Meet our Speakers

Hello, my name is Nora and I am in year 9. I have two sisters that also go to ISM.

I love sports especially gymnastics and when I visit my grandparents in Switzerland I enjoy horse riding. 

I decided to participate in TEDxYouth to get rid of my stage fright. I never thought I would attend public speaking classes but here I am stepping out of my comfort zone. I think taking these classes will give me many advantages in the future because I am interested in jobs that involve speaking to others and publicly. 

I hope that this message also inspires you to try something new.

My name is Veronica Markov,and I’m 14 years old. I was born in Montreal, Canada, but my origin is the Caucasus and Ukraine. I live with my mom, dad, little sister and dog. I moved to Monaco when I was 2 and a half years old and have been going to ISM ever since.  I have many interests in my life, but what I prefer to do during my free time the most is art, linguistics, and sports. I’m an ice skater and have been skating for 8 years, and competed in quite a few competitions. My biggest achievement was when I won first place at the Monaco Ice Skating Gala. I’m part of the arts festival, choir, and TEDxYouth (I sang in the choir.) I decided to become a member of Team Alicia, and do TEDxYouth speaking because I have always liked to perform in front of people, and I also think that it will help me in the future.

Hi! My name is Alexandra Vlad and I am ten years old. I was born in Nice, though I live in Monaco and my family comes from Romania. I have 2 siblings and 1 dog. My hobbies are climbing trees, playing football and most importantly, art. I joined TEDx to improve my confidence on stage like most people and possibly to help me defeat my slight stage fright. Also, I want to improve my ability to really express myself. In the past I have sometimes been afraid to express myself because I thought that nobody would really listen to me, but it’s such a relief to speak and to know that everyone is listening to me.

Hello my name is Allegra Ladow. I am 14 years old and I live in Monaco. I am Swedish and Lebanese although I lived in London till the age of 9. Since a very young age, I have loved to talk! With the ability of being confident enough to talk to anyone and everyone at any time or anywhere I knew I had to embrace it and that’s what I am doing now. 

My name is Margherita Sparaco. I am 15 years old and have lived in Monaco nearly my whole life, although both my parents are initially from Rome. I've been attending ISM since I was 3 years old so it's almost become my second home. Since a young age, I've always had a predisposed "fondness" of the stage, whether it was shown in our elementary plays or speech competitions, public speaking has always been a way for me to express myself and broadcast my ideas. In fact, this is my third Tedx Talk and I am looking forward to voicing my views on the theme "Reality Check". Aside from public speaking, another passion which I've quite recently adapted would be for sustainability and climate awareness, which is why I have become a member of the Climate Protectors, an association which tackles the issue of Climate Change and works with numerous specialists to spread awareness on the issue. I am looking forward to sharing my ideas and also improving my public speaking skills as it is a lifelong skill which will always come in handy !  

Hi everybody I’m Manomi, if you didn’t know. I am ten years old and in year 6. I was born in Australia and came to Monaco when I was seven. I enjoy reading, drawing, singing and learning new things. My favourite book series are School for Good and Evil, Keeper of the Lost Cities and Wings of Fire. I have  two siblings and an adorable dog named Oliver. I joined TEDx to improve my speaking skills, try something new and meet new people. I also wanted to take a risk and do something I haven’t done before. I am looking forward to learning more about all of you ! And I hope you have learned more about me!

Hi! My name is Polina Bogdanova,I am currently 11 years old and I am Russian.I am a year 7 student and I have been at ISM for almost 5 years.I have a little brother and a pet parrot.I enjoy playing chess , doing volleyball,drawing,reading,listening to music and writing poems.When I have found out that TEDx is opening to new participants, I joined because it is always a good idea to try something new.As well,I have joined TEDxYouth in order to improve my confidence when speaking in front of an audience and practise a skill I will for sure need in my future life.In the past,I was struggling to talk to an audience without shaking,forgetting my speech and not looking at the audience.Thanks to TEDx ,I have built my confidence and I am not too nervous when it comes to public speaking.

Hello my name is Sophia. I attend the International School of Monaco, and I am in year 10. I am half Dutch and half Moroccan. I speak 3 languages fluently which are French, English and Dutch, and I am currently learning Spanish in school. I really want to be a speaker for TEDxYouth@ISMonaco because it can give you opportunities to gain experience , develop skills , improve my career prospects, build confidence and meet new people and spread my ideas. I loved the subject of this years event which is “Reality Check”especially in the year we live in now. 

Hello everyone, I'm Solomon, originally from Austria. For more than 3 years now, I immersed myself in the tranquil Riviera. My passion lies in Cybersecurity and IT, and in my leisure time, I enjoy volleyball, swimming, and basketball. I've joined TEDxYouth to refine my public speaking skills, recognizing their importance for future opportunities. My goal is to present myself and significant topics with confidence, aiming to build a strong reputation. Though it requires time and practice, I'm eager to tackle the challenge head-on.

Married to Daniela, and has 2 children (Francesco and Sofia), and lives in the Principality of Monaco. Both his children are students at the International School of Monaco. Founder and Executive Chairman of Genera Group® ( www.generagroup.it ). The Group is entirely focused on energy transition and circular economy. The Group is participated by SUSI Partners ( www.susi-partners.com ) – Swiss-based private equity fund with specialization on sustainability. Experienced CEO in energy transition and real estate development, Filippo started Genera Group in 2009 and further turned it into one of the Italian market leaders in energy and process efficiency. Genera Group is now present in several countries across the globe. Filippo is also founder of Sophrance Global®, an international diversified investment holding, and Infracorp®, an infrastructure investment firm specialized in airports, interports, logistics platforms meant to be entirely carbon neutral. Filippo currently serves on Boards of Directors of Genera, OV Energy and Pandora Green. Filippo is a board member of YPO Italy and YPO Monaco and French Riviera and President of Foundation for Venetian Culture. Filippo has been serving as advisor to the Ministry of Industrial Development in Italy. He is board member of Monaco Ambassadors Club and member of Prince Albert II Foundation. Filippo has a BA in Civil Engineering at University of Rome and further specialization at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. MBA and Executive MBA with specialization in negotiation at Harvard University. Filippo is a jazz and swing singer, philanthropist, philosophy expert and passionate about sailing. Regarding the TEDxYouth@ISMonaco Event Filippo said “Participating in TEDxYouth in Monaco is not only an honour, but it gives me a chance to combine my passion for mentoring the next generation with a reflective examination of our roots”.

Kate, an Australian-Canadian with a passion for travel, has for the last few years settled with her family in France and currently teaches business studies at ISM. She studied as an undergraduate at the University of Waterloo, before furthering her academic pursuits with an MBA from the University of Liverpool and an IPGCE from the University of Sheffield. Kate's story is one of resilience, adaptability, and a relentless pursuit of knowledge, making her an ideal candidate to step up onto the TEDx stage.

Hello! My name is Mia and I am 13 years old.  I am Australian and English and am in year 9 at ISM. I enjoy baking and reading and am very passionate about the guitar. I want to be a TEDxYouth  speaker not only to help improve my public speaking and presentation skills but also to shed light on important issues in today's world. I believe the topic chosen is very important and I am excited to see the many different perspectives. It will be an amazing experience to be able to present which I am so thankful for.

I am Miguel Pascual Ryzhkin. I am half - Russian and half spanish. My mother is from Moscow in Russia, and my father is from Valencia, Spain. I study five languages, and I can talk fluently in three of them: Russian, Spanish and English. I was born in moscow and lived there nearly all my life. I moved to Monaco only a half a year ago. Throughout my life I was interested in many things. In Moscow, I have studied for 7 years in a music school, and I can play the piano. I like classical and baroque music. I was always interested in different sciences, such as biology. I have participated in biological expeditions and I have done scientific works. Also I am interested in diverse areas such as philosophy and different languages. Apart from my interests in studies, I am good at extreme sports, such as snowboarding and freediving. I participate in theTEDxYouth Event because I was interested in the topics suggested. I found Reality Check a combination of all my interests!