Shaping the Future of Human Wellbeing

For Prof. Dr. Anabel Ternès von Hattburg, the idea of creating a better future did not begin in a boardroom, university or international conference. It began on a beach in Germany when she was only seven years old. Seeing plastic waste scattered across Norddeich-Mole, she felt that it did not belong there. Instead of simply walking past it, she started collecting it and speaking about protecting nature.

That childhood instinct has remained at the heart of Anabel’s life. Over the years, it has developed into a wide professional journey spanning psychology, education, science, entrepreneurship, sustainability, health, digitalisation and social impact. Today, her work is increasingly focused on a question that touches every generation: how can people live longer, healthier and more meaningful lives while remaining connected to one another and to the world around them?

A Childhood Instinct Became a Lifelong Purpose

Long before terms such as sustainability, social entrepreneurship and responsible innovation became part of everyday professional conversations, Anabel was already responding to the world around her.

The little girl collecting plastic from the beach also found expression through music. She played and composed music, sang and became involved in campaigns supporting animals. These early experiences shaped a worldview based on care, responsibility and action.

For Anabel, caring about people, animals and the environment were never separate ideas. They were connected by one simple belief: what is alive deserves protection.

That perspective eventually influenced her academic and professional choices. Rather than building a career inside only one discipline, she moved across different fields, gathering knowledge that could later be brought together in a broader vision of human and societal progress.

From Psychology And Education To Global Leadership

Anabel’s professional path reflects an unusual combination of academic knowledge and practical experience. Her background includes business administration, education, psychology, communication and doctoral research, alongside leadership roles and entrepreneurial ventures.

Her career has also taken her into international business and management, giving her an understanding of how organisations operate while strengthening her interest in the human side of leadership and innovation.

Over time, her work expanded beyond conventional business objectives. Education, sustainability, digitalisation and social responsibility became increasingly connected in her thinking.

Today, her public work includes teaching, entrepreneurship, research, writing, speaking and advisory activities. She has also been involved with international organisations and networks connected to sustainability, women’s empowerment and global development.

Her journey demonstrates that professional identity does not always have to fit into one category. For Anabel, different disciplines become more powerful when they are brought together around a meaningful purpose.

A New Focus On Human Wellbeing

One of the most important directions in Anabel’s current work is human wellbeing.

She sees health as something much broader than treating illness after it appears. Mental health, physical health, nutrition, psychology, science and responsible innovation all have a role to play in helping people understand and protect their wellbeing.

This holistic approach is particularly important in her work around women’s health. Through initiatives such as the Women’s Research Collective and GetYourWings, she is interested in connecting scientific knowledge with practical tools that can help women understand their health and make informed decisions throughout their lives.

Her philosophy can be expressed simply: “The future is created by what we choose to do with the present.”

For Anabel, this is not simply an inspirational statement. It reflects a personal lesson shaped by difficult experiences and years of reflection.

Learning To Value The Present

Behind the professional achievements is a deeply personal understanding of vulnerability.

Anabel recalls spending two years in intensive care, largely confined to a cement bed and with very limited movement. The experience changed her relationship with time, self-care and life itself.

It taught her that self-love is not selfishness. Instead, she came to see it as the foundation that allows people to care for others, accept responsibility and create something meaningful.

The experience also strengthened her belief that people should not constantly postpone living for a future moment.

For someone whose professional life is heavily focused on the future, this creates an interesting balance. Anabel plans for tomorrow while remaining deeply conscious of today.

Her message is about presence, boundaries and personal responsibility. Listening to yourself, accepting your humanity and understanding your limits can become important parts of building a meaningful life.

Connecting Nutrition, Heritage And Prevention

Anabel’s interest in wellbeing also connects with her family history.

Through Lavivee, she is bringing forward a family heritage linked to nutrition and traditional approaches to wellbeing. Her great-uncle, the Archbishop of Bucharest and Honorary Prelate of His Holiness, devoted much of his life to helping people through nutrition and holistic approaches to health.

His work became controversial during the political circumstances of his time and eventually contributed to his imprisonment. For Anabel, however, his dedication to serving people remains an important source of inspiration.

This heritage adds another dimension to her current work. It connects the past with emerging conversations around prevention, longevity, nutrition and health.

Rather than viewing traditional knowledge and modern science as opposites, Anabel’s approach is about creating meaningful connections between them.

A Career Built Across Many Worlds

Anabel’s achievements extend across multiple professional fields. She has built experience in psychology, science, education, journalism, entrepreneurship and sustainability while leading organisations and contributing to international networks and think tanks.

She has also established herself as an author and communicator, with more than 55 books and over 500 articles to her name according to her professional biography.

Her speaking career has taken her to international platforms, including the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Vatican, ECOSOC, Horasis and Climate Week New York.

She has received more than 60 national and international recognitions connected with entrepreneurship, education, sustainability and social impact.

Yet Anabel does not define her life primarily through awards.

For her, achievement is more meaningful when knowledge becomes action. The real measure of success is whether ideas can improve lives, create opportunities and inspire people to take responsibility for the future.

Building A Future That Keeps People At The Centre

Looking ahead, Anabel sees herself as a bridge between generations, disciplines and worlds.

Her vision includes international platforms connecting psychology, education, health, technology, entrepreneurship and sustainability. At the centre of this vision is the human being.

She believes artificial intelligence should expand human potential without replacing human responsibility. She wants women’s health to receive deeper attention across the entire lifespan. She also sees education as something that should prepare people not only for professions but for constant change.

For Anabel, longevity should not simply mean living longer. It should mean living with health, purpose, dignity and connection.

This is particularly relevant in a world experiencing rapid technological and social transformation. As innovation accelerates, her work asks an equally important question: how can humanity ensure that progress remains human?

The Little Girl On The Beach Still Leads The Way

Anabel’s story may span universities, businesses, international organisations, books and global stages, but its emotional centre remains remarkably simple.

It is the memory of a seven-year-old girl standing on a German beach, seeing something that was wrong and deciding to do something about it.

That instinct has followed her through every stage of her life.

Today, the challenges she addresses are far larger. They include women’s health, mental wellbeing, sustainability, technology, education, longevity and responsible innovation.

But the underlying principle has remained the same.

When something matters, action matters.

Anabel’s future vision is therefore not only about building new institutions, platforms or ideas. It is about empowering people to become active participants in shaping their own lives and the world around them.

Her journey shows that the future does not begin years from now. It begins with the choices people make today, the knowledge they share, the lives they influence and the responsibility they are willing to accept.

And perhaps that is why the little girl from Norddeich-Mole remains such an important part of Anabel’s story. She reminds us that meaningful change often begins with something very simple: noticing what matters and choosing not to look away.

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