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).

American International School of Budapest
Nagykovacsi ut 12
Budapest, Budapest, 2094
Hungary

Alex Moo

Student

Alex Moo is an accomplished public speaker having won international public speaking competitions and is a student at the American International School of Budapest.

Alison Kos

Student and Athlete

Alison Kos is a competitive swimmer, the younger sister of Olympic Gold Medalist Swimmer Hubert Kos, and a student at the American International School of Budapest.

Anni Liu

Student

Anni Liu is a student at the American International School of Budapest.

Daniel Gerlei

President of the Global Young Entrepreneur Society

Daniel Gerlei is a serial social entrepreneur. At just 18-years-old, he is a Co-Founder and the President of the Global Young Entrepreneur Society (GYES.org), an international non-profit organization supporting exceptional young people. Daniel hosts the GYES Signature Podcast on which he has welcomed a number of top faculty members of the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Columbia Business School, and Harvard Business School; bestselling business authors, venture capitalists, large-scale investors, global agenda-setters, and serial entrepreneurs.

Deli Szilagyi

Student Entrepreneur

Deli Szilagyi is a serial entrepreneur. At just 14 years old, he founded a music production company. He is a co-founder of the Danube Summit, which brings together the most talented young people in Europe and seeks to inspire them to become entrepreneurs.

Gulsen Karanis

Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Hungary

C. Gülşen Karanis Ekşioğlu is a seasoned Turkish diplomat currently serving as the Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Hungary since July 2022. Her tenure has been marked by significant advancements in Turkish-Hungarian relations, including the elevation of bilateral ties to an “enhanced strategic partnership”. Her diplomatic career encompasses roles such as co-coordinator of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum since 2020 and board memberships with the Turkish-German Business Council and the Genç Hayat Foundation. In recognition of her leadership, she was named a “Young Global Leader” by the International Diplomacy Institute in 2007. In 2024, she was honored with the Hungarian Order of Merit for her contributions to strengthening Turkish-Hungarian relations. She is married and has three children.

Laszlo Szabo

Hungarian Ambassador to the Pharaceutical Industry

Ambassador László Szabó is a Hungarian physician, businessman, and diplomat who served as Hungary’s Ambassador to the United States from July 2017 to April 2020. Born in Debrecen in 1965, he earned his medical degree from Debrecen Medical University and practiced as a surgeon before transitioning to the pharmaceutical industry. Szabó spent over two decades at Eli Lilly and Company, holding various international leadership roles, including Country Manager for New Zealand and the South Pacific, and Vice President of Human Resources for China. From 2010 to 2014, he served as CEO of Teva Hungary Ltd., overseeing the company's operations in Hungary. In 2014, Szabó entered public service as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, where he played a key role in integrating trade and investment promotion into Hungary's foreign policy. His tenure as ambassador focused on strengthening U.S.–Hungarian relations, promoting economic cooperation, and enhancing Hungary's international profile.

Lili Tanka

Student

Lili Tanka is a student at the American International School of Budapest.

Maggie Wang

Maggie Wang is a student at the American International School of Budapest.

Norbert Fogarasi

Managing Director at Morgan Stanley

Norbert Fogarasi is a Hungarian-Canadian finance executive, researcher, and accomplished chess player. He serves as Managing Director and Head of Morgan Stanley’s Budapest office, overseeing more than 3,000 employees across various divisions. Born in Budapest and raised in Canada, Fogarasi earned an Honours B.Sc. in Computer Science and an M.Sc. in Mathematical Finance. His career at Morgan Stanley includes significant contributions to the firm's operations in Tokyo and London before establishing and expanding the Budapest office. In addition to his corporate role, Fogarasi is a researcher at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, focusing on mathematical finance, computational methods, and neural networks. His publications explore topics such as sparse portfolio optimization, algorithmic trading, and quantum computing applications in finance.

Olivia Duque

Student

Olivia Cortes Duque is a student at the American International School of Budapest.

Richard Werner

Economist

Richard A. Werner is a German economist renowned for his contributions to banking, monetary policy, and economic development. In 1995, he introduced the term "quantitative easing" to describe a policy aimed at expanding credit creation to stimulate economic recovery. Werner earned a B.Sc. in Economics with First Class Honours from the London School of Economics and a D.Phil. in Economics from the University of Oxford. His academic career includes positions at Sophia University in Tokyo, Goethe University Frankfurt, the University of Southampton, and Fudan University in Shanghai. He has advised central banks, governments, and international organizations, including the Bank of Japan and the Asian Development Bank. His book Princes of the Yen became a bestseller in Japan, offering insights into the role of central banks in economic cycles.

Sebastien Meuwissen

Visiting Fellow at the Center for Fundamental Rights

Sébastien Meuwissen is a Belgian-Polish political analyst and communications strategist with a strong background in European and Central European affairs. He currently serves as a Visiting Fellow at the Center for Fundamental Rights in Budapest, where he focuses on international conservative cooperation and policy analysis. Meuwissen holds a Master's degree in Journalism and Applied Communication from the Catholic University of Louvain and the Institute of Higher Studies of Social Communications (IHECS) in Brussels. His professional experience includes roles in the European Parliament, the Polish Sejm, and the Chancellery of the Prime Minister of Poland. Notably, he worked for Polish MEP Jacek Saryusz-Wolski and advised Polish MP Marek Kuchciński during his tenure as Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee and later as Head of the Chancellery of Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. He also served as Communications Director for the Warsaw-based Ordo Iuris Institute for Legal Culture.

Willy Benko

Entrepreneur & Business Leader

Willy Benkő is a Hungarian-American entrepreneur and communication expert with a distinguished career spanning technology, healthcare, and leadership development. He was an early employee at Euronet Worldwide (NASDAQ: EEFT), where he played a pivotal role in transforming the company from a startup into a leading electronic payment services provider in Central Europe. His contributions were instrumental in Euronet's growth into a multi-billion-dollar enterprise. Benkő is the founder of Toastmasters Hungary, introducing the globally renowned public speaking organization to the country. Under his leadership, Toastmasters expanded to 15 chapters with over 800 members. In the healthcare sector, he owns and operates Rózsakert Medical Center in Budapest, providing comprehensive medical services. Benkő also served as the President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hungary, fostering business relations between the U.S. and Hungary.

Xenia Wickett

International Advisor

Xenia Wickett is a British-American executive coach, geopolitical strategist, and international advisor. In the U.S. government, Wickett served as Director for South Asia at the National Security Council and held positions in the State Department, including a detail to the Office of the Vice President to help establish the Office of Homeland Security Affairs after 9/11. Academically, she was Executive Director for Research at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center and led the Project on India and the Subcontinent. At Chatham House, she directed the U.S. Project and founded the Queen Elizabeth II Academy for Leadership in International Affairs. In the corporate sector, she was Vice President of Political Analysis and Integrity Due Diligence at Equinor, focusing on international affairs, country risk, and ESG standards. Wickett holds a BA from Oxford University and an MPP from Harvard Kennedy School.