Hands-on with what inspires you: a student perspective of TEDxESMT Berlin

Master of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (MIE) student Benedetta Mariani, Class of 2025, is a self-described "lifelong fan of TED." So, you can imagine her excitement when she found out that ESMT runs a yearly TEDx event – and that she could be a major part of it.

In this blog, Benedetta reflects on what it was like to be part of the TEDxESMT Berlin organizational team, and how she balanced running such a prestigious event with the rigors of life as an MIE student.

She also explains how working with the TED Research Team to share ESMT professor Eric Quintane's talk on the official TED website and social channels was a "dream come true."

Hi Benedetta, please introduce yourself

Hi all! I'm Benedetta, former MIE student and originally from Italy. I moved to Berlin to study, fell in love with the city, and have not left yet – this September will mark three years here. 

I'm currently working at bunch, a startup building the backbone of private markets.

You were part of the team behind TEDxESMT Berlin. Can you tell us more about this initiative?

"The goal is to bring together inspiring people with ideas worth sharing, so they can inspire others in turn."

TEDx is an independently organized event, licensed by TED, which means we follow all of TED's requirements, branding, and guidelines. The goal is to bring together inspiring people with ideas worth sharing, so they can inspire others in turn. 

TEDxESMT Berlin is an ESMT initiative; it's a wonderful opportunity to come together and put on a truly professional event, from operations to sponsorship.

Were your team all master's students, or was there a mix of students from different programs? What was your role?

The majority of the TEDxESMT Berlin team were master's students. I joined in my first year as part of the speaker management team, and in my second and final year I became co-lead of the event, focusing on speaker management and partnerships. 

What made you want to join the TEDxESMT Berlin initiative?

I've always been a huge fan of TED: so many of the speakers inspire me. So as soon as I had the chance to get hands-on experience with it, I jumped at it.

One of the talks from TEDxESMT Berlin was shared by the TED website. What was the talk, and how did you make that happen?

The talk was about the four relationship traps that lead to burnout, given by associate professor Eric Quintane. TED's research team reached out with the wonderful news. They're incredibly selective, so the talk went through a thorough review, from the slides to the sources. After several exchanges with the team in New York, we finally made it happen! 

How did you feel when you found out the talk would be featured on TED?

"It was a full circle moment, the cherry on top of the fifth anniversary of TEDxESMT Berlin and the first sold-out TEDxESMT Berlin event."

I felt incredibly proud; partly because I'd started out in speaker management, so choosing the speakers was one of my main tasks, and partly because the speaker is one of our most esteemed professors.

It was also fascinating to work directly with the TED team and go through their process. As both an organizer and a lifelong fan of TED, it truly felt like a dream come true. It was a full circle moment, the cherry on top of the fifth anniversary of TEDxESMT Berlin and the first sold-out TEDxESMT Berlin event.

What was it like balancing a master's degree with organizing such a major event?

It was tough, honestly, but teamwork made it possible. Planning ahead and building a solid structure, for the team, the event, and my studies, made all the difference. And just as important, was remembering not to lose sight of my social life and the people around me.

Are there any lessons from your time with TEDxESMT Berlin that you're carrying into your career?

That good structure and clear communication go a long way in preventing challenges from becoming problems.

What's your favorite memory from the TEDxESMT Berlin process?

"There's something magical about watching the speakers rehearse: settling into the room, finding their rhythm, getting ready to take the stage"

The day of the event itself was wonderful, but the rehearsals are what I remember most fondly. There's something magical about watching the speakers rehearse: settling into the room, finding their rhythm, getting ready to take the stage.

What advice would you give an ESMT student thinking about joining a student club or event?

Go for it! But try to pick one thing and really invest in it – clubs are great, but you get out of them what you put in. Having club or event activities on your CV is honestly just a small part of what you gain; the real experience is worth so much more.

Thank you, Benedetta!

Interested in seeing the TEDxESMT Berlin talk behind the story? See the full talk below, courtesy of TED.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx