The Exchange

James Gowen is vice president, Supply Chain Operations and chief sustainability officer for Verizon. Since taking on these complementary roles in 2009, his team has enlisted more than 22,000 Verizon employees in 34 countries around the globe in helping to reduce the company’s environmental footprint while increasing the efficiency of a growing enterprise. Gowen has been deeply involved in the advancement of innovative and sustainable technologies and recently spearheaded the launch of Verizon’s flagship $137M green energy initiative which enabled Verizon to eliminate 20,000 metric tons of CO2. Gowen also oversees other green initiatives being implemented across Verizon including the introduction of a carbon intensity metric, paper suppression, waste reduction and recycling, and management of end-of-life-cycle material recovery.

Dr Samia is the head of integrated heath systems for doctHERs, a global award winning health venture that connects female doctors (who would otherwise be excluded from the workforce) to health consumers via tele-medicine and digital technology. She is currently exploring the use of AI and predictive programs to auto-diagnose patients for chronic disease and cancers. Being an avid animal lover, in 2019, she will be pioneering a rural health intervention program that will provide healthcare access to female farmers in high-risk communities while also providing these farmers with much needed education and primary healthcare access for their livestock.

Rhea Dall is the director of UKS (The Young Artists' Society), one of Norway's core experimental institutions for contemporary art, and a co-founder of PRAXES, a non- profit institution for international contemporary art and research that operated in Berlin 2013-2015. After focusing her long-term investigations on artistic practices including Judith Hopf, Jutta Koether, and Matt Mullican, in 2016 she developed PRAXES' second chapter around the oeuvres of Lynda Benglis and Marvin Gaye Chetwynd as one of the artistic directors of Bergen Assembly.

Previously head of DNV GL’s Digital Accelerator, Lars Petter led the digital transformation of the entire organisation, designed and launched over 70 pilots and incubated DNV GL’s data analytics platform Veracity. Today he works at Norselab, Norway’s leading co-founder for meaningful technology start-ups, where he dedicates his time to build and develop new companies from founding through early phase scaling.

Massimiliano D’Amico is an entrepreneur, mentor, coach and advisor, and an early-stage investor in social-tech start-ups. With over 20 years experience in business, finance and legal, Massimiliano has launched three start-ups, worked in 300+ deals with over 1BLN of transaction value and is now the founder and CEO of BE-COME, an innovation firm created to empower changemakers and build new ventures, in the spirit of making positive impact on the human community.

Johnny Miller is a freelance documentary photographer and filmmaker based in Cape Town, South Africa. He specializes in issues of urbanisation, development, and infrastructure in developing countries. Johnny attended Dickinson College in Pennsylvania, USA, and the University of Cape Town. He has had his work featured in BBC, CNN, Der Spiegel, The Huffington Post, The Sunday Times (ZA), and many more publications.

Magnus Rinnan Gaarder is focused on investments, advisory and software development for early stage technology companies. He is a co-founder of ProffApps, an accelerator helping start-ups with mobile/web app development and fundraising, and a partner at Cidron Ventures. Previously, Magnus was an investment manager at transatlantic VC fund Nauta Capital out of London, and an investment banker specialised in M&A out of New York. Magnus has a combined background in computer science and finance from UPenn and NTNU. 

Matthew is an architect associate for Interrobang London and Webb Yates Engineers. He is experienced in delivering projects for clients ranging from artists to airports. Matthew has taught at several London universities and is currently a visiting professor at The Oslo School of architecture and a curator of the Oslo Triennale 2019.

Dr Nthabiseng Legoete is a medical practitioner who is passionate about improving access to primary healthcare. She has a vision that if realised, will make quality primary healthcare affordable for all global citizens in emerging markets. She founded Quali Health in May 2016. This organisation provides affordable high quality healthcare services to the disenfranchised communities of South Africa. This network of clinics currently services 500 patients a day. She has spent the last 10 years navigating the private health sector, firstly as a medical advisor and product manager in the pharmaceutical division of Roche products and also as a partner in a medical practice that manages three emergency units in South Africa.

Nasir Yammama, 26, from Nigeria was raised as a farmer’s child, with most of his siblings still active farmers. Nasir later ventured out from the fields and studied institute and creative technology at Middlesex University, London. This is where he began his technology interest which would later develop into something very distinct and close to home. Later acquiring an MA in creative technology from the same university to upon graduation win a competition, mentorship and business masterclass with Sir Richard Branson in 2014. His first enterprise, Verdant Agri-Tech, works on reengineering and transforming the way smallholder farmers practice agriculture using novel technologies.

After having lived in Kenya for several years, Nathan co-founded Jana (formerly txteagle), a technology company dedicated to providing mobile phone subscribers in the developing world with free, unrestricted internet access. Today, Jana is the largest provider of free internet in emerging markets. Our technology has been integrated into the billing systems of 311 mobile operators servicing over 4.5 billion people. Jana provides free internet to tens of millions of mobile subscribers in countries ranging from Brazil, to Nigeria, to Indonesia. Their mobile app, mCent, has also been installed in one in ten Android phones in India.

Natsai’s background in chemical and paint technology has exposed her to a variety of disciplines, including paint and coatings technology, formulation chemistry, project management, polymer science, quality management systems and industrial technology. Natsai was employed as a research associate for an international proposal writing enterprise and was a key writer on projects written for European SMEs that were granted funding of up to 1.5m Euros for excellence in innovation in various fields by the EU. This position exposed her to many fields as she conducted extensive research on numerous subjects such as cutting edge NDT techniques, robotics, plastics technology, information technology and biotechnology.

Dr Wanda Wyporska, FRSA is executive director at The Equality Trust, the national charity that campaigns to reduce social and economic inequality to improve the quality of life in the UK. She is a visiting research fellow at the University of York, a trustee of Gingerbread, Schools OUT UK and the Equality and Diversity Forum and governor of a primary school in Tottenham. She is a commissioner on the Commission for Collective Bargaining and has over a decade of experience working in the trade union movement. First at unionlearn at the TUC and then leading on equalities policy and campaigning at what is now the National Education Union. Wanda is a TEDx speaker, has spoken at the York Festival of Ideas, and chaired a panel at the Women of the World Festival. She regularly comments in the media, having appeared on BBC Radio 4's The Moral Maze, Sky News, and BBC 1's The Big Questions, among other outlets.

Danat is an engaged social entrepreneur. She is educated within organisation and leadership, and has a broad experience from non-profit social businesses. Danat is currently the chief external relations and co-founder of Young Sustainable Impact (YSI), a global organisation working to solve the sustainability challenges through entrepreneurship and innovation by gathering the smartest young minds from all over the world to create impact startups from scratch online, connecting the whole world. Before YSI, Danat was part of building the organisation Future Leaders Global, the biggest and fastest growing leadership program for youth in the Nordics.

Nina Jensen is the CEO of X Four-10, currently building the world’s largest research and expedition vessel “REV” aiming to improve understanding and search for more sustainable and environmentally responsible solutions for the world’s oceans. She started this position in 2018 after 15 years in WWF-Norway, CEO since 2012. Nina has a burning commitment and passion for oceans, conservation and sustainable solutions. She holds a MA in marine biology from the University of Fishery Science in Tromsø, and has a background in communications and marketing from Ogilvy& Mather. She is a board member of The Business for Peace Foundation. Member of the Adjudication Committee for the Nordic Council Nature and Environment Award. Member of the Expert Committee of the Thor Heyerdahl award and the Prize Committee for the Rachel Carson Award. She also serves on the Advisory Board for the Global Opportunity Report. 

Connie Hedegaard was European commissioner for Climate Action from 2010 to 2014, during which she led negotiations towards the adoption of the EU 2030 Climate and Energy Framework. She was also responsible for the 2050 Roadmap for moving to a low-carbon economy and represented the EU in international climate negotiations. Climate action has been at the centre of Connie’s political effort since she was appointed minister of environment to Denmark in 2004. Her political career began in 1984 when she became the youngest person ever to be elected to the Danish parliament. In 1990 she decided to leave parliament and focus on a 14-year career in journalism. Lately, Connie has chaired the Danish Public Service Committee, and is chairing a number of foundations and boards, such as OECD’s Round Table for Sustainability, KR Foundation and Denmark’s green think-tank, Concito. Connie holds a master’s degree in history and literature, and has authored and contributed to several books, publications and columns.

Courtney Hull is a social movement strategist, philanthropic adviser, and impact investor. She brings over a decade of professional experience working on the ground as a community organizer and systems’ analyst. With an enduring entrepreneurial spirit, Courtney has helped launch and scale multiple organizations and coalitions, including The League of Young Voters and Green For All – which she co-founded with Van Jones in 2007.  She provides independent consulting and coaching to numerous start-ups, leaders, think tanks, foundations, and project-based initiatives. The World Economic Forum named Courtney a ‘Global Shaper’ and the Sustainable Endowments Institute recognized Courtney as one of the nation’s top leaders ‘Transforming the Future of Energy Efficiency Financing.’ Courtney holds a B.A. in political science from Brown University and an M.B.A in sustainable systems from Bainbridge Graduate Institute.

Heidi Arnesen Austlid is CEO of ICT-Norway. She works to improve policies for digital businesses, and advises government, politicians, local and national bodies on how to succeed in a digital world. Heidi’s career has been spent at the crossroads of technology and politics. She has also spent time working in government, in the department of education. Heidi’s vision is for Norway to be a digital star, with advanced technology and services offered to all citizens and industry, and with smart, intuitive public services. With the right digital talent onboard, the Norwegian IT industry is positioned to be a significant value creator and deliver better products and services for generations to come.

Anniken Fjellberg has worked for the past 25 years in strategic branding, design and communications for many of the biggest brands and companies throughout the Nordic region. In 2001, she established Dinamo Design as part of Norway’s communications powerhouse Dinamo. During her ten years in the company she helped grow it into one of Norway’s leading design and branding agencies. In 2012, Anniken co-founded 657 Oslo, Norway’s largest coworking space for the creative industries, housing almost 250 people from over 100 different companies including her own communications agency Superblaise. She is also an angel investor and a mentor for entrepreneurs.

In her work for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Megan Rock has led individual development and growth in humanitarian organisational contexts by providing career coaching and customised, high-impact development initiatives. Residing in Geneva, Megan has worked for ICRC since 2004 in a variety of roles, including posts in Haiti, Sudan and Uganda. She holds a BA in psychology and sociology from Queen’s University in Belfast, a post graduate certificate in international leadership and management from York University, an MSc in development economics and international development from LSE and an executive specialised master’s in consulting and coaching for change from the Said Business School.

Harry Brekelmans became projects & technology director and a member of the executive committee of Royal Dutch Shell in October 2014. He joined Shell after graduating in 1990 with a degree in petroleum engineering from Delft Technical University in the Netherlands. He began his career in the research and development department of Shell’s exploration & production (E&P) business in the Netherlands, followed by a variety of assignments in Egypt and the UK. Harry was appointed internal audit manager for Shell E&P Europe in 2003. In 2005 he became global audit manager for both the E&P and gas & power businesses. From 2007, he was CEO of Salym Petroleum Development, a Shell joint venture in Russia. In September 2009, he became executive vice president for Shell Group Strategy & Planning. In mid-2011, he returned to Russia as country chairman and EVP for Russia and the Caspian region. He moved back to his native city, The Hague, the Netherlands, in early 2013 to take up a new role as EVP for Upstream International Operated.

Daniela Reyes combines the innocent with the mighty in her honest, acoustic performances. Using a loop station, Daniela creates a wide sound landscape with chord, guitar, footbath and her voice. Despite her young age of 16, Daniela has shared a scene with a number of big names, such as Donkeyboy, Isac Elliot and Sondre Justad. In addition, Daniela has also performed at the Hvalstrands Festival, the UKM National Festival, OverOslo and Miniøya.

Mahima is director of Xynteo’s methods, designing and scaling the tools and techniques Xynteo teams use to deliver mission impact. She is also a core client manager on the Leadership Vanguard programme, working with senior business leaders on solutions to tackle plastic waste, improve rural energy access, and support smallholder farmer livelihoods.Before Xynteo, Mahima was a senior consultant at 4iNNO, an innovation consulting firm, where she specialised in consumer insights and business model innovation. She led teams to develop disruptive, new-to-world products, including a wearable tech solution for athletes, a next-generation home beverage machine, and a smart device to manage indoor air quality. She has previously worked in corporate ethics and sustainability at LRN/GreenOrder, and in international development at Dalberg Global Development Advisors. Mahima graduated summa cum laude from Yale University with a degree in Political Science and Environmental Studies.

Saya Snow Kitasei is director of The Performance Theatre, on behalf of Xynteo. She is also a member of Xynteo’s executive committee, and has previously held roles as head of energy and head of resilience, and as programme director for the 2015 Global Projects Exchange in New York. Prior to joining Xynteo in 2012, Saya led the Natural Gas and Sustainable Energy Initiative at the Worldwatch Institute in Washington, DC. She is also the director of the forthcoming documentary ‘The Myken Project’. Saya holds a Bachelor’s in Earth Systems and a Master’s in Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies from Stanford University.

Wolfgang Schüssel served as national chairman of the Austrian People’s Party from 1995 to 2007. From 1989 to 1995 he served as minister of Economic Affairs, and from 1995 to 1999 as vice chancellor and federal minister for foreign affairs. Mr Schüssel played a key role in Austria’s accession to the European Union and chaired the European Council during Austria‘s EU Presidency in the first half of 2006.

Veronica Lie leads strategy and business development for Xynteo, and sits on the management team. She plays a key role in designing and launching new initiatives, from the Leadership Vanguard to the Xynteo Exchange/Norway. She also leads major engagements with Xynteo’s partners, most recently a large-scale leadership and culture programme for DB Schenker. Before joining Xynteo, Veronica was deputy executive director and head of policy and advocacy at the United Nations Association of the UK, a policy think-tank-cum-campaigning NGO active in international security, human rights and sustainable development. Veronica has a BA in international relations from the University of British Columbia and an MSc in international politics from the University of Edinburgh.

Osvald Bjelland is chairman and CEO of Xynteo, a platform for galvanising leaders and catalysing ideas – and fusing them into new projects, for new growth. Osvald has written for and been interviewed by various publications, including Fortune magazine, the Financial Times, the MIT Sloan Management Review and Strategy & Leadership. He was also an expert commentator for the Harvard Business Review Green initiative. Osvald has a PhD from the University of Leeds, where his thesis focused on the role of leadership in deploying IT to transform information intensive organisations. He also has an MBA from Brunel University in the UK, and a BA from the Norwegian School of Management. He is a former visiting scholar at Stanford University. Osvald serves as Senior Expert in the Technical Committee of the Global Energy Interconnection Development Cooperation Organisation, China.

Wolfgang Schüssel served as national chairman of the Austrian People’s Party from 1995 to 2007. From 1989 to 1995 he served as Minister of Economic Affairs, and from 1995 to 1999 as vice chancellor and federal minister for foreign affairs. Mr Schüssel played a key role in Austria’s accession to the European Union and chaired the European Council during Austria‘s EU Presidency in the first half of 2006.

Henrik Henriksson is president and CEO of Scania, a major Swedish automotive industry manufacturer of commercial vehicles. He has been a member of Scania’s executive board since 2012 and was executive vice president and head of sales and marketing before becoming CEO in 2016. Henriksson joined Scania as a management trainee in 1997. Between 1997 and 2016, he held several positions within the commercial system, including four years as export director in Scania South Africa Pty Ltd in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Aili Keskitalo is the current president of the Sámi Parliament on the Norwegian side of the Sámi territories, and represents the Norwegian Sámi Association (NSR). In 2005 she became the first female president of the Sámi Parliament and in 2017 she started in her third period as president. As a result of the former Norwegian policy towards the Sámi population, she grew up with the Norwegian language, however she speaks Sámi fluently today.

Eliot has worked for over a decade in the non-profit sector in Latin America. Eliot is a co-founder of Amazon Learning and is the executive director of Runa Foundation. Prior to this, Eliot served as executive director of Finca Project, a reforestation and environmental education initiative in Costa Rica. He has worked as an environmental consultant and advisor to climate change negotiations at the United Nations. Eliot received his MA in environmental management from Yale University where he studied tropical forestry and conservation finance.

Tyler Gage co-founded RUNA, a social enterprise that makes energising beverages with guayusa tea and improves livelihoods for 3,000 families in Ecuador. Tyler has been named a Forbes “30 Under 30 Entrepreneur”, and also serves on the advisory council for entrepreneurship at Brown University and advises, invests in and supports other start-ups.

Vidar Helgesen is Norway’s special envoy to the High-level Panel on Building a Sustainable Ocean Economy. The Panel was launched by Prime Minister Solberg earlier this year, and Mr. Helgesen has been responsible for coordinating Norway’s efforts in this area. Previously Vidar was the Minister of Climate and Environment from 2015, having served as Minister of EEA and EU Affairs and chief of staff to Prime Minister Erna Solberg from 2013 to 2015. Prior to this, he served as secretary-general of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance from 2005 to 2013.

Ezinne Okparaebo is a track and field sprint athlete representing Norway. She was born in Nigeria, and has been living in Norway since the age of nine. She has represented Norway at the past three Summer Olympics, setting a Norwegian national record in London 2012 in the semi-finals of the 100m at 11.10 seconds, becoming Norway’s fastest runner of all time. Her start-up, Ezinne Athletics aims to get more young people from minority backgrounds into athletics, especially girls.

Daniel Kjørberg Siraj has extensive experience through various positions in OBOS, the Nordics’ largest cooperative building association. With a background in politics, he previously worked for the Christian People’s Party in the Oslo Municipality. He was also city council secretary in the Urban Affairs Department for Nursing and Urban Development in Oslo Municipality from 2000 to 2004.

Director, Munch Museum

Arvid Moss has been the EVP of  Energy at Norsk Hydro since 2010. He is responsible for Hydro’s Climate Office and for Corporate Business Development, including coordination of strategic initiatives across all business areas. In addition, over the years, he has been responsible for strategy and business development in the aluminium area as well as on a corporate level. He played a lead role in the process that led to the oil and gas merger agreement between Hydro and Statoil in December 2006.

Irakli Beridze has been head of the UNICRI Programme on Artificial Intelligence and Robotics since 2015. He led the creation of the UN Centre on AI and Robotics with the objective to enhance understanding of the risk-benefit duality of AI through improved coordination, knowledge-collection and dissemination, awareness-raising and global outreach activities. Prior to joining UNICRI, he served as a special projects officer at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), undertaking extensive missions in politically sensitive areas around the globe. Irakli received recognition on the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to the OPCW in 2013.

Patrik Hermansson, 26, is a Swedish researcher and writer, known for the documentary, Undercover in the Alt-Right, released in 2018. The film is based on a year Patrik spent infiltrating the extreme right for the British anti-racist watchdog group, Hope Not Hate.

John-Arne Røttingen is a Norwegian doctor and epidemiologist. He was previously a director at the National Knowledge Center for the Health Services in Norway. John-Arne holds a doctorate from the University of Oslo  and master’s degrees from the University of Oxford and Harvard University. John-Arne teaches health policy at the University of Oslo and is also professor of global health at Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health.

Ishmael Sunga has extensive experience in rural and agricultural development, small enterprise development, development planning and management, and organisational development. Since he joined the Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Unions (SACAU) as its chief executive officer in 2005, SACAU has become the leading voice of farmers in southern Africa on regional, continental and global matters, and is recognised as the main policy dialogue partner for SADC, COMESA and CAADP/NEPAD on matters relating to agricultural development in the region. He holds a degree in economics from the University of Zimbabwe, and a master’s degree in strategic management from the University of Derby, UK.

Sasja Beslik has more than 15 years of experience in advising and working with multinational companies on investment issues in Africa, Asia and former Soviet Union countries. He is the chairman of UNEP Finance Initiative’s Water Work Group and is a member of the steering committee within Principles for Responsible Investment on shale gas and water issues. He is also a member of the board of The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. He was awarded The Order of the Seraphim by HRH King Carl Gustaf of Sweden in 2013 for extraordinary efforts in the field of finance and sustainability.

Ida has experience in communication, strategy and sales, with a passion for creativity and sustainable business development. Educated in international affairs and entrepreneurship with broad experience from non-profit and for-profit social business, she is currently the CEO and co-founder of FoLK Oslo – a network and co-creation space consisting of 130 of Norway’s brightest and best working to turn urban challenges into new business opportunities.

Chetna is an Indian social activist working towards empowering women in drought prone areas of rural India by inculcating entrepreneurial skills and providing them access to land and other means of production. She founded Mann Deshi Mahila Sahkari Bank, a microfinance bank which lends to women in rural areas. Recently, she was on the all-women panel of co-chairs for the World Economic Forum 2018 in Davos.

Merit Janow is a globally recognised expert in international trade and investment, with experience in academia, government and business. She is dean and professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, and formerly chairwoman of the Nasdaq Exchange LLC.

Since joining the Norwegian Labour Party in 1997, governing mayor Johansen has served as state secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under both cabinets of Jens Stoltenberg. Johansen served as the secretary general of the Labour Party from 2009 until 2015 when he resigned to run for governing mayor of Oslo. Johansen has very ambitious goals for the development of Oslo: to ensure a vibrant, green and climate-smart city with equal opportunities for everyone.

Sanjiv Mehta is the chairman and managing director of Hindustan Unilever Limited. He also leads Unilever’s South Asia business as the executive vice president. Sanjiv has been with Unilever for over 26 years and during the last 16 years has led businesses in different parts of the world. Sanjiv is a director on the Board of Indian School of Business, a member of the Breach Candy Hospital Trust, member of the India Advisory Boards of Harvard Business School and Xynteo’s ‘India 2022’ coalition. He also chairs FICCI’s FMCG Committee and CII’s National Committee on MNCs.

Royston joined Grameen Capital in 2007 as CEO. Grameen Capital is a collaboration between Grameen Foundation USA, IFMR Trust and Citigroup. It is a first of its kind social business, enabling microfinance institutions develop wider access to the capital markets. Royston previously was senior vice president with HSBC, where he was instrumental in setting up and heading HSBC’s Microfinance & Priority Sector business. The London-based Finance Monthly publication named Royston in their 2013 Global CEO Award Winners list as one of the Top four CEOs in Asia, and Top two in India.

Torbjørn Røe Isaksen was previously minister of research and education of Norway, a position which he held since 2013, and has been a member of the Storting (the Norwegian Parliament) since 2009. He has a master’s degree in Political Science from the University of Oslo, and has worked as an editor and journalist. He is a member of the Conservative Party, and led the party’s youth organisation from 2004 to 2008.

Ola Elvestuen worked as a city councillor for Environment and Transportation in Oslo during 2011-2013. He was first elected to the Oslo City Council in 2003. Elvestuen headed the City Development Committee from 2003 to 2011. He was leader of the Oslo branch of the Liberal Party from 2000-2007. At Parliament, Elvestuen has chaired the Committee on Energy and Environment since 2013.

Nikolai Astrup is a Norwegian politician representing the Conservative Party (Høyre) for Oslo. He is currently serving as the Minister of International Development in Solberg’s Cabinet, being the first since Heikki Holmås from 2012-2013. In March 2011, Astrup was named “European of the Year” by the JEF Norway.

Magne Furuholmen is a Norwegian musician and visual artist. Furuholmen is the keyboardist of the synthpop/rock band A-ha, and co-wrote many of the band’s hits including “Take on Me”, “Stay on These Roads”, “Manhattan Skyline”, “Cry Wolf”, “Forever Not Yours”, “Analogue (All I Want)”, and “Foot of the Mountain”. Furuholmen is also an visual artist with solo exhibitions held in Norway, the UK, and elsewhere in Europe. His work is represented in private and public institutions and museums worldwide, among them The Norwegian State Archives, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, and others.

Karen Dolva is CEO and co-founder of No Isolation, an Oslo-based start-up founded in October 2015, with the goal of reducing involuntary social solitude. Its first product, a physical avatar called AV1, was designed to help children and young adults, forced by illness to take extended time away from school, to maintain a presence in the classroom, communicate with friends, and socialise. Before co-founding No Isolation, Karen studied Computer Science and Interaction Design at the University of Oslo.

Kathy Calvin’s career has spanned work in the public, private and non-profit sectors.  She is a passionate advocate for multi-sector problem-solving, U.S.  leadership on global issues, and the inclusion of women at all levels and in all sectors. In 2011, Kathy was named one of Newsweek’s “150 Women Who Rock the World,” and in 2012, she was listed in Fast Company’s “League of Extraordinary Women.”  Her innovative work in the philanthropy and international NGO sector was featured by the New York Times in 2011.

Johnny Harris is a filmmaker and journalist. He currently is based in Washington, DC where he makes web videos for Vox.com, reporting on interesting trends and stories domestically and around the globe. Johnny’s visual style blends motion graphics with cinematic videography to create content that explains complex issues in relatable ways. He holds a BA in international relations from Brigham Young University and an MA in international peace and conflict resolution from American University.

Award-winning geneticist and broadcaster David Suzuki co-founded the David Suzuki Foundation in 1990. In 1975, he helped launch and host the long-running CBC Radio’s Quirks and Quarks. In 1979, he became familiar to audiences around the world as host of CBC TV’s The Nature of Things, which still airs new episodes. From 1969 to 2001, he was a faculty member at the University of British Columbia, and is currently professor emeritus. He is widely recognised as a world leader in sustainable ecology and has received numerous awards for his work, including a UNESCO prize for science and a United Nations Environment Programme medal.

Yanis Varoufakis served as minister of finance of Greece in 2015. Varoufakis taught economics and econometrics at the University of Essex and the University of East Anglia. In 1988, he spent a year as a Fellow at the University of Cambridge. From 1989-2000 he taught as senior lecturer in economics at the Department of Economics of the University of Sydney and in 2000 he accepted the offer to become Professor of Economic Theory at the University of Athens. Varoufakis has written several books on game theory, microeconomics and macroeconomics.

Christer Fuglesang, physicist and astronaut, was the first Swedish citizen in space. Fuglesang flew on his first mission aboard the space shuttle Discovery on 9 December 2006. The mission took astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) for an assembly and crew-rotation assignment. In 2006 Fuglesang was appointed an affiliated professor at KTH, where he had taught mathematics since 1980. His second spaceflight aboard the space shuttle Discovery was launched to the ISS on 29 August 2009. The mission lasted nearly 14 days, and Fuglesang performed two space walks.

Samina Ansari is the executive director of The Women’s Center at the American University of Afghanistan. Her background includes cyber security law from the University of Oslo and public management from SciencesPo, Paris. Currently she is working on job placements for women and girls in Afghanistan and fighting barriers for women in decision making positions globally. She has previously worked for the UN Trust Fund and NATO Women, Peace and Security Office.

Felipe Calderón served as President of Mexico from 2006 to 2012. As President, Calderón chaired the G20 Leaders’ Summit and the UN COP 16 climate change conference. He has been named ‘Statesman of the Year’ by the World Economic Forum and ‘Champion of the Earth’ by the United Nations. Currently, he is honorary chair of the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate, responsible for coordinating the ‘Better Climate, Better Growth: The New Climate Economy Report’; and also president of the Sustainable Human Development Foundation, and member of the board of directors of Avangrid and World Resources Institute.

Hans Vestberg is chief executive officer of Verizon Communications, a leading provider of wireless, fiber-optic and global Internet networks and services. Vestberg is a leading voice at industry conferences, including Mobile World Congress, Code/Mobile and the Consumer Electronics Show. In 2014, he was ranked #10 on Global Telecoms Business’ list of the 100 most powerful people in the telecoms industry.

Svein Tore Holsether is president and CEO of Yara, a global crop nutrition and industry solutions company with 15,000 employees worldwide. Holsether is passionate about promoting the Sustainable Development Goals in the global business arena. To contribute to a thriving future and drive inclusive growth he is a commissioner of the Business and Sustainable Development Commission and a member of the executive committee for the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). He also serves on the executive committee and board of the International Fertilizer Association (IFA) and International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI).

Rose McGowan is a thought leader and agent of change. She focussed a spotlight on injustice and inequality in the entertainment industry and beyond. As an activist, she led a movement to break the silence and became a leading voice in the #TimesUp campaign. Rose starred in the hit series Charmed, one of the longest-running female-led shows in television history. Her directorial debut, Dawn, was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.

Erna Solberg is the current Prime Minister of Norway. Solberg studied at the University of Bergen, her hometown. She became a member of Norway’s Parliament for the first time in 1989, also having served as Minister of Local Government and Regional Government from 2001 up until 2005.

Sophia is Hanson Robotics’ latest and most advanced robot to date and a cultural icon.  Sophia is a highly sought-after speaker in business and has shown great potential across many industries meeting with many key decision makers face-to face.