Edgard Gouveia Jr

Co-founder, Architect and Professor

Edgard Gouveia Jr never tires of putting people to play. Architect and Urbanist and Post Graduate in Cooperative Games, he dedicates his career to mobilize children, youth and adults by designing and applying virtual games, scavenger hunts and collective actions that lead to small community revolutions. He is the president of Epic Journey, a company that promotes the regenerative communities in organizations such as companies, schools and NGOs. Co-founder of LiveLab hat specifically acts with the youth leading regeneration in their own communities, highlighting Jornada X and Primavera X

Ashoka, Berkana Exchange and TRIP Transformers Fellow, Professor of Post-graduation Cooperative Games Pedagogy at YIP, MSLS SWEDEN, Knowmads in the Netherlands and Gaia Training in Brazil. He is co-founder or partner of other organizations and programs such as Projeto Cooperação, Elos Institute, Warriors Without Weapons Program and the Oasis Game.

Lecturer in several TEDx and international consultants in countries in Europe, North America and Asia where he applies social technologies such as Cooperative Games, World Cafe, Open Space, Circular Dances, Nonviolent Communication and Jornada X. He is the creator of Jornada X, an online scavenger hunt that challenges children and young people in real-world tasks and aims to engage 2 billion people to restore balance in the Biosphere. He believes that changing the world can be fast, fun and without putting your hand in your pocket.

Click here to learn more about Edgar.

We are stronger than we look: Edgard Gouveia Jr. at TEDxAmazonia

Connect with Edgard Gouveia Jr on social media :

Dr. Deepa Narayan

Founder, Author and Public Speaker

Dr. Narayan is the creator and host of What’s a Man? Masculinity in India Podcast. She is also author of the ground-breaking book, Chup: Breaking The Silence About India’s Women and the founder of Chup Circles.She is a TED speaker and her talk focuses on how to support women in leadership.She was the former Senior Adviser at the World Bank in Washington, D.C. and wrote the influential series Voices of the Poor. She has written 17 books and is the recipient of many awards, including being named as one of the 100 most influential global thinkers by Foreign Policy Magazine in the USA and as one of India’s 35 Great Thinkers by India Today. Dr. Narayan spent many years living in village communities in Africa, South and East Asia. This led to her focus on ‘people first.’

Her books include, Voices of the Poor, Measuring Empowerment, Empowerment and Poverty Reduction, Moving out of Poverty.

Deepa Narayan’s website can be found at www.deepanarayan.com

Watch Deepa’s Ted talk in English

Connect with Dr. Deepa Narayan on social media :

Zarlasht Halaimzai

CEO and Founder of Amna

Zarlasht Halaimzai is the CEO and Founder of Amna – an organisation committed to supporting mental wellbeing of refugees and other displaced communities. A former refugee from Afghanistan, Zarlasht’s experiences have informed her work and, prior to founding Amna, she advised NGOs on refugee education and wellbeing.

Her work has been profiled in The Lancet, one of the oldest medical journals in the world, and in 2021, she was included in the BBC’s annual list of 100 inspiring and inspirational women. Prior to that, in 2018, Zarlasht was selected as a Fellow of the Inaugural class of Obama Fellows, a group of 20 global leaders in civic innovation.

Zarlasht has a Diploma in Child and Adolescent Psychotherapeutic Counselling from the University of Cambridge and a Master’s Degree in Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy from the University of Oxford. She is a frequent media commentator in the UK and US on issues related to refugees, trauma and displacement.

Connect with Zarlasht Halaimzai on social media :

Grimanesa Amorós

Interdisciplinary Artist

Grimanesa Amorós was born in Lima, Peru, and lives and works in New York City. She is an interdisciplinary artist whose diverse interests include social history, scientific research, and critical theory. A direct relationship to technology is one of the distinctive features of Amorós’ practice. Some elements must be planned and programmed but others, such as the exact placement of the lines of lights, come to Amorós while she installs. In this sense, the technology does not determine but complements the concepts of her work. Her art incorporates video, lighting, and electronic elements to create monumental sculptures activating architecture and engaging communities.

Grimanesa Amorós draws upon important cultural legacies and landscape for inspiration. Still, she does not hold an essentialist or nostalgic view of her subjects. In the art of Grimanesa Amorós, the past is meeting the future. She is often invited as a keynote speaker at museums, foundations, and universities where her lectures empower young women, attracting future artists, students, and faculty involved in architecture, science, and technology.

Amorós has exhibited in the United States, Europe, Asia, Middle East, and Latin America. She was a guest speaker at TEDGlobal 2014, a recipient of the ‘NEA Visual Arts Grants Fellowships 1993’, and has the distinction of being part of the ‘Art In Embassies Program of the U.S.’ and the Civita Institute NE Chapter Fellowship Grant. Her work has been exhibited in numerous museums including the Ludwig Museum, CAFA Museum, and Katonah Museum.

For more information about Grimanesa Amorós, visit grimanesaamoros.com

Watch this clip to find out more about Grimanesa and her project to be exhibited at The Wellbeing Summit in Bilbao-Biscay:

Watch this exclusive interview with Grimanesa and Arts Curator, Manuel Bagorro, ahead of the Summit:

FIND OUT ABOUT SCIENTIA TO BE EXHIBITED AT THE SUMMIT

Read on for an exclusive Q&A with Grimanesa Amorós ahead of the Summit:

What does wellbeing mean to you?

I always say that when we have our health, we have everything. Wellbeing is attending to our inner selves.

We must live in balance, physically, mentally, and emotionally. It is a process we are required to nurture and foster throughout our lives, but it is well worth the effort. We cannot effectively share ourselves to the world if we are not whole.

Why are you looking forward to being part of The Wellbeing Summit?

I’m looking forward to contributing to the summit as it allows me a platform to share the message of wellbeing and connection throughout the arts. My goal is to make people think, and to have them become inspired to live more purposeful, creative lives.

How does your work connect to wellbeing?

When creating monumental sculpture, I consider how our architectural surroundings influence and affect our state of mind.

Art provides a means, and has the power to, access our emotional selves. It makes us more empathetic, it gives us the space to nurture and prosper. Studies have shown how light improves our mood and mental health.

As a medium, it has the ability to bridge cultures and diverse audiences; we all connect to light.

SUMMIT CO-HOST

Wellington Nogueira

Social Entrepreneur, Clown, Actor

Wellington Nogueira created an organization devoted to bringing happiness into the lives of children in hospitals through the dramatic art of clowning. Through his program he strives to give this form of artistic expression a predominantly social character in an effort to humanize Brazilian hospitals.

A professional clown by trait, Ashoka Fellow Wellington Nogueira conceived Doutores in 1991 after he was inspired by a similar project with which he had worked in New York, the Big Apple Circus Clown Care Unit. In addition to traditional performances in hospitals, Doutores spreads its work, knowledge, practices, and philosophies through workshops on relationship building with medical staff, publications highlighting the organization’s work, and educational public performances. These initiatives comprise Doutores’ comprehensive citizen base strategy by tapping into various aspects of the community that would otherwise be out of touch with the organization’s work. In line with the work of Doutores, the Brazilian Government inaugurated the Department of Humanization of Hospital Services in 1999. On his point of view, the pandemic has turned the world into a global hospital, so, he is currently developing Playfulness projects as a means for adults to cultivate mental health during tough times.

Connect with SUMMIT CO-HOST on social media :

Suparna Diwakar

Social Change Leader

Suparna has worked extensively in the development sector in India for over thirty years. Her work has been at different scales ranging from the grassroots to being part of policy making bodies. Suparna has also co-founded organisations in the social sector the most recent one being Indian School of Development Management.

As Dean at ISDM, she led the integration of wellbeing in the curriculum. Over the past few years she has been exploring the idea of regeneration for thriving and flourishing of all life on Mother Earth, and the contributions that Indic Knowledge Systems can make for Universal Wellbeing. She has recently designed and run a course on Regenerative Leadership, and is facilitating organisations to embed principles of regeneration in their design and practice.

Suparna consults in the education space and is currently a member of a Task Force set up by the government for the implementation of India’s National Education Policy 2020 in the state of Karnataka. She also holds the position of Director, Centre for Regenerative Development at Rashtram School of Public Leadership.

Connect with Suparna Diwakar on social media :

Mario Quintana

Former vice Chief of Ministers of Argentina

Mario Quintana has over 35 years of experience as a social activist, entrepreneur, and politician. As a social activist, he was Ashoka director for Argentina and Southern Cone for 5 years. He participated in numerous NGOs with social and environmental causes. As an entrepreneur, he co-founded and chaired several companies, such as Farmacity and the Pegasus Group, which created more than 8000 jobs. As a politician, he was appointed by President Mauricio Macri as one of the coordinating ministers, and he was the Vice Chief of Cabinet of Argentina. He graduated as a Bachelor of Economics from the University of Buenos Aires and holds an MBA from INSEAD, France. He’s been married to Ana Beccuti for 33 years, and they have three grown children: Pablo, Belén and Florencia. He is currently co-creating a non-profit organization “Land of Gratitude”, to cultivate wellbeing and personal transformation.

Why Ljubljana?
Program
Speakers
Artists
More Info

Content Curation Advisory Board Member Technology and Artificial Intelligence Specialist

Connect with Sennay on social media:

Connect with the University of Amsterdam on social media:

Sennay Ghebreab

Professor, Program Director and Founder

Sennay Ghebreab is a Professor of Socially-Intelligent AI at the University of Amsterdam, where he also serves as the program director of the Master Information Studies and the founder and scientific director of the Civic-AI Lab. He earned his M.Sc. in Technical Information Systems in 1996 and his Ph.D. in Computer Vision and Medical Imaging in 2001, both from the University of Amsterdam. Following a postdoctoral fellowship at the Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam, Sennay held various positions at the UvA, including assistant professor in the Informatics Institute and the Psychology Institute, head of Social Sciences at Amsterdam University College, and associate professor in the Informatics Institute. Sennay’s research focuses on harnessing AI for the betterment of everyday life and society, ensuring it is done fairly and inclusively. In addition to his academic pursuits, he is actively engaged in numerous committees and boards, such as the State Commission against Discrimination and Racism and the Supervisory Board of the Nemo Science Museum.

Bilbao 2022
Ljubljana 2025
Speakers
Arts
Asia 2028

SUMMIT HOST

Edwin Macharia

Co-Founder, Axum

Edwin is Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Axum. He leads work with Heads of State, CEOs, Philanthropists, and Investors, supporting them on strategy, program design and capital deployment.

Prior to starting Axum, Edwin spent 16 years at Dalberg Advisors building the firm’s presence, teams and client work across the world. He left after being elected and serving as the Global Managing Partner of the firm. Before that, he was at the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) and McKinsey & Company.

Based in Nairobi, Edwin currently sits on a range of global boards that reflect his commitment to transforming lives in Africa and beyond: The Nature Conservancy, Mozilla Foundation, Nabo Capital, The End Fund, Prudential Kenya and The Wellbeing Project. He is a WEF Young Global Leader, Archbishop Desmond Tutu Fellow and was listed by Forbes as one of the 10 Most Powerful Africans in 2015. He holds a degree in biology from Amherst College.

CONNECT WITH EDWIN ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

CONNECT WITH AXUM ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

LEARN MORE FROM EDWIN MACHARIA LEARN MORE FROM EDWIN MACHARIA

Vocalia

Female Vocal Group

The female vocal group Vocalia Taldea began its professional career in 2000. Created by the initiative of its current director, Basilio Astulez, Vocalia Taldea is a project which embodies the pursuits and musical concerns of young women from the Basque Country. The project is focused on the firm intention of creating a stable vocal group that offers a repertoire that, for reasons of musical and vocal demand, is not usually interpreted.

Vocalia Taldea currently consists of around 35 singers from Araba/Álava, Bizkaia, Gipuzkoa,Navarra and the Rioja, with extensive experience in the world of choral performance. Their risky programming and careful staging make the group a reference in the current choral performance scene.

Vocalia Taldea preferably performs a cappella music, from classical to contemporary music, both Basque and international. Likewise, it carries out intense research work on the repertoire of the XX and XXI centuries and incorporates new musical creations thanks to the contribution of avant-garde composers, which enables innovation and expansion of the expressive potential of the group. This commitment has led Vocalia Taldea to commission and debut more than a dozen works to authors from around the world, collaborating closely with a large number of composers.

Since its inception, Vocalia Taldea has been invited to a large number of festivals and circuits in Spain and Europe (Italy, France, Ireland, Belgium, and others). Its concerts, praised by critics, define its trajectory highlighted by quality, originality and innovation.

The group collaborates frequently with diverse orchestras, soloists and cultural entities, and has received more than twenty awards in international competitions. In November 2019 he made a five-concert tour with the Euskadi Symphony Orchestra.

Basilio Astulez is professor of Choral Singing at the Municipal Conservatory of Leioa (Bzkaia) and founder of Leioa Kantika Korala children’s choir in 2001, Kantoria the female youth choir in 2005 and the mixed SJB in 2007. This young choir school includes more than 150 vocalists from ages 7 to 25 years old and has already received numerous awards in Spanish and European competitions. In 2000, he founded the female chamber group Vocalia Taldea.

At the head of these groups, he has produced 10 recordings, embarked on a large number of international tours in Europe, Asia and America, and collaborated with important soloists, orchestras, conductors and groups.

In 2008, he received the special award for best conductor in the 47th C. A. Seguizzi International Competition in Gorizia, Italy, for his work at the helm of Leioa Kantika Korala.

In 2009, he again received the special award for best conductor at the 38th Florilège Vocal de Tours in France, for his work directing Vocalia Taldea.

He is currently a professor of Choral Direction for educational institutions, universities and various national choral federations and is frequently requested as a panel member for competitions and to offer choral singing courses and seminars in Europe, America and Asia. Since 2018, he is also professor of Choral Direction at the Musikene Conservatory in the Basque Country.