Rebelling Forward: Turning Curiosity Into a Super-Engine

Speaker: Dr. Slaven Steković

What if rebellion wasn’t about resisting the world—but about resisting the limits we quietly accept for ourselves? In this powerful and unconventional session, Dr. Slaven Steković invites us to rethink rebellion as a creative force: one driven by curiosity, courage, and a refusal to follow predefined paths.

At Futures Leaders Summit, Slaven shares a deeply personal journey of rebelling forward—purposefully challenging expectations rather than choosing safety. His story traces a non-linear path from a curious child fascinated by the mechanics of life (and guitars) to becoming a leading scientist and entrepreneur at the intersection of longevity, artificial intelligence, and drug discovery.

Curiosity as a Super-Engine

At the heart of this talk lies one central idea: curiosity is not a distraction—it is a super-engine. Slaven reveals how sustained curiosity enabled him to navigate uncertainty, embrace complexity, and move fluidly between disciplines.

From early academic adventures to pioneering research in aging, and from building startups to successfully exiting companies, curiosity served as the driving force behind every major leap. Not despite the uncertainty—but because of it.

A Non-Linear Path to Impact

This session challenges the myth of the linear career. Slaven’s journey demonstrates that meaningful impact often emerges at the crossroads of science, entrepreneurship, and human potential. By refusing to stay within conventional boundaries, he built a career that bridges cutting-edge biology, AI-driven drug discovery, and real-world application.

Through stories that connect love, death, and robots (pun fully intended), he illustrates how science and humanity are not opposing forces—but deeply intertwined.

Question Boldly, Build with Purpose

More than a personal story, this talk is a call to action. Slaven encourages the audience to question boldly, embrace uncertainty, and stop waiting for permission. Rebellion, in this context, becomes an act of purpose—choosing to build a future aligned with values, not expectations.

Yes, chemistry and biology may make an appearance. But at its core, this session is about mindset: how curiosity, paired with the courage to challenge norms, can unlock extraordinary personal and societal impact.