Shaping Futures

took place on 24. July 2021

The program

Raquel Ark – LISTENING SUPERPOWER

Do you know the feeling when you tell something important to someone and that person is not really listening? You probably also know what it’s like to realise in the middle of a conversation that you’ve lost your train of thought. Truth is that listening to someone with sincerity and concentration is often easier said than done. In this TEDxNuremberg talk, the communication expert, Raquel Ark shares her valuable insights into the benefits and the art of listening and why we should try to unlock this secret superpower, which we all have within us.

Who is Raquel Ark?

Raquel is a passionate communication expert and coach with more than 25 years of experience leading and supporting communication initiatives in different industries. Born in Puerto Rico, raised in the US and now based in Germany – Raquel has experienced different cultures, which has taught her many diverse ways of listening and its ability to strengthen human relationships. Raquel has dedicated herself to the topic of „listening“, which is believed to be an under-valued, under-taught and under-trained skill. Many take the art of listening for granted, which is why, in addition to conducting online training courses and facilitating many playful listening labs, she started a podcast to raise awareness about its power.

Luciana Padua – DATA LITERACY/INTUITION

Figures and statistics are indispensable key indicators for decision-making in politics, business and private life. But do we always understand numbers and their meanings correctly? Luciana Padua is convinced that before society can dive into complex data-related topics, we must first learn the basic use and understanding of data and ask ourselves, are we asking the right questions when confronted with data?

Who is Raquel Ark?

Born in Argentina, Luciana wanted to study computer science. But life can present the unexpected, and so she studied business instead. Even after completing her degree, starting her first job, and moving to Buenos Aires, her love for analytical thinking and numbers did not vanish. On the contrary, she developed a stronger desire to pursue it as a passion, leading her to a master’s in data science. This paved the way for a long career in data analytics. With over 15 years of work experience she has worked for many large corporations, such as Unilever and adidas, and she is presently the Team Lead of Data Analytics at Holidu, a scaling travel tech startup based in Munich.

Tobias Eismann – CREATIVITY

Have you ever been ridiculed for an unusual perspective or idea? Most likely the answer is yes, because creativity is unfortunately very often not taken seriously or may even be neglected. Tobias Eismann believes that this is a serious problem that needs to be addressed urgently and elaborates in his TEDxNuremberg talk on the beauty and power of creativity. Believe us, by the end of his talk you will have fallen in love with your own creativity!

Who is Tobias Eismann?

Tobias Eismann is an engineer, a creativity researcher and teacher. In 2016, he started his Doctorate at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) in the field of creativity and innovation management, topics that have ever since become his passion. Tobias is a firm believer that the topic of creativity needs more attention in society. He began sharing his beliefs by teaching students, writing scientific articles and consulting organizations. Currently he works as a Senior Strategist of Creativity at Siemens, sparking people’s creativity in an organisational context.

Cedrik Neike – DIGITAL TWIN

Cedrik’s TEDxNuremberg talk includes deep insights on the factories of the future and how they are already having a huge impact on how goods are manufactured worldwide in a more sustainable way. Not only is he sharing his unique knowledge regarding this topic, he is also encouraging all of us to be bold and creative, and to think about ways to do more with less.

Who is Cedrik Neike?

Cedrik Neike is currently the CEO of Siemens Digital Industries with its headquarters based in Nuremberg, Germany. He is Half-German, half-French who started his professional path with an apprenticeship at the conglomerate, Siemens. As a tech-enthusiast he then studied Mechanical Engineering and Finance in London and finalized his academic path with an MBA at INSEAD. From there his professional journey led him to Cisco Systems based in Silicon Valley, California. After working for 16 years at the American-based company, he returned to Germany to help accelerate the digital transformation across all sectors and industries.

CREATIVE PERFORMANCE BY PASCHO MUSIC

Andreas Maier – CONSCIENCE

Consciousness is a concept that is difficult to grasp and that has concerned humanity for centuries. In today’s machine-driven age, questions about the nature of consciousness take on new relevance as we ask ourselves „can a machine become conscious?“ Prof. Dr. Andreas Maier firmly believes that this question cannot be answered with insights from computer science alone, but that knowledge from philosophy and neuroscience must also be included. He will take us on a journey through a multidisciplinary study that will help us find answers about consciousness in humans and machines.

Who is Andreas Maier?

As a computer scientist, Prof. Dr. Andreas Maier has always been captivated by research and its impact. Once he received his degree in Computer Science in 2005, he started his Doctorate and worked at the Pattern Recognition Lab at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU). During this time he not only focused on understanding the fundamental aspects of medical signal processing in speech data — but also on developing the first online speech intelligibility assessment tool. After his PhD studies, he began working as a postdoctoral fellow at the Radiological Sciences Laboratory at Stanford University. Afterwards, he joined Siemens Healthcare as an Innovation Project Manager. In 2012, he returned to FAU, where he is currently Professor and Head of the Pattern Recognition Lab.

Krys Burnette – DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

In the workplace, we are all striving for a sense of belonging. We want to be sure our voices are heard and that we can turn our ideas into action. But what can go wrong when the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion are missing? What are the benefits if we do apply them? Krys Burnette shares her insights and best practices for the futures of our workplaces.

Who is Krys Burnette?

The year 2020 and 2021 is marked with uncertainty and complexity. And even though individuals adjust to a “different normal”, Krys Burnette continues to share her passion about the value of equity, diversity and inclusion (ED&I) in all areas of our lives. Krys has consulted and worked with large Global enterprises. Currently, she is leading global organizational transformation efforts focusing on people, culture, and organizational development. In her role, she empowers individuals and leaders to be more inclusive, innovative, and responsive to build stronger teams, organizations, and businesses for the future.

Joachim Hornegger – PATH TO SUCCESS

Guided by his personal experiences, Prof. Dr. Joachim Hornegger breaks down the most important aspects of his successful career and shares his thoughts on how to cope with challenges during one’s own career planning. Why are peers important? How can advisors help you? How should you approach your constituents? And why potentially accepting a job with a lesser salary may be beneficial.

Who is Joachim Hornegger?

Prof. Dr. Joachim Hornegger is currently the president of the most innovative university in Germany – Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU). Yet, he also is a passionate computer scientist, who enjoys designing algorithms for use in the real world. He studied theoretical computer science and mathematics in Erlangen, Germany and obtained his PhD in computer vision. From 1997 to 1998 he was a postdoc at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and at Stanford University. After his time abroad he returned to Germany, where he became part of the Siemens’ top talent program. During this time he worked as a development engineer and as a manager for medical imaging. Back in academia, he became professor of medical image processing and later took over the chair of pattern recognition at FAU. Since 2011, he was a member of the executive board at FAU before he was elected president in 2015.

A big thank you to all our volounteers!

Nina Tauscher
Jens Schlatmann
Stephen Niemann
Nicole Lavrorv
Kairun Daikoku
Lucas Wittman
Lukas Mechs
Alexandra Borkowski
Luisa-Maria Stiller
Felix Burgahn
Anton Kudryavtsev
Annika Fischer
Carolina Castello Branco Widuch
Marijana Livk
Franziska Niebler
Fabian Renner

WE THANK OUR PARTNERS FOR 2021!

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