Bart Becks
Board Member, EIC

Bart Becks is a serial innovator and entrepreneur from Belgium, with a proven track record of igniting digital innovation, fueling growth and launching new ventures. In recent years, Bart served as the Executive Chairman at EURACTIV, steering its transformation into a premier media network covering EU policy news across 13 countries. EURACTIV was recently acquired by a prominent European media group. Concurrently, Bart serves as the Executive Chairperson at E-Health Venture, where he oversees the development of an ecosystem integrating strategic business, research, and technology partnerships. Additionally, he is a co-founder of BeCentral, which, since its establishment in 2017, has evolved into one of Europe's foremost Tech and Digital Skills campuses. During his nearly decade-long tenure as CEO of Belgacom Skynet (now Proximus), Bart played a pivotal role in propelling the company to become Belgium's largest internet and digital media entity. Subsequently, he joined the European Media Group SBS Broadcasting, which underwent acquisition by the private equity groups KKR & Permira and merged with ProSiebenSat1 to form one of Europe's largest media groups. Following a significant period in California, Bart extended his involvement in startups and scale-ups as a founder, advisor, or angel investor - essentially in the domains of SAAS, digital media and healthcare. He also assumed the role of Chairman at iMinds (now IMEC), a renowned research, innovation, and incubation institute. Bart believes fervently in the transformative potential of technology to enhance both personal and professional lives, positively impacting society. Considering this, he is currently focused on the opportunities and challenges associated with Artificial Intelligence, with the ambition to support and create initiatives in that domain. 

Jonathan Berte
Founder & Chief Visionary Officer, Robovision

With a background in applied physics and expertise in image processing, Jonathan Berte combined machine vision with robotics for commercial applications as early as 2003 before founding Robovision in 2008 in Ghent.

By 2014, Robovision emerged as an AI leader, integrating computer vision with machines. Today, the Robovision AI Platform counts over 1,000 deployments worldwide across industries such as agriculture, manufacturing, retail, and healthcare.

Brian Comiskey
Senior Director of Innovation and Trends, Consumer Technology Association (CTA)®️

Brian Comiskey is the Senior Director of Innovation and Trends, and resident Futurist at CTA, charting how the latest technology trends will shape tomorrow.

Brian is responsible for the thematic stock indexes developed and maintained by CTA and Nasdaq as a part of a more than decade-long partnership. Covering a variety of sectors including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, gaming, and robotics, Brian and his team manage a portfolio of 18 thematic indexes with more than 20 products and $13B in assets under management tracking these indexes across listings in more than a dozen countries.

Prior to joining CTA, Brian worked in the media strategy and tech policy consulting space in the private and public sector. Brian holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations from the College of William & Mary.

Hanah-Marie Darley
Director of Product, DarkTrace

Hanah-Marie Darley is Director of Product Relations at Darktrace. In this role, Hanah is part of the Research & Development team and is focused on product management. She is a subject matter expert using her background in psychology and intelligence analysis to interpret the ever-changing threat landscape and working with organizations globally to strategically use AI to enhance their cyber resilience. Hanah has nearly a decade of experience as a threat intelligence specialist and a geopolitical analyst. During her time at Darktrace, Hanah also served as Director of Threat Research, where she led a core group of analysts to identify and contextualize threats as well as oversee Darktrace’s inaugural Half Year and Full Year Threat Reports. Her work and commentary has been cited by global cybersecurity publications and she has spoken at major industry conferences such as London Tech Week, European Women in Tech, ManuSec Europe, Economist’s Space Economy Summit, and more. Prior to Darktrace, Hanah held analyst roles at Kapsuun Group and Mission Essential, as well as for the U.S. Department of Defense. Hanah holds a bachelor’s degree in international politics from Penn State University and a master’s degree in psychology from Regent University. 

Emmarique Delahaije
Investment Manager, KPN Ventures

Emmarique is part of KPN Ventures, the VC fund of the largest telco in the Netherlands, where she focuses on investing and establishing partnerships with KPN and her customers in the domains of cybersecurity and B2B/B2C SaaS. She is a member of the Investment Committee of Dutch Security Tech Fund (Tin Capital) and board member at Women in VC NL. Previously, Emmarique held leading roles in business and product development in B2B and B2C environments. Her curiosity, creativity and experience equip her with a well-rounded perspective on technical innovation and commercial success. 

Djoni de Vos
Principal, Keen Venture Partners

Djoni is an investor at Keen Venture Partners, an Amsterdam based fund that invests in Seed to Series B companies across Europe. 

Aliya Grig
CEO & Founder, Kosmos Foundation & Evolwe AI

A tech entrepreneur and AGI researcher, building artificial consciousness. With 15 years in tech and collaborations with Boeing and NASA, she runs a company creating robots for manufacturing and space exploration, and a quantum computing lab. Aliya is building The Cosmos City innovation cluster with a lab and production facility for future tech. She is among the Top 100 Women Entrepreneurs in AI and the top 30 young entrepreneurs by Forbes Europe. She serves on the Advisory Board for the Arizona Astrobiology Center.

Michael Koenka
Managing Partner, Koenka & Partners

Michael Koenka empowers technology leaders with decision intelligence and strategic partnerships. As Managing Partner at Koenka & Partners, he uses AI to predict industry shifts and find pioneering founders. After guiding over 4,500 start-ups on pitches worth over €500 million combined, he now helps companies navigate uncertainty and build enduring partnerships, transforming obstacles into growth opportunities.

Denelise L’Ecluse
Managing Director Europe, BSI Group

Dénelise L’Ecluse has a broad background working for leading technology, publishing and assurance companies. She is Managing Director Europe at BSI Group and has published and contributed to several articles and books as an expert on AI, the importance of inclusive technology and AI regulation. She is Chairman of the Advisory Board for Women in AI Netherlands, a member of the Hemingway Professional Governance network for non-executives and member of the ‘SER Topvrouwen’ network for Sr. executives in NL. She has been a mentor for WAI Accelerate helping startups to build their business plans and was awarded Woman of the Year 2023 by the NBCC (Netherlands British Chamber of Commerce). 

Jean-David Malo
Director of the Agency for EIC and SMEs (EISMEA), European Commission

Jean-David Malo became Head of Unit in charge of regional aspects in DG R&I (2006-2010), of the Unit in charge of increasing private finance and closing market gaps by expanding existing EU innovative financial instruments (see RSFF) and by developing new ones in the fields of debt (including guarantees) and equity financing (InnovFin) (2011-2013) ; and of the Unit in charge of the support to Horizon 2020 SMEs (i.e. EUROSTARS II, SME Instrument and the Fast Track to Innovation) and on Financial Instruments and State Aids (2014-2017). Director for Open Innovation and Open Science in 2017, he designed and expanded initiatives such as the VentureEU Initiative and the RDI dimension under the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI). In 2019, following the European Council’s request to set up the European Innovation Council (EIC), he became Director of the EIC Task Force. 

Denitsa Nenkova
Manager, EIC Scaling Club Group Next Gen

Denitsa Nenkova holds a Master of Management and has over 14 years of international experience. As the founder of a successful outdoor programs company, she led the business for more than a decade, driving its growth and expanding its network. Currently, Denitsa is focused on innovation projects supporting entrepreneurs and fostering their growth, combining her passion for startups, technology, and the venture ecosystem. At the EIC Scaling Club, she plays a role in the overall coordination of the programme, the services offering for 100 deep-tech companies, with a special focus on Next-Gen Computing, and has made key contributions to shaping the current program and the overall organizational structure.

Hans Nikol
Open Innovation, Signify

Hans Nikol has almost 30 years corporate experience in Innovation, having worked at Philips and Signify. Over the past 10 years, he has specialized in Open Innovation, IoT, and AI, working on roadmaps, venturing and investing. His team has a global exposure, scouting trends in the US, Europe, and Asia.

Ivana Nikolik
Director Business Development EMEA, Forbes Councils Executive Member, Women in Tech/AI

Ivana is a Director Business Development EMEA at IWConnect, Forbes Councils Executive Member, Europe 40Under40 Top Business Leader, G100: Country Chair Netherlands for IT Services and Innovation, Global Voice of a New Era of Leaders 2024, and long term Global Ambassador of Women in Tech/AI with a robust track record in leading growth strategy by leveraging her extensive experience in IT to drive innovation. Her strategic acumen and dynamic leadership style have solidified her reputation as a trailblazer in global business development.

Emma Riemer
Associate, Deeptech Equity NL

Emma Riemer is a financially and commercially driven connector with a background in Finance & Investments from Erasmus University Rotterdam. In addition to serving as an Associate at DTE and speaking at various seminars and events on behalf of the company, Emma was invited to take on the role of Liaison Officer for DTE at the Energy Transition Campus Amsterdam. In this capacity, she works to establish connections between campus members in areas of shared commercial and technical interest, particularly between large industrial players (such as IBM, Shell, C3.ai, and Yokogawa) and relevant start-ups. Furthermore, Emma acts as a business booster supervisor for the Ondernemend Amsterdam (ORAM) network.

Dr. Hamed Sadeghian
Co-Founder, President and CEO of Nearfield Instruments
Fellow at Netherlands Academy of Engineering

Dr. Sadeghian invented and developed the first high throughput, multi-head AFM system for metrology and inspection of high-end semiconductor manufacturing process control. He also invented and developed the Sub-Surface AFM, for non-destructive, high-resolution imaging of deep buried nano-structures through opaque layers.

In 2016, Dr. Sadeghian co-founded Nearfield Instruments, a semiconductor equipment company, offering highly innovative metrology and inspection solutions for semiconductor manufacturing industry. He is currently CTO/CEO at this scale-up company.

Dr. Sadeghian received his PhD (Cum Laude) in 2010 from Delft University of Technology. Four years later he received an MBA degree from the Vlerick Business School in Belgium. He is the founder (2001) of Jahesh Poulad Co., a manufacturer of mechanical equipment, where he sold the company in 2006.

Previously, he was scientific director of NOMI (Nano-Optomechatronics Instrumentation) at TNO in The Netherlands from 2011 to 2018
Dr. Sadeghian is a part time associate Professor at the Technical University of Eindhoven. He holds more than 80 patents and published over 100 peer-reviewed technical papers. 

Gary Shapiro
CEO, Consumer Technology Association (CTA)®

Gary Shapiro is an acclaimed author, lobbyist, and CEO of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)®️ which represents over 1300 consumer technology companies and owns and produces CES®️, the world’s most powerful tech event. He has authored more than 1200 opinion pieces highlighting the importance of innovation in the U.S. economy. Gary Shapiro holds a JD from the Georgetown University Law Center and a BA in economics and psychology from Binghamton University. He is happily married and lives with his family in Michigan.

Jason Silva
Artist/Presenter

Jason Silva is an Emmy-nominated TV presenter, storyteller and keynote speaker. Jason is known for hosting 5 seasons of the Emmy-nominated, global TV series Brain Games, on the National Geographic Channel. His popular short form videos, Shots of Awe, have received over 100 million views across social platforms. The videos explore topics such as digital transformation, innovation and technology, creativity, and mental health. Jason also hosted the global miniseries ORIGINS: The Journey Of Humankind, on the National Geographic Channel, seen in 171 countries. In 2024 Jason hosted The Blue Lizard Effect, a four part documentary about the search for happiness, seen on Max Platforms worldwide. A global keynote speaker, Jason has given talks for Microsoft, Google, Intel, Cisco, Oracle, PepsiCo, Accenture, Adobe, Electronic Arts, Tribeca Film Festival, National Geographic, Discovery Channel, Bose, 20th Century Fox, Cosmopolitan, TED Global, The Economist, and more.

Meghna Singh
Vice President of People, Axelera AI

Meghna Singh is the Vice President of People at Axelera AI, where she oversees the company's global people function, focusing on supporting growth and building a strong, values-driven culture. With over 15 years of experience in talent and leadership development across technology and consulting, she plays a key role in aligning the company’s people strategies with its business goals. 

Victoria Slivkoff, Head of Ecosystem, Walden Catalyst Ventures & Extreme Tech Challenge

Victoria Slivkoff is the Executive Managing Director of Extreme Tech Challenge, the world’s largest innovation ecosystem and startup competition for founders building tech innovations to improve the world, as inspired by the UN Sustainable Development Goals. She also serves as the Head of Ecosystem at Walden Catalyst Ventures, a VC firm helping early-stage companies in the U.S., Europe, and Israel build the next generation of category-defining businesses in deep tech, with a focus on semiconductors & ecosystem, AI and data infrastructure, and select applications.

Daan Stolwerk
VC Investor, KPN Ventures

Daan Stolwerk is part of the investment team at KPN Ventures. He has a background in Corporate Finance, having advised high growth tech companies all the way from start-up to IPO. He supports ambitious founders who are passionate about the market they are disrupting.  

Roope Vahahyyppa
Investment Director, Slingshot Ventures

Roope gets excited by new and innovative business ideas driven by inspiring branding, as long as the financials and data back up the story! He started his career in investment banking (M&A) at Lazard in Amsterdam, where Roope worked for over 4 years advising on large (cross-border) corporate transactions as well as local private equity deals across various industries. From there he moved on to work at Heineken in the M&A team, gaining relevant experience in the consumer space by executing transactions (both minority and majority) in markets all over the world while meeting leaders and entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds.

Prince Constantjn van Oranje

As Special Envoy Constantijn is on a mission to turn the Netherlands into a unicorn nation. He and his team connect the Dutch Tech-ecosystem to help ambitious and promising Dutch Tech companies grow fast internationally by improving their access to capital, market, talent and technologies.

Constantijn co-founded StartupFest Europe, which is still the biggest start-up event ever organized in The Netherlands. He used to be Chief of Staff of VP Neelie Kroes at the European Commission in charge of the Digital Agenda and lead the Brussels office of the RAND Corporation. He is currently also Director Digital Technology & Macro Strategy at Macro Advisory Partners in London and New York and Edge Fellow at Deloitte Centre for the Edge. Besides innovation and technology Constantijn van Oranje is passionate about art, music, photography, and nature.

Eliott Wertheimer
Co-CEO, VanMoof

Born in Paris, raised in Mauritius, educated in the UK and Australia: Eliott Wertheimer is a global citizen on a mission. The aerospace engineer saw opportunities to improve the micro-mobility sector and decided to dedicate his career to changing the way people move around cities. His previous e-bike startup was acquired by McLaren Applied where he helmed the development of a category-defining e-scooter. Eliott, and his co-CEO Albert Nassar, also led McLaren Applied's acquisition of VanMoof in late '23, and were tasked with restarting the iconic Dutch e-bike brand and paving the way to create a global urban mobility powerhouse.