What’s on the Other Side?

Father Edwin is from the state of Tamil Nadu in southern India. As a Catholic priest he has been pastor of three parishes, Director of a Diocesan Pastoral Center, and the coordinator of diocesan commissions, for two terms. He pioneered neighbourhood-based organizing, beginning in a parish in the southern tip of India in late 1970s. The initiative inspired the organization of nearly 280,000 neighbourhood groups of poor women, beyond religious identities, as a State-sponsored move aimed at poverty eradication and empowerment of women. He is the founder of Neighbourocracy and Children’s Parliaments.

Melanie is CEO/Co-founder of Radically Open Security (the world’s first not-for-profit computer security company), and “Post Growth” startup incubator Nonprofit Ventures. She is also a former Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the Free University of Amsterdam.

She was named “Most Innovative IT Leader of the Netherlands” by CIO Magazine (TIM Award) in 2017, and one of the “9 Most Innovative Women in the European Union” (EU Women Innovators Prize) in 2019. She is also one of the 400 most successful women in the Netherlands by Viva Magazine (Viva400) in 2010 and 2017, and one of the fifty most inspiring women in tech (Inspiring Fifty Netherlands) in 2016, 2017, and 2019. Her company, Radically Open Security was named the 50th Most Innovative SME by the Dutch Chamber of Commerce (MKB Innovatie Top 100) in 2016.

Thomas is a journalist, writer, translator and socialist. He is the co-director of Standing Army (2010), an award-winning feature-length documentary on US military bases featuring Gore Vidal and Noam Chomsky; and the author of The Battle for Europe: How an Elite Hijacked a Continent – and How We Can Take It Back (Pluto Press, 2014), Reclaiming the State: A Progressive Vision of Sovereignty for a Post-Neoliberal World (co-authored with Bill Mitchell; Pluto Press, 2017) and The Covid Consensus: The Global Assault on Democracy and the Poor—A Critique from the Left (co-authored with Toby Green; 2023).

Prof. Taras‘s research focuses on plate tectonics, geodynamics, planetary processes as well as numerical geodynamic modelling. Of late, his work is also moving towards weaving learning from earth systems into wider societal perspectives. He has been Adjunct Professor for Geodynamics and Analytical and Numerical Modelling of Geological and Planetary Processes, Department of Earth Sciences, at ETH Zürich since 2010. He was born in 1962 in Ivanovka, Lugansk District, Soviet Union.

Olga is a psychologist and trauma therapist with a deep passion for the human soul. With over 15 years of experience in guiding individuals through deep transformation she blends a rich spectrum of psychotherapeutic approaches with deep inner work and regression practices in equal respect to mind, body, heart and spirit. Deeply believing that each one of us has inside all potential for healing, change, evolution and growth she opens the path for deep healing, reconnection of scattered parts and remembering your own true essence and qualities, all those forgotten in your day life and to awaken them alive back into your life.

Eda is an internationally recognised visual and multimodal anthropologist and is the founder of EthnoKino Film Festival and KarmaMotion with whom she filmed and produced numerous award winning documentary films.

She is an SNSF postdoctoral researcher at the Wyss Academy for Nature at the University of Bern working on equitable biodiversity governance and just conservation across the world (www.bridging-values.com).

Bruno is Vice President of the European Society for the Study of Science and Theology. He received his doctorate at the Faculty of Catholic Theology at the University of Split on the topic of the relationship between theology and the natural sciences, proposing in his thesis a new model of that relationship based on Daniel Dennett’s fusion-barrier idea. He also received his doctorate in the philosophy of mind at the University of Zadar. Bruno deals with theology and philosophy and links between theology and philosophy with contemporary culture and society, especially the political-economic aspect of society – through engagement in various movements and the civil sector.

Michael has been a exploring sound-as-art in over 30 countries for the past 3 decades. He re-frames surroundings by ‘composting sounds’ and waking up spaces by using a combination of natural sound phenomena, synthesis and ready-made objects to create location based sound works. His intent is to intervene with the current media-saturated culture by slowing down and listening deeper to the mysterious ‘otherness’ lurking quite literally under our collective noses.

He has worked in audio restoration for the Tibetan Library of Works and Archives in Dharamshala, developed an introductory course in Sonic Arts for the Desuup Skilling Program in Bhutan, and currently is Audio Visual director at the Garchen Buddhist Institute in Chino Valley, Arizona. He continues to share ‘deep listening’ experiences, sound-arts as trans-personal experiences and an increasing imperative to be a part of the global shift of consciousness through applied artistic life action when ever there is an opportunity to find conscious listeners.

Clarissa is an artist who is deeply immersed in the exploration of somatic practices for over two decades. She’s dedicated her creative journey to harnessing the power of the body-mind connection. She believes that steering humanity toward a healthier existence begins with an intimate understanding and appreciation of our physical selves.

Tony is an inspirational musician and story-teller. He is palestinian, living in Zurich since many years with his wife and two daughters. Tony’s interest lies in the use of drumming to expand awareness, to connect to oneself and to change.

Rana is a curator, economist, writer, and filmmaker. He steers REProduce Artists, a collective of artists, organizers, and content creators that produce interventions in non-traditional spaces, engaging with music and video in modular, sequential plays – all taking advantage of the aesthetics of spaces as varied as former mills, bakeries, and hotels while producing them into five hour embedded experiences where up to eight different performances unfold.

His doctoral research was on risk construction in a regulatory context, and the underlying dynamics of how we explore uncertainty with regards to new technologies. The theoretical framework of this research underpins his explorations within live music presentation models and how patronage and sponsorship interact within the uncertainty that pop culture engineering presents.

He currently lives between Canada and India.

Francesca is a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellow at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm (Sweden) and at University of Zurich (Switzerland). She is also an affiliated researcher to the Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change (CMCC). Her project, LIBRA, aims at computing the sustainability trade-offs of investments in artificial intelligence (AI). Economist by background, Francesca holds a PhD in Climate Change Sciences and Management from Ca’ Foscari University (Venice, Italy).

Michel facilitates the co-creation of planetary communities. As a founding partner of Together Institute, he works with a variety of global networks to help grow community and cultivate a culture of genuine co-creation for the regeneration of our planet. Previously, Michel co-founded Impact Hub Zürich and led the transition of the global Impact Hub network towards a distributed organization with 100+ spaces across the world. He is a passionate contact dancer and co-author of the Community Weaving Framework.

Jeffrey is a researcher at Université Sorbonne Paris Nord (USPN) who explores how global economic systems shape environments, and vice-versa. His work focuses on how social and economic power drive unequal environmental impacts, often hitting vulnerable communities the hardest. Jeff has worked as an economist for the World Bank and the Banque de France, and taught at Sciences Po and USPN. He holds a PhD in economics from USPN.

Noémi is a movement and somatic arts facilitator with an unwavering passion for shadow work, deepening intimacy, emotional processing through the soma (body). She guides individuals and groups into deeper awareness of listening and understanding the dynamics of mind, heart and soul and helps them discover the hidden truth through conscious movement.

She supports people to rediscover their authentic selves by using the power of their bodies. Through her guidance and embodiment practices, she aims to create a profound sense of connection and empower participants to embrace their uniqueness. She believes that as human beings, we can learn to navigate our emotions in a healthy way, strengthen our resilience: somatic practice is key in this process.

Part of the process is to create visual expressions of the inner landscapes, that can bring clarity to chaos and a more compassionate way of feeling and living. Noemi inspires people to creatively and actively engage with whats within one self and the world outside. She currently deepens her knowledge in somatic trauma healing and transdisciplinary arts therapy.

Helder has learned and worked with recognized permaculturists like the cocreator of permaculture Bill Mollison, and other pioneers of this movement like Geoff Lawton, Doug Bullock, Rosemary Morrow, Darren Doherty and Sepp Holzer, to name a few, and in the major world climatic regions. In this process Helder has been researching & implementing sustainability principles in a wide variety of environments, from urban and rural plots in the north and south of Europe to the the arid landscapes of Egypt & Turkey and lately big scale areas of tropical jungles of Peru and Brazil and favilitated knowledge sharing with tribal communities of Quechua and Shipibo tradition.

Helder is a strong supporter of low-income farmers and focuses his work on the creation of strong social structures to build strong foundations for resilient communities. His niche lies in the creation of harmonious social and natural landscapes that demonstrate a high quality of life and a paradigm shift. He is the founder of New School Permaculture and is very passionate about non-formal education and creative methodologies to deliver knowledge.

Andreas is a Quaker, Zen practitioner, and Nonviolent Communication (NVC) practitioner, as well as a PhD candidate in Robotics and Computer Vision. With an engineering background, he values evidence-based decision-making, yet he is also a spiritual seeker, deeply rooted in guidance nurtured through silence, both in solitude and within a community. He believes that, for the most pressing issues of our time, technology alone is not the solution; rather, it is the creation of communities where individuals are encouraged and given the space to know themselves, understand their patterns and traumas, and feel safe to be authentic. In such communities, people can express their feelings and needs openly, make clear requests, and—guided by shared needs—co-create, re-evaluate, and adapt the ways they live together, without the concentration of power.

Alex (she/they) is an award-winning strategist, facilitator, and systems thinker based in Berlin, Germany. With a multidisciplinary background, she leverages her expertise to empower entrepreneurs, journalists, activists, and scientists to collaboratively address global challenges. Alex approaches strategic design not just as a methodology, but as a dynamic, three-dimensional space for fostering collective and embodied systems change. Her innovative work in bottom-up policy transformation was recently awarded with the New European Bauhaus Prize. By integrating social science, politics, culture, and economics, Alex is researching pathways toward regenerative economic systems.

Ghost of Her is a DJ from Berlin/Zürich. With each of her sets, she tells a novel and engaging story, borrowing from different genres and energy levels, maintaining a red thread of deeply emotional melodies, driving baselines and psychedelic elements. This Ghost is in love with music as much as she is with the beings on this earth and beyond, always aiming to weave into her sets a feeling of playfulness and connection.”

Dinero Ash is an established Indian artist from New Delhi, known for his unique blend of hip-hop and oldschool Bollywood songs. Dinero Ash’s debut single “Dilli Hai” received critical acclaim and showcased his lyrical prowess, earning him a loyal fanbase. Over the years, he has released several successful tracks and collaborated with notable artists like the Apache Indian “Rise Up”, “Freedom”, further establishing his presence in the music scene. Dinero is also involved in various philanthropic efforts and his acclaimed social project the D’Club, using a drumming collective as a platform to give back to the community.

Suvarchala is the founder of Mythic Futures, where she guides founders, creatives, and couples to rewire identity and intimacy. Weaving archetypal myths, Internal Family Systems, and identity-shifting, she helps people face and integrate the exiled parts of themselves, and the hidden patterns in their relationships. From co-founders learning to lead in alignment to parents reclaiming the erotic, her work opens thresholds where transformation becomes not just personal, but relational, mythic, and fiercely alive.

Miro envisions a world where every breath leads to moments of discovery, healing, and empowerment. As a breathwork facilitator, Miro combines sacred space creation, cacao rituals, and breathwork to inspire personal transformation. His work is guided by a deep belief in the power of kindness, compassion, and mindful breathing to enhance global well-being.

Daisy has roots from Chile and Italy and grew up in Switzerland. She is a spoken word poet and movement facilitator.

Daisy struggled with depression and drug addiction at a young age, and experienced the limits of conventional therapy. She felt the need for somatic approacthes to have a real breakthrough and start living the life she wanted. After an intense study and work of over five years with Brazilian choreographer Gisela’s Rocha’s Movement for Life method, Daisy is excited to share this movement practice with Kaleido every morning.

Rakesh‘s work lives at the intersection of strategic alignment and human connection, and is the go to person for tech leaders when they are stuck in misalignment, eroding trust, or innovation paralysis with their teams.

When Rakesh is not fixing team dysfunction, he explores the intersection of art, food, and human connection through his food pop-up, mformittai & community space, Studio Idam in Berlin – because alignment isn’t just about workflows, but shared experiences.

Sara has been active for 15 years in different environmental and climate organisations and has a degree in environmental and energy systems engineering. Currently working with helping cities to finance nature-based solutions (NBS), in her free time she’s working on the project “Reconnect to what matters” (www.reconnect.earth). Together with others she likes exploring how we can change or build a new economic system (being a fan of Wellbeing Economics) and how we can build resilience together, to withstand possible collapses.

Lila comes from a professional background in contemporary dance and choreography. Her path led her into years of immersive study in consciousness and inner work with teachers across Israel, India, and beyond — shaping her unique way of guiding others into embodied self-awareness.

Thomas left a decade-long career in engineering and sustainable finance, including work with the United Nations, to follow a calling into deep spiritual inquiry. He now holds spaces of transmission where inner transformation becomes a gateway to outer purpose.

Together, they guide journeys that explore how inner shifts can shape new realities — in our relationships, our choices, and the way we move through the world.

Nithin is a sound artist, curator and musician from Kerala, India.

Fascinated by all things ‘sound’ and ‘listening’, Nithin stumbled across his passion for curating listening experiences. His artistic practice revolves around facilitating listening spaces that allow listeners to enter an open, empathetic, and attentive states of mind. Nithin’s work has found homes in various platforms like Serendipity Arts Festival (Goa), Hyderabad Literature Festival, Ashoka University (Delhi), OtherPeople (NY), Radio Al Hara (Ramallah, Palestine), BoxoutFM (Delhi), BuchBasel (Switzerland)

Nithin is currently based in Berlin and is pursuing a Master’s in Sound Studies and Sonics Arts at the University of Arts in Berlin. Nithin has been programming Free.wav, an electronic music and sonic arts residency, since 2021 at Bhoomi Farms, set up by his family as an arts residency space.

Precious Plastic Zurich is a project and a part of the global community of people concerned with the use and recycling of plastic. We believe that the value of this resource should not be lost at the end of products’ lives.

Trent is one of the co-founders and the Managing Director of the World Spirit of the Game Foundation. He is also founder and President of 10 Million Discs, an international NGO which uses the unique sport of Ultimate frisbee to advance a wide array of social and humanitarian causes around the world.

His background includes a wide variety of start-ups, both operating and consulting, and he has utilized that experience to help 10 Million Discs develop a diverse global network with very low overhead. His vision is to put that network to use, taking Spirit of the Game pilot programs developed and tested in Switzerland and spreading them globally.

Trent is a US citizen, Swiss resident and lives in Zurich with his wife and 3 year old son

info coming soon.

Alex is a sound therapist, dancer and scientist. They are interested in the subtle perception of what emerges when bodies connect via music and dance. Another interest is the sustainability of traditional building techniques.

Yoga entered Magdalena’s life in childhood like a gentle whisper — then faded, only to return when she was ready to listen. More than a decade later, the practice called her back. What began as playful curiosity became a journey that carried her through life’s challenges into deep peace, wholeness, and the quiet joy of being.

While working in academia, she kept searching — for the roots of our collective crises, for truth beyond systems. Yoga became the place where those questions softened, and where she found connection and clarity.

Today, rooted in classical Hatha and inspired by Bhakti devotion and Jnana inquiry, Magdalena bridges inner transformation and cultural change. Her classes are a deep immersion into your true self — an invitation to move beyond conditioning into connection and to flow with life’s dance, from where inner peace can ripple outward.

Maureen explores movement, voice and connection across artistic and everyday spaces. As a contemporary dancer based in Switzerland and working across Europe, she creates interactive projects that invite people to sense, move, and experience together.

Her work blends dance with other disciplines —always with a focus on shared experience and embodied presence. The voice, shaped through years of singing and vocal exploration, is a key tool for Maureen to open up inner and outer spaces.

Influenced by studies in Sufism and Environmental Somatics, she bridges inner and outer landscapes with a gentle curiosity for the in between. Her practice creates space for feeling, relating, and sense making—playfully and with depth.

Naveen is Co-founder and Creative Director of Kaleido.
He’s passionate about catalyzing the creative potential of individuals and social systems.

He embodies several selves, as a community organizer, poet, somatic arts facilitator, friend, son, brother, partner and recovering academic.

He has co-founded several organizations including Humane Warriors, which mobilizes North-South action for building socio-environmental equity together with historically marginalized communities, and The Origin AG, which develops mindful technologies and tools for creativity. He was formerly a senior researcher and lecturer for robotics at ETH Zurich.

He currently lives and plays between Zurich and Berlin.

Giulia Dazzi is a singer, songwriter and mandala artist based in Switzerland.

The Kaleido Experience is co-created by all of us!