John's ability to bridge the gap between academia and industry has made him an influential figure in the fields of life sciences, technology, and investment.

As Managing Partner of RYSE Asset Management, John has led the strategic partnerships and deployment of capital into transformative ventures, helping companies secure millions in investment, and commercialise into global markets. His track record includes working with a portfolio of companies, industry giants like Novartis, Medtronic, the NHS, and Silicon Valley's renowned Y Combinator accelerator.

As a trusted advisor to family office and institutional investors, industry, and policymakers, John is focussed on partnerships, capital strategy, and market expansion. His background has given him a unique blend of strategic vision, industry expertise, and a global network to overcome our world’s greatest challenges.

Doug is an Operating Partner at ArrowRoot Capital, concentrating on growth-stage B2B software investments. He serves on multiple boards, including Edgio (EGIO) and Engage3. Additionally, he acts as a board advisor to several growth-stage companies, where he assists CEOs and helps craft effective sales and marketing strategies.

Doug's career milestones include CEO Leadspace, a B2B data platform, CMO of both Salesforce and Skype, the latter being successfully sold to Microsoft. He also led the SF office of digital agency Digital through to acquisition by Publicis. 

Doug graduated from Oxford University with a degree in Physics and has an MBA from INSEAD. 
 

Emily is a development economist specialising in sustainability & resilience. She has 25 years international experience working with development finance institutions, central banks, the private sector & NGOs to design & implement investment strategies that help both people & planet. 
 
She is CEO of Solution42, having previously been Chief Economist at WhiteLabel Impact, Senior Economist at USAID & Senior Climate Change Economist at The World Bank. Currently based in Nicaragua, she has focused strongly on developing economies. She was Chair of the Energy Working Group at Inter-American Development Bank, Technical Director of The Libyan Public Financial Management Project & founder of Trade Facilitate Ltd. 
 
Emily has freelanced for Guardian News & Media, Thompson Reuters & Revista Caretas. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Hispanic & Latin American Languages from University College London and both a Masters & Phd from John Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. 

Ben has played a crucial role in the world of international design for more than 30 years. He founded the London Design Festival with Sir John Sorrell in 2003 and the London Biennale, of which he is Executive Director. He has been a Governor of University of Arts, London, Board member of Roundhouse and Artangel. He has acted as Advisor to many public figures including Lord Putnam,  the Chairman of English Heritage and the Mayor of London. Such experiences bring Ben into continuous contact with the world's design and innovation community, many of whom have a strong focus on solutions related to global pressure points like natural capital. 
 
Ben has both a Masters in History of Design from Royal College of Art and a further honorary degree conferred in 2010.


 

A corporate lawyer by training, Duncan has been Chairman, NED, CEO & General Counsel of a range of international businesses and charities. He chairs Foodbank Australia, previously Athletic Greens Inc., the Sydney Children's Hospital Foundation, Curing Homesickness Ltd,  Heineken-Lion Australia and a number of other companies. He was General Counsel for PepsiCo/YUM Brands and Lion Nathan, as well as MD of Lion's Dairy business before founding his own advisory company Chinaroad.

Outside corporate life, Duncan owns a number of hospitality businesses and, together with Andrea Strong, Wirrabilla Pastoral Pty, a sustainable farm with 600 Angus/Fleckvieh cows running across two properties in the Southern Tablelands of NSW.

Duncan has a Bachelor in Law from Otago University, also FGIA, FCG.
 

Simon is co-founder and partner in Best Practice AI, an AI management consultancy that works with executives and companies to accelerate their AI strategic planning, implementation and governance. He was until recently a member of the World Economic Forum's Global AI Council. He is a recognized international speaker on AI including briefings to the BBC, Samsung, YPO, Harvard Business School, and 10th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Simon has over 25 years of international senior management experience leading digital transformations and innovation through technology, data science and AI. Early in his career he co-founded the MapQuest.com service, the first geospatial internet brand. As Chief Digital Officer, he led the digital transformations of Dex Media, a Carlyle directory and local marketing services company, and European Directories where he grew digital revenues to €300M. 

Simon holds a degree in Computing and Artificial Intelligence from Sussex University and an MBA from Harvard.

Rikke is a Board Member and Advisor to Digital Global Systems, previously also Flawless Photonics, and is Co-Founder of M&R Advisory Ltd specialising in supporting companies in delivering large scale transformation projects & organisational change.
 
Over a distinguished career she has held multiple President, Managing Director and Senior Partner roles in well-known technology and telecomm’s companies like Microsoft, Vodafone, IBM and Cable & Wireless during periods of intense technology transformation. Other roles included CEO of Logical Group where she managed & integrated 35 acquisitions in 11 countries within the Network, software & services space sold to international Telco's around the world. Many of her roles had a strong sales and marketing component.

A keen equine enthusiast, she pioneered the use of animal micro-chipping via her start-up Bastyan. She has a BA and Diploma in Marketing, Export & Organisation from Niels Bock Business College Copenhagen. 

Robert Swan OBE, the first person in history to walk to both North & South Poles, is a life-long environmental campaigner, educationalist, expedition leader and United Nations Goodwill Ambassador for Youth. Robert has worked with Boy Scouts of America, Beyond Petroleum (BP), Coca-Cola, KPMG, NASA, Shell, TED Global, Unilever, and many more. Robert uses his vast experience, knowledge, and expertise to motivate organizations to integrate sustainable practices into their business models. 

In 2014 Robert was invited to speak at the TEDGlobal conference in Rio de Janeiro. He has been featured as a keynote motivational speaker at the United Nations World Summit for Sustainable Development, the World Economic Forum, and the Corporate Eco Forum.

Rob is a graduate & Honorary Fellow of Durham University
 

Having initially trained as a lawyer, Caroline has become a highly successful, international Chief Human Resources Officer in a range of industries. Her current role as CHRO of Van Leeuwen Pipe & Tube Group includes additional responsibility for sustainability. 

Her other NED responsibilities include roles at Natec Sunergy BV, distributor of solar products, as well as Royal Swinkels Family Brewers. Earlier experiences as CHRO/HRD included the digital transformation of a print media company, work in telecoms and software, as well as being Head of HR Europe for ISS, the international services company. 

Caroline has a degree in law from Leiden University.





 

Joff has been variously Chairman, CEO,  COO and CHRO in multiple industries from FMCG, through media & technology to commercial real estate. He has led, invested & mentored start-ups in recruitment, flexible workspace & wellness sectors. He also advised to the family office of a well-known UHNW.  
 
His early career as a Special Forces officer in the jungles of Borneo and Belize, as well as later expeditions to Antartica, shaped his perspective on the importance of natural capital. He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, previously Chartered Fellow of CIPD and school governor working with the London Mayor's office to improve playground air quality.  
 
Educated at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst where he won the Director of Studies Prize, he has been an author, MBA columnist for South China Morning Post and & freelancer for Newsweek and HuffPost. 
 

Katie is both an experienced Chief Marketing Officer, community organiser and humanitarian. She is also a great example of our approach to the provision of expertise through fractional C Suite appointments. At the time of writing, she is working part-time as senior marketing counsel for a real estate design company and a family-owned Irish Whisky business. 
 
Katie’s earlier career was split between commercial real estate and transportation sectors. This included British Land, a $5Bn REIT, where she co-founded a new flexible workspace business. She also worked for Hertz, British Airways, Eurostar and Grant Leisure. 
 
She began her career as a United Nations aid worker and was deployed to Rwanda at the time of the 1994 genocide. More recently she stood as parliamentary candidate in the 2024 General Election with a focus on safety for women and urban air quality. 
​
She has a degree in Applied Psychology and Maths from University College, Cork 
​
​

Rick is co-founder and (managing) partner at Airbridge Equity Partners. This venture capital firm matches experienced entrepreneurs with scalable digital ventures. He has a strong track record of creating, growing, and exiting successful businesses, such as BOL.COM and Incubeta / DQ&A Media Group, where he held prominent roles as founder, CEO, and co-owner.

As an active investor and board member, he supports the founding teams of various European companies in the digital sector, such as ChannelEngine, We Are Eves, and Honeysales, with strategic guidance, hands-on assistance, and access to his extensive international network.

He holds an MSc/Drs. in Business Administration from Erasmus University Rotterdam. 

Kim has combined an illustrious business career with 22 years service as a volunteer officer in Denmark's Armed Forces and his passion for sailing the world's oceans. Most recently he was Vice Chairman and CEO of Nordic Aviation Capital. 

Many of Kim's senior roles have focused on the digital transformation of media companies. He was Chairman of Berlinske Media & Colorprint and CEOs of Lokaldelen,Thomson & Thomson and Esko-graphics. His other roles were largely spent in technology-based companies, including Chairman of Reson, a business concerned with underwater sonar systems.

Kim has a Masters in Political Science from Aarhus University. 






 

Seb runs the USA office of The Ulin Group & is CEO Inventure Recruitment LLP. 

Seb set up his Executive Search company in WeWork's first ever building in NYC's SoHo area, in an old redbrick above a subway station, whose trains rattled the coffee cups! Six years have passed, he now runs the business from Los Angeles and his team delivers in excess of 500 placements per year, from C Suite to mid management, within the Renewables Investment & Operations sectors. Before co-founding Inventure, Seb established the Chicago office of another global search company.

Seb has a BA (History) from University of California Los Angeles, where he played Running Back for the College Football side & represented USA in international collegiate rugby. 


 

Having trained as a barrister and completed a short service commission with the Army, Paul  had an illustrious 25 career in capital markets and shipping, working for Morgan Stanley and Chemical Bank. He also founded two independent financial services businesses and is a former Executive Director at the Baltic Exchange, where he set up and ran its regulated subsidiary from 2009-17.

Paul then switched his focus to sustainability and resilience specifically, leveraging his understanding of strategy, risk, scenario analysis, regulation and data.  As a sustainability Advisor Paul provides regulatory, technical and strategic advice to corporate boards & management teams with a particular focus on the energy transition and climate and nature-related risk and reporting. 

Alongside his advisory work, Paul provides ESG training for industry professionals, including as Co-Director of the Certificate in ESG in Shipping course for Lloyd’s Maritime Academy. He has also advised the Climate Bonds Initiative on its Shipping Criteria. 
 
Paul is trained as a Barrister (Inner Temple) and holds an M.A. in Mathematics from Oxford University. 
​