A free on-line panel discussion and Q&A, organised in collaboration with WEgate Summit 2021 on Tuesday 5th October between 16.30-18.30 Central European Time (or 15.30-17.30 for those joining from the UK).

Panelists will share their experiences and vision beyond their transformational products and technologies. The discussion will also focus on the role of universities to support more women in innovation and entrepreneurship and funding strategies to develop their ventures. Panelists include:

Dr Olivia Champion Co-founder of BioSystems Technology (BST) Ltd. BST provides tools for scientists carrying out research into infectious diseases including platforms for antibiotic discovery and drug re-purposing. Co-founded of Entec Nutrition, focused on developing sustainable and healthy insect based feed. EN is a partner on the INSECT DOCTORS programme and has won IUK and EU grant funding.

Shiva Dustdar, Head of Division Innovative Finance, European Investment Bank. Shiva Dustdar has over 25 years of experience in the financial industry working for large private and public institutions in New York, London and Luxembourg. Since joining EIB in 2003, she has worked in risk management, lending and investing in innovative companies and currently heads the Innovation Finance Advisory (IFA) Division in the EIB which she was tasked to set up in 2013. IFA has 2 units covering project advisory and thematic finance providing access to finance advice to public and private entities, performing market studies and developing new financial products to meet the financing needs across the innovation spectrum to support smart, green and healthy growth. Shiva started her career in 1993 at J.P. Morgan Investment Banking in New York working in M&A, Project Finance and Emerging Markets before joining Fitch Rating Agency in 1999 to set up its European High Yield rating business. Shiva holds a BA in Economics from Columbia University and an Executive MBA from London Business School (LBS). Shiva co-founded the European High Yield Association (EHYA), which is now part of the Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME) and was nominated to Top 50 Women in Credit by Credit Magazine in 2006. She is a regular speaker on innovation and impact financing, gender smart investing, digital and green financing and actively engaged in networks that promote sustainable and mission oriented financing.

Dr Ola Hekselman Research Fellow at Imperial College London, CEO and Co-Founder of Solveteq that has developed a sustainable technology for recycling of automotive batteries, whilst significantly reducing the environmental impact of the recycling process.

Dr Fanya Ismail founder and CEO of SGMA (Sol-Gel Materials & Applications), a company that provides alternative plastic-free packaging for food and drinks. In 2019 Fanya won the UKRI Women and Innovation award and in 2020 her company won the prestigious Mass Challenge Diamond award in Switzerland.

Dr. Chiraz Ennaceur CEO and Co-Founder of CORROSION RADAR LIMITED a spin-out from Cranfield University which strives to be a global leader in remote sensing technologies and advanced analytics systems for smart infrastructures. We are developing a breakthrough sensing technology to detect and monitor Corrosion and Corrosion Under Insulation (CUI) for safety critical assets such as renewable and nuclear.

Professor Linda King, Pro Vice-Chancellor Research and International Partnerships at Oxford Brookes Universities. She is Co-Founder of Oxford Expression Technologies Ltd. established in 2007 from a collaboration between Oxford Brookes University and the Natural Environment Research Council. It provides products, services and consultancy to the global pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.

The panel discussion and Q&A session will be chaired by Simonetta Manfredi, Professor of Equality and Diversity Management at Oxford Brookes University.

For more information about this event, please visit: https://www.brookes.ac.uk/business/about/events/scientists-and-entrepreneurs–women-tackling-global-problems/

Also find out about the call for applications for the first edition of the WEgate Awards for Women Entrepreneurs in Europe.