Slovakia Needs Greater Resilience. Impact Summit Will Show Where to Find It
01.12.2025 |
The third edition of the Impact Summit brings discussions on both personal and societal resilience and connects people from business, public administration, and civic initiatives. Among the keynote guests are hockey legend Dominik Hašek, Czech entrepreneur and philanthropist Dalibor Dědek, and representatives of the team of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, leader of the Belarusian opposition movement.
At a time when an increasing number of societies are experiencing tension and distrust, it is crucial to reopen a dialogue about what unites us. At the Impact Summit, taking place on December 3, 2025 at the Arena Theatre, representatives of key sectors will come together to discuss what resilience means today.
“Resilience represents the ability to cope with the challenges and obstacles we face on a daily basis. At a time when democratic countries are threatened by hybrid warfare, legislative and verbal attacks by politicians on the domestic scene, as well as the physical threat of military conflict, resilience has become a key skill for both institutions and individuals,” says Martina Kolesárová, Co-CEO of the Pontis Foundation.
From Sport to Business and the Fight for Freedom
A message on taking responsibility in the fight for democracy has been prepared for the summit by the leader of the Belarusian democratic movement, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. Together with her colleagues Kryścina Šyjanok and Karim Pedersen, who will attend the event in person, they will discuss what it is like to build democracy from exile, how exile affects individuals, their relationships and motivation, and what it means to become a leader you never planned to be.
The summit will also feature a discussion with publishers of the largest media houses in Slovakia. Journalist Laura Kellö Kalinská will moderate a debate with Ivan Antal, Alexej Fulmek, Lukáš Fila, and Peter Gažík on how to find balance between truth and profit, and between pressure and ethics.
“A resilient society is a cohesive society. Every day we read, listen to, and watch news that can encourage or divide us. The media play a crucial role in shaping the public mood through what they cover and how they talk about it,” explains Martina Kolesárová. The discussion will be livestreamed.
Another part available online will be a conversation on the challenges of leadership and staying true to one’s values with former President Zuzana Čaputová and legendary goaltender Dominik Hašek. Czech entrepreneur and philanthropist Dalibor Dědek will speak about the importance of business being involved in issues such as supporting Ukraine. Negotiator Adam Dolník, who has also trained FBI agents, will address the topic of personal resilience, not only within challenging professions.
Livestreams will be available online at impactsummit.sk and on the Pontis Foundation’s YouTube channel.
Data on Our Society
The summit will present exclusive data on public perception of democracy through the Democracy Perception Index. Slovakia has joined this global survey for the very first time. The index shows how people assess democracy and how well governments in individual countries uphold fundamental democratic principles.
Space for #nextgen and Their Solutions
The event also involves a group of ten active people under the age of 35 through the new Impact Summit #nextgen program. The concept focuses on supporting a young generation that wants to channel its ideas into improving quality of life in Slovakia. The future leaders are already working on climate strategies, startups, media literacy, and socially excluded communities.
“We believe that today it is not enough to talk about problems. We must jointly seek solutions. Impact Summit aims to be a space where voices from different backgrounds come together to search for answers, rather than to further polarize the society,” Martina Kolesárová concluded.
Impact Summit is an event organized by the Pontis Foundation, bringing together more than 300 people from business, civil society, media, and public administration to discuss challenges shaping the future of society. The event format combines panel discussions, interviews, and networking opportunities. The program is available via provided link.