Jury

Jen Keane is working at the intersection of design and science, technology and craft, exploring how digital and biological technologies could be employed to design a new generation of materials, and perhaps change our approach to making altogether. Jen is the co-founder and CEO of Modern Synthesis, a London based biomaterial company. She has been widely recognized for her biodesign work, winning the 2018 Mills Techstyle prize, LVMH Green Trail Award, and Honorable Mention in the 2019 STARTS Prize. Working previously for German sportswear giant Adidas in materials design, development and creative direction, she holds a masters degree in Material Futures from Central Saint Martins and a Bachelor of Science in Fiber Science and Apparel Design from Cornell University.

Corinne Gray is deputy to the CEO of Unreasonable Group. Unreasonable Group is a global company that supports a Fellowship for growth-stage, impact-focused startups, channels exclusive deal-flow to investors, and partners with institutions to discover profit in solving global problems. Before joining Unreasonable Group, Corinne worked at the forefront of the U.N. Refugee Agency’s innovation program, working with incubators to curate innovative solutions to refugee challenges. Corinne is a Fulbright Scholar and MIT Sloan Fellow with a Master’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University and an MBA from MIT. She currently sits on the boards of two nonprofits in Uganda and serves as mentor and advisor to 4WARD.VC climate tech accelerator and venture fund.

René van Geer (industrial designer) is co-founder of SECRID, together with his wife Marianne van Sasse van Ysselt (fashion designer). From 1989 to 2008, they ran a design studio, creating hundreds of product designs for international clients, who were active in medical equipment, telecom, consumer electronics, kitchen machines, child safety seats, furniture, etc. Working for these markets, René has worked in numerous factories in Asia and Europe. This helped him to develop a holistic approach for the design process. Since the launch in 2009, SECRID has chosen to manufacture all products as local as possible, which means ‘made in Holland’ or as close as possible. Secrid is proud to be a B-corp since 2021.

Arthur Huang is the CEO and Founder of MINIWIZ. He trained as an engineer and architect from Cornell and Harvard university, and is recognised by World Economic Forum as the “technology pioneer”  leading the circular economy revolution today with four global invention patents granted making decentralised upcycling a reality. He completed over 300,000 sqm of circular ESG development projects across 17 major global cities transforming local trash into modular upcycled building products with real estate developers and consumer brands like NIKE, Starbucks, PMI, BAT, McDonald in the last 17 years. His recents awards include: Vatican Award for Science/Ecology/Architecture 2019, Obama Foundation Emerging Leader 2019, and the  IDEAT Vision Award 2019.

Dewi van de Weerd is ambassador for International Cultural Cooperation at the Dutch ministry of Foreign Affairs. In the Dutch international cultural policy we work together with our embassies and partners on a strong Dutch cultural sector abroad. Cultural cooperation and co-creation work as a bridge in our bilateral relations. Designers can help us innovate and transform our societies to a more sustainable and circular way of living. Through arts, design and heritage conservation we work on realising the global sustainable development goals. Dewi studied arts and sciences, as well as law, and worked as a journalist before joining the MFA. As a diplomat she has a passion for culture, human rights and sustainability.

Engin Ayaz is a strategic designer specializing in architecture, systems thinking, and interaction design. He is Co-founder and Co-CEO of ATÖLYE, a global design and innovation consulting firm with offices in Istanbul, Dubai, and London; where he leads a diverse team in a myriad of interscalar and collaborative projects. Alongside ATÖLYE, Engin is also a director at kyu Collective, serves on the Board of IDEO.org, and is a FRAME Awards jury member. His work has been exhibited worldwide, receiving awards from Core77, iF, Architizer, and World Architecture Community among others. His transdisciplinary experience fuels a passion for a community-powered trajectory merging design, systems thinking, sustainability, and conceptual storytelling.

Bas van Abel is an entrepreneur, designer and engineer. He has more than 20 years of experience in social innovation, with a passion for system change. He believes that companies play an essential role in the transition needed to achieve a more sustainable economic system. As a designer, Bas delves into the invisible world behind our production systems, brings the problems to the surface and uses his companies to show that things can be done differently. Bas is founder of the successful sustainable smartphone manufacturer Fairphone (fairphone.com) and co-founder of circular startup De Clique (declique.com) and advises companies in their sustainability transition. His work has been featured in various media, including CNN, The New York Times and Der Spiegel.

Aidee Olmos is the Head of Corporate Sustainability at HSBC. She holds a degree in Foreign Affairs from the University of Valle de México and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Social Responsibility & Sustainability from Anáhuac University. Throughout her career, Aidee has worked in various financial institutions and has been with HSBC for the past 10 years. Aidee is responsible for leading the execution of HSBC’s climate strategy, which includes overseeing the HSBC Foundation and volunteering initiatives across Mexico and Latin America. Through her leadership, Aidee ensures that HSBC plays an active role in driving positive social and environmental impact.

Tamara Streefland is the Head of Networks at Built by Nature. Before this role, she worked as Urban Systems Lead, Consultant, and Consulting Director at the systems thinking agency Metabolic. She has a comprehensive international background of advising NGOs, industry, and government on building the livable cities of the future and tackling complex sustainability challenges. She has worked on over thirty global projects in various cities and regions, engaging with municipalities, developers, and other urban stakeholders and holds a Master of Science in Design and Urban Ecologies from Parsons The New School for Design. With her background in earth sciences, she is well-positioned to integrate the knowledge of ecological impacts with creative solutions that deploy innovative technologies and are sensitive to social issues.

Carolina Urmeneta is the Director of the Waste and Circular Economy Program and Lead for the Latin America Region at the Global Methane Hub. Her experience encompasses more than 15 years in the development of public policy, studies, projects, and advice on carbon markets, climate change, and sustainability strategies. As former Head of the Climate Change Division of the Ministry of the Environment of Chile, she led a participatory and science-based design of transformative policies and instruments including the Climate Change Framework Law, the first of its kind passed in Latin America with a Carbon Neutrality goal by 2050, and ambitious NDC with circular economy goals and the first Chilean Long Term Strategy on Climate Change with concrete goals and actions for each sector of the economy. Carolina is a Civil Engineer in Biotechnology from the University of Chile and has an International Masters in Sustainability Sciences, and a Diploma in Disaster Risk Management and Adaptation to Climate Change.

Pepijn Zurburg is a designer and art director. During his studies at the Utrecht School of the Arts and Sandberg Institute, Pepijn met Richard van der Laken. Together, they founded renowned visual design agency De Designpolitie, graphic design collective Gorilla, and What Design Can Do. Their work has won numerous awards, and features in the permanent collection of galleries such as Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam and MoMa New York. Working with partners and clients from KPN to Frascati Theatre, and many more. Pepijn is responsible for leadership and strategy, branding, and visual communication for everything What Design Can Do. A true all round designer with a strong hands-on approach.