LevelUp Europe 2025
Sofia, Bulgaria
April 11–13, 2025
Sofia, Bulgaria | April 11–13, 2025
Speakers
Speakers subject to change.
Program
Craig Biddle
Objectivity, you may have heard, is impossible. We can’t know “truth” in absolute terms. We can’t know anything as it “really is.” The best we can do is to “approximate” truth or get closer to it. Conclusive knowledge, in this view, is forever elusive.
Craig Biddle will show what is wrong with such claims. More importantly, he will show that knowledge is not only possible but also widespread—including in your head; and he will show how a particularly powerful question, when properly applied, can help you to see which ideas are grounded in reality, and which are not.
Angelica Walker-Werth
Have you been deeply moved by any fictional characters—whether from novels, movies, or series? If so, why? Did you learn something important from their journeys? Did their choices and experiences help you to think more clearly about your own?
Character arcs can have a profoundly positive impact on our lives—especially if we clearly identify the stages of the arc and what caused the character to change. Angel Walker-Werth will examine a few powerful arcs from great fiction, showing the kinds of observations and questions that can help us get the most from the characters we love.
Thomas Walker-Werth
How can you decide what to make of your life? How can you choose among the countless alternatives? And, when you do decide, what must you do to follow through and build a life you love? Answering such questions is essential to making your life the best it can be. And it isn’t easy.
Thomas Walker-Werth will provide a step-by-step plan for deciding what you want, organizing your goals with respect to their relative importance, and achieving a life of happiness.
Ely Lassman
Stoicism is a deeply mixed philosophy, consisting of powerful, practical guidance that can help one improve their life—scattered amidst a sea of confusing, bizarre, and even harmful ideas. To truly appreciate the Stoic system, one must first understand the historical and philosophic context from which it arose.
Drawing from various philosophers in this broad and increasingly popular school of thought, Ely Lassman will highlight some of the good elements, discuss some of the bad, and provide guidance on how to tell the difference so you can embrace the former and ditch the latter.
Johan Norberg
Throughout much of history, oppression and misery have prevailed. But there have also been spectacular episodes of creativity, innovation, and growth—from ancient Athens and Rome to Song China and the Dutch Republic. What made these golden ages possible? Why did they eventually come to an end?
Johan Norberg will examine these periods of prosperity, identifying the ideas and values that can help us to safeguard freedom, foster flourishing, and build a new golden age.
Africa Brooke
Are you ready to claim your voice in a world that often demands silence? Blending personal stories, timeless principles, and practical tools, this talk will empower you to overcome “self-censorship” and the fear of judgment, manage the discomfort of challenging the status quo, and contribute meaningfully to the conversations that shape our lives. Africa will explore what it takes to stand by your values, express your ideas, and navigate the challenges of being authentically visible in an increasingly polarised world. You’ll be inspired and better equipped to use your voice as a powerful instrument for change.
Roxana Nicula
Roxana co-founded and leads Spain’s most successful pro-liberty organization, Fundalib. Her organization has directly influenced pro-liberty legislation that has benefitted more than half of Spain’s population. What’s the secret to her success? She grounds her pro-liberty endeavors in entrepreneurial principles.
Roxana will share how to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset, drawing on her decade of experience at Fundalib as well as her time at a Mexican magazine for classic liberal thinkers to provide both vivid examples and practical advice.
Craig Biddle, Thomas Walker-Werth, and Angelica Walker-Werth
Do people really have free will? Can morality truly be objective? Is certainty or absolute knowledge possible? Is there any role for faith in life? How about sacrifice? Might God exist? Are rights real or made up? Should immigration be restricted? How about abortion?
If you are active-minded, you ask these kinds of questions—and you want to know what’s true. The panelists in this Q&A, however, will not focus on what is true. Rather, they will focus on the method by which you can discover for yourself what is true.
Bring your hard or pressing questions, and get ready for a deep, illuminating discussion about philosophy and independent thinking.
(Program is subject to change.)
Schedule
- 3:00–5:00 pm Check-in
- 6:15–6:45 pm Meet other attendees
- 6:45 pm Welcome
- 7:00–8:00 pm Golden Ages and How to Create Them Johan Norberg
- 8:00–9:00 pm Reception (drinks and snacks served)
- 8:00–9:00 am Breakfast in hotel restaurant (included for scholarship recipients)
- 9:00–10:00 am Objectivity in One Question Craig Biddle
- 10:00–10:15 am Coffee break
- 10:15–11:15 am Brave Expression: The Courage to Speak Up Africa Brooke
- 11:15–11:30 am Break
- 11:30–12:30 am The Value of Entrepreneurship: Building the Future Roxana Nicula
- 12:30–2:00 pm Lunch
- 2:00–3:30 pm Networking event
- 3:30–3:45 pm Coffee beak
- 3:45–5:15 pm Panel: Q&A on Philosophy and Independent Thinking (ends at 5:15 pm) Craig Biddle, Thomas Walker-Werth, and Angelica Walker-Werth
- 6:00 pm Banquet/dance
- 8:00–9:00 am Breakfast in hotel restaurant (included for scholarship recipients)
- 9:00–10:00 am Stoicism: Medicine for the Soul? Ely Lassman
- 10:00–10:15 am Coffee break
- 10:15–11:15 am Character Arcs and the Arc of Your Life: How Fictional Heroes Can Help You Thrive Angelica Walker-Werth
- 11:15–11:45 am Break
- 11:45–12:45 am Creating and Climbing Your Ladder of Happiness Thomas Walker-Werth
- 12:45–1:00 pm Closing
- 3:00 pm Optional afternoon activity The Sofia Communism Outdoor Escape Game
Schedule subject to change.
Frequently Asked Questions
LevelUp is for people who want to live free and flourish. The theme of the conference—the thread connecting all of the lectures—is that freedom and flourishing are consequences of certain ideas that were developed over thousands of years and are still being refined today. The conference will help you to better understand and act on these ideas, to thrive in your ventures and relationships, and to support liberty on solid ground. If those are your goals, this conference is for you.
Dress comfortably! We recommend casual attire for the social mixer and daily lectures, and cocktail attire for the Saturday banquet.
Internet access for conference attendees is free throughout the hotel.
A great way to meet other attendees is to join LevelUp Europe on WhatsApp. Simply click “Join,” say hi, and enjoy a warm welcome. You can meet other attendees, find roommates, ask questions, post suggestions, and discover fun things to do in the Sofia area.
For international travelers, we recommend using Google Flights to find the most affordable and suitable flights.
If you register and, for any reason, are unable to attend the conference, LevelUp will refund your registration fees, including banquet tickets, in full. Simply email [email protected] with the subject line “Cancel LevelUp Europe Registration,” and we will refund your registration fees in full. For Lodging scholarship recipients, please note that we will NOT reimburse you for unused travel tickets. We recommend that you purchase refundable travel tickets and/or appropriate cancellation insurance.
