Theme: Rising Beyond

“Rising Beyond” embodies the human spirit’s ability to transcend obstacles, daring us to dream and reimagine possibilities. Like standing at the base of a daunting mountain, it reflects our journey to overcome personal and collective challenges. It emphasizes collaboration, using our combined strengths and intellect to surmount difficulties and create a brighter future. More than reaching a single summit, it’s about navigating the endless peaks and valleys of life, continually striving for growth and progress, fueled by resilience and a vision for what lies beyond.
Join us as we come together for our next TEDxFrankfurt event with the theme, ‘Rising Beyond’ and see what you’ll be inspired to do next!

Saalbau Bornheim
Arnsburger Str. 24
Frankfurt am Main, Hessen, 60385
Germany

Andreas Dittinger

Jazz Pianist

Andy is a skilled jazz pianist, composer, and musical director. As the managing director of Jazz Campus Mainz, he established a premier international jazz program from the ground up, positioning the institution as a recognized center for jazz education worldwide. In addition to his role at Jazz Campus Mainz, Andy teaches piano at the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts. His academic credentials include a bachelor’s and master’s degree in jazz piano, as well as a B.Sc. in International Management from ESB Reutlingen and a B.Sc. inInternational Business from Northeastern University in Boston. A certified systemic coach, Andy is passionate about blending his expertise in music, business, and personal development. He embraces windsurfing and kite surfing, frequently leaving his home in Frankfurt on a quest for the best winds.

Jingjin Liu

Entrepreneur

Jingjin is a trailblazing entrepreneur advancing women’s inclusion and social justice across Asia. As the Founder of ELEVATE Group, she leads companies committed to redefining societal and organizational norms to drive meaningful change for women throughout their careers. Her career spans global product management and successful turnarounds in multinational corporations. Jingjin founded ZaZaZu, a corporate education platform empowering professional women, and co-founded ASBO Drives Technology GmbH, revolutionizing agricultural practices in rural China with advanced gearbox technology, later acquired by China Machinery Engineering Corporation. In the male-dominated automotive industry, Jingjin made history as the only Asian woman senior director under 35 at WABCO, overseeing portfolios worth up to $800 million and achieving significant revenue growth.

Loretta Fernando-Smith

Educator

Loretta is an educator with more than 20 years of experience. She grew up between cultures, moving several times during her childhood growing up as a refugee and immigrant. She is also the mother of two multi-racial,Cross Culture Kids. Her experiences of straddling several cultures as a child, adult, parent and educator have made her aware of how people negotiate belonging in different spaces. This tension drives her curiosity, inquiry and research into belonging. Loretta is an Associate Principal and Curriculum Coordinator at Frankfurt International School, Wiesbaden.

Marja Stratbrücker

Resilience expert

Marja is a resilience expert dedicated to bringing joy and balance to the corporate world. With over 13 years of event management experience, she shifted her focus during the pandemic to helping others find inner stability and strength. Through her company, STEP AHEAD, Marja combines her passions for nature and sound healing to create transformative experiences that guide leaders and teams from mental overload to inner harmony. Her work—ranging from keynotes and workshops to sound healing and nature-based coaching—empowers individuals to thrive in times of change, fostering clarity, resilience, and joy. Marja’s mission is to help others stay one STEP AHEAD, ensuring balance and well-being are at the core of success.

Melisa Ozerska

Content Creator

Melisa is a Deaf traveller, video maker, and content creator from Estonia. She started travelling at the young age of 16, which gave her the opportunity to explore new cultures and discover innovative ways to communicate while breaking down barriers encountered along the way. A passionate advocate for Deaf rights, representation, and accessibility, Melisa works to push societal limits in everything she does. Having explored 61 countries, she has firsthand experience with the challenges and successes of navigating the world as a Deaf individual. For Melisa, communication is key, regardless of how different people’s worlds may seem. Whether through body language, sign language, written communication, or simple expressions, her ability to connect and include others is fundamental.

Onity Dance Performance

Dancers

Onity dance team, comprised of four members from diverse cultural backgrounds— Peru, Vietnam, Korea, and China—embodies the power of connection through shared passion. United by their love for dance, these individuals have transcended cultural differences, finding common ground in rhythm and movement. The Onity dance team aims to present themselves as an a positive-uplifting dance team, showcasing that passion transcends limits and that genuine unity is born from the collective energy within.

Orell Mielke

Director, Global Clinical Program Leader Clinical Development

Orell has always been passionate about one thing: finding out what is good in our life and making that even better. He is well aware about all the weaknesses we might have and does not advocate to deny them. However, improving what we are good at is so much more benefiting. This is certainly one reason Neurologists working in a pharmaceutical company are involved in activities to promote our well-being so that we avoid illnesses and mental disorders. His mission is to build a community on mental health, where knowledge is shared about how we can use our brain in an optimal way to excel at work and in our private lives. Living in Karlsruhe, Germany, he sees himself as a “world citizen”, where he feels at home wherever there are people that share his values.

Radim Malinic

Creative Director

Radim Malinic is an author and designer living in London. He runs an award-winning branding and creative studio (Brand Nu); an independent publishing imprint (Brand Nu Books); a speciality grade coffee brand (Lux Coffee Co). hosts podcast (Mindful Creative). Czech-born Malinic's diverse background includes stints as an ice hockey player, bassist in death metal bands, indie DJ and student of Economics and Business Management. At the turn of the millennium, he moved to the UK to explore the music scene, ultimately discovering his passion for art and design. His eclectic interests have led to collaborations with major brands worldwide. Across six published books, Malinic's early works focused on brand design before evolving to explore practical guidance for creative career development. His recent double-book project represents the culmination of his expertise, pairing professional frameworks with mindful approaches to creative life, cementing his influence in the creative industry.

Rico Montero

Rapper

Together with a passionate team of educators, musicians, and volunteers, Rico Montero, the founder of Heartbeat Edutainment, runs this non-profit organization in Frankfurt am Main. Heartbeat Edutainment combines education, Hip-Hop, music, and media production to engage young people through innovative projects that promote democratic values and social engagement. Through these projects, Rico has reached over 100,000 young people. As a multicultural rapper, youth motivational speaker, and social entrepreneur, he empowers children and adolescents to shape their own reality and change the world. Despite personal challenges, Rico has become a role model, receiving numerous awards for his contributions to education, human rights, and democracy. His philosophy is, “Be the person you needed when you were younger.” With tireless dedication to equal opportunities and peace, he continuously works to advance these ideals. Rico tirelessly strives to create a better and fairer world.

Saba Hussein

Activist, Educator & Social Worker

Saba Hussein is an activist, educator, and social worker. She is the founder of “Diaspora’s Voice,” a platform dedicated to anti-racism, women’s empowerment, and social change. Born and raised in Fulda, Germany, Saba is committed to creating a global impact, starting from her hometown. She has taught in Kuwait and travelled extensively to understand the needs of various cultures and countries. Saba has mentored orphaned girls in Somalia and Kenya, focusing on making education accessible and fighting against FGM. She is a justice advocate against racism, bullying, Islamophobia, and gender-based violence. For her, empowerment means nurturing both oneself and others. She also finds art in words through her poetry slams, addressing injustice and inspiring change.She initiated a petition in Hesse to revise school curricula on racism and colonial history, emphasising that change begins with representation and education—the narrative being shared is crucial.

Simona Stoytchkova

CEO in Residence

Simona was raised with values such as solidarity, equality, and collective over individual needs. She learned from a young age to be creative and pragmatic with limited resources.As Germany reunited, Simona’s life changed and at the age of 13, she had to embrace capitalism. With many uncertainties came opportunities and her journey took her to executive board level at one of the largest financial institutions worldwide. Along the way she had to overcome many obstacles and became passionate about empowering women and advocating diversity. In 2021, she became a Jury Member of the Impact of Diversity Awards. In 2022 she was shortlisted as “Trailblazer” in the European Women in Finance Awards. In 2024, Simona embarked on writing her first book „Die aus dem Osten. Als Wendekind in Big Business“ to inspire and empower even more women and people like her to be confident about their East German origins and help eliminate the stigma.

Stefanie Babka

Global Head of Data Culture

With over 20 years of experience in digital marketing, public relations, and digital transformation in various industries, Stefanie is deeply fascinated with the interface between people and technology. Leading teams for the past decade, she has authored two books on social media and has been instrumental in organising and supporting major events such as IAA, Autosalon Geneva and Fashion Week. Stefanie has successfully launched over 50 digital products and managed campaigns for more than 60 renowned brands, including Mercedes, Opel, Wagner Pizza and Kit Kat. At Merck, she spearheaded key transformation projects like the introduction of the digital workplace. Now, as the Global Head of Data Culture, Stefanie is responsible for communication, change management, and upskilling programs in Data and AI, including the Merck Data & Digital Academy. Her passion lies in combining artificial intelligence with human intelligence to drive meaningful insights and data-driven decision-making.

The Never Knows

Singer Songwriters

Kaan is a man of two worlds – medicine and music. As a gynecologist and a virtuoso composer, he seamlessly blends his passions, always in search of that one perfect melody. Whether in the operating room or on stage with his guitar, Kaan brings dedication and artistry to everything he does. Annie’s journey from a classical pianist to a dynamic performer with The Never Knows is nothing short of inspiring. Her original pop-songs create a timeless bubble, whisking listeners away on a high-speed journey toward the horizon. Through her music, Annie proves that art has the power to make you rise beyond yourself.