Powerful Speakers Take the Stage at GRID10

Wildly successful Eat Pray Love author Elizabeth Gilbert will speak at GRID10 in Stockholm this September. She will be joining legendary media queen Martha Stewart and Alec Ross, Senior Advisor on Innovation to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. "It's an amazing line up of powerful guests that will speak at this exclusive Bonnier event," says Stefan Mehr, GRID curator and responsible for creating a program with extraordinary speakers and unexpected surprises.

But what is it that makes them all want to come to Stockholm? "There are many things that make us attractive, but most of all it's the concept of the GRID conference and the blend of media people in the audience. The Bonnier brand has a very good reputation abroad, and of course it helps that it's Jonas Bonnier himself who invites them as the host and moderator," says Mehr.

 This year the theme is passion, so the speakers have to be passionate and inspiring, says Mehr. "We want them to challenge our conventional thinking and open our eyes. If they do that it really doesn't matter what they are speaking about," he says.

That's why the 250 Bonnier participants from around the world will meet movers and shakers, scientists, artists, high-tech-magicians, chocolate creators, language inventors, violinists, heroic doctors - and also Jonas Bonnier's favorite singer-songwriter from Los Angeles.

Finding the speakers is like making a magazine, Mehr says. "We look for great stories and storytellers. Our biggest inspiration is the TED conference, but we also have a great network through our book publishers," he says. "But GRID is so much more than the speakers - most of all it's about the people who meet for networking and workshops to create great ideas."

GRID10 will take place September 6-7 at Alfred Nobel's gunpowder factory in Stockholm, with only specially invited Bonnier employees attending. You can view the full list of GRID10 speakers here. After the conference, you can also watch all the talks online here to be inspired yourself.