I lead strategies and initiatives to foster a thriving startup ecosystem in EMEA. Over the past 10 years, I've guided hundreds of EMEA startups towards global success, via different programs and initiatives that I lead. My expertise lies in growth strategies, monetization, leadership development, and building strategic partnerships. I also managed a $5M Google for Startups fund. I started my career at OMD International in London, managing pan-European campaigns for Sony, before joining Google in 2011. Worked across various global markets, including analyzing South American markets at Google Peru and scaling businesses in the Baltic region. In 2015, I co-founded the Google for Startups Campus in Warsaw, where I led initiatives designed to educate and inspire startups globally.

Steffen Ehrhardt has worked for 20 years at Google, he was one of the first Account Managers for Google in DACH followed by 15 years work experience in Go-To-Market and Strategy for Google EMEA. He is an active angel investor and is serving as a board member in several early stage start-ups and also runs a syndicate that invests in Ex-Google employee founded startups. He is also a mentor in the ETH Entrepreneur Club, Rockstart, Techstars and Seedstars and was running communities within Google and also for many years in the heydays of AOL. In recent years, his dedication is in the SDG/Sustainability space and how Tech can be used for Good.

Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of NovoAI, an AI-native company transforming the insurance industry across Asia. With close to 20 years of global experience at companies like Google, Publicis, in fast-scaling startups and consulting for large enterprises, Julien has built a career at the intersection of innovation, strategy and execution. Before Novo AI, he founded and run Co-Creation Lab for nearly 10 years, a boutique consultancy helping large organizations unlock growth with a human-centered approach to problem solving. A passionate community builder, Julien mentors entrepreneurs, speaks at tech and business events and leads +65, one of Singapore’s most vibrant founder communities. His areas of expertise span from business development, marketing, strategy and product management, with a particular fondness for early stage ventures.

Global tech executive with 10+ years of leadership at Google and UiPath, driving innovation across operations, analytics, and AI. Former founder and CEO of an AI startup and active angel investor. Strong engineering foundation from the Technical University of Munich, with a proven track record in scaling global teams, leading go-to-market strategy and operations, and driving automation and cloud transformation. UN advocate for women engineers, WEF mentor, and international speaker on entrepreneurship and AI. 4x Multilingual and former competitive gymnast, combining technical rigor with a high-performance mindset.

With 20 years of experience in world-class businesses, I know what great looks like—and the costly mistakes to avoid while growing fast. I’ve built and scaled teams in high-pressure environments—leading Google’s APAC expansion, driving Facebook’s B2B engine, and rebuilding Triptease’s marketing function from the ground up after Covid. I know how to hire top talent, foster a culture of ownership, and set clear priorities that drive performance. More than execution, I build teams that think autonomously, innovate, and become an indispensable growth engine for your business. Marketing is a revenue driver, not a cost center. I build profitable, scalable growth engines that ensure every dollar invested generates measurable impact. At Triptease, I built a new revenue engine using just one-third of the previous budget, delivering above-benchmark LTV/CAC ratios and consistent pipeline growth.

I lead start-ups on their financial matters. I help them with financial modelling, forecasting, budgeting and setting the stage for negotiations with investors and lenders. I support management on company valuations, mergers & acquisitions, and help them to oversee the entire fundraising journey. With over a 15 years of hands-on experience in banking and start-up ecosystem, I am ready to help other founders to grow their business effectively but decisively while mitigating financial risks. Certificates: 2024 – MiFID II Certified Financial Adviser at National Bank of Slovakia (NBS). 2020 – Kellog-WHU Executive MBA at WHU (Germany) and the J.L. Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University (USA). 2010 – MSc. Finance and Investments at Bayes Business School.

I help teams turn promising ideas into scalable, production-ready digital products. I’ve spent the last 15+ years building digital products, leading engineering teams, and helping companies ship faster and smarter - especially in fintech, payments, e-commerce, and cloud-first environments. I’ve worked with global brands like Nike, Intel, Mastercard, and Allianz, leading initiatives that delivered secure, high-impact solutions at scale. I’ve built and managed teams of 80+ engineers, with a focus on getting MVPs right, validating features early, and embedding quality throughout the development lifecycle. My work spans cloud migration, software development process optimization, and aligning technical architecture with business goals. Whether it’s scaling delivery processes, structuring high-performing teams, or turning prototypes into products.

Former Google executive with 15+ years of experience leading market strategy, customer insights, and cross-border growth across Latin America. I help startups expand into the region by translating data into actionable strategy, building high-performing teams, and navigating cultural and operational complexity. As a certified executive coach and mentor with Endeavor and Laboratoria+, I offer founders a space to think strategically, challenge assumptions, and sharpen their leadership as they scale. Expect a practical, insight-driven, and empathetic approach - always tailored to your growth stage and vision.

Founding General Partner at Five Two Five, a globally-focused, early-stage venture fund. Prior to launching Five Two Five, Jason was a Partner at ANIM and led Google's startup developer ecosystem, and has been responsible for launching and running startup programs for Google worldwide, including Google's Accelerators for Black-led, women-led and climate-focused companies. Jason is also a co-founder of the Black Angel Group, XA Network Africa, and Net Zero Angels. Finishing an undergraduate degree at MIT in Biological Sciences with a minor in Science, Technology and Society (STS), Jason got his professional start in management consulting at Arthur D. Little. After ADL, Jason moved from Boston to San Francisco to join the YC-backed startup - Homejoy - and subsequently went on to pursue an MBA from Stanford GSB. During and after GSB, Jason worked independently with a number of startups, eventually joining the investment team at Highland Capital Partners. He has also served as a scout investor for Lightspeed Venture Partners. Today, in addition to his role leading Five Two Five and his various angel collectives, Jason remains an active Google for Startups partner, Techstars Investor-in-Residence, and startup / angel investor advisor.