VOICES
FROM THE COMMUNITY

WORLD.MINDS is a thinking man’s Davos. Matt Kaminski, former Editor-in-Chief of POLITICO

WORLD.MINDS is one of the smartest, most vibrant and most inspiring communities I know. Marc Forster, Filmmaker and Screenwriter, “The Kite Runner” and James Bond “Quantum of Solace”

WORLD.MINDS makes me a better thinker. Henry Kravis, Founder, KKR

WORLD.MINDS is an intellectual oasis. In the desert created by a media monoculture that celebrates ignorance, cynicism, and negative-attention-getting behavior, it’s a community with a shared commitment to the pursuit of the common good and a shared belief that in this pursuit, ideas matter. Paul Romer, Nobel Laureate and former Chief Economist and Senior Vice President, The World Bank

WORLD.MINDS is indispensable to the intellectual vibrancy of our society. Prof. Gerd Gigerenzer, Director, Max Planck Institute, Berlin

WORLD.MINDS is a GREAT community. General David Petraeus, US Army, Former Director of the CIA, Former Commander of the Surge in Iraq

I have never had a better experience working with a team than I did with the WORLD.MINDS stalwart group. Admiral James Stavridis, Former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, Chairman of the Rockefeller Foundation, Vice Chair of the Carlyle Group

I laughed, I cried, I feared, I loved. A lifetime contained within a single day, a high for the mind and the spirit. The incredible content, the people, and — most of all — the great values that govern your taste in being and thinking. One can sense the care and conviction which which you roam the world of the mind: it is most humbling. I felt at home. Prof. Neri Oxman, CEO, OXMAN, Architect, Designer, Inventor

A harmonious group, focusing on things of real concern. Henry Kissinger, Former US Secretary of State

What an AMAZING community! Prof. Chris Mason, Professor of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York

I met so many wonderful people and was exposed to so many exciting ideas and perspectives. It was really like no other symposium I’ve attended. Prof. Emily P. Balskus, Professor of Microbial Sciences at MIT and Harvard

WORLD.MINDS is unique, allowing me to experiment and try new things that I wouldn’t do anywhere else. Daan Roosegaarde, legendary designer and founder of Studio Roosegaarde

WORLD.MINDS is a masterpiece. With no recording, it resembles Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony played only once. Avi Loeb, Chair of Harvard’s Astronomy Department

Extremely intellectually stimulating, vibrant, and memorable. Ritu Raman, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, MIT

WORLD.MINDS is top-notch. It is all around superb. Eric Cantor, former House Majority Leader, US Congress

Brilliant people. A great community and I love the style. Sarah Kenderdine, Professor of Digital Museology Director and lead curator of EPFL Pavilions

WORLD.MINDS is a superb mixture of science, technology, society and culture. Prof. Christof Koch, Chief Scientific Officer, Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle

An incredibly stimulating community! Christoph Franz, Vice Chairman, Zurich Insurance Group

Immensely interesting exchanges! Claude Nicollier, Former Astronaut, now honorary Professor at EPFL and member of the Swiss Space Center

WORLD.MINDS is an amazing community. It’s had a huge positive impact on my life. Guy Spier, CEO, Aquamarine Fund

There is nothing more perfect than WORLD.MINDS. Dr. Rita Sigg

The density of fascinating people at WORLD.MINDS is unparalleled. Ed Boyden, Professor of Neuroscience, McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT

WORLD.MINDS is about bringing different disciplines together. Lord Norman Foster, legendary architect

WORLD.MINDS is an eclectic parade of intriguing talks and people. Kristina Shea, Professor for Engineering Design and Computing, ETH Zurich

WORLD.MINDS: A fantastic community. What a delight talking to smart people not focused on money all the time! Vladimir Kuznetsov, CEO, Kodori AG

WORLD.MINDS: Bravo! Dan Gilbert, Professor of Psychology, Harvard University

WORLD.MINDS is a fantastic community. So many interesting people around, and I wish I could talk to all of them! Laura Baudis, Theoretical Physics, University of Zurich

What a great community! Uli Sigg, Vice Chairman, Ringier Group, former Ambassador to China, the world’s largest collector of Chinese contemporary art, co-founder of M+ Museum in Hong Kong

The WORLD.MINDS community broadens my horizon with ever new insights beyond my own field. Prof. Kurth Wüthrich, Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry 2002, ETH Zurich

WORLD.MINDS is a highlight. Urs Wietlisbach, Co-Founder, Partners Group

An exceptional community! Alex Wassmer, Chairman and Delegate of the Board, Kibag

What a splendid community! Greta Patzke, Professor of inorganic Chemistry, University of Zurich

A community like no other — unparalleled, unrivaled. Georges Kern, CEO and Co-Owner, Breitling

There is nothing more inspiring than being with people who are passionate about what they do. Thank you. Raffaello D’Andrea, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, ETH Zurich

WORLD.MINDS is a most amazing community. What a unique opportunity to meet fascinating people and be confronted with ideas that normally would not cross your way. Harry Hohmeister, Chief Operating Officer, Lufthansa

If your interests extend beyond your own field, WORLD.MINDS is a must. Marc Pollefeys, Director, Microsoft AI Lab

WORLD.MINDS provided a unique and wonderful opportunity for the young scientists at my faculty to interact with outstanding minds that come from a different walk of life – and with whom they would hardly ever interact otherwise. The exchange of ideas between business folk and science folk was refreshing and enriching for all involved. Prof. Michael Hengartner, President, ETH Board

At WORLD.MINDS we all learn a lot from each other! Prof. Helmut Bertalanffy, Professor of Neurological Surgery, International Neuroscience Institute, Hannover

As it turns out, CEOs and scientists do admire and respect each other, and are keenly interested in each other’s work – but they just never get a chance to sit together. From my viewpoint, I can say that – besides attending elating lectures – I made the acquaintance of intriguing, passionate people. Prof. Adriano Aguzzi, Brain Science, University of Zurich

Loaded with inspiration. Congratulations! Tatjana Frey, Chair, Frey Charitable Foundation

WORLD.MINDS is great. Rainer-Marc Frey, Founder of RMF Hedge Fund and Chairman of Horizon21

I am deeply inspired by WORLD.MINDS. This Brunner, Curator, Film Art Basel/Miami

Extremely inspiring! Prof. Dr. Isabelle Mansuy, Professor of Neuroepigenetics, University of Zurich

Packed with fascinating insights. Prof. John-Dylan Haynes, Director, Berlin Center for Advanced Neuroimaging

Food for brain, heart and soul. Prof. Thomas Gutzwiller, Director of Business Innovation, University St. Gallen

WORLD.MINDS is really fantastic. Nenad Ban, Professor of Molecular Biology, ETH Zurich

Thank you, WORLD.MINDS. Julian Savulescu, Professor of Bioethics, Oxford University

WORLD.MINDS powerfully redirects your thinking towards bigger perspectives. Urs Riedener, CEO, Emmi

So many new ideas and insights. Mark Pauly, Professor of Computational Science, EPFL

Improving WORLD.MINDS seems impossible to me! Cristina Nevado, Professor of Molecular Biology, University of Zurich

I am really proud to be amongst such an amazing collection of people! Ben Moore, Professor of Astrophysics, University of Zurich

I truly enjoy WORLD.MINDS. Prof. Axel Lehmann, Corporate Director, Board Member of Credit Suisse

A great mix of exciting people. I met people I never would have met otherwise. All in all a great community. Ursula Keller, Professor of Laser Physics, ETH Zurich

WORLD.MINDS sparks us toward lifelong learning. A very special community. Benedikt Goldkamp, CEO, Phoenix Mecano AG

WORLD.MINDS has delivered on its promise to bring together an interdisciplinary group of fascinating people in an informal, intellectually charged setting. Very unique! Daniel Aegerter, Owner & CEO, Armada Investment Group

Thanks so much for the inspiration. WORLD.MINDS is fantastic! Pascale Bruderer, Board member of Galenica and former Chairperson and Speaker of the House, the Swiss Federal Parliament

I get so much feedback on my ideas from this international community. Prof. Jonathan Haidt, New York University, Author of “The Righteous Mind” and “The Coddling of the American Mind”

The WORLD.MINDS community is inspiring and valuable. I’m a fan! Jean-Jacques Henchoz, Chairman, Hannover Rück

The world needs more of this. Absolutely spectacular! Prof. Omar F. Khan, MIT

WORLD.MINDS is fascinating and highly inspiring. Dr. Peter Wuffli, Chairman of the elea Foundation

The WORLD.MINDS community is delightful. Polina Anikeeva, Professor of Engineering at MIT

Always better. Always reaching new heights. Always more mind-blowing. Beat Curti, Entrepreneur

Usually, communities lose their fascination over time. At WORLD.MINDS, exactly the opposite is true. Bruno S. Frey, Professor and founder of the field of Happiness Research

What a treat WORLD.MINDS is. Prof. Petros Koumoutsakos, Chair of Department of Computer Sciences, Harvard

The WORLD.MINDS community is truly unforgettable. I talk about it non stop. Ksenija Sidorova, one of the world’s best accordionists

Nothing could have prepared me for the excellence of WORLD.MINDS. José Borges dos Santos Jr, Brazilian Ambassador

WORLD.MINDS is an inspiring firework of ideas. It’s perfect to connect with impressive personalities. I am thrilled to be part of WORLD.MINDS. Stefanie Bailer, Professor of Political Science at the University of Basel

I am very impressed with WORLD.MINDS. Geoff Mulgan, Director, NESTA UK

I am absolutely thrilled to be part of the WORLD.MINDS community. I love the vibrant spirit; you can almost touch the optimism, the limitless beauty of human ingenuity, the pursuit of good that connects and elevates us all. Effy Vayena, Professor of Bioethics, ETH Zurich and Belfer Center, Harvard

WORLD.MINDS is a unique and very inspiring community, sharing bright ideas which are able to shape the future. Prof. Roland Berger, Honorary Chairman, Roland Berger Strategy Consultants GmbH

I have seen my fair share of communities all over the world, and WORLD.MINDS is up there with truly the best. The quality of audience, speakers and intimacy of the gathering is excellent. Richard Browning, Founder & Chief Test Pilot, Gravity Industries Ltd.

The WORLD.MINDS community has a special warm and cosy vibe that I have never experienced elsewhere. Auke Ijspeert, Professor of Robotics, EPFL

WORLD.MINDS is above and beyond my highest expectations. Daniel Kessler, Managing Director, Boston Consulting Group

An amazing community and a wonderful opportunity to think outside the box. Ina Vorberg, Professor, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases

WORLD.MINDS is a fantastic opportunity to think about completely new things! Dr. Walker Jackson, Research Group Leader, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases

At WORLD.MINDS science becomes art and art science. Antje Boetius, Professor, Max Planck Institute for Marine Biology

WORLD.MINDS is the place where modern visionaries convene. This is driving WORLD.MINDS: Not fame, nor money, nor titles. But people, passion and vision. Elisa Resconi, Professor of Experimental Physics, TU München

The urge and passion of WORLD.MINDS is contagious. Marc Alexa, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, TU Berlin

WORLD.MINDS is a wonderful source of inspiration. Gabriela Schaepman-Strub, Research Scientist, University of Zurich

Mind-blowing. Andrea Macciò, Professor of Physics, New York University

An incredible intellectual inspiration. Prof. Heike Allgayer, Department Head of Experimental Surgery at the Mannheim Medical Faculty of University of Heidelberg, Germany; Head of the Molecular Oncology of Solid Tumors Unit at German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg

Inspiring, passionate, lively, and powered by a generous sharing of ideas and insights. Dr. Siv Bublitz, Publisher, S. Fischer Publisher

WORLD.MINDS is as rich as a box of Swiss chocolates. Fred Guterl, Former Executive Editor, Scientific American

The spirit of WORLD.MINDS stays with me. Laura de Weck, Playwright, Actress

I attend many conferences but have never experienced one quite like WORLD.MINDS! Prof. Roy F. Baumeister, Head of the Social Psychology Department, Florida State University

WORLD.MINDS is pure inspiration and enlightenment – a festival, a spectacle for all my senses! Anatole Taubman, Actor

The intellectual depth of the great minds united at WORLD.MINDS is unique. Dirk Schütz, Chief Editor, BILANZ Magazine

WORLD.MINDS is both unique and essential! Yves Barral, Professor of Cell Biology, ETH Zurich

WORLD.MINDS is the best evidence that intellectual standards are rising. Finn Canonica, Chief Editor, Das Magazin

All that talk about the opportunities of re-wiring your brain and the need to do so: WORLD.MINDS is the place to actively go about it. Brilliant. Christoph Brand, CEO, Axpo Group

A groundbreaking community. Nils Hagander, Founder, a-connect

Stimulating and enriching. Nicolas Gruber, Professor of Environmental Physics, ETH Zurich

WORLD.MINDS is a community I wouldn’t like to miss out on! Dieter Ammann, Composer

WORLD.MINDS is like diving in a pool full of high IQ-ed fish. Prof. Sacha Menz, Architect and Chair for Building Processes, ETH Zurich

WORLD.MINDS created a highly charged, yet comfortable, environment. Nathan Luedtke, Professor of Organic Chemistry, McGill University

An excellent community to break out of your daily professional life. Thomas Buberl, Global CEO, AXA

Passionate, free-spirited personalities with surprising ideas. Bice Curiger, Editorial Director, Tate etc. and curator of the Museum of Fine Arts, Zurich

Brilliant. The questions and challenges which define our time. Martin Meyer, Neue Zürcher Zeitung

Keep it up; you’re on to a great thing.  Prof. Daniel C. Dennett, Philosopher and Author of several New York Times bestsellers, Tufts University

WORLD.MINDS is an open door to the world of new ideas and new ways of understanding the world we live in. Bill Bonner, CEO, Agora Publishing, Paris

I find WORLD.MINDS incredibly stimulating. This is one-of-a-kind. Roel van de Krol, Professor and Head of the Institute for Solar Fuels, Helmholtz-Zentrum

WORLD.MINDS takes us to areas and perspectives we would normally not meet in our professional lives. Prof. Wolff Schmiegel, President, Deutsche Krebsgesellschaft

Take the most inspiring people of our time and put them together into one community – that is WORLD.MINDS. Ralph Langner, discoverer of Stuxnet and CEO, Langner Communications

WORLD.MINDS is an exceptional community. Christian Dorer, Chief Editor Blick Group, Ringier

WORLD.MINDS embodies a new way of thinking. Ernst-Wilhelm Händler, Fiction Writer, Munich

WORLD.MINDS allows me to discover an entire new dimension of inspiration. Pascal Fleury, Engineer, Google

WORLD.MINDS is amazing.  Hailey Gahlon, Senior Scientist/Group Leader, ETH Zurich

Quite an incredible community. Sergei Lupashin, Founder & CEO of Perspective Robotics