2026 Speaker
Biographies
Dr. Alex Carter
Associate Professor of Philosophy and Interdisciplinary Studies, University of Cambridge
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Alex Carter takes an active approach to philosophy. In other words, Philosophy ought to be about changing how we think and act. He does this by exploring and exposing problems. The goal is not always to attain knowledge—although this is nice—rather, he aims to dispel false certainties (dogmas). This helps students to be more open-minded, more creative and more inquisitive. Philosophy ought to begin, and should often end, in wonder.
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Dr Eleanor Drage
Senior Research Fellow and Assistant Professor, the University of Cambridge Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence
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Eleanor is a Senior Research Fellow and Assistant Professor at the University of Cambridge where she runs a €1.9 million AI ethics initiative. She’s a distinguished member of the 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics and co-host of The Good Robot podcast. Her work on bad science in recruitment AI tools and how AI scientists are represented in cinema has been covered by the BBC, Forbes, The Telegraph, The Guardian, and internationally. She’s the author of What If We Got AI Right? How to reject the apocalypse and build an ethical future; The Good Robot: Feminist Voices on the Future of Technology, and An Experience of the Impossible: The Planetary Humanism of European Women’s SF.
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Reda El Andaloussi
Partner at Soul.com​
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Reda El Andaloussi is the founder of Waves Ventures, a professor at leading institutions in Switzerland, and a member of Soul.com. As a transformation strategist and capacity building expert, he leverages global experience to unlock human potential and foster sustainable, life-centered progress, where people, communities, and ecosystems thrive together.
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Thomas Ermacora
Polymath, Activist Investor, and Technology Futurist​
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Thomas Ermacora is a creative polymath, activist investor, and technology futurist that has been at the heart of pioneering societal movements through impact organisations, global think tanks and incubator-accelerator programs. His initiative Pax Technologica is part of building capacity for the global south to participate in shaping healthier and more sovereign AI ecosystems through policy advisory work, talent cultivation, leadership training, and awareness campaigns. Previously Ermacora has worked with the global futures councils of the World Economic Forum, Xprize foundation, Singularity University, UN COPs, and had original and unusual roles such as consigliere to non ecclesiastical affairs of the Vatican under Pope Francis, founder of a refugee education platform with MIT, contributor to the digital agenda of the G7, and author for Routledge Press of the Recoded City.
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Yannick Gallardo
Logopédiste, Institut le Rosey
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Yann is a specialist in learning disorders with over 20 years of experience in the field and also in gifted education. Originally from Perpignan, he has spent the past decade at Institut Le Rosey, supporting students with a wide range of learning profiles. Before joining Rosey, he worked for five years alongside Dr. Barker in Lausanne, deepening his expertise in cognitive and developmental interventions. A trained logopédiste, Yann brings a nuanced understanding of student needs to his work. In his upcoming presentation, he will explore the role of metacognition and metalearning in schools, highlighting strategies to foster greater self-awareness and autonomy in learners.
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Dr. James Hewitt
Human Performance Scientist, The Knowledge Work Lab
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Dr. James Hewitt is on a mission to help people think better, recover more deeply, and perform at their best, without burning out. A former elite cyclist turned human performance scientist, James blends lived experience with leading-edge science to challenge how we work, learn, and grow in today’s always-on world. As a Visiting Fellow at Loughborough University and founder of The Knowledge Work Lab, James partners with high-performing teams, from Formula 1 to Fortune 500 companies, to test bold ideas at the intersection of wellbeing and cognitive performance. At EduFest, James will share insights from this research, alongside practical tools that educators can apply to enhance attention, energy, and resilience in their own lives and in the learning environments they shape. His session is ideal for anyone curious about how to build more human-centred, high-performing approaches to education.
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Michaela Horvathova
Co-founder and Chief Education Officer, Beyond Education
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Michaela Horvathova is the co-founder of Beyond Education, a fast-growing edtech startup now active in over 13 countries. She holds a Master's in International Education Policy from Harvard University and has over 12 years of experience in global education reform. Before launching Beyond Education, Michaela worked at the OECD, partnered with organizations like IB and UNICEF, and advised ministries of education across the Czech Republic, South Africa, the Netherlands, and Brazil. As an Advisor to the Prime Minister of Slovakia, she helped shape national education strategy, focusing on competency-based learning. A regular speaker at global conferences, Michaela is passionate about reimagining how schools prepare students for the age of AI.
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Christina Juurlink
Head of Middle School Mathematics and Science, International School Basel
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Tina Juurlink is a Mathematics and Science teacher at the International School Basel with over 20 years of experience teaching Mathematics in both the Diploma and Middle Years Programmes and Science in the Middle Years Programme. Engaging students in conceptual understanding is a focus for her and she has previously presented on this topic at other conferences. In addition to collaborating with Jen in Science, she collaborates with her team on co-teaching in Mathematics.
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Jennifer Squier and Christina Juurlink are co-presenters and have presented together about academic language at ELMLE 2023 in Porto, IB Global Conference 2023 in Dublin, as well as twice at International School Basel to the Middle School faculty and teachers from across the school.
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Anne-Liis Lääne-Sáez
Partner at Soul.com
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Anne-Liis is a self-awareness coach, podcast host, and educator dedicated to unlocking the natural talents within each person. Through her work with Soul.com and Gifts Compass, she fosters deep listening and self-discovery, believing that by honoring our unique strengths, we can solve any challenge and create a thriving world.
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Marija Manojlovic
Executive Director, Safe Online
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Marija Manojlovic is the Executive Director of Safe Online, the only global fund dedicated to safety and protection of children in the digital world. Under Marija’s leadership, Safe Online has mobilized over $100million in investments and become a powerful advocate for child online safety influencing policies in 85+ countries, developing cutting-edge tools deployed in 100+ countries, and impacting global policy agendas. Marija is a board member of WeProtect Global Alliance and a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Coalition for Digital Safety. Previously, she honed her expertise with the End Violence Global Partnership and UNICEF across diverse regions.
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Website Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn
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Dr David Porritt
Principal BBIS, Director of Coaching at KAA, Podcaster: Leading Stories​
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David is Principal of Budapest British International School and a Director at Karen Ardley Associates. He has led schools in the UK, Singapore, The Hague, China, and Amsterdam. He holds an MBA and a Doctorate from UCL, where his research explored how leaders benefit from becoming coaches. David designs and delivers leadership programmes, coaches internationally, and is writing a book based on his research and 15 years of experience. He also hosts Leading Stories, a podcast that shares the journeys of undercelebrated leaders. David is married, has two grown-up daughters, and enjoys cycling and making music.
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Mahmud Samandari
Soul.com Board Member​
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Mahmud Samandari is a serial entrepreneur dedicated to capacity building and innovation. He is passionate about empowering organizations through purpose-driven, collaborative transformation via soul.com and ebbf. A pioneer in distance learning and public-private ventures, he fosters sustainable impact and mentors youth worldwide, leveraging his multicultural experience to unlock human and organizational potential.​
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Jennifer Squier
English as an Additional Language Specialist, International School Basel​
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Jen Squier is an EAL specialist and French teacher at International School Basel, with over 25 years of experience teaching primarily in Diploma and Middle Years Programmes in schools in Switzerland. As a multilingual and multicultural person herself, she has great admiration of and empathy toward students who are learning English and learning through English. In addition to collaborating with Tina in Science, she also co-teaches in Grade 7 and 8 Language and Literature.
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Jennifer Squier and Christina Juurlink are co-presenters and have presented together about academic language at ELMLE 2023 in Porto, IB Global Conference 2023 in Dublin, as well as twice at International School Basel to the Middle School faculty and teachers from across the school.​