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).

Arendal Kulturhus
Arendal
Arendal, Aust-Agder, 4801
Norway

Alexander Refsum Jensenius

Professor, University of Oslo

Alexander Refsum Jensenius is a music researcher, musician, and Professor of Music Technology at the University of Oslo, where he directs the RITMO Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Rhythm, Time, and Motion. His research explores the relationships between sound, space, and the human body, focusing on how people move to music and applying this knowledge to create music with unconventional instruments. He has authored works like Sound Actions and Sonic Design. Alexander holds degrees in music, mathematics, musicology, and applied information technology, with a PhD in music technology from the University of Oslo. He has been a visiting researcher at UC Berkeley, McGill University, and KTH, and previously served as Head of the Department of Musicology and as Chair of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression (2011–2022).

Celine Sandberg

CEO, Agoprene

Celine Sandberg is the founder and CEO of Agoprene, a startup on a mission to reinvent furniture foam using seaweed and natural materials. Born from a mix of entrepreneurial curiosity and a drive for sustainability, Celine’s journey started in a small kitchen, experimenting with seaweed during her studies at NTNU. With no intention of following the typical tech startup path, she embraced the challenge of tackling foam—a material responsible for millions of tons of CO2 emissions annually. Her great-great-grandfather once revolutionized flatbread production in Norway, and now, generations later, Celine is aiming to shake up the furniture industry in her own way, showing that even small startups can have a big impact.

Dagny Thurmann-Moe

Creative Director at Koi Colour and Design Studio

Dagny Thurmann-Moe is a renowned Norwegian color expert and designer, celebrated for her pioneering approach to urban color design. As founder of Koi Fargestudio, she leads projects that transform architecture, urban spaces, and interiors through strategic color use. Collaborating with cities, architects, and developers, Dagny revitalizes public spaces, making them more vibrant and welcoming while enhancing residents' quality of life. Her work also extends to educational institutions, where she designs color guidelines that support focus, creativity, and well-being. Dagny’s influence has shaped urban and educational environments across Norway, establishing her as a leader in color design and its role in creating harmonious, functional spaces.

Fredrik Fornes

Author and Public Speaker

Making waves in Norway with a best-selling career book, Fredrik Fornes uses personal stories and career insights, paired with sharp humor to questions the norms of recruitment and career-building. Known as one of Norway’s most influential digital profiles, Fredrik is a marketer, speaker, and author whose witty yet thought-provoking content sparks debate and encourages us to rethink both our careers and the corporate life.

Inda Pereda

Physical comedian / Clown

Inda Pereda is an actor, physical performer and clown that believes firmly in the transformative power of laughter. imperfection, and how it may open our hearts to joy. This passion has led him to collaborate as an actor and creator with numerous theatre companies and international casts, performing on stages such as Sadler’s Wells, Southbank Centre, and Soho Theatre. In 2016, driven by the desire to tell his own stories and to connect emotionally with the audience through the universal language of gesture and humor, he founded the Inda Pereda Company. This artistic project is characterized by producing physical comedy shows without text and with international projection. His trilogy, consisting of TRAPPED, LUBBERT, and THE HERO’S JOURNEY, has toured theatres and festivals around the world.

Kjetil Krogstad

Speaker and joy spreader. Purple Cow Entertainment.

Kjetil Krogstad, known for his infectious energy and unconventional approach, is a motivational speaker and social media phenomenon. With over 1 million followers, he transforms everyday moments into extraordinary celebrations of authenticity. A former director turned full-time influencer, Kjetil's journey is a testament to the power of embracing one's unique self and living in the moment.

Marte Ruud Sandberg

Partner & Senior Adviser at First House

Marte Ruud Sandberg is Partner and Senior Adviser at First House, Norway’s leading communications agency and a profiled Norwegian poker player with international merits. She will reveal how skills from the poker table can be applied to better decision making in life.

Michael Sheldrick

Co-Founder of Global Citizen

Michael Sheldrick is a policy entrepreneur, author, and Co-Founder of Global Citizen, where he leads campaigns to end extreme poverty as Chief Policy, Impact, and Government Affairs Officer. His Amazon best-seller, From Ideas to Impact, offers a playbook for change-making. Michael’s work bridges pop culture and policy, partnering with artists like Beyoncé and Lady Gaga, and leaders including PM Justin Trudeau and PM Mia Mottley. He co-produced the Global Citizen Festival, One World: Together at Home, and Mandela 100, securing $40 billion for critical resources. In 2021, as a ‘friend of COP26,’ he advanced corporate climate commitments and is now part of the Bridgetown Initiative for climate finance. Michael’s insights feature in Forbes and on CNN, and he serves on the boards of the Ban Ki-moon Centre, Benjamin Franklin House, and more.

Pavan Ramdya

Director of the Neuroengineering Laboratory at EPFL

Dr. Pavan Ramdya is Firmenich Next Generation Chair and Director of the Neuroengineering Laboratory at EPFL in Lausanne, Switzerland. His lab studies the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, to unlock insights for designing advanced AI and robotics. By reverse-engineering Nature, they investigate how flies excel in sensing, decision-making, and action. The lab modifies the fly’s genome, maps its brain, and creates a digital twin to inspire autonomous robots for complex environments. Dr. Ramdya earned his PhD in Neurobiology from Harvard University, followed by postdoctoral work in Robotics, Neurogenetics, and Bioengineering. His team’s pioneering research has been widely recognized, receiving awards and coverage from outlets such as BBC World Service, National Geographic, and Nature magazine.

Saeid Hosseini

Co-Founder & CEO of Vilje Bionics AS

Saeid Hosseini is the Co-founder and CEO of Vilje Bionics, the company behind "VilPower," the world’s first mobile robotic exoskeleton for the entire arm. With a background in engineering and entrepreneurship, Saeid is driven by a personal mission to empower people with upper limb disabilities. His work bridges human willpower with advanced robotics, enabling stroke survivors and individuals with disabilities to regain their independence. Under his leadership, Vilje Bionics has secured major grants, earned international recognition, and forged partnerships with top rehabilitation experts and medical professionals. Passionate about human-centered design, Saeid blends empathy, engineering, and user-driven innovation to create transformative assistive technologies that improve lives worldwide.

Stine L. Hattestad Bratsberg

Partner Management Consulting Company, Implement Consulting Group

Stine Lise Hattestad Bratsberg has more than 20 years of experience as a business and sustainability advisor. She is currently a Partner at Implement Consulting Group, one of the leading management consulting firms in the Nordics. She holds a Master in Business and is a certified Shared Value Consultant. The last 14 years she has specialized within the Sustainability/ESG field, and contributed to start two NGOs, and built and sold two companies. She’s the former Head of The ESG Hub on Strategy and Transformation for Europe, Middle East and Africa within KMPG. Stine has a winder range of experiences, working with top Nordic and global clients. She is well-known for her capabilities to embed sustainability and ESG into core business strategy, to ensure both financial and environmental sustainability. She’s a trusted advisor for management, boards and business owners around the world.

Thomas Hylland Eriksen

Professor, University of Oslo

Thomas Hylland Eriksen is a social anthropologist. A man who loves his job where he studies human diversity. He is a great public speaker enabling autienes to realise that they, too, had more passions and curiosity than they were aware of. Thomas has devoted much of his efforts to understanding local responses to global processes, and a key term in his thinking is overheating, referring to accelerated change in domains such as technology, energy use, thinking (!), trade and communication. Trying to understand the world as well as what it means to be a human being, the most fundamental question, and one that we should never stop asking, is “What is the meaning of the word we?”

Thor Pedersen

Adventurer

Thor Pedersen is a Danish adventurer, speaker, and the only person in history to visit every country in the world without flying. His decade-long journey, blending grit, determination, and cultural immersion, covered over 200 countries using only ships, trains, buses, and other land or sea-based transportation. Through his travels, Thor gained unique insights into the beauty and resilience of humanity, inspiring audiences worldwide with his stories of connection, perseverance, and the power of adventure.”

Vibeke Gwendoline Fængsrud

CEO of House of Math

Vibeke Gwendoline Fængsrud is a leading educator, mathematician, and the founder of House of Math, Norway’s fastest-growing EdTech platform for mathematics. With a master’s in Mathematics and Physics and another in Mathematical Finance from the University of Oslo, alongside executive training from Stanford and Harvard, she merges academic rigor with entrepreneurial vision. Vibeke has authored 27 books, including a complete set for Norway’s math curriculum. Her #ViTarAnsvar initiative brings math tutoring to underserved schools, and her Math for Ukraine project supports Ukrainian youth in crisis. Beyond House of Math, she contributes as a board member for companies like Hav Group ASA and advises on education policy in Oslo. Vibeke’s innovative approaches continue to shape math education and inspire learners globally.