About us
We organize the TEDxFlanders events because we like Ideas Worth Spreading, the international motto of TED (What is this TED, anyway?). All of us are into creativity and improving things.
We are – in random order : Denis, Thomas, Lisbeth, Vincent, Wouter, Eric, Hans, Dette, Elke, Eric and Michael. Other considerable contributors are Chris, ianka, Jan, Hans, Roel, Joeri, Cyriel, Hilde, Karina, Colin, Martine, Lars and Katia. Please come and have a chat with us at one of our events, we would love to talk to you!
Christophe Cop
TEDx role: Curator
Bio: Christophe founded TEDxFlanders because he’s just too big a fan of spreading ideas. He is a dreamer and a sceptic, a rational optimist, and a child of renaissance and surrealism. He works part time as a statistician when he’s not figuring out what the next dots to connect or realization will be.
An idea worth spreading: “Eat together with the people who are dear to you! And try to make everything a positive sum game!”
On the Web: Google+, facebook, LinkedIn: Christophe Cop, @Psycop, www.ted.com/profiles/5408
Denis Ghys
TEDx role:Communications Instigator
Bio: Denis is a communications strategist and director at 10 advertising. Denis has a hard time choosing between being a market-man, a creative or a cook as he oscillates between cooking, his wife and kids and the everyday frenzy of “ad” land.
An idea worth spreading: “Ken Robinson’s talk on schools killing creativity was a great talk for all of us who live in a world and economy that is becoming more dependent on ‘creative thinkers’. I have three children and it is amazing to see them pursue more creative and alternative ways as they cope with their dyslexia.”
On the Web: dokterdenis.tumblr.com, @dokterdenis, www.facebook.com/denisghys, www.linkedin.com/denisghys
Thomas Goorden
TEDx role: General Coordinator / Production Lead
Bio: Thomas is a creative producer of video, theater and festivals. He is passionate about directing, producing and delivering high quality content for his company de/het ensemblage.
An idea worth spreading: “Right now, I am getting deeply into ‘religion for atheists’, which for some reasons seems to connect many, many dots in my brain. Besides that, I am often thinking of ‘life as a computational engine’, rhetorical fallacies and cognitive biases. Yes, I’m a scatterbrain.”
On the Web: You can find me on twitter/flickr/youtube/skype with my username “tgoorden”. Generally easy to locate everywhere else using his name!
Hilde Gos
TEDx role: Bridger
Bio: Hilde’s main experience lies in international congress and event management. She is a world traveller and loves discovering new places and new cultures, and meeting new people. She now works for the city of Antwerp and, as a proud citizen, she wants to see Antwerp on the creative and innovative world map.
An idea worth spreading: “Allow for ‘green’ creativity in architecture by supporting it and bringing the countryside back to the city. Let’s build communal gardens to build communities.”
On the Web: @ACitizen2018, www.linkedin.com/in/hildegos
Wouter Haesaerts
TEDx role: Online Strategist
Bio: Wouter is a freelance web consultant. He works on corporate web projects and loves explaining how the web works and what it can do for just about anybody. He is so passionate about communication and technology that he can’t stop sharing with others many creative ways to use these new technologies.
An idea worth spreading: “Give everybody on the planet access to the internet, and they will educate themselves.”
On the Web: www.firestarter.be, www.linkedin.com/in/wouterhaesaerts, twitter
Colin O'Neill
TEDx role: Wordsmith
Bio: Geek, gamer, grandfather. From humble technical writer to marketing communication specialist, Colin has spent the last 20-odd years helping companies get their message right. Still an engineer at heart, he works mainly with high-tech companies and loves writing about the upcoming technologies that will help shape our future. He is also an avid gamer, whether on the PC or around the table with friends, despite being an ‘opa’ to three grandchildren.
An iDEA worTh sprEADing: “I was a teenager before I got my hands on a PC. Now my grandchildren can surf the web. The world is changing fast and we need to adapt quickly to these changes. TED and TEDx can not only inspire us, but can also help us to create a better future for our kids.”
On the Web: www.pyramidion.be
Hans Smellinckx
TEDx role: Sponsor Manager
Bio: Hans is a digital native and one of the first people to have a business focused on the online world. His agency worked in the early 90’s with brands and organisations all around the world. He is the founder of the European Social Media Forum and the company (R)Evolution as well as taskforce leader for IAB Belgium
An idea worth spreading: “SIMPLICITY. People overcomplicate things most of the time. We see the world in 256 colours and HD, but sometimes we have to bring everything back to a couple of basic colours. By bringing back complicated processes and procedures back to simple and straightforward ideas, you can easily shift projects be it professionally or personally.
On the Web: www.onlinemarketingmanager.be, www.linkedin.com/in/hanssmellinckx, @hanssmellinckx, www.facebook.com/smellinckx
Róisin Traynor
TEDx role: Online Communications
Bio: Róisín is an Irish girl living in Antwerp and working in Brussels. She is the online editor for International Crisis Group, a non-profit organization that engages in field level research and high level advocacy with the aim of preventing and resolving deadly conflict.
An idea worth spreading: “The power of technology to change the landscape of international development, and innovative, creative organisations using social media to bring about social change.”
On the Web: www.about.me/roisint
Michael Van den Brande
TEDx role: Communications Manager
Bio: Michael is a communication strategist at 10 advertising. Right now, he is looking to start up an internet company and teach strategic marketing at Maastricht University. He is passionate about basketball; he plays the game himself and teaches kids the fundamentals of the game.
An idea worth spreading: “Happiness. My greatest ambition in life is to figure out why people make choices that prevent them from being happy. The choices we make are very individual, but can change the life of so many people.”
On the Web: www.delosfuegos.com, @delosfuegos, www.linkedin.com/in/michaelvandenbrande
Martine Vanremoortele
TEDx role: Visual Harvester
Bio: After more than 15 years experience in communication and marketing, she has recently found a way to combine management experience, creative thinking and love for colours & drawing. She specializes in visual harvesting—a unique and creative approach that stimulates minds, enhances conversations and the whole group experience.
An idea worth spreading: “I want to amplify how well people work together, and support and boost people in their thinking in order to accomplish their goals. I love to be in the moment, listening to what is said, feeling the energy and translate it via quick accurate notes and drawings. “
On the Web: www.visualharvesting.com
Dette Van Zeeland
TEDx role: Production
Bio: Dette is a conceptual designer, and a marketing and communication professional. She directs festivals, events and campaigns at de/het ensemblage. Together with Cyriel Kortleven, she invented the TEDxFlanders Salon concept, where every two months TED Talks are being explored in an interactive, playful way.
An idea worth spreading: “I would like to execute the idea of ‘World 3.0’ that we came up with at the Global Service Jam, which pushes multinationals to be ethical through a rating system on their products and on their ethical behavior.”
On the Web: www.ensemblage.be, www.flavors.me/dette
Vincent Verstraeten
TEDx role: Community Builder
Bio: Vincent combines his love for sports and educating children in an open air school with his passion for web development. After a long day of outdoor sports, he loves working on innovative online projects with Drupal.
An idea worth spreading: “I would love to talk with you how kids can learn best through games and self-motivation. I also dream of an e-democracy platform that brings the government closer to the people.”
On the Web: www.facebook.com/vincent.verstraeten - www.linkedin.com/pub/vincent-verstraeten/22/4b1/299