Alessa Berg is the founder and CEO of Top Tier Impact, the global platform in impact and climate investing across more than 50 countries. Alessa graduated from Oxford University and started her career in M&A at Goldman Sachs and private equity at Blackstone. Alessa is also the host & creator of “Road to Utopia”, live on Prime Video and Gaia TV.

André Costa de Sousa is an award-winning entrepreneur, designer, and strategist whose work connects technology, architecture, and education through his philosophy of remodularity—designing systems that evolve, reconfigure, and waste nothing. He is the founder of Nespra, a boutique digital agency established in 2001 that has grown into an ecosystem of ventures spanning AI, construction, and learning innovation. These include Sosaba, a remodular construction company focused on circular design, and Nespritos, a platform developing AI-native solutions for businesses and consumers. An MBA graduate of Oxford University, André has worked across Europe, the United States, and Africa, combining strategic foresight with design empathy

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Anna C. W. de Matos is the CEO and Founder of the Circular Library Network (CLN) and the Munasafn RVK Tool Library in Reykjavík. With a background in conservation and restoration, Anna is passionate about practical circular solutions that empower communities. Since launching Iceland’s first tool-sharing library in 2018, she has grown CLN into a scalable platform that combines modular hardware, smart tech and a peer-to-peer community to support shared-use initiatives around the world. Anna is a recognized voice in circular innovation, committed to making sustainability accessible, collaborative and impactful.

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Barbara Arita is a multidisciplinary project manager with a background in economics and architecture. She has shaped innovative organizations and grassroots movements, including co-founding Lisbon’s first multi-sector cooperative and scaling a pioneering NGO. She is currently at Startup Guide, building bridges between people, disciplines and systems to drive meaningful change

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Based in Washington, DC, Brad Simonich is the Senior Manager of Global Partnerships at ACT | The App Association, ensuring that technology startups, scaleups, and small businesses understand and participate in the policymaking process in Brussels and beyond.

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As Partner and Managing Director, Johanna anchors 21st Europe in timely policy agendas and ensures their translation into actionable insights through design. Her background spans climate and economic policy, having worked with multilateral organisations such as the World Resource Institute and the UN to connect policy to implementation. She has also held strategy roles at SPACE10 and AKQA, focusing on how design drives change.

João Cotrim de Figueiredo is a candidate for the Presidency of the Republic in 2026. He holds a degree in Economics from the LSE in the United Kingdom and an MBA from Nova SBE in Portugal. He gained prominence as an executive in companies such as Compal, Nutricafés, and TVI, and served as President of Turismo de Portugal. He entered politics in 2019 as a Member of the Portuguese Parliament. In 2024, he was elected as a Member of the European Parliament, strengthening his presence in the Portuguese political landscape.

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João Silva leads the Data & Tech and Public Policy areas at Startup Portugal, where he bridges technology, data insights, and policymaking to strengthen the Portuguese startup ecosystem. His work focuses on improving how data supports decision-making and public policy design — from developing the national startup mapping platform under the RRP, to implementing the legal framework for startup recognition in Portugal. As Portugal’s focal point to the European Startup Nations Alliance (ESNA), João has been an active advocate for founder-centric policies at the European level, contributing to initiatives like the Lisbon Declaration of the S9+ Coalition Group. With a background in digital marketing and experience at Microsoft, Deloitte, and the Ministry of Economy and Digital Transition, he combines strategic communication skills with a deep understanding of innovation policy. João is passionate about creating data-driven public frameworks that help startups grow, scale, and shape the future of Europe’s digital economy.

Maria Goikoetxea Gomez de Segura is EU Policy Manager at ACT | The AppAssociation, where she represents the interests of small and medium-sized app developers in key EU digital policy debates. Based in Brussels, she focuses on legislative files such as the Innovation Act, AI Act, Digital Markets Act, and accessibility, working closely with EU institutions and stakeholders to ensure a balanced, innovation-friendly regulatory environment. Maria holds two law degrees from Utrecht University and the University of Deusto, and she began her career in digital policy at the European Parliament.

Mike Sax is the Founder of Wellbeyond. Mike is also founder and chairman of the Association for Competitive Technology (ACT), a non-profit organization that helps policy makers understand the impact of proposed legislation on small business innovators.

Nuno Comando is the Director of Casa do Impacto. Fusing his experience and diverse background in marketing and communications, digital, management and entrepreneurship with his unwavering commitment to positive social change, he has contributed to Casa do Impacto's mission and has been involved with SCML's Hub since its early days. Casa do Impacto is the most significant impact entrepreneurship Hub in Portugal. Since its opening in 2018, this 'Casa' has put Portugal on the map of the impact ecosystem, gathering the resources and network to grow an impact venture/organization. Recognized by the Financial Times as one of Europe's Leading Hubs for Startups, Casa do Impacto is where stakeholders converge to change the business paradigm. The hub's unwavering focus on creating an exciting pipeline of solutions aligned with the 17 SDGs through acceleration, investment, and incubation programs ensures its mission aligns with the global sustainability agenda.

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Paulina Brym–Ciuba is the CEO of Startup Hub Poland Foundation, where she leads the strategic execution and delivery of the Foundation’s innovation and acceleration programs. Since joining the organization in 2019, she has played a pivotal role in fostering startup growth and supporting entrepreneurial ecosystems across Poland. Prior to her current role, Paulina served as Marketing Director at the Economic Forum Office, where she managed high-level partnerships with commercial entities and promoted companies during high-profile events.

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Ricardo Marvão is co-founder of Beta-i, a collaborative innovation platform with global reach started in 2010 and the main builder of the startup ecosystem in Lisbon, experts in designing and managing projects for large corporations around the world from strategy to pilot testing & venture building. He's also co-founded a number of educational projects in Portugal like Próxima Geração (academy for the next generation of young politicians), the Singularity University Portugal (training thousands of executive/year), the European Innovation Academy (massive entrepreneurship summer school for 500 global university students/year), Cientista Regressa à Escola (science education for primary school thru a global network of 1000 PhDs) and Space for Business executive program with ESA and business schools St.Gallen, RSM & NovaSBE. Ricardo has 10 years international experience in the Space Industry, sending satellites to space, working for ESA, Inmarsat, Airbus and Embraer.

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Simon Schaefer is the co-initiator of EU Inc. and President of Allied for Startups. A seasoned entrepreneur, angel investor, and founder of Factory, he is a passionate advocate for Europe’s startup ecosystem and works to strengthen startup and tech policy across Europe.

Simone Skovshoved is the Political Director of Danish Entrepreneurs and serves as Secretary of the S9+ Coalition — a network of startup organizations from Europe’s most digital countries working together to strengthen innovation, competitiveness, and smarter regulation across the EU. She coordinates the coalition’s policy strategy, stakeholder engagement, and advocacy activities toward the European institutions, focusing on removing barriers for startups, fostering AI-driven innovation, and revitalizing Europe’s digital economy.

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Veronica D’Souza is a Chief Consultant, Impact Strategist, Social Entrepreneur, and Keynote Speaker with a background in International Business and Politics (CBS) and Social Entrepreneurship (INSEAD).
She co-founded Ruby Cup, delivering sustainable menstrual health solutions in East Africa, and CARCEL, an award-winning fashion brand employing women in prison. Her 15-year career spans Denmark, Kenya, Thailand, Peru, and the U.S., driving initiatives at the intersection of leadership, equity, sustainability, and social impact. She advises, teaches, and co-develops programs within Meaningful Entrepreneurship, helping founders build purpose-driven and sustainable businesses. Veronica also serves on the boards of The Soulfuls and the Danish Design Council, advancing equity, creativity, and innovation.