Hannah Gelbart is an award-winning BBC News presenter, podcast host, and investigative journalist. She is the lead presenter of ‘What in the World’, a daily global news podcast and radio show for 16-25-year-olds. Since its launch, she’s helped grow the programme to reach millions on podcast platforms, YouTube, BBC World Service radio, and social media. It won Silver for Best Daily at the 2024 British Podcast Awards.
Previously, Hannah was the BBC’s Global Disinformation Reporter, leading investigations into online harms including exploitation on TikTok, revenge porn on Telegram, crypto scams, and Russian influence campaigns. Her reporting on Syrian children livestreaming on TikTok was followed by platform policy changes and was shortlisted for an Amnesty Media Award.
Since joining the BBC in 2015, Hannah has worked on making news accessible for younger audiences. She helped launch BBC My World, which was exec-produced by Angelina Jolie, and produced and reported content for the BBC’s social and digital news teams. She won an ‘Inspiring Women in News’ award at the 2025 Global Women in News Awards and a ‘Rising Stars in Media’ award for her work on the BBC’s CEO Secrets series.
Fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, Hannah has reported for the BBC from Latin America, Nigeria, the Philippines, Malaysia, Europe, and the US, covering stories on gender, digital culture, migration, and identity. As an ambassador for the BBC, she has also hosted panel discussions in the UK and abroad.
Sophie Gunkel is studying prehistoric archaeology and history, with a special interest in gender archaeology and medieval archaeology. While still an undergraduate student, she has already gained extensive insight into the field of commercial archaeology through two on-site projects in Lübeck in 2022–2023. Additionally, she has experience in archaeological administration and government research, having worked for the Lower Saxony Office for Heritage since 2023, as well as in public outreach through her work in a museum and by managing the social media profiles of her university’s archaeology department.
Being fully immersed in the world of archaeology, and through conversations with non-professionals in both her jobs and private life, she noticed that many people lack an understanding of the subtle yet profound impact that human history has on their everyday lives.
Sophie has thus made it her goal to share her passion and knowledge with a broader audience, in the hope that a deeper understanding of the past might pave the way for a more enlightened future.
Gudrun Kern is a teacher, sexual educator, medical student, and PhD candidate at the University of Graz, researching sexual education in Austria and the German-speaking region.
Over the past five years, she has worked with young people and educators to create open, respectful spaces for conversations about bodies, boundaries, and relationships—both in school-based workshops and as a lecturer in higher education.
Her academic and practical work also focuses on the role of sexual education as a form of violence prevention, especially when it comes to supporting young people in recognizing boundaries, building trust, and developing responsibility.
She has worked with AIDS Hilfe Steiermark, where she developed and conducted school workshops on sexual health and the prevention of sexually transmitted infections. She was also actively involved in the association achtung°liebe, a project of the Austrian Medical Students' Association (AMSA), where she co-led the Graz location. Their work focused on empowering young people and addressing topics such as social norms, gender roles, and consent.
After completing her Master’s degree in teacher education in biology, history, and chemistry, she began her PhD focusing on sexual education in Austrian schools, and she later started studying medicine.
Dr. Zisis Kozlakidis is a virologist by training and a global health innovator by purpose. As Head of Laboratory Services and Biobanking at the World Health Organization’s cancer research agency (IARC), he oversees one of the largest and most diverse collections of clinical samples in the world. These aren’t just test tubes—they contain the data that connect genes to environments and biological responses.
His career is at the crossroads of science, policy, and innovation—serving on international boards, leading European research infrastructures, and advising on how digital tools can uplift healthcare worldwide. From guiding how new technologies are adopted in UK hospitals to helping shape biobanking strategies from China to the Netherlands, he believes that science must serve humanity—everywhere.
He holds academic roles across three continents and has been honoured by institutions like the UK Academy of Medical Sciences and the Linnean Society. He focuses firmly on the impact of his work, and impact begins when knowledge moves from the lab bench to a patient’s bedside—and changes a life.
Thomas Kroneis studied Technical Chemistry at TU Graz and received his doctorate in Medical Sciences from the Medical University of Graz (PhD equivalent, with distinction) in 2009. During his thesis, he worked on rare cell analysis in the context of non-invasive prenatal diagnostics, focusing on fetal cells circulating in the peripheral blood of pregnant women.
In 2014, he was awarded a three-year Marie Curie Fellowship, allowing him to join the lab of Prof. Stahlberg in Gothenburg, Sweden, where he expanded his knowledge of single-cell RNA analyses. Back in Austria, he habilitated in Cell Biology, Histology, and Embryology (venia docendi) in 2018 and was appointed 2nd Deputy Chair of the Division of Cell Biology, Histology, and Embryology. In 2021, he started a research group and became the leading principal investigator of an international consortium running a 5.3 million USD project on microchimerism
(https://microchimerism.info).
Since 2022, Dr. Kroneis has been an assigned faculty member of the PhD Program Molecular Medicine at the Medical University of Graz.
Research interests: microchimerism, single/rare cell analysis
E-mail: thomas.kroneis@medunigraz.at
Team website: https://www.medunigraz.at/team-thomas-kroneis
Tamas Landesz is a 15-year-old international student based in France, originally from Hungary, with Russian and Central Asian roots, and was born in Georgia. Growing up in a diplomatic family—with a father working for the United Nations and a mother involved in journalism—he has lived on three continents, visited over 20 countries, and speaks four languages. His diverse background has shaped his passion for global issues and his interest in the future—for example, how to safeguard his generation’s humanity and authentic voices in today’s overcharged political climate.
Tamas has participated in multiple Model United Nations (MUN) simulations, where he enjoys delving into complex multilateral issues affecting our world and devising innovative solutions. He took part as a speaker in the 2025 Digital Davos conference and joined the 2024 World Economic Forum Young Global Leaders learning journey to Norway’s majestic Lofoten Fjords, exploring the connection between nature, technology, and sustainability. He is also a contributor to '_TOPIA', a collective book project that invites young minds from around the world to imagine and describe future utopias and dystopias.
He leads the business management stream of his school’s Robotics Club, which recently qualified for the European Championships of the ‘For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology’ (FIRST) programme. Outside school, Tamas enjoys photography as a hobby, traveling, and exploring new technologies for their potential to help shape a better future.
Lukasz Nazarko is a researcher in foresight and interdisciplinary studies at Bialystok University of Technology, Poland. He has gained scientific experience as a research fellow at Tokyo University, the University of Manchester, and VilniusTech. He serves as Chair of the IEEE Technology and Engineering Management Society Poland Chapter and as a board member of the Polish Association for Technology Assessment. He is an author of scientific publications on foresight, technology assessment, innovation policy, and responsible research and innovation. He has been promoting the concept of Future-Oriented Technology Assessment. He is an independent expert for EIT Culture & Creativity and COST – European Cooperation in Science and Technology. He designs and facilitates foresight processes for businesses and non-profit organisations.
Lukasz is passionate about public understanding of science. He regularly gives lectures and conducts workshops and simulation games in children’s universities and third-age universities in his region. He is engaged in civic activities related to the discovery and protection of the multicultural heritage of Poland as a board member of the Oikonomos Foundation. As an expert for the Unsung Heroes Foundation, he supports the incubation of startups in the Global South. He has been happily married for 18 years to Marta, a radio journalist. They are parents to three boys. Lukasz is a wine and specialty coffee enthusiast. He enjoys choral music and basketball.
Dr. Johanna Pirker is a computer scientist and professor specializing in game development, virtual reality, and data science. She leads the Game Lab Graz at TU Graz and is also active in Munich. Previously, she held a professorship at LMU Munich and served as a visiting professor at ETH Zurich. Her research focuses on the use of immersive technologies and game-based learning to enhance education and foster social engagement.
She began exploring virtual worlds during a research visit to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where she worked on collaborative virtual environments. Her first experiences in the games industry were with Electronic Arts, and she continues to consult for game studios today.
Beyond academia, Johanna is a strong advocate for diversity in technology and gaming. Her contributions have been recognized with numerous honors, including Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe (2018), the Futurezone Women in Tech Award (2019), the Käthe-Leichter-Preis (2020), and the Hedy Lamarr Prize (2021). She is also the founder of Game Dev Days Graz, Austria’s largest conference for game developers.
In addition to her research and teaching, she is active in science communication through her YouTube channel and as a Twitch partner under the alias "JoeyPrink", where she shares insights on computer science and game development.
Rafael Popper is an award-winning foresight executive whose 25-plus-year career has helped governments, business, and civil society drive sustainable growth and readiness. Named one of Global Gurus’ Top 30 Futurists for 2025, he shapes change-makers as Professor of Practice at La Salle–Ramon Llull University in Barcelona and as an adjunct in Warsaw and Turku. He also mentors leaders through executive programs worldwide.
A digital pioneer, he co-created the first online foresight platform and horizon-scanning app, and now leads Futures Diamond (UK) and Green Iceberg (PL), while co-founding Barcelona’s Centre for Funding & Innovation and Poland’s Centre for Foresight & Internationalisation (CFI).
His globally adopted frameworks—Foresight Diamond, SMART Futures Jigsaw, Critical Issues Analysis, and Action Roadmapping—help organisations anticipate and shape futures. Over 400 keynotes have energised audiences at the European Parliament, the Royal Society, and innovation hubs from São Paulo to Helsinki, London to Shanghai, covering wild cards, AI, bioeconomy, and resilient innovation.
Armed with a PhD in Foresight & Innovation Management from the University of Manchester, he has steered teams for the European Commission, UNIDO, ECLAC, and ITU, shaping multimillion-euro projects on five continents. On the TED stage, he urges us to seize wild cards and translate surprise into sustainable, disruptive growth—building today the skills and systems that will bring those futures to life.
Caroline Schober is a chemist and molecular biologist with a passion for innovation and global impact. She has held key roles in international projects in the US and China, managed major research initiatives, and shaped science policy at the highest levels.
As former Vice Rector for Research and International Affairs at the Medical University of Graz, and now Chief Strategy Development & Communications Officer at the Research Center Pharmaceutical Engineering, Caroline is a driving force behind smarter solutions in healthcare. As a recognized leader in open science and organizational transformation, she serves on numerous advisory boards and juries for innovation, startups, and research.
Caroline brings a bold vision for the future of medicine - one where science, strategy, and sustainability go hand in hand.
Roi Shternin's background is a patchwork of patient advocacy, tech innovation, and hard-won personal experience. He has lived the challenges of navigating chronic illness, often finding himself forced to become his own advocate.
This experience led him to create patient-led communities, as he understands the power of shared experience and collective voice. On the tech side, he dove headfirst into the world of medical device startups and developed the Help+ app, driven by a desire to use technology to bridge gaps in healthcare.
He is not a traditional “expert”; he is a patient who has become a problem-solver, a disruptor, and a relentless advocate for a better healthcare system.
He believes that by combining lived experience with innovative thinking, real, lasting change is possible.
Sahra Tasdelen is a molecular biologist with a background in cardiovascular biology and tissue engineering, and hands-on experience in cardiac surgery models and experimental surgical procedures.
She investigates how to develop the next generation of heart valve bioprostheses and explores new approaches for treating heart disease.
A passionate science communicator, she has co-hosted science shows on national television, spoken at high-profile festivals and innovation summits, and was honored on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list.
