EMOTION NETWORK - Key Persons
André is one of Finland's leading business speakers and writers. First voted Speaker of the Year 2012 by the customers of Speakers Forum Finland and Speaker, Moderator and Coach of the Year in 2014 and 2017. In 2015 he received the Business Moderator of the Year award in Finland. For the past eight years he has spoken at over 700 business events. Amongst others, he has worked with Google, IBM, Microsoft, Nokia, Fujitsu, CGI to produce some world-class business events. His books The Finnish Miracle (2011) and The Finnish Miracle - One Hundred Years of Success (2017) are among the most sold business books in the history of AlmaTalent. He is currently the Chairman of MySpeaker, the fastest growing speaker bureau in the Nordics.
Job Titles:
- Founder, Chairman and Anchor Investor, Milano Investment Partners Sgr
L'emozione di Lorenzo è vivere una vita sana ispirata da innovazioni dirompenti.
An entrepreneur, he has been involved in Venture Capital investments since 1996, when he founded the telecommunications company ePlanet (listed on the stock exchange in 2000) and, later, Sarlux, a company that built and operated a power plant. He is the founder of ACM (Angel Capital Management), a private investment company and family office. ACM is the majority shareholder of Milano Investment Partners SGR, a management company of Alternative Investment Funds, founded to support young visionary entrepreneurs not only in their search for capital but in the development of their project. He is vice president and executive committee member of Special Olympics International and Chairman of Special Olympics Italia. He was formerly President of the Association of Friends of the Dino Ferrari Center, which is engaged in research for neurological diseases.
Job Titles:
- Founder
- Member of the Board
- Founder and Managing Partner of the Techshop SGR
Gianluca D'Agostino is the Founder and Managing Partner of The Techshop SGR, a new Asset Management Firm and Venture Capital Fund, based in Milan.
Throughout 25 years of a global career as a Manager, Founder and Investor, he has started, mentored and inspired talents and teams, ensuring that each venture had goals and objectives data-driven. His true passion and strength lie in scaling-up a business along the various growth axes: partnership, talent scouting, organization, global expansion, M&A. Previously to launch Techshop, he's been committed as Angel investor in dozens of European start-ups, side by side with Angel networks and Venture Capital Firms and he's served as Board Member in public and private companies in UK, India, The Netherlands and Italy.
His main entrepreneurial achievement to date has been Neomobile Spa, co-founded in 2007 in Rome. He drove Neomobile as CEO growing the business organically and via M&A between 2007 and 2015, to make it a global mobile monetization platform for content and one of most successful Italian digital companies ( 1B revenue generated along years). Previously he held a variety of executive roles in corporations such as TIM and KPMG.
Gianluca is today an evangelist in Tech ventures (building and investing), and a lecturer in top events worldwide. He has also invested time and energy to initiatives able to catalyze a boost of the Italian Tech ecosystem: in this perspective he founded Emotion Network, with a group of prestigious friends.
He has been lived and run businesses in Italy, France, UK, Turkey and Latin America. After 10 years in London he recently returned back to live in Italy, with his spouse and their 2 children.
Job Titles:
- Founder
- Member of the Board
Lital has more than 15 years of global experience in investment banking and alternative investments.
She is the founder and managing director of The Fintech Investment Club, a limited exclusive investment invitation-only club which creates a lucrative investment community by bringing together the top venture capital and private equity funds as co-investors.
She served as CEO of the IHFA -The Israel Hedge Funds Association, for over 5 years, representing the hedge fund industry ($16B of AUM), she now serves as a board member.
She has a proven track record of successful collaboration with investors and fund managers and has created a global platform for multinationals in Israel. Lital is well connected in the local capital market as well as with government authorities.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Antler
Magnus Grimeland is the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Antler, a startup generator and VC company headquartered in Singapore. He leads a global team dedicated to creating the next generation of entrepreneurs and disruptive tech companies. He was the co-founder of ZALORA.com, Asia's largest fashion e-commerce company. He served as COO and Managing Director of Zalora after it was acquired by Global Fashion Group (GFG) and expanded across 26 countries.
Job Titles:
- Founder
- Member of the Board
Massimo Redaelli is an out of the box thinking person with a keen interest in social, cultural, technological and ecological trends/changes. His experience in the creative fields (Fashion, Sport, Design, Art, Music, Film) applied to technology innovation (Singularity University), curiosity (sound resonance, neuro-architecture) and social good (The Great Balance, Womenlobby.org ), lead to develop a new type of ‘conscious' communication at PRIMA, a creative agency that design authentic culturally reference experiences, which positively touch users for clients such as Apple, Google, Starbucks, H&M, BMW, Bulgari etc.
By challenging existing models/concepts, collaborating within and between companies and creatives, opinion leaders, lawmakers, social entrepreneurs etc., Massimo help design engaging storytelling and story-living experiences at the intersection of "Art, Emotion & Science". Massimo co-founded the Arts & Technology Council at the Vatican and collaborate with MIT Media Lab, Arts + Mind Lab and the Music Lab of the Milan Polytechnic, for his Mission to bring ‘Emotions' to technology using Arts & Culture to foster a more responsible relationship between humans and machines. Massimo also collaborates with varies conference platforms: DLD, Brilliant Mind, Google Camp, Lakestar, Founders Forum and AccelerateHer, where he curates & moderate eclectic panels with leaders from diverse background.
Job Titles:
- CEO and Managing Partner of Silicon Foundry
CEO and Managing Partner of Silicon Foundry, a corporate venturing and innovation advisory for leading multinational corporations as they navigate the evolving tech and startup landscape. Neal has over twenty years of venture capital, product management, technology operations, corporate development and advisory experience in Silicon Valley and beyond. Through strategic insights, targeted connectivity, deal sourcing and private events, Silicon Foundry facilitates direct investments, partnerships, M&A transactions and co-creation between startups and corporations.
Nezahat has over 20 years of experience as a strategic advisor, investor, business owner and ecosystem builder in Silicon Valley and Europe. She most recently served as Head of Advisory practice of UniCredit from its foundation. Previously she was Managing Director and Head of Technology Investment Banking for EMEA at Nomura. Prior to Nomura, Nezahat served as Director at Temasek, spearheading direct TMT investments in Europe, and served on the boards of Secret Escapes and BluJay. She provided independent strategic advisory services including as a Senior Advisor to Atlantic Bridge Capital in early and growth stage investments, and as a founding member of the Future Fifty Programme of Tech Nation, a Downing Street supported initiative to foster UK tech ecosystem, as well as initiating Tech Nation's fintech efforts. Nezahat had previous technology investment banking experience with Credit Suisse and Lehman Brothers where she advised on a number of M&A and capital raisings across various tech verticals. She currently serves as independent NED on the board of Logo Yazilim, the largest software company in Turkey, Advisory Board of Emotion Network in Italy, Senior Advisor to iGenius and on the voting panel of UK Tech Awards.
Nezahat has an MS in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford University as a Fulbright Scholar and a BS in Industrial Engineering from Middle East Technical University, Turkey, as top of the graduating class.
Job Titles:
- Founder, CEO, and Owner of Founders Alliance
Niclas Carlsson is the Founder, CEO, and owner of Founders Alliance - a collaborative forum uniting large-scale founders committed to sustainable international corporate creation, responsible ownership, and making a positive societal impact. Their values center around long-term responsible entrepreneurial ownership, diversity, tolerance, and sustainable leadership. Niclas earned his master's degree in Business Administration from Uppsala University in Sweden. Beyond his professional life, he is an endurance athlete, having completed ultramarathons and adventure races. Furthermore, he is a father to three young children and actively engages as a youth trainer in Orienteering Running.
Philip co-funded JAB Consumer Fund in 2013. He is a former VP at Blackstone Advisory Service in NY and a former Senior Consultant at BCG, specialized in FMCG and Financial Services. Philip has been board member of VC More Capital and is a board member of Stiftung Lichtblick and Ambassador of Epic Foundation. He has a Master of Business Administration at the Columbia University.
Job Titles:
- Partner at & Vest Capital
Ramin Arani serves on the Boards of public Companies Brunello Cucinelli, LiveOne, and FAST Acquisition Corp I & II.
Most recently Ramin has been a partner at &vest Capital since February 2022 and served as the Chief Financial Officer of Vice Media Group from November 2019 until the end of December 2021.
Prior to this Ramin was a Portfolio Manager at Fidelity Investments where he had worked since graduating from Tufts University with a BA in International Relations in 1992. Most recently Ramin was Fund Manager of the Fidelity Puritan Fund from February 2008 through September 2018 where the Fund achieved top 5%
Simon was a Director of Finance & Investment for the SEE Property Fund and a Senior Advisor to Lehner Investments, Monaco. He was Chairman and Director of the Boka Fund from 2005-2008, the leading Residential Property Fund in Montenegro. Chaired the Investment and Oversight Committee from inception and was involved closely with Finance and Institutional Investor relations for the Fund. He has also had a long career in Wealth Management having filled the roles of Senior Client Manager with Lloyds TSB Bank and HSBC in Monaco and Head of Italian Department for Merrill Lynch.
He holds a B.A. Hons. from University College London and an M.A. from Milan University. Simon is bilingual English-Italian and speaks fluent French and Spanish.
Job Titles:
- Founder
- Member of the Board
- Partner at Isomer Capital
Thomas is a Partner at Isomer Capital, a venture capital firm investing in early-stage digital opportunities across Europe through fund investments, co-investments and secondary transactions. He was previously Head of Southern Europe for Russell Investments, a leading multi-asset, multi- manager investment firm, where he worked with some of the largest financial institutions in Europe. He also accumulated various entrepreneurship experiences developing companies in Italy as well as advising asset managers on their pan-European strategies. Being born in Switzerland, growing up in Italy, studying in France and living in London, Thomas is passionate about the development of the European tech ecosystem and its potential. Amongst other things, Thomas is helping venture capital funds in their operations, connecting start-ups to business partners and investors, and helping governments to support their ecosystem. Thomas believes that Europe can play a unique role in the international tech scene by combining long history of humanism and entrepreneurship with innovation. Thomas is fluent in English, French and Italian, and some Spanish, helping him to maintain a strong network and market insights across Europe. He holds a Finance and Management degree from Université Paris Dauphine and Banking degree from Paris Descartes.
Job Titles:
- President of G2020 Advisors Nordics
Ulf is the President of G2020 Advisors Nordics, an investment and advisory firm that offers high-impact strategic and financial advice to Asian UHNW families and emerging Tech Companies. He is the founder of Starpick, the fastest growing Fantasy Sport company, and also a Partner at Result Strategy that assisted over 300 tech companies accelerating their success through innovation and global expansion.
Ulf was an active and major shareholder in MTV Produktion (re-named to Zodiak) before selling it to De Agostini Group. He spent 25 years at the top of the entertainment industry as an artist, producer, song writer, founder and front-man of pop phenomenon Ace of Base, holding the world record for the most selling debut album of all time, with over 25 million albums sold and totaling over 50 mln records.