

Jana Mikitková

Theater Director and Dramaturgist

She studied Theatre Direction and Dramaturgy at the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava. She also completed studies in Ensemble Theatre at Rose Bruford College in London, where she worked as a dramaturg at the Greenwich Theatre. As an author and director, she has created productions for children and youth at the Ludus Theatre, the Bratislava Puppet Theatre, and the Kremnica Theatre in the Underground. Together with her colleagues in Banská Štiavnica, she founded the international Festival AMPLIÓN – New Cabaret & Street Art and the Irregular Theatre Ensemble, where she focuses on creating modern street and socio-political productions. She also collaborates on international projects. Her works have been presented at international festivals such as Festival Ulica in Krakow, Festival Za dveřmi in Prague, Festival REGIONY in Hradec Králové, and at Slovak festivals including Dotyky a spojenia, Festival POHODA, Anasoft Litera, Kremnické gagy, Festival Slobody, and Festival AMPLIÓN.

Juraj Buzalka

Social Anthropologist

Juraj Buzalka, author of the bestselling book "Postsedliaci - Slovak Popular Protest." is a social anthropologist at Comenius University in Bratislava. He studied political science, journalism and social anthropology. Juraj has been a principal investigator for several research grants, a visiting professor at various universities in Europe and the USA, and a collaborator on applied research projects. In nearly twenty years, he has also worked in journalism, editing, producing auteur films, and served as a member of the board at various public institutions. In addition to dozens of academic articles and studies, he is the author of the books The Cultural Economy of Protest in Postsocialist European Union: Village Fascists and their Rivals (London: Routledge 2021), Nation and Religion: The Politics of Commemoration in South-east Poland (Münster: Lit 2007), Slovenská ideológia a kríza (Bratislava: Kalligram 2012), and Postsedliaci: Slovak Popular Protest (Bratislava: Mamaš 2023).

Michal Valko

Scientist

Michal Valko is a scientist who has been involved in artificial intelligence for 25 years, focusing on its research and working on training language models. In the last five years (2019 - 2024), Michal, along with his colleague Rémi Munos, has built the French branch of Google DeepMind, which now has about 60 AI scientists. Since February 2024, he has worked with Mark Zuckerberg on developing the large language model LLaMA 3, Meta's response to ChatGPT, which is available for free use by people worldwide. He is now the Chief Models Officer and a Member of the Founding Team at Stealth AI Startup, building a new generation of language models.

Oli Džupinková

Speaker and Ambassador of Rusyn culture

Oli Džupinková is a recognized ambassador of Rusyn culture, actively advocating for the promotion of the Rusyn region and the preservation of its traditions, cuisine, and culture through innovative projects. Through her book initiatives, such as Mum's Rusyn Cuisine and Fairy Tales from the Wolf Mountains, Oli significantly contributes to spreading Rusyn culture and gastronomy. In November 2024, she released a new book focused on Slovaks living abroad. This publication is a tribute to all Slovaks outside their home and strengthens their pride in their Slovak roots. Oli’s projects are a reflection of her social responsibility, aiming not only to preserve but also to modernize traditional values and make them accessible to the wider public. Since 2023, she has been organizing immersive Rusyn dinners in Bratislava, enriching the perception of traditional cuisine and pushing its boundaries.

Tomáš Barnáš

Reality Capture Expert and Designer

Tomáš Barnáš spent eight years in automotive design in Germany, where he worked not only on the interiors of mass-produced vehicles but also on racing cars for the World Rally Championship. His greatest achievement is the redesign of the VW logo, which now decorates all new vehicles of this brand. During his design career, he founded the successful company Overhead4D, which allowed him and his family to return to Slovakia, to Kežmarok. The company specializes in the digitization of castles, chateaux, and museums, creating interactive applications that bring history and culture closer to people and enhance museum exhibitions. These projects include the digitization of shipwrecks from the bottom of the Baltic Sea, as well as significant Slovak castles such as Spiš Castle, Trenčín Castle, and Krásna Hôrka. His work has also attracted American Hollywood studios, for which they scanned Carnegie Hall in New York and the pyramids in Giza.

Viera Dubačová

Activist and director

Viera Dubačová is a Slovak director and civic activist who has long been dedicated to socially engaged theater, documentary filmmaking, and supporting disadvantaged communities. During her career, she has directed dozens of productions with an emphasis on social issues, marginalized groups, and human rights.

Zuzana Jančík Petrová

Literacy expert and educator

Zuzana Jančík Petrová works as a teacher at the Faculty of Education at Trnava University and as a researcher at the Institute of Research on Social Communication of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, a public research institution. She is interested in the relationship between language, speech, and cognition in the field of school education. Her research specifically focuses on the theoretical and practical aspects of developing preschool-age literacy. She is currently involved in an international research project ELIT – The Empirical Study of Literature Training Network, which addresses questions about changes in reading in the digital age, supported by the H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie program.