Theme: Dreams vs. Doubts: The Inner Battle That Defines Us

These talks delve into the internal struggles between aspirations and self-doubt, providing valuable insights and inspiration for those facing similar challenges.

Pentagon Events
Bulevardul Expoziției
Bucharest, București, 012101
Romania

Ada Condeescu

Actress

One of the best actresses of her generation, Ada Condeescu made her debut in the feature film If I Want to Whistle, I Whistle, winner of the Silver Bear at the Berlinale. Other leading roles and acting awards followed at international festivals. For her role as Veli in LOVERBOY, directed by Cătălin Mitulescu, the actress won one of the most important European awards, Shooting Stars, at the Berlin Film Festival, as well as the Heart of Sarajevo award for Best Actress at the Lithuania Film Festival. In theater, she has performed alongside Horațiu Mălăele, Constantin Cojocaru, and Marian Râlea, as well as with younger colleagues such as István Téglás and Tudor Istodor.

Alexia Ostahi

Y11 Cambridge School of Bucharest Student

Alexia Maria Ostahi is a 16 year old student at CSB that has a strong interest in personal development and human potential. She believes that the biggest roadblocks to success often come from within—not from external limitations, but from the doubts we allow to take hold. She questions why we hold ourselves back when possibilities are within grasp as she examines the ongoing struggle between ambition and self-doubt in her talk. Her own journey, from developing a financial literacy app for young investors to navigating the challenges of turning an idea into reality, has given her a firsthand understanding of how fear and uncertainty can stall progress. She explores what it takes to overcome mental obstacles and take charge of our lives using stories, psychological insights, and lessons from successful people. Alexia encourages us to reevaluate what is actually preventing us from moving forward by changing the way we view risk and uncertainty.

Charlize Maalouf

Y11 Cambridge School of Bucharest Student

Charlize was a finalist at Sanremo Junior and won the silver medal at the World Championship of Performing Arts in the USA. More recently, she was the only child from outside the United States selected for a prestigious Broadway training program. Following this experience, she took the stage with another solo at His Majesty’s Theatre in London. Charlize has played leading roles in major children's musical productions, including School of Rock, The Sound of Music, Annie, and Madagascar. Her competitive achievements include 1st place at the Cezar Ouatu Festival and FICCO, further solidifying her status as one of the most promising young performers in Romania. With an impressive resume at such a young age, Charlize continues to shine as a multifaceted artist, combining passion, dedication, and exceptional talent in every performance.

Flavia Popa

General Secretary

With more than 20 years of experience in the Romanian financial-banking system, Flavia has been, since 2012, the Corporate Secretary of BRD Groupe Societe Generale. In this capacity, she coordinates various areas such as internal and external communication, activities in the area of CSR, public affairs and sustainability, corporate affairs, as well as activities that involve a holistic approach to the various types of risks that a systemic bank manages. She acts as a trustee in different organizations such as Fundatia9 or CCIFER. She is passionate about nature and communities and is involved in projects aiming to positively impact these areas. She graduated from Law School and followed different programs in banking, psychology, law, business - MBA Seattle University or Insead, but also in diversity&inclusion - Diversity Charter or climate change.

Gilles Ballot

CEO

In February 2024, Gilles took over the leadership of Carrefour Romania as CEO. In this role, leveraging his extensive expertise accumulated over the years, he is dedicated to meeting customer needs and strengthening Carrefour's position as a market leader in Romania. Before joining the Carrefour Group, Gilles began his career in Romania, working at Danone. He also held key roles in other companies such as Johnson & Johnson and Boston Consulting Group. In addition to his professional skills activities, Gilles loves foreign languages, expanding his knowledge of new languages in every new country he has worked in. He is also fluent in Romanian, alongside French, English, Italian, Spanish, German, Dutch and Polish. In his free time, he likes to explore the country, learn about the history, the lifestyle and economic situation, as well as to discover its beauty and to connect with its culture and people.

Horia Tecau

Tennis Professinal

Horia Tecau is a former tennis professional, triple Grand Slam champion in doubles, silver medalist at the Rio Olympic Games in 2016, together with Florin Mergea. Reached the No. 1 ATP team rankings in 2015, after winning The Masters. Horia won 38 titles in his career, including the mixed doubles title at the 2012 Australian Open, 2015 Wimbledon and the 2017 US Open. Horia is a national ambassador for UNICEF Romania and he is the first Romanian tennis player to write a children’s book - 'Life in tennis rhythm'.

Luka Zivkovic

Bonapp

Luka is a French-Croat entrepreneur committed to combating food waste in Central and Eastern Europe through bonapp.eco. Before co-founding bonapp.eco, he contributed to various projects in the local HoReCa industry, including Bucharest Coffee Projects and Zece La Rece. His passion for specialty coffee, culinary experiences, and sustainable living inspired him to create bonapp.eco—combining expertise, enthusiasm, and a strong desire to make a positive social impact. With a multicultural background rooted in his heritage and enriched by his travels to over 60 countries—including many off-the-beaten-path destinations—Luka brings a global perspective to his work. A risk-taker at heart, he always ensures that every decision is backed by solid risk-assessment methodologies.

Nae Sovaiala

Founder

Nae believes the world could become a better place if people learned how to express themselves with more clarity, logic & compassion. He has been teaching persuasive & rational communication for 16 years. During this time he co-founded the Romanian Association for Thinking and Oratory, was the Director of Training for the national Romanian debate association, and certified Master Trainers for the International Debate Education Association. Nae spreads his truth - that conversations need to be had, not won - to any who would listen via his passion driven business, Argument Antrenament, where he teaches structured reasoning and constructive conflictual conversation skills.