Maya Jacobs
Israel
Israel
Maya Jacobs is an environmental activist and entrepreneur.
After serving for 10 years as the CEO of the Zalul (“Clear” in Hebrew) and turning the NGO dedicated to the protection of Israel’s seas, streams and water into one of the most important and influential environmental organizations in Israel, Maya is now the co-founder and CEO of Climate Net, Networking to Net Zero, an NGO intended to produce a leap in quality and the pace of climate action by focusing on the business community and science-based innovation, with a special focus on carbon removal and trade.
Climate Net aims to turn into Israel a world leader in science-based solutions with internationally scalable potential by bridging the knowledge, policy and technology gaps, and creating opportunities and projects in collaboration with businesses, municipalities and localities, government ministries, academia and other NGOs. The NGO works to create significant motivation for impactful action among people and businesses who understand the urgency to act to curb the climate crisis, pollution and biodiversity.
During her years at Zalul, the organization became central and dominant in the public discourse and turned the issues of protecting the marine environment and combating industrial pollution recognized for their importance in Israel. Maya initiated and led some of the biggest campaigns, collaborations and coalitions. Major achievements include the closing of the 12,000 ton Ammonia reservoir in Haifa, passing the Ban the Bag Law, the cessation of the annual discharge of 5 million tons of sewage sludge into the sea from the Shafdan wastewater treatment facility, the “Plastic-Free City” project in Herzliya which pushed municipalities throughout Israel to act to reduce the use of single-use plastics, The “Local Impact” project for environmental change in Jewish and Arab businesses and municipalities in the periphery that became a flagship project of the European Union in Israel, “Zalul at Work” which helped some of Israel’s largest companies reduce their ecological footprint. Maya initiated the campaign and coalition against significantly raising oil tanker activity at the Europe-Asia Pipeline Company, and against conducting offshore gas and oil drilling without emergency preparedness, and many more.
With an annual budget of 3.5 million NIS, Zalul’s work received media exposure valued at over 30 million NIS.
While at Zalul, Maya was also a co-founder of the Binui Shafui (“Sane Construction” in Hebrew), which aims to incorporate environmental principles into planning and construction projects in Israel, and currently unites 66 local campaigns throughout the country attempting to improve planning and protect trees. In addition, she was co-founder of Fossil Free Israel, a coalition that pushes to divert investments from fossil fuels.
Maya is a Board Member at “Life and Environment”, the umbrella organization of environmental organizations.
Maya is a member of former U.S Vice President Al Gore’s Climate Reality community with the aim of generating international collaborations.
Maya is a Board Member at the public benefit company Creative Change, which creates videos and art events for public education and outreach on environmental issues.
Before joining Zalul and becoming an environmentalist, Maya specialized in media strategy and relations, government relations and philanthropic investment consulting in various settings in Israel and NYC for 15 years. Among her most prominent positions, she was a Spokesperson in the office of Prime Minister Ehud Barak, Chief Information Officer at the Israeli Consulate General in New York and VP of Communications and government relations at the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, one of the largest philanthropic foundations in Israel.
Maya is a sought-after interviewee and serves as a commentator on environmental, social and economic issues in various current affairs programs and conferences and was chosen in 2018 as one of the top 20 activist women in Israel by Lady Globes Magazine.
Frank Tetzel
Germany
Germany
Frank Tetzel is a seasoned expert in journalism, industrie transformation and sustainable development. Since 2001, he has led Image Network, offering editorial and consulting services for newspapers, magazines, and online products in sectors such as economy, mobility, renewable energy, healthcare, foreign policy, politics, diplomacy, and travel & lifestyle. In 2009, Tetzel took on the roles of Editor-in-Chief and Political Advisor at Image Network, where he supports companies and institutions in the pre-political and political arena.
Additionally, since 2022, he has served as Director at Coal to Renewable Ltd. in Johannesburg, promoting the transition from coal to renewable energy in Africa. Tetzel is also the Director of the African Sustainable Tourism Organization (ASTO) and founded the African Tourism Council in 2020 to advance sustainable tourism in Africa. Since 2014, he has been the Editor-in-Chief of FAIReconomics, a platform focused on sustainable economy, science and society. He holds a degree in social and economic history and political science from the University of Hamburg and is fluent in English and Spanish. Tetzel is actively involved in several voluntary roles, including as Managing Director of the Carl Duisberg Society and Chair of the Committee for Raw Materials Management and Security at BWA Germany.
Ambassador Salwa Dallalah
Sudan
Sudan
As a distinguished career diplomat and international civil servant with over 30 years of experience, Ambassador Salwa Dallalah brings a wealth of expertise and knowledge from her roles with the government of Sudan, the UNFCCC, and the IAEA. Educated in law and politics at Oxford Polytechnic and furthering her studies with a master’s in African and Asian studies from the University of Khartoum, Ms. Dallalah has been instrumental in numerous international negotiations and forums, representing her government with distinction. From 1997 to 2020, she served as the lead organizer for 18 COP events on behalf of the UNFCCC, including pivotal gatherings such as Kyoto conference and COP21 in Paris, where she played a crucial role in supporting efforts for addressing the urgent challenge of climate change. Additionally, her contributions to the IAEA’s general conferences and scientific forums have advanced the peaceful applications of atomic energy worldwide. Ms. Dallalah’s extensive experience has seen her collaborate closely with governments across Africa, Asia, Europe, North and Latin America as well as the Caribbean, fostering partnerships and promoting global cooperation. Currently, she channels her expertise into supporting projects in event management, coaching, human resources, and mentorship for young professionals from developing countries.
Dr. Lee Recht
Israel
Israel
Lee Recht, Ph.D Vice President of Sustainability, Aleph Farms Lee’s main passion and dedication lies between climate, sustainability and innovation with a personal devotion to promote resilience in the global food systems. Dr. Recht is Currently VP Sustainability at Aleph Farms, an Israeli-based food company and a global leader in developing cultivated beef steaks with 3D tissue engineering. Her recent positions include working with the Global 1000 companies, leading NGOs and high level government officials from around the world, building tailor made ways to help identify and implement innovative and sustainable solutions according to their strategies and efforts. Lee established and directed The Builders R&D Innovation and led the Israeli ETA hub (External Technology Acquisition) by The Coca-Cola Company, delivering a continuous stream of original and ground-breaking technologies that contributed to fulfilling short and long-term goals of Coca-Cola’s Global R&D. Dr. Recht played a role also as a Scientific Advisor for the Energy and Clean-tech Sector at the Office of the Chief Scientist, Ministry of Economy (today: Israel Innovation Authority, IIA), where she promoted the Clean-tech sector within the government by initiating and establishing IIA programs and advocated Israeli innovation as part of the solution towards the Paris Agreement to tackle climate change. Lee holds a PhD in Biotechnology from the Ben Gurion University, a B.Sc. in Food technology from the Hebrew University and an MBA specializing in Strategy and International Management.
Rachel Barr
USA, Israel
USA, Israel
Rachel Barr is a climate change and circular economist equipped with over 15 years of experience in the field as an investor, social entrepreneur, and sustainability advisor. She is the Founder and CEO of Climate Tech Propel, a strategic sustainability consulting firm for climate tech startups. Formerly the VP of Sustainability at UBQ Materials, she is currently an advisory board member of Solar Impulse Foundation’s World Alliance for Efficient Solutions. Rachel is frequently featured on i24 New and serves as an advisor for MassChallenge. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University, a Master of Environmental Science from Yale University, and a Master of Arts in Public Affairs from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School, where she also pursued a Ph.D. in the Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy Program.
Dr. Richard Elelman
UK, Spain
UK, Spain
Dr Richard Elelman studied Politics in the UK before living in France, Spain, Portugal, the Middle East, Sudan, Afghanistan and India. He is currently the Head of Politics at EURECAT in Barcelona, the co-leader of the RENAISSANCE Science-Art-Sustainability programme with the European Commission and has just completed an eight-month assignment as the Acting Coordinator of the United Nations’ World Water Quality Alliance based at the UN in Nairobi. The former Deputy Mayor of Figueres in Spain, he is a political analyst who has, in recent years, specialised in Environmental and Scientific Policy and the links between Politics, the world of Research and Development and Citizen Engagement. He works in collaboration with many supranational organisations such as the UN Environment Programme, UNESCO, the World Bank and the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission as an External Expert. His latest publication, ‘The Gateway to the Future of the Mediterranean’ addresses the issue of the WEFE NEXUS. His principal activities at present, include defining the socio-political consequences of Climate Change on Migration, Health, Conflict and Gender Equality. He is a regular speaker at numerous international conferences in the United States, Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
Omar Al Busaidy
UAE
UAE
Omar Al Busaidy is a Fulbright Scholar, Author and Public Affairs expert. With a master’s degree in International Affairs & Intelligence at Florida State University, Omar is also a Non-Resident fellow at Trends Research & Advisory a geo-political think tank based in Abu Dhabi, UAE. His multiple roles have allowed him to achieve several accomplishments, from publishing his self-help book ‘Just Read It’ and his upcoming book on futurism titled “Why Jobs are Robots and Life is for People’, to investing in start ups in the tech sector. A former Global Shaper at the World Economic Forum and an alumni of the State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) , Omar has been invited to mentor students on entrepreneurship, communication and leadership at several universities and conferences across the UAE and around the world. Since the Abraham Accords, Omar has been a powerful voice advocating for greater participation of countries to join the accords and has discussed the economic potential for the prosperity of the region on many occasions. He was invited to speak to Jewish federations and organizations as well as at the Commonwealth Club, University of Notre Dame and more.
Jalal Charaf
Morocco
Morocco
Mr. Jalal CHARAF is Senior Advisor North Africa at IFC (International Finance Corporation / World Bank Group) since March 2023. In October 2021, he joined the OCP Group as Head of Farmer Solutions within the SBU Fertilizers & Farmer Solutions before being Sponsor of the corporate function “Talent & Organizational Development” of the Group. From 2019 to 2021, he was Managing Director of CGEM (The Employers’ Organization of Morocco) and Chairman of the Management Board of the Observatoire des Branches (OdB), whose mission was to ensure that the right skills were properly forecasted for all professional branches. Before CGEM and OdB, Jalal began his professional career in 1999 and worked in the fields of the concrete industry (PREFAB Industries), international technical assistance (IFC / World Bank), teaching and training (Al Akhawayn University and OFPPT), and agriculture (Les Domaines Agricoles and Atlassence). Jalal holds an engineering degree from Ecole Centrale Paris, a Master of Engineering from Cornell University, a PLD from Harvard Business School and an Executive MBA from Quantic School of Business and Technology.
Ethy Levy
Israel
Israel
Professional Background: Based in Israel and strongly connected in the vibrant Israeli eco-system accross (a) government: ex Advisor to the President of the State of Israel, Innovation Authority, (b)the private sector: VC’s, incubators and accelarators as well as (c) academia and TTOs.
I work across multiple technology sectors and provide tech and innovation adoption advisory to Multi Nationals Corporations as well as to academia and government. Some of my clients include: Israel’s President’s Office (Served as Senior Economic Advisor), Government of Australia, Telstra (leading Australian Telco), AGL (leading Australian Energy Provider), Swinburne University (Advisor to Vice Chancellor for R&D), BHP, Inter American Development Bank (provided research on best practices in commercialisation of Agricultural research), Kubota Corporation and more. I am active in different geographies: Australia & NZ – Co Founder of the Bridge Hub (Innovation Hub for Agrifood technologies), Canada (Mentor and Speaker at the annual Inventure$ conference), Latin America, Europe (Representing Kubota Europe ventures in Israel), US (Global Ambassador to Springboard accelerator, Global Advisory Board of Western Growers Association).
I have a wide experience in creating the right settings to promote innovation and providing innovators the necessary tools and skills to bring their ideas to live and to commercialise them globally. I am assisting a large number of startups in a broad range of areas but with a strong focus on Agriculture, Food and Climate technologies. I have an extended global network with senior executives in global companies across a wide array of sectors. I work closely with leading VCs, incubators, the Innovation Authority and other players in the eco system. I am passionate about technology and its impact on society and the environment. ETHY LEVY Passionate Founder IMPACT INNOVATION ISRAEL & Managing Partner KINNERET IMPACT VENTURES
Abbas Kazmi
UAE
UAE
A multi award winning serial entrepreneur and investor who founded his first of several successful companies at 16. Abbas has been chosen as a Forbes 30 Under 30 Standout, as a Maserati 100, as one of the Great British Entrepreneur Awards Entrepreneurs’ Champions of the Year, and as one of startups.co.uk’s Young Entrepreneurs of the Year and Business Growth Enablers of the Year, to name just a few amongst many other awards. Abbas has been appointed as a United Nations Alliance of Civilizations Fellow, focussing on youth entrepreneurship and empowerment, peacebuilding and encouraging intercultural dialogue in MENA. and as a World Economic Forum Global Shaper. He has been chosen as a World Economic Forum Global Shaper and was selected to become part of the prestigious Helena Group Class of 2018 alongside the likes of Snap Inc CEO Evan Spiegel.
Ex-BlackRock working across EMEA and the US, Abbas co-founded both the Oxford Accelerator and VC fund Collegiate Capital, as well as being an investment committee member of, advisor to and LP investor in several funds in Europe such as BlackWood Ventures on whose Investment Committee he sits. Recently he was recognised and selected by the UAE’s Deputy Prime Minister, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, as an Arab Youth Pioneer and is working on how to tackle youth unemployment and encourage entrepreneurship, innovative homegrown research projects and greater private sector engagement with nationals in the Gulf region. He is very passionate about web3, the metaverse and blockchain technology and has been in the space since 2014, investing in and building many exciting projects. He advises the UK Government as a co-founding Advisory Board Member of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the Metaverse and Web 3.0. He is also a Helena Group Fellow and one of the youngest fellows at the Royal Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce – FRSA.
An academic scholar both at Westminster School and Oxford University and a VC Fellow at London Business School’s Newton Venture Program, Abbas is Chairman of the illustrious Oxford Guild, which he has built into the largest university society in the world and where he has hosted a wide range of high profile guests from multiple major CEOs and Nobel Prize winners, to the likes of Kanye West, Woody Harrelson and many more. He is also co-founder of the All In startup diversity pledge, the Global Fintech & Blockchain Conference, Europe2SiliconValley Trip and the Spirited Network Covid-19 relief non-profit platform.
Combining both East and West, raised in Dubai with an early stint in Saudi Arabia before his elite education in the UK, Abbas has seen the huge changes in the region first hand since the early 1990s and has been fortunate to have been able to travel to over 100 nations across the world so far. Abbas regularly judges leading start-up competitions such as MIT Innovators Under 35 and speaks at top universities and conferences globally such as the World Economic Forum Annual Summit at Davos, Forbes 30 Under 30 Summit and Milken Institute MENA Summit and many more.