Located in Berlin, Axel Menneking is VP of Startup Incubation & Venturing at Deutsche Telekom. In his role he leads the international activities of the corporate tech incubator hubraum and is Managing Director of the Startup Seed Investment Fund of Deutsche Telekom. Before joining hubraum Axel Menneking had various leadership roles in product marketing and product management in fast moving consumer goods, strategy consulting, internet startup and telecom environments. Axel studied Industrial Engineering and Management and holds an Executive MBA of ESCP Europe Business School.

Wayne Cuervo is Director of the Digital Impact Office, focusing on driving innovation, growth and impact for Cisco Canada. The DIO blends Corporate Social Responsibility and Industry Innovation to enhance impact in Canada, supporting sales with purpose. Prior to leading the DIO, Wayne was Director of Innovation for Cisco Innovation Labs, focused on outside-in industry innovation. Wayne founded Cisco Canada’s Gay and Lesbian Enterprise Resource Group and serves on various diversity boards.

Jordi Rafols is the founder and CEO of Innoget, a pioneering Open Innovation boutique. With over two decades of experience in Open Innovation, technology transfer, and Internet business, Jordi has played a pivotal role in numerous Open Innovation projects across various industries. His expertise has been instrumental in assisting several international companies to evaluate, develop, and deploy robust Open Innovation programs.

Beyond his executive duties, Jordi has dedicated his career to democratizing access to knowledge and new technologies, driven by a vision to create inclusive communities that champion co-development and collaborative efforts among all societal actors. He firmly believes in the power of open access & science and sharing the benefits derived from the innovation value chain in a manner that is both efficient and fair.

Jordi’s commitment extends to acting as a business coach for technology-based startups, guiding them in strategy development and accelerating their business growth. He has also been a managing partner in several EU-funded projects focused on technology transfer and Open Innovation, which are aimed at forging new processes to enhance industry-academia collaboration.

At the heart of Jordi’s philosophy is the notion that societal enhancement hinges not just on technological transformation but on the equitable distribution of resources. He advocates for a shift in how resources and technologies are utilized, fostering transparent and honest communication and promoting responsible consumption to build a more sustainable and well-educated society for future generations.

Visionary and dynamic leader with years of experience in working with tech and telecom innovation, combined with other disciplines such as design, retail and marketing. Renowned for strategic insights and the ability to foster partnerships, Trond’s career uniquely blends entrepreneurial success with corporate innovation. He has founded successful startups, worked as management consultant for public and private organisations and managed both product and marketing teams. His contributions have led to record breaking engagement in innovation at IKEA and award-winning venture-building at Ericsson.

Maria Duero holds a PhD in Physical Chemistry from Humboldt University of Berlin. After her academic work, she transitioned into business consulting, specializing in digitization strategies for the chemical sector during her tenure at McKinsey. Subsequently, she applied her expertise in digital strategy and new business development within the Oetker Group spanning industries such as food and beverage, chemical, and hospitality. Her journey continued at Henkel, where she focused on innovative new business models through venture building, partnerships, and strategic investments. Currently based in Dubai, UAE, Maria remains dedicated to driving innovation and fostering growth within the global business landscape.

Sophia is a dynamic and customer-focused Innovation Leader for Sustainability at Cargill, with extensive experience leading high-impact commercial ventures across the food industry. Sophia has experience creating new business models and customer segments, leveraging innovation and digital solutions to drive sustainable practices throughout the supply chain—from farmers to distribution partners and end consumers. With a proven track record in deploying new systems and technologies across multiple geographies, Sophia is dedicated to fostering a sustainable food ecosystem for people and the planet.

Pontus All is currently working as Director of Partnerships and Venture Collaboration at the Volvo Group´s InnovationLab, where he is supporting the Group's ambition to diversify into services, by working closely with startups and global innovation hubs. In his broad role, he supports internal venture creation, scouts for startups fit either for partnership by working closely with the business areas of the group, as well as the coporate venture capital unit. He is a past member of the management team of MobilityXLab, a leading automotive open innovation platform in the Nordics.

Prior to joining Volvo, Pontus has been working eight years in Qatar working within Qatar Foundation in various roles, supporting the nascent innovation ecosystem, where his latest role was as an Investment Manager at the newly created Technology Venture Fund, at the Qatar Science & Technology Park.

Pontus holds a Bachelor and Master of Science in Computer Science and Computer Engineering from Chalmers University, particpated in a 2-year executive education program related to regional innovation development at MIT, and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from West University.

As the Head of Innovation Lab at ZF Group, I lead and develop a team of innovative professionals who are passionate about creating new business models and products for the future of mobility. I have been in this role for more than three years, and I have successfully established an international innovation network, improved the innovation process and methods, and integrated the lab into the development processes of the company.

With over 20 years of experience in marketing, innovation, and entrepreneurship, I have a proven track record of launching and growing high-tech businesses, events, and services. I am the co-editor of d1g1tal AGENDA, a leading publication on digital transformation, and a mentor at FasterCapital, an online incubator that supports startups. I am also an explorer and owner of paprfloor, a sustainable event flooring and flygge, a project that eases traveling with caravans. I hold a M.Sc. in Marketing and a Diploma in Business Administration with a specialization in Business Informatics. I enjoy working with political and economic associations, such as VDMA, to promote the digital agenda and the innovation culture in Germany.

Andre Chieffi, the Senior R&D Manager at Reckitt, is based in Mira, Italy. His team works on the development of new technologies across Reckitt’s hygiene business, encompassing iconic brands like Lysol, Finish, Vanish, Harpic, and others. Prior to joining Reckitt in 2020, Andre earned his PhD in Organic Chemistry from the University of Sao Paulo (Brazil) and the University of Waterloo (Canada) and did a postdoc in catalysis at MIT (USA). With nearly 20 years of experience at P&G, spanning R&D centers in the UK, Mexico, and Brazil, Andre has a wealth of knowledge in diverse R&D domains, including surfactants, polymers, enzymes, bleach, antimicrobials, encapsulation, active delivery, and catalysis. His contributions help to drive innovation and elevate hygiene solutions worldwide.

Christian Hüttenhein, who holds a degree in East Asian Business Studies, has worked for Bosch in Germany and abroad for 15 years, including as Head of Bosch Industry Consulting and as Venture Partner & Co-Founder of OPEN BOSCH, the Venture Client Unit of the Bosch Group. He has founded startups on the side and sold his third startup in 2022. Christian helps large corporations to establish 'CORPORATE STARTUP READINESS' to use startups as a source for entrepreneurship and technology and to realize sustainable innovation together. He is a systemic organizational developer and co-initiator of the Venture Client Community. Away from the professional stage, the father of three is a karateka and sushi fan.

Innovation leader with over 15 years of transformative experience in corporate innovation and entrepreneurship. Gabriele focuses on bridging the gap between corporate development and entrepreneurship while building and scaling innovative organizations and businesses for a sustainable future. Currently Head of Venture portfolio at Scania, Gabriele has helped large corporations and small startups to stay focused on customer needs and customer value. His motto is only great teams make ideas great.