Roy Stillwell has more that 12 years of programming / embedded design/industry experience and spent 10+ years as a lead system architect. He has published in peer reviewed journals and conferences all over the world. Roy has a PhD in electrical engineering from the University of Notre Dame.

Jeremy Brown is best recognized as the founder of Startups Give Back, an organization dedicated to prioritizing philanthropy within startups, and Social Impact World, an exclusive community for leaders in social impact. Additionally, he serves on the Board of Directors for Sea Hugger, a California-based nonprofit focused on combatting plastic pollution in oceans. Jeremy's professional journey has revolved around assisting technology startups in scaling, reflecting his commitment to driving positive change in both the social impact and nonprofit sectors.

Dr. Luisa Javier and Dr. Sandra Medina, environmental scientists and entrepreneurs, co-founded Wayakit Holding Group, specializing in eco-friendly hygiene solutions. With accolades including the Distinguished Mexican Award, Luisa leads a team focused on sustainability across sectors, while Sandra, recognized as one of Fast Company Middle East's "2022 Most Creative People in Business," leverages her expertise as Wayakit's COO to drive impact.

Fabrice Serfati, Partner at IGNIA since 2012, boasts a diverse background in strategy and finance. Prior to IGNIA, he held key roles at Grupo Domos and Vitro, managing substantial portfolios and spearheading strategic transactions. With experience at Banco Santander and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from ITAM, Fabrice is deeply engaged in entrepreneurship and gender equality initiatives, serving on the boards of RCO, Fondo Angular, Victoria 147, and CORDEM.

Óskar Þórðarson, Co-founder and CEO of Omnom Chocolate. He is passionate about creating thriving businesses. Oskar has dedicated to delivering exceptional quality while fostering a positive company culture. Beyond Omnom, Óskar mentors aspiring entrepreneurs, sharing insights and exploring collaborative opportunities. Connect with him to drive innovation and sustainability in business.

Lauren M Taylor is a Principal at REDF, leading the REDF Accelerator for emerging enterprise leaders. She also serves as a managing partner at Zero Gravity Agency, aiding startups in product launches and community building. With a background in education and tech sector coordination, Lauren brings expertise in nurturing high-impact businesses. She holds a Masters in Social Practice from California College of the Arts, a Masters in Education from Portland State University, and a Bachelors in Studio Practice from Tufts University.

Emile Lavirotte is Senior Advisor Intellectual Property . Emilie coordinates the IP strategy for a French multinational retailer for personal care and beauty products in North and Latin America. After working in France for different companies, she joined the legal team of her current employer in the US a few years ago. She has 15+ years of experience working in-house in France and in the U.S.

Shomit Ghose has spent more than 20 years as a Silicon Valley venture capitalist. Prior to his VC career, Ghose was a start-up entrepreneur for 19 years, participating in three IPOs. He was also CEO and board member at Truviso, leading to its acquisition by Cisco Systems. Shomit has held a Lecturer appointment at UC Berkeley’s College of Engineering since 2018, teaching data strategy, and sits on multiple corporate boards, both public and private, and multiple scientific advisory boards.

Tara Tan is a Co-Founder and serves as General Partner at Strange Ventures. She was the Founding Partner (Investor) at IDEO CoLab Ventures. She partners with technologists with a vision. For the last 7 years, she helped build the venture arm at global design & strategy firm, IDEO, where she invested in early-stage startups through as a founding partner of Web3 fund CoLab Ventures. In the decade prior to that, She led design at early-stage startups and design agencies (including manufacturing unicorn, Formlabs), where she drove brand and go-to-market strategy. She holds a Masters in Design & Technology from Harvard University, where she was appointed Co-Chair of Women in Design. She has a B(A) from the University of Bristol, UK.

Whitley O’Connor, co-director of social enterprise for Curbside Enterprises. Whitley is a Vanderbilt University graduate, co-founded the Curbside Chronicle, an award-winning magazine empowering individuals experiencing homelessness. His leadership extends to Curbside Enterprises, fostering social impact through ventures like Curbside Apparel and Sasquatch Shaved Ice. Over a decade, these initiatives have helped nearly 400 people escape homelessness, generating almost $6 million in earned income. Recognized on Forbes' 30 Under 30 list, Whitley, with experience across sectors, serves as a consultant for social impact ventures. Beyond work, he enjoys true crime podcasts, local art, and Sandlot baseball.

David Dietz, Strategy and Outreach Coordinator at NEXUS Global, unites next-gen philanthropists and impact investors for positive change. Founder of Modavanti, an acclaimed sustainable fashion retailer, and board member of Georgetown University's Entrepreneurship Alliance. Former conflict journalist in the Middle East, contributing to major publications. Holds a degree in Arabic studies from Georgetown University.

Matias Gandulfo, Matias Gandulfo, a Product Designer and Project Engineer, originally from Argentina, now based in San Jose, CA, holds a Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering and is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering with a Mechatronics focus. His career has been marked by a deep involvement in engineering, particularly in the field of pipeline design and construction. With a strong passion for sports, including padel and soccer, Matias brings dedication and a unique international perspective to his work.

Aditi Maliwal, Partner at Upfront Ventures, is dedicated to investing in and empowering exceptional founders and teams. With a background in product management at Google and experience in early-stage venture and investment banking, she brings a global perspective and a passion for nurturing entrepreneurial talent. Aditi's journey has spanned diverse locations, including India, Hong Kong, Singapore, and San Francisco.

Tximista Lizarazu, CEO & Co-Founder of Fraîche, is a passionate sustainability advocate and visionary entrepreneur based in New York. With a background in the clothing industry in France, he co-founded Fraîche, pioneering a fresh approach to in-office food experiences. At Fraîche, Tximista leads a mission to make sustainable eating easy, enjoyable, and accessible by partnering with local, responsible food businesses and implementing green logistics to minimize environmental impact.

Karine Sarkissian is our Design Lead and co-founder. She believes that design is a way of life. Designer and Design Strategist by background, Karine has extensive experience in social innovation for urban and economic development initiatives.

Sophie Durey is our impact expert. She is passionate about using finance as tool for social and environmental change, and she co-leads Le Studio. Sophie had 10+ years experience in the VC space, and she has lived in Asia, Latam, and Europe and loves to discover cultures and places. She reads an awful lot and enjoys analog photography.

Brigit Blote is the co-founder and CEO of fomeno, a tech startup dedicated to making thrifting simple. Brigit started fomeno in her college dorm room with a few friends during the pandemic while balancing life as a student and division 1 athlete. fomeno went on to beat out teams from across the country including Harvard, Duke, and MIT, to represent the United States in the Global Hult Prize Accelerator—the word's largest student-led startup competition. In 2021, Brigit and the team won the Hult Prize, and have since gone on to raise outside capital and launch the fomeno app on iOS.

Lopa Desai is the long-time Managing Director of Niraat. There she leads a variety of initiatives for a family office, including public and private equity investments and trust and estate planning.

Thomas Knowles joined Gratitude Railroad in January 2015 as managing partner. Prior to GRR, Thomas led corporate development and strategy for a leading outdoor e-commerce company, Backcountry, and a publicly traded software as a service company, Liveperson (NASDAQ:LPSN). He also spent five years in investing roles with SVB Capital, the venture capital arm of Silicon Valley Bank. Thomas graduated from Santa Clara University with a degree in Economics. Raised in Seattle and a 10 year stint in San Francisco Bay Area, Thomas now lives in Park City Utah with his wife Jessie and their kids Dayna, Kira and Westin.

As co-founder and CEO, Michael Robinov sets the vision and strategy for Farm to People. Immersed in the natural food industry since a young age, his infectious obsession for food & technology has attracted an ambitious team who have successfully bootstrapped Farm to People and made the brand one of NYC's premier food delivery services. Michael's entrepreneurial spark was lit as a child running around in his father David's natural product stores and continued on olive and caper trips to the Mediterranean for his father's brands. In high school while working at the Union Square farmers market, Michael was moved by the people and stories behind the great food. After learning more about the industry and the role that large corporations play, Michael realized it was more important than ever for people to be informed about the origins of their food. Farm To People aims to help more folks in NYC access ethically grown food and to foster a community around sustainability! He was selected to Forbes 30U30, Class of 2021.