Born on January 20, 1976, in Prishtina, Përparim Rama is an accomplished architect and visionary leader. His father, Kadrush Rama, was a renowned Albanian painter, and his mother, Nazmije Rama, worked as an educator. At just sixteen, Rama moved to the UK, where he was granted asylum due to political unrest in Kosovo. His passion for architecture led him to earn a degree from London South Bank University (1995-1998), followed by a Master’s with Distinction in Evolutionary Computing in Architecture from the University of East London (2001-2003). He is an associate member of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). Rama’s career spans global impact and innovation. Early in his career, he worked as a consultant at London Southampton Airport and mentored students at the University of Nottingham’s School of Architecture. He has also supervised PhD candidates in Generative Architecture and SMART building design at the SmartLab Media Institute. In 2012, Rama made history by representing Kosovo at the Venice Biennale of Architecture with the ‘Filigree Maker’ Pavilion, receiving praise from international media. His expertise has been sought worldwide, including as a consultant for the National Research Fund of Qatar, advising on urban and architectural projects. He also served as a specialist advisor in spatial planning for the London boroughs of Newham and Tower Hamlets, and he led the development of the regulatory plan for Prishtina. Rama has contributed to high-profile projects, including the spatial planning for the 2012 London Olympics, and major urban visions for Doha, Qatar, as well as significant projects in New York, Dublin, Basel, and Prague. He is the recipient of the prestigious World Interior News Award for his café design at the Saatchi Gallery in 2013. In 2021, Përparim Rama was elected Mayor of Prishtina, where he continues to serve, bringing his global expertise and innovative vision to his hometown.

Dex Hunter-Torricke has spent over a decade at the forefront of the tech industry, managing communications for some of the most influential Silicon Valley leaders. He is currently Head of Global Communications & Marketing at Google DeepMind. Previously, Dex led executive communications at Facebook (2012-2016) and served as Mark Zuckerberg’s personal speechwriter, before joining SpaceX as Senior Director of Communications. He later became VP of Global Communications & Public Engagement at Meta’s Oversight Board. A natural storyteller, Dex uses his experiences with companies like Facebook, SpaceX, and Google to offer insights on innovation, leadership, and global connectivity. He holds degrees from University College London and the University of Oxford and also advises major tech companies and political leaders on strategic communications.

Sabine Singer is a pioneer in ethical AI and a champion of value-based engineering. As the founder of Sophisticated Simplicity, Austria’s first agency focused on ethical AI, she has played a crucial role in turning the ISO 24748: IEEE 7000 standard into a practical tool for AI strategies. With 25 years of experience working with Austria’s top 500 companies, Sabine has become a trusted consultant in ethical AI, promoting fairness, diversity, and responsible tech. She also advises on data infrastructure for the state of Tyrol and supports initiatives like WomeninICT and WomeninAI Austria. Starting in autumn 2024, she will lecture on algorithmic bias at an Austrian university.

Nahed Hatahet, with over 30 years of experience in strategic consulting and digital productivity, is a visionary expert in AI-powered workplace solutions. His work goes beyond technology to focus on fostering cultural change, ensuring that digital transformation enhances human connection and well-being. Nahed’s mission is to guide organizations through transformative journeys that put people first, offering insightful keynotes, workshops, and interviews where he explores the human side of technological innovation. Through his blog and public speaking, he shares a wealth of knowledge on how to harness technology for meaningful progress. Beyond his consulting work, Nahed plays a key role as Vice President of the Association of Austrian Software Innovations (VÖSI), where he addresses societal and political impacts of digital transformation. He also advocates for gender equality as an Inner Circle member of twogether.wien, organizing the annual symposium to foster dialogue at the intersection of technology and social justice. Nahed’s holistic approach to digital transformation focuses on empowering organizations to align their technology with the true needs of their employees, creating lasting success while maintaining a people-centered vision for the future.

Oskari is a co-founder of Wolt, the food delivery company sold to DoorDash for 7 billion euros. He is an experienced entrepreneur with a technical skillset and a Bachelor of Science in Technology from Aalto University. An experienced angel investor and VC LP in multiple funds.

Donat is a Senior Consultant at Camunda with extensive experience in Process Automation, Development, and Business Process Management. He collaborates closely with IT and business teams to align goals, helping global enterprises build Centers of Excellence in their automation journey. Donat is driven by the goal of optimizing workflows by automating repetitive tasks. This allows teams to shift their focus to more impactful, strategic activities, fostering greater efficiency, innovation, and business success. His passion lies in empowering teams to achieve their full potential.

Ekaterina has been working in the European tech space for the past 17 years – first as an operator scaling tech companies, then as an investor backing early-stage teams. Currently, she is a Venture Partner at Calm/Storm, the most active early-stage digital health investor in Europe. Previously, Ekaterina invested with Inventure, a leading seed investor in the Nordics, half of the time as a General Partner of the firm. Prior to joining Inventure, she was part of the team that scaled Fjord from a small consultancy into a leading design and innovation firm globally (Fjord was acquired by Accenture Interactive in 2013). Ekaterina holds a degree in Economics from Moscow State University and is also Finland’s only Kauffman Fellow, representing the largest network of VCs and innovation leaders in the world.

Jens is a Senior Consultant at Camunda with over a decade of experience in software development and business process management. His expertise spans from hands-on coding in the terminal and IDE to collaborating with stakeholders on business requirements and process modeling. Jens thrives on the challenges of solving complex business problems, utilizing modern methodologies and technologies, and enjoys projects that allow him to engage in both technical and strategic aspects. His passion lies in bridging the gap between business needs and technical solutions, working closely with colleagues and customers to deliver impactful results.

For the last two decades, Gabs has worked at the intersection of technology, creativity, and human experience. Through her award-winning XR studio vrisch, her leadership at the Austrian XR community, and as an influential figure in the EUXR scene, she thrives in finding connections and meanings between everything and everyone. Gab’s multicultural and neurodiverse background, experience in multiple countries, and success as a ‘momtrepreneur’ have led her to have a self-accepted calling to contribute to the cause of good, growth, and gain in the lives of others. Her work has been awarded multiple times, the latest being one the five worldwide winners of the OMOSIROI award in Japan. In 2018, Forbes selected Gabs as one of Europe’s top 20 Women Founders.

A seasoned global executive, Helen Vasilevski has held roles as CMO, CEO, board member, advisor, and mentor spanning industries and company stages. She has a proven track record in commercializing technologies including leveraging AI across software and hardware solutions and the development, launch, and global growth of hundreds of innovations. Her experience includes building iconic brands like Ducati, Sea-Doo, Jose Cuervo, Salomon, Cover Girl and working with universities and organizations like the World Bank. She has lived in 6 countries with experience in 80+ countries. Culturally ambidextrous and known for her strategic thinking, customer focus, and ability to foster high-performing teams, Helen is sought after for her expertise in driving profitable growth. As Managing Director of flect., she collaborates with companies to navigate complex global markets to deliver results. She is a super-fan of penguins.

Egzon has always believed in technology that stands the test of time. His journey began during his early university days with the founding of Hel Tech, a monthly tech meetup in Helsinki that offered a unique viewpoint into what fellow entrepreneurs were building and ignited his passion for deep technologies. Extensive travels to global startup hubs to meet with world-class teams further convinced him that technology should be built to last. While studying at Aalto University, his journey led to joining an early-stage startup called Rive (formerly Kodit.io). Egzon led expansion for Rive for multiple years, helping it grow into one of the leading European iBuyers that reportedly raised approximately €200 million in financing. Today, while in stealth mode, Egzon is working on a project tackling complex technical challenges in the field of semiconductors. He also serves as an advisor to an early-stage AI startup that recently raised its first round from top European VCs and some of Europe’s most successful founders.

Claudia Miclaus is an entrepreneur, strategic advisor, and government consultant. She is the founder and CEO of Brand Capital Advisors, an international thought leadership and media company that works with leaders representing Harvard, Nasdaq, Fortune 500, and other prestigious organizations around the globe. Claudia is a strong advocate for education and giving back, believing that access to modern knowledge should be available to all. Intending to make soft skills and personal branding mandatory in schools worldwide, she has developed the PBLP methodology, which is licensed to various universities around the world. To date, she has trained students in over 30 countries free of charge, furthering her mission to give back through education.

Alesia Ahmetaj coming from a legal background and a focus on international matters and business law is currently working with AMVS Capital as an investor analyst, leveraging her expertise to evaluate investment opportunities and assess market potential. Passionate about integrating legal insights with investment analysis, Ms. Ahmetaj is dedicated to driving innovation and impactful decision making in the European landscape.

Max Gurvits is a US and European entrepreneur and investor based in Sofia, Bulgaria. Founder of two exited startups, previously founding team member of Eleven Ventures in Bulgaria and US-based Cross Border Angels, Max has been active in ecosystem development as the co-founder and head of Startup AddVenture, TRACTIONCamp, and SummitSummit series of events that connect founders to skills and capital. Since 2020 Max is the founding and managing partner of Vitosha Venture Partners, a EUR 26m seed-stage venture capital fund for CEE out of Sofia, Bulgaria, and is currently serving as Deputy Chair of the Bulgarian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (BVCA).

Gontran Mabetomoka is a seasoned venture capitalist with over 12 years of experience in private equity and venture capital. As the Founder and CEO of GMAB Consulting, a Paris-based VC & M&A boutique firm, he focuses on tech (agnostic), traditional sectors (retail, energy, real estate, cosmetics), and Web3 (blockchain). His portfolio spans VC-backed startups to SMEs and pre-IPO companies, with a combined valuation of approximately €500M. A serial tech entrepreneur, Gontran has successfully exited one company to a publicly listed firm and led two Series A startups. With a robust academic background in applied mathematics and machine learning from Paris Descartes University, and an Executive MBA in Finance from Hult International Business School, Gontran is also an angel investor, board member, and part-time lecturer on entrepreneurship, venture capital, and private equity. He is an international speaker at prominent tech events like SXSW, VivaTech, and Web Summit.

Andrew Wrobel is the Founding Partner of Emerging Europe, a London-based growth hub, and the leader of the organisation’s Tech Emerging Europe Advocates community, a part of the Global Tech Advocates network. He is an entrepreneur, adviser, host and author. He focuses on digital transformation, technology and innovation, global business services and site selection, foreign direct investment, nation branding, and cross-cultural communications. Andrew runs Emerging Europe’s research and consultancy teams and co-authors the organisation’s flagship reports: the Future of Emerging Europe — Sustainability Report, the Future of IT, the Investment Promotion Report, and the Business-Friendly City Perception Index. He is a sought-after speaker and moderator, a juror at various international business-related competitions, a location promotion and media coach and a commentator.

Alex Mari, PhD, is a Senior Research Associate in AI for the Marketing at the University of Zurich and Adjunct Professor of Marketing Analytics at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan. He founded the AI Empathy Research Initiative with fellow scientists to push the boundaries of empathic AI assistants within the marketing context. Alex worked as a marketing director, tech startup CEO and strategy consultant. 

Dr. Anthony Giannoumis is a motivational speaker, workshop facilitator, and course instructor on inclusive leadership. His work uses his signature methodology from the book The Sins and Wins of Inclusive Leadership. He is the world’s only computer programmer turned opera singer turned professor turned comedian turned entrepreneur and co-founder of Inclusive Creation. American by birth and Norwegian by choice, he is the author of The Sins and Wins of Inclusive Leadership, the co-creator of the Inclusion Game, and the mind behind the 4 Fundamental Principles of Universal Design. He has won numerous international awards, including from the United Nations, for his inclusive innovations. He has spoken in over 32 countries and is the author of over 50 scientific articles. He is the founder of the EQUALS-EU network for gender-inclusive innovation, which represents over 23 countries. He has received over 13 million euros worth of research and innovation grants, and as you can imagine, he was the last picked for gym class.

Armend is a Managing Security Consultant at Sentry with 4 years of experience in application and network security. He has participated in and led numerous engagements to uncover critical security flaws in some of the world’s most popular applications. Armend is a big fan of heavy metal music and is an active community member in the cyber security scene of Prishtina.

Kushtrim Xhakli is an entrepreneur driven by a strong passion for innovation and market disruption. His entrepreneurial journey includes a series of impactful ventures across multiple sectors: energy-efficient IoT solutions with Connected Inventions (Finland), network infrastructure with Connected Baltics (Estonia), banking and telecommunications with Fast Europe Ventures (Lithuania), and the solar industry with Changers.com | Blacksquared GmbH (Germany). He also founded the Doku.Tech festival, bringing in high-level speakers who introduced groundbreaking conversations about new technologies that are more purposeful, inclusive, and sustainable. Additionally, he is a Board Member at IPKO Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on promoting innovation and entrepreneurship in Kosovo. Throughout his career, Kushtrim has made remarkable contributions to the tech industry, inspiring many to pursue their tech dreams while transforming industries along the way.

Arjanit is a Senior Security Consultant at Sentry, known for his work with numerous Fortune 500 companies and his identification of numerous CVEs. He has been actively involved in red teaming, focusing on AI security. Arjanit is also dedicated to mentoring, applying his experience to develop and support the growth of others in the security field.

Ethan Mayers is a visionary business strategist, mentor, investor, and advisor with executive roles in B2B companies across three continents. As the CEO of Narwhal Network, he leads a platform that helps fractional professionals build portfolio careers and fosters a future of work focused on flexibility and care. He also works with Fairbridge VC as a venture partner, scouting for startups and helping portfolio companies with investment readiness, and with Swisscontact, advising and mentoring tech communities across five countries. Ethan champions values of connection, community, and wisdom diffusion, believing that narratives shape the future. He is a musician, global traveler, and devoted father of three and husband to Suzanne.

A dedicated software engineer, skilled in web technologies and currently working on a variety of challenging projects. He is passionate about sharing knowledge and mentoring aspiring developers, with a growing interest in blockchain technology. 

At just 18 years old, Tringa Ibrahimi is a dynamic entrepreneur and engineer, co-founding Fotoel and multiple other startups aimed at empowering individuals and driving global change. With over 7 years of experience in technology, she has honed her skills through numerous internships and job experiences. Tringa’s innovative mindset has earned her multiple awards in tech competitions, demonstrating her expertise and commitment to creating impactful solutions in the tech industry.

Emilija Stručić is one of a key figure in the development of the Technology Park Varaždin, where she has worked as a consultant for EU funds and finance since its founding in 2006. She has played a significant role in preparing and implementing numerous projects aimed at enhancing entrepreneurial infrastructure and supporting small and medium-sized enterprises. Emilija holds a bachelor’s degree in informatics from the Faculty of Organization and Informatics in Varaždin and a master’s degree in public relations from University North. Currently, she is pursuing a PhD in information and communication sciences, focusing on media and communication. Throughout her career, she has actively contributed to academic research, particularly in the fields of female entrepreneurship, creative industries and communication.

Swedish advisor and business developer who started as a teacher, became a developer, grew into leadership roles both as founder and employee, entered investments in startups and mid-sized companies. All due to the love of seeing people and business growth.

Dr. Yakup Köseoğlu completed his undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral studies at Sakarya University. With research in public administration, Köseoğlu held various management positions in the private sector before embarking on his academic career. He is currently a faculty member in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at Sakarya University. Dr. Köseoğlu’s research interests include Political Communication and Management Sciences. Since 2022, Dr. Yakup Köseoğlu has been serving as the General Manager of Sakarya Teknokent and is proficient in English. He is married and has two children.

Mr Gintaras Vilda is CEO of Manufacturing Innovation Valley DIH, a digital innovation hub, located in Vilnius (Lithuania). He is an international innovation expert of the Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists and a Board member of the Lithuanian Engineering and Technology Industry Association LINPRA. He is one of the pioneers of the “Industry 4.0” movement in Lithuania. On the European level, Gintaras is a Member of the high-level group of the Manufuture technology platform and a Board member of the “Made in Europe” partnership, which is coordinated by the EFFRA (European Factories of the Future Research Association). Areas of expertise include science, technology and innovation policy, industrial digitization, industrial transformation, internationalization of innovations, European industrial strategy and vocational education and training, etc. Earlier G.Vilda also worked as Vice-Minister of the Economy and Innovation, Director of the Lithuanian Engineering Industry Association (LINPRA), Chairman of the Board of “Intechcentras” and Coordinator of the Lithuanian Plastics Cluster.

Jan Wedlich is the business development and innovation manager at ICUK, where he helps entrepreneurs and startups navigate the early stages of business creation. Over the last two years, he has focused on establishing the new Transformation Center of the Ústí Region (Transformační centrum Ústeckého kraje). Jan was the author of the user specifications for an international architectural competition for the center and served as a juror in this prestigious competition. His expertise includes guiding companies through legal and administrative steps, business structures, and financing options. Its services have been appreciated by the clients of the innovation center for the sixth year already.

A solution-focused software engineer and blockchain enthusiast with experience in developing and maintaining high-quality web applications. He is passionate about integrating blockchain technology into modern solutions, thrives in Agile environments, and is committed to continuous learning to stay at the forefront of industry trends.