Injonge Karangwa is Rwandan scholar and global health expert with a decade of experience building programs across Sub-Saharan Africa and championing multi-sectoral and interdisciplinary approaches. She has held pivotal roles in institutions like the Clinton Health Access Initiative and the University of Global Health Equity.  In 2019, Injonge made significant strides in intertwining African cultural and health sectors. Through innovative research programs and collaborations with Rwanda’s national museums, she founded the Hamwe Festival within the University of Global Health Equity in Rwanda. Currently, Injonge serves as the Research and Evaluation Lead at the Institute for Creative Repair. Injonge is also a published poet and a musician.

Irene Selvanathan is the CEO and founder of NEUROSPACE, a NewSpace company which develops space technology enhanced by the capabilities of machine learning applications. In addition to her current role as CEO, Irene works as a systems engineer and project manager at FTI Engineering Network, an aerospace company specializing in video-based security systems. Irene has 5 years of experience as a senior engineer at Exolaunch, one of the world’s largest launch vehicle providers, where she developed key technologies for several missions. She has also worked as a project manager at German Orbital Systems, a CubeSat company developing standardized technologies for rapid on-orbit verification of hardware.

Irene has a scientific background in the field of GaN electronics through work at a renowned semiconductor research institute (Ferdinand-Braun-Institut, Leibnitz-Institut für Höchstfrequenztechnik). She completed her studies in electrical engineering at the Technical University (TU) Berlin (Dipl.-Ing.)

Marianna Prokopi-Demetriades is a biotech innovator, entrepreneur and Clin. Assoc. Prof. in Research Oncology. She holds a PhD in Cardiovascular Medical Research from British Heart Foundation/King’s College London and focuses on personalized oncology and its translation into innovative solutions for improving the quality of life in cancer patients in her research. She is the co-founder of three biotech companies; RSL Revolutionary Labs Ltd develops innovative dermaceuticals for the relief and healing of skin side effects in oncological patients; Promed Bioscience Ltd develops medical biomaterials with 3D-atelocollagen for medical applications, synthesis of 3D-artificial organs and tissues; Theramir Ltd develops new generation personalized therapies and diagnostic platforms for cancer based on nanotechnology and microRNAs.

She has received numerous awards for her work, e.g.: 2022 King’s Distinguished Alumni Award in STEM (London, UK), the Republic of Cyprus Research Award Life Sciences 2021, the American Society of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology conference Award 2021 and the Madame FigaroWoman of the Year in Innovation Award 2020. She is a Member to the Board of Directors at the Cancer Research & Innovation Centre Cyprus and Vice Chair of the Development Committee for the Parallel Parliament of Entrepreneurship in the House of Representatives Cyprus from November 2020.

Marianna volunteers as a mentor for young people and females in many entrepreneurship programs such as the Junior Achievement Cyprus, Beyond Accelerator JA Novartis Oncology Cyprus and ARIS curated by Deloitte’s Innovation Centre. As a mentor and role model for female empowerment in AIPFE Cyprus Women of Europe, at Deloitte She.Can.STEM Program, at FeSTEM (Female Empowerment in STEM) European Horizon Program, at Cyprus University of Technology Women in STEM campaign 2022, Breaking  the Bias of KPMG Cyprus campaign 2022 and at the She Can Speak Campaign for young girls in Science STEAM Academy. She is a Global Ambassador for Cyprus in WomenTech Network 2022 and included in the list of “10 Women to watch in 2022” by the Global Woman Network. She is a Falling Walls Venture Finalist for the Breakthrough Start-up of the year 2022 and included in the European “50 Female Founders 2022” by the European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth.

Nicole Rinehart (BA (Hons), MClin. Psych, PhD, Monash University) is a Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychology and Director, Krongold Clinic at Monash University. Nicole is an international leader in neurodevelopmental disorders and practicing Clinical Psychologist specialising in Autism Spectrum Disorders and ADHD. She has been at the forefront of international efforts to improve the diagnosis and treatment of childhood disorders. She has held multiple National Health and Medical Research Council grants in collaboration with her colleagues at Monash Health, the Royal Children’s Hospital, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, and Howard Florey Institute. Her research is inspired by the families and children with neurodevelopmental conditions whom she has worked with over the last 2 decades.

In 2015 she founded the AllPlay program, Australia’s leading multidisciplinary platform that aims to improve the quality of life and mental health of young people who experience developmental challenges or disabilities through sport, dance, and education. AllPlay is a strengths based program developed in partnership with young people, parents, teachers, coaches, dancers, industry, philanthropy, and government. AllPlay was awarded the Australian Financial Review (AFR) Higher Education Award for Community Engagement in December, 2021, and is a finalist in the Falling Walls Science Engagement awards (Berlin, Germany).

Louisa Reichstetter works as a digital analyst and journalist. The graduate historian is passionate about topics that connect the past and the future. She is also one of the initiators of Frauen.Macht.Führung, where she moderates talks with prominent female role models.

Maria Leptin is the President of the ERC.
After her PhD in Basel, Switzerland, postdoctoral research in Cambridge, UK, and leading a research group at the Max-Planck-Institute in Tübingen, she became professor at the Institute of Genetics, Cologne. She spent research visits at UCSF, the École Normale Supérieure in Paris, and the Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK.
From 2010 to 2021, Leptin was the Director of EMBO.
Leptin is an elected member of EMBO, the Academia Europaea, the German National Academy, Leopoldina, an Honorary Fellow of the UK Academy of Medical Sciences, and holds an Honorary Doctorate from the EPFL, Lausanne.

Having a doctorate in biology, Martina Schraudner holds the Chair for Gender and Diversity in Technology and Product Development at the Technical University of Berlin since 2006 and has founded the Fraunhofer Center for Responsible Research and Innovation in the same time. She is concerned with methods, instruments and processes that make different perspectives accessible and usable for innovation. Prior to her time in Berlin, Martina directed several research institutions in Germany, such as National Academy of Science and Engineering (Acatech), and abroad and was intensively involved in research management and strategy at the headquarters of the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft.

In addition to her leadership roles at leading research institutions, Martina builds her commitment to gender and diversity in engineering and innovation through her leadership positions in several organisations. She is a member of the Board of Trustees of the European Academy for Women in Politics and Business (EAF), also a member of the Board of Directors of the International Gender Summit and a board member of the Kompetenzzentrum Technik-Diversity-Chancengleichheit e.V. (Centre of Excellence for Equal Opportunities in Technology).

Louisa Reichstetter works as a digital analyst and journalist. The graduate historian is passionate about topics that connect the past and the future. She is also one of the initiators of Frauen.Macht.Führung, where she moderates talks with prominent female role models.