We proudly introduce the speakers of our TEDxLausanneWomen Event 2025
Anne-Sophie Pic
Culinary visionary, Most Michelin-starred female chef redefining global gastronomy
Anne-Sophie Pic is the most Michelin-starred female chef in the world. She is a trailblazer who has redefined what it means to lead in the culinary arts.
From her family’s historic Maison Pic in Valence, where she earned three Michelin stars, to her restaurants across Europe and Asia, she has built a global empire rooted in creativity, discipline, and reinvention.
Known for her daring yet delicate flavor combinations and her poetic approach to cuisine, Pic transforms each dish into a story of resilience, heritage, and innovation.
She is not only a chef but a cultural force and an emblem of excellence in a field long dominated by men, and a living testament to the power of vision and perseverance.
Kirsty Coventry
President of the International Olympic Committee leading global sport into a new inclusive era
Kirsty Coventry was elected President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in March 2025, making history as the first female President and the second youngest ever to hold the position.
From Zimbabwe, Kirsty is a two-time Olympic gold medallist and a seven-time Olympic medallist, making her Africa’s most decorated Olympian. Her remarkable athletic career paved the way for a new chapter of leadership and advocacy on the global stage.
She has been a member of the IOC since 2013 and served as Chair of the IOC Athletes’ Commission from 2018 to 2021, amplifying athlete voices and championing transparency, fairness, and athlete welfare.
Back home in Zimbabwe, Kirsty served as Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation, where she helped legislate against match-fixing, abuse, and sexual harassment in sport, reshaping the country’s sporting landscape to prioritize safety and integrity. She also founded the Kirsty Coventry Academy, a program dedicated to teaching children to swim and promoting access to sport for all.
Since taking office as IOC President, Kirsty has launched the “Fit for the Future” consultation, an ambitious initiative focusing on two core priorities for the Olympic Movement: delivering exceptional Olympic Games and creating a better world through sport.
Driven by her belief in the power of sport to unite, empower, and transform, Kirsty Coventry continues to inspire new generations to dream boldly, lead with purpose, and build a more inclusive future.
Noor Sweid
Venture capital trailblazer rewriting the rules of who gets funded.
Noor is a force in venture capital and entrepreneurship, redefining leadership in finance. Founder and Managing Partner of Global Ventures, she has deployed over $300 million across 60+ startups, generating jobs and championing women 38% of it’s portfolio companies are female-founded, far above the global VC average.
Recognized by Forbes as one of the World’s Top 50 Women in Tech, named Arabian Business’ 100 Most Powerful Arab Women, and recipient of the Arab Woman Award for Finance, she also serves as a judge on Shark Tank Dubai and advises governments, founders, and global organizations on scaling businesses.
Noor’s work is a beacon of inspiration, particularly for women entrepreneurs and leaders in emerging markets. Her journey from scaling companies to shaping the venture capital landscape in MENA underscores her commitment to empowering others and challenging the status quo.
She was the first woman in the region to take a company public, leading Depa to a $1.1 billion IPO, and founded ZenYoga, the region’s largest wellness chain.She is the author of Coming of Age (2025), which chronicles MENA’s rise as a global entrepreneurial hub through the stories of 35+ transformative founders. Noor continues to empower women and entrepreneurs to dream bigger, scale strategically, and redefine what’s possible.
Cindy Gallop
Fearless entrepreneur blowing up taboos around sex, age, and power
Cindy Gallop is a fearless innovator who has built her career on blowing up taboos and rewriting the rules of business and culture. She launched MakeLoveNotPorn on the TED stage in 2009 with the rallying cry “Pro-sex. Pro-porn. Pro-knowing the difference.” Since then, she has grown it into the world’s first human-curated, user-generated social sex video sharing platform, socializing sex to promote consent, communication, and good sexual values.
If porn is the blockbuster, MakeLoveNotPorn is the badly-needed documentary—normalizing real-world intimacy and reframing sex as confidence, equality, and connection. Cindy expands her vision with MakeLoveNotPorn Academy, a global hub designed to make the world’s best sex education accessible to everyone.
She also founded IfWeRanTheWorld, a co-action software startup taught as a Harvard Business School case study, and is raising the world’s first sextech fund, AllTheSky Holdings, to back entrepreneurs at the intersection of sex, technology, and social change.
Former President of advertising giant BBH USA, she is recognized as one of the most provocative and visionary voices in global business and twice topped Campaign’s Trailblazers list. Business Insider has honored her as one of the world’s most important marketing thinkers and one of the most influential women in tech.
Cindy speaks openly about aging and sexuality to prove that agency doesn’t fade—it evolves. A self-described “Michael Bay of business,” Cindy doesn’t just inspire change — she ignites it.
Loulia Kassem
Tech pioneer reimagining women’s health through femtech innovation
Loulia is the CEO and Founder of Rea Diagnostics, a Swiss medtech startup revolutionizing women’s health with breakthrough innovation and global ambition. As the driving force behind PremaSure™ — the world’s first self-test for preterm birth — she is spearheading its global accessibility so women everywhere can take control of their health with privacy, knowledge, and agency.
With a conviction that science must serve compassion, Loulia has guided Rea Diagnostics from vision to international recognition.
Recognized by Forbes 30 Under 30 and honored multiple times as a Bilanz Digital Shaper, she is not only advancing Femtech innovation — she is shaping a future where women everywhere can finally look up to a healthcare system that truly sees them
MissMe
Rebel artist reclaiming the female body as a canvas of defiance and power
MissMe is a multidisciplinary artist celebrated worldwide under the moniker “The Artful Vandal.” She first gained prominence through bold, large-scale street art before expanding her practice to include installations, art films, music videos, and fashion collaborations.
Renowned for her iconic, unapologetic figures—naked, frontal, and defiant—MissMe reclaims the female body as a site of resistance, protest, and power. Her work confronts patriarchy not only as a global system of oppression but also as a mindset internalized by women themselves—a construct to be dismantled both in society and within our own psyches.
Her pieces have appeared on city walls, in galleries, and across international media. Featured by HuffPost, CBC, Vice, and more, she is recognized as a leading voice in contemporary feminist art. Beyond the canvas and the street, MissMe is also a sought-after speaker and mentor. Through workshops and youth programs worldwide, she urges communities to embrace radical self-expression, empowerment, and unapologetic freedom.
Meagan Fallone
Futurist exploring AI, longevity, and the essence of being human
Meagan Fallone is an award-winning social entrepreneur, humanitarian, and futurist working at the nexus of technology, social innovation, and human potential. She was named New Zealand’s 2018 Hillary Institute Laureate for Global Leadership, in recognition of her work in climate, poverty, social justice, and the economic empowerment of women. Since 2010, her initiatives have touched more than 10 million women and girls globally through efforts in technology inclusion.
Meagan is the Founder of Step Up Advisers, a consultancy that helps social entrepreneurs scale impact and forges high-value public, private, and multilateral partnerships across technology, development, and climate sectors. She is also Co-Founder of Mountain Path Switzerland, and serves as CEO Emeritus of Barefoot College International.
Her most recent book, Longevity Finance, explores the social and ethical dimensions of longevity and calls on us to rethink what it means to be human in an age of AI.
With clarity and vision, Meagan probes urgent questions about what it means to be human in a world where technology can extend life but challenge our essence.
Meagan has also been distinguished with further recognition, including the Mother Teresa Award for Social Justice and, along with her Barefoot College team, the Wise Award for Education Innovation.
Ilhem Khodja
Vocal prodigy unlocking the human voice as a force for freedom
Ilhem—meaning inspiration in Arabic—is an internationally acclaimed singer, composer, and mentor dedicated to exploring the transformative power of the human voice. Her multicultural roots and nomadic journey have shaped a sound that fuses jazz, world music, and electronic textures, featured at TEDxBerlin, UNICEF’s Roger Moore Charity Gala, Mutek Mexico, and the Polanco Jazz Festival.
A certified sound therapy practitioner, Ilhem is also a sought-after voice and transformation coach. She guides individuals in freeing their voices, overcoming blockages, and reconnecting with authentic expression, combining masterclasses, creative alignment, and integration practices. As a core mentor at Freedom Engine Academy, she continues to expand her impact at the crossroads of art, sound, and personal growth.
Currently based between Berlin and Mexico City, Ilhem is developing her solo performance What Emerges from the Echo and recording her first solo album.
Join the event
TEDx is a celebration of ideas and more than just a conference; it's an immersive experience. By choosing a professional theater, we ensure top-notch acoustics, captivating atmosphere, and seamless tech integration, creating an unforgettable journey of ideas.
This is TEDx at its best – amplified by a venue that lives up to our speakers' brilliance and our audience's passion.
At TEDx Lausanne, we hold a steadfast belief: true change begins by focusing on our immediate sphere of influence. We understand that effective systemic change is not solely an individual responsibility but a collective endeavor.
Together, let's explore the power of collective action and ignite the sparks of transformation.
This independent TEDx event is operated under license from TED
Follow us
