Rania Elkalla
Rania Elkalla is an integrated designer with product & graphic design educational background with an experience in material science and production techniques.
She is skilled in visual communication, spatial imagination, branding, designing 2D & 3D products, illustrations, patterns, experimenting with materials, and integrating between different design groups.
Her designs are mostly eclectic, derived from different cultures and styles. She likes to merge between different disciplines.
The main aim is to keep on improving, present the best of herself and most authentic version of who she is.
Designers should always remember the word “FUN” that exists in Function. She tends to design things with humor and interaction with users
Özak Durmuş
Özak Durmuş, completed B.Sc in Mechanical Engineering at Hacettepe University and has been working in Ford Otosan since 2013. He has 6.5 years experience as Senior Engine Mount Design Engineer and 0.5 years as Sustainability Senior Engineer. He is also the co-founder and lead of company internal initiative ReCube(Recycle,Reuse,Reduce) project. He has experience in anti-vibration systems, engine mounts and brackets, sustainable material development & applications, circular economy and life cycle assessment.
Willemijn Peeters
Willemijn is the CEO of Searious Business, a social enterprise committed to prevent plastics from ending up in our environment. She has over 16 years of experience in changing companies to a more sustainable business model. Her experience includes game changing, innovating, program management, business developing and finance.
With a background in business management, broad experience in joint initiatives between businesses and the non-profit sector, she is used to bringing about change in the strategy and way of working of organizations. She is specialized in moving teams of people forward in an enthusiastic way – by creating a spark, an initiative that people and organizations want to be a part of.
She has been awarded with several titles:
- Green Solutions partner of the European Commission
- Finalist of edie Sustainability Leaders Awards 2020
- Winner of Dutch Design Awards 2019
- Winner Plastic Recyclers Europe Award 2018
- Winner National Energy Globe Award 2018
- Leader in Sustainable Top 100 in the Netherlands
- Ocean Ambassador of the Netherlands
Rudy Koopmans
Prof. Dr. Rudy Koopmans is Director of the Plastics Innovation Competence Center, Director of the Institute of Applied Plastics research, and Professor at the University of Applied Sciences (HEIA-FR) at Fribourg (CH). He holds a visiting professorship at ETH Zürich (CH) where he also received the Staudinger-Dürer Medal for excellence in Materials Science.
With 40 years of research experience in the chemical and plastics industry he brings practical understanding to find solutions for the challenges associated with sustainability and circular economy models. He is also expert for the EU commission and member of the Horizon Europe Mission on Clean Oceans assembly.
As owner of Koopmans Consulting GmbH, located in Zürich, Switzerland, he provides consultancy support for setting-up networks of experts, and supporting start-up companies in their endeavour towards a sustainable future.
He has published more than 70 papers in international journals, contributed several book chapters, wrote three books, presented multiple keynotes at international conferences, and is holder of 23 patents.
Dr. Suneel Kunamaneni
Suneel Kunamaneni stands at the forefront of sustainability and inclusivity trend: packaging, agri-food and social care. He has spent the past ten years supporting social and eco innovation and entrepreneurship through his various teaching, mentoring, research and consultancy activities.
Suneel drives innovation ecosystems for developing and diffusing ideas and solutions to address pressing socio-environmental problems. A calculated risk taker with deep technical knowledge of materials, Suneel has championed commercialisation of eco materials and technologies with Universities, MNC labs, Startups and private technology licensors, and has built a reputation for developing new business strategies and incubating new business models that minimise the impact on the environment.
In his current role as an academic at Leeds Business School (UK), Suneel has also fed his insatiable interest in sustainable innovation in emerging countries and inclusive growth. His interest in emerging countries is rooted in his concerns that current growth-based business models cannot solve issues surrounding the environment, and affordable access to food and well-being. Suneel believes that entrepreneurship and mission-driven start-ups are key to challenging the status quo.
Suneel also advises social enterprises in the UK working on refugee entrepreneurship and mental health for the BAME community, thus facilitating the inclusion of marginalised communities. With his experience in both corporate technology innovation and social enterprise, Suneel offers new business models and strategies for a more sustainable and equitable world.
Suneel holds a bachelors in Chemical Engineering from Bangalore University, a masters in Chemical engineering from Indian Institute of Science, a PhD in Polymer physics from University of Leeds, and an MBA from Alliance Manchester Business School.
Clément Affholder
Clément Affholder is an innovation manager at VAUDE Sport, where he works on materials and plastic engineering. After a master in materials science from the University of Lille, where he gathered a background in polymer science and composites, he joined VAUDE to help develop innovative and environmentally friendly materials. Outside the office, Clément likes to go and test VAUDE gear in the nearby Alps.
Clemens Feigl
Clemens Feigl is one of the founders of everwave and CMO. The organisation everwave is a social enterprise that is dedicated to protect the ocean from plastic waste. By creating a brand in the market of sustainability, Clemens and his team were able to establish partnerschips with international corporates.
Clemens studied at the university of Munich and worked for several years as a host for tv- and radio-stations and brands such as The Northface, Allianz, Media Markt and many more.