Philippos Ioulianou brings over 16 years of international experience across the energy and maritime sectors, underpinned by a multidisciplinary foundation spanning engineering, business, law, shipping, and diplomacy. This unique blend equips him with a holistic, strategic perspective on the global energy transition. He joined Columbia Group in early 2023 as Group Director, Energy and Renewables, where he leads the Group’s decarbonisation roadmap and the development of alternative energy solutions across its global operations. In parallel, Philippos serves as Managing Director of EmissionLink, supporting organisations in emissions management, regulatory compliance, and sustainability strategies, and is actively involved with Galactic Beacon Ventures, where he evaluates and supports startups focused on energy innovation and maritime decarbonisation. He has also held prominent industry leadership roles, having served as President of YoungShip International and Founder of YoungShip Cyprus, contributing to the development of the next generation of maritime leaders.

Victoria is an influential leader with a career spanning corporate leadership, governance and venture investment. She currently serves on the boards of listed and private companies, strengthening governance and strategy across telecoms, banking, mobility and industrial technologies.  She is Member of the Board of the European Innovation Council, contributing to the strategic orientation of the European Union’s flagship instrument for breakthrough and deep-tech innovation, and on the design and governance of innovation programs at continental scale.

She has held top executive positions at leading multinational companies, including President of Orange Spain, Senior Vice President at Proximus, and Director of Mergers & Acquisitions at British Telecom Europe, where she led strategic transformations, large-scale investments, and corporate growth initiatives. A recognized voice on the ethical dimensions of technology, she is actively engaged in Digital Humanism, and has published essays on how AI, governance and human agency can be aligned in the age of disruptive innovation. Victoria is President Europe of Global Telecom Women’s Network (GTWN).

Dr. Gideon Friedmann brings a wealth of expertise from his tenure as the Chief Scientist at the Israeli Ministry of Energy, where he shaped the nation's energy framework and pioneered initiatives in renewable energy, market structuring, energy conservation, and electric mobility. He spearheaded a major funding program that bolstered innovative strides in energy technology, academic study, and entrepreneurial ventures, and directed the transition to sustainable energy within Israel's governmental bodies.

With a diverse background in the high-tech sector, Gideon has made significant contributions to semiconductor metrology, medical devices, biotech, and energy-saving technologies through both research and development and executive leadership.

Presently, as the Chief Technology Officer of NetZero Tech Ventures, he plays a pivotal role in fostering early-stage companies at the forefront of energy technology and climate change mitigation.

Dr. Friedmann is academically accomplished, holding a Doctorate in Physics from Stanford University, a Master’s in Economics from Purdue University, a Bachelor’s in Mathematics and Physics with high honors from Tel Aviv University, and a Diploma in Bioinformatics.

Alexandros Charalambides is a Professor at the Chemical Engineering Department of the Cyprus University of Technology. He holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Imperial College London, is a Fulbright scholar, has served on the Board of the International Solar Energy Society and, as from 2024, serves on the Board of the Electricity Authority of Cyprus. He is the founder of Chrysalis LEAP, the first cleantech accelerator in Cyprus, and has trained over 200 entrepreneurs in transforming research ideas into viable businesses. Currently, he is primarily working on developing forecasting models to predict the intra-day energy output of Photovoltaics and on how innovation and entrepreneurship can assist the decarbonization strategy of Cyprus.

Eugene Smyth is an Investment Partner for Furthr VC Funds in Ireland, including the €53m AIB Seed Capital Fund where he manages the fast-growth technology portfolio. He is also an industry expert consultant on a variety of European Commission technology innovation programmes.  His specialist areas include Cleantech, IOT, New Media, SaaS, DeepTech and emerging platform technologies.

Barak Ben-Avinoam is an expert in the field of early-stage investments, climate technology startups, accelerators and incubators. Barak is the General Manager of CGV, ClimaTech Global Ventures, a cross-border fund that invest in companies that are in the intersection of AI and Climatech. Prior to CGV, Barak was the CEO of NetZero Technology Ventures, the leading technology incubator in Israel dedicated to EnergyTech companies, backed by energy giants TotalEnergies and Delek US, and investment firms BGV and OSEG, and endorsed by the Israel Innovation Authority. Barak is also the Managing Partner, Israel, for BGV, an early-stage venture capital firm with deep Silicon Valley roots.  Barak was a Member of the Israel Innovation Authority Investment Committee, and a member of the EU Horizon 2020 Innovation Council. Barak also serves as a Jury Member at the European Innovation Council, which provides funding and support for breakthrough innovation projects in the EU. Barak curated the academic content of the GreenSyn Accelerator. Specialties: New venture creation, fund raising, accelerators, incubators, Climate Technologies.

Dr. Nikolas P. Mastroyiannopoulos is Founding Managing Partner of W11 Ventures, a boutique growth and innovation advisory, venture friend and value adding connector of corporates with the innovation ecosystem, geared to genuine value creation and growth. He is an Investment Jury Member at the European Innovation Council (EIC Fund €10bn) and advisor to international deeptech VC funds. He is on the Board of Advisors of the CIM Business School in Nicosia, Cyprus. He has previously served as the Cyprus Chief Scientist of Research and Innovation, appointed by H.E. the President of the Republic of Cyprus. He was the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Cyprus Research and Innovation Foundation, the national Research and Innovation fund of Cyprus, and a Board member of the JRC Board of Governors, the Cyprus National Board for Research and Innovation, a member of the Steering Investment Committee of the Cyprus Equity Fund in collaboration with the European Equity Fund (EIF), Chairman of the Ministerial Committee for Research, Innovation and Technology, the national representative to SESAME and the European Blockchain Partnership (EBP), among others. Dr. Mastroyiannopoulos was a leading researcher, and academic. He has extensive translational and innovative research experience, focusing on developing Therapeutic approaches for Neuromuscular and Heart disorders with the aim to commercialize. He established national and international collaborations with various academic and research institutions around the world and has a solid publication record with several peer-reviewed publications and book chapters with considerable citations. He has attracted numerous grants and seed funding as principal investigator or collaborator from National and international funding bodies as well as private initiatives. He holds a doctorate in Molecular and Cellular Biology and a B.Sc. in Biomedical Sciences.

Stavriana is a Founding Partner of W11 Ventures, a unique boutique growth and innovation advisory and venture friend. She is an Investment Advisor to deeptech VC and FO funds, a member of the Investment Jury Committee of the European Innovation Council (EIC Fund €10bn) for European deeptech startups since its beginning, an EIC Ambassador and a NED Board Mentor to EIC Scaling Club New Biotech Platform startups. Stavriana has been active in the European startup ecosystem, as Cofounder and Chair of Startup Cyprus, a member of EU’s Innovation Ecosystem Leaders Group, member of the European Digital Leaders Network of WEF, and a member of the Innovation Advisory Board of the Biosense Institute in Serbia. She is a Cofounder of the European Startup Network and has served as Vice Chair and a member of the Transatlantic Council of Allied for Startups, Brussels-based startup advocacy organizations. She is the former Vice President of the Board of Directors of the Research Innovation Foundation, the national Research and Innovation fund of Cyprus. She is experienced in startup support in C-Executive and Board roles and deeptech investments with positions in deeptech startups. She holds degrees in Business Administration and Political Science (ULV) and Certificates in Entrepreneurship Development (MIT-Fulbright Scholar), Corporate Finance (Columbiax), and Venture Capital (EVCA).