Theme: Redesigning Blueprints

TEDxIE Madrid 2025: Redesigning Blueprints

Join us at TEDxIE Madrid 2025, where bold ideas and transformative thinking collide to reshape the way we envision the future.

TEDx events are renowned for igniting curiosity, sparking conversation, and inspiring change. At TEDxIE Madrid 2025, we invite you to rethink the foundations that shape our world. From innovation in technology to shifts in societal structures, this year's theme, "Redesigning Blueprints", challenges us to break the mold and reimagine what’s possible.

Date: Friday, May 23rd
Location: IE Tower Auditorium
Check-in: Starts at 3:45pm
Event Duration: 4:30pm - 9:00pm

Prepare to be captivated by a lineup of eight visionary speakers, each presenting groundbreaking ideas that will challenge conventional wisdom and inspire new possibilities.

Upon arrival, you will receive an exclusive TEDxIE goodie bag and a ticket to participate in an exciting raffle. But the experience doesn’t end there! Throughout the event, engage in interactive activities designed to spark creativity and collaboration. To top it off, we’ll close the evening with a cocktail hour, where you can exchange ideas, connect with like-minded individuals, and take part in conversations that shape the future.

Are you ready to redesign the blueprints of tomorrow? Join us at TEDxIE Madrid 2025 and be part of the movement that’s redefining the world.

IE Tower
Paseo de la Castellana 259
IE Auditorium
Madrid, Madrid, 28046
Spain

Ana Tasic

IE MBA in Strategy and Business Consultant

Ana Tasic is where left brain meets right brain. With a background in Health Sciences, French Studies, and an international MBA, she connects her passion for geriatrics with the arts and today’s culture. Ana is passionate about improving quality of life through what she calls “moveMEANT” - meaningful movement at every age.

Daniella Gallardo

Bio Tech Student at Duke University and Barcelona Institute of Chemical Engineering

I'm currently studying biotechnology with a concentration in tissue engineering, having split my academic path between Duke University and the Barcelona Institute of Chemical Engineering. From early on, I was drawn to the problem-solving nature of science; curious not just about how things work in the lab, but how they make their way into the real world. Such curiosity led me to intern at the Synbio Translational Synthetic Biology Lab, where I assisted on research at the intersection of biology and engineering. My restlessness also led me to intern at Asabys Partners, a healthcare-focused VC fund, where I gained a different vantage point that showed me how scientific breakthroughs rely not only on innovation, but also on capital. This perspective has shaped my decision to transition into finance. Currently, I’m excited to be joining J.P. Morgan as an incoming investment banking analyst, where I hope to keep bridging the gap between scientific potential and capital.

Deniz Torcu

Executive Director of Programs and Student Experience at IE University’s Business School

Deniz Torcu is an educator, writer, and cross-cultural storyteller whose work bridges the worlds of language, identity, and belonging. As Executive Director of Programs and Student Experience at IE University’s Business School, she designs and leads transformative learning experiences that center inclusion, global perspectives, and human connection. Deniz draws on her multilingual and multicultural background to explore how we inherit, negotiate, and sometimes reinvent our cultural blueprints. She has published essays and translations, delivered workshops on diversity and wellbeing, and recently became a Rising Talent of the Women’s Forum. Her upcoming TEDx talk delves into how the languages we speak — and those we lose — shape the architecture of our lives.

Grace Obado

Associate Proffesor IE SPEGA and co founder of Africa 2.0 Sapin

Beatrice Grace Obado is an Associate Professor of International Relations and Sustainable Development at IE University’s School of Politics, Economics, and Global Affairs. She teaches and researches international development, governance, technological innovation, and the impact of emerging technologies on the Global South, with a strong focus on Africa. As the chair and founder of Africa 2.0 Spain, a non-profit organization, she has led initiatives in collaboration with the EU to empower African diaspora leaders as catalysts for Africa’s development. Her contributions include a keynote at the German G20 in 2017 on Africa’s digital transformation and a selected policy brief for India’s 2023 G20 compendium, “Bridging the Ingenuity Gap.” Previously International Business Director at Hidrolution, she brings practical experience in sustainable innovation. She was honored with the Best Professor Award at IE University in 2024 and many more awards.

Miss Mela Habijan

IE IMBA and Master in Creative Direction and Content Creator

Miss Mela Habijan is the first-ever Miss Trans Global (crowned in 2020) and is the presenter of the first queer dating reality show in the Philippines, Sparks Camp. A TV host, writer, actress, brand ambassador, peanut butter maker, TEDx host and speaker, and content creator from Manila, Philippines, she uses her media and business platforms to champion equality across sectors and inclusion of LGBTQIA+ people. From 2022-2023, she stood as the National Convener of Pride PH (Philippines) and led the organizing of the biggest Pride March in Southeast Asia to date. She also spearheaded the campaign #MakePhilippineSchoolsInclusive, that allowed trans and non-binary students and teachers to come to school as they are. Now based in Madrid — finishing her Master’s Degrees in Business Administration, and Creative Direction, Content, and Branding at IE University — she desires to follow the footsteps of Oprah and use the power of storytelling to foster representation and visibility.

Paris de L´Etraz

Managing Director Venture Lab, IE Proffesor

Paris de l’Etraz has spent over 20 years in investment banking and venture capital, mainly at UBS and ABN AMRO Bank. In 1999, he received his first of two patents regarding business contact networking. Since 2005, he has been in the business of raising funds, setting up new companies, and selling or buying companies through his investment banking boutique Amazing Lab in Switzerland.. Today, he runs the Venture Lab, Europe’s largest Business School Accelerator, at IE Business School where teaches entrepreneurship as well as Corporate Innovation at many of the world’s largest companies. He has accelerated over 2,500 startups in the last 12 years and also co-runs the Accelerator in Azerbaiján for the Ministry of Education as well as the FoodService Accelerator for TDF in KSA among many other entrepreneurship programs in the GCC. Paris is presently Chairman of the Applied Innovation Institute in Silicon Valley and Singapore, Board member of Nesma technology and many more.

Shona O’Callaghan

Founder of Empowering Creative Minds, Dyslexia Specialist

Shona O’Callaghan is an internationally recognised educator, consultant, and advocate for inclusive education, with nearly 20 years of experience teaching and training across Europe, the UAE, and beyond. She holds a Master’s degree in Education specialising in multilingual learning and is a certified Dyslexia and Literacy Specialist with ATS status. As the founder of Empowering Creative Minds (ECM), Shona leads a consultancy dedicated to inclusive education, focusing on linguistic accessibility, diverse educational needs, and the well-being of both teachers and learners. Her expertise includes leading English departments, lecturing at university level, mentoring trainee teachers, and successfully overseeing private British school inspections with her team. Shona has shared her insights widely, appearing on numerous podcasts and radio shows to discuss inclusive education and well-being for teachers and learners.

Stephen Hecht

Million Peacemakers Co-Founder, Best Selling Author

Stephen Hecht is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Peacemaker of Million Peacemakers, a global non-profit equipping youth with tools to transform conflict into connection. Since 2014, the organization has trained over 2.5 million people and now leads the Global Partnership for Peace and Prosperity alongside Junior Achievement, the World Organization of the Scout Movement, the YMCA, the Red Cross, and others. A bestselling co-author of Nonflict: The Art of Everyday Peacemaking, Stephen spoke at the Vatican and was later invited to advise the late Pope Francis’s working group on peace and non-violence. He chairs the YPO Impact Networks Council—spanning Peace, Planet, and Social Action—and received the Canada Award for Business Excellence. A believer in the power of innovation, Stephen helped launch NonflictAI and the world’s first conflict resolution skill on Amazon Alexa. He holds an MBA from Ivey and a B.Comm from McGill, where he once taught organizational behaviour.

Tatiana Gari

Business Economics Student at University of Exeter

My name is Tatiana Gari, and I’m in my final year studying Business Economics at the University of Exeter. As part of my placement year, I spent 12 months at UBS within their Investment Banking division, gaining experience in both the M&A and DCM teams. This sparked a strong interest in finance, which I’m now continuing to pursue with Evercore this summer. I’m a detail-oriented individual with a passion for learning and expanding my knowledge.