Viktoria Kanar, CEO & Co-Founder, Re-Fresh Global

About Viktoria Kanar

As a fashion producer and entrepreneur, Viktoria brings together key experts and innovators from around the world to develop new and circular initiatives that will have a long-term impact on how we manufacture, purchase, sell, and recycle textiles. Viktoria's international experience has evolved through the creation of GeekChicTLV, an agency that specialized in innovative fashion and tech productions in Israel and abroad. In previous years, Viktoria had the pleasure to work around the world with LVMH, Tel Aviv Municipality, Gindi Investments, Tel Aviv Fashion Week, The Strauss Group, Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Israel and found and lead communities of entrepreneurs in that combined the fields of fashion, innovation and sustainability.

About Re-Fresh Global

Re-Fresh Global is disrupting the textile industry through its ground-breaking technology which transforms textile waste into new raw materials. Founded in 2019 by entrepreneurs Viktoria Kanar and Revital Nadiv Zivan, the company confronts the global problem of textile waste that affects industries, government and the social sector. Using innovative techniques, we have developed one solution and 3 products which aim to radically change the direction of the existing linear textile industry.

Carmen Rommel, Co-Founder & COO, BIOVOX

About Carmen Rommel 

Carmen Rommel, COO of BIOVOX, founded BIOVOX in 2021 with Vinzenz Nienhaus and Julian Lotz to tackle the plastic problem in hospitals. Her background is in mechanical engineering were she focused on sustainable product development and supply chains. Passionate about sustainability and a better world, she also enjoys the outdoors on bike and foot often accompanied by her dog.

About BIOVOX

BIOVOX pioneers medical grade bioplastics for a sustainable and circular healthcare. With a holistic, polymer agnostic approach, BIOVOX provides a safe, convenient, and cost-efficient solution for MedTech, Pharma and Lab manufacturers, maximizing regulatory compliance and customer success. BIOVOX bridges the gap by qualifying non-medical sustainable raw materials for use in healthcare. The unique medical, technical & sustainability expertise enables its customers to implement sustainable materials faster & cheaper than any other way.

Dr. Gesa Biermann, Co-Founder & CEO, Pina Earth 

About Dr. Gesa Biermann

Dr. Gesa Biermann is the co-founder & CEO of Pina Earth, a climatetech startup based in Germany and backed by Y Combinator. Her commitment to sustainability has been a driving force in all her decisions. Gesa holds a PhD in Sustainability Science from LMU Munich and a Master's in Sustainable Resource Management from TU Munich. Prior to founding Pina Earth, she co-founded 180 Degrees Consulting Munich and was part of the Management Team at the Center for Digital Technology and Management (CDTM) - a joint research and educational institute of LMU and TUM.

About Pina Earth 

Pina Earth develops certified climate projects from local forests in Germany. EU forests are at high risk due to climate change. The projects store additional CO2 by making forests biodiverse and climate-resilient against increased heat, storms, and droughts. Pina Earth’s suite of digital tools allows companies to invest in high-quality carbon credits, locally. With over 20 million m2 of forest adaptation projects under management, Pina Earth is the market leader in Germany.

Julia Kahle, Co-Founder & CEO, Heynanny

About Julia Kahle and Heynanny

Julia Kahle is co-founder and CEO of heynanny, an award-winning start-up, that uses the platform of the same name to help companies offer short-term and secure care solutions (childcare and elderly services) as an employer benefit. As a former Head of HR Marketing & Recruiting, she has excellent knowledge of benefits and all topics related to employer branding. Together with her co-CEO Anna Schneider, she addresses the problem of balancing work and family and offers care solutions for children and older people throughout Germany and Austria, including in rural areas. Companies benefit from reduced absences, higher employee retention and tax advantages. Julia Kahle, herself a mother of two, emphasizes the importance of genuine employee benefits and sees companies as having a duty to position themselves as attractive employers.

Vivian Loftin, Co-Founder & Managing Director, Recyda

About Vivian Loftin

With a background in International Cultural & Business Studies, Vivian's career has primarily focused on fostering intercultural exchange. Her passion for sustainability sparked during an innovation project in 2019, where she explored the challenges of the circular economy leading her to co-found Recyda. In her current role as Co-CEO, Vivian oversees communications, driving the company's mission to revolutionize sustainability practices within the packaging industry. In addition to her role at Recyda, Vivian serves as a member of the board of trustees for the Value Foundation, where she actively contributes to advancing value-driven entrepreneurship initiatives.

About Recyda

Established in 2020, Recyda is a pioneering startup dedicated to developing software for packaging sustainability management. Recyda consolidates international regulatory requirements into a single, user-friendly software platform. By leveraging Recyda's packaging sustainability platform, customers gain the ability to effortlessly oversee and align their packaging with these regulations. Ultimately, Recyda serves as a catalyst for advancing the circular economy of packaging.

Nadine is the Head of Communications Europe for LONGi Solar, moderator, consultant and speaker with a focus on diversity, gender equality, leadership and entrepreneurship. At Germany’s largest online network for women, Digital Media Women (#DMW), she campaigns for the visibility of women on public stages as well as giving women a share of voice in the era of digitalization. At the DMW, she is also studying companies with at least 30 percent of female representation in the top three management levels.

Guido is Head of Government Affairs at Microsoft Germany, coordinating Microsoft’s external relations to government entities, members of parliaments and all other political stakeholders in Germany. 

Guido joined Microsoft in 2015 as Head of Regulatory Policy, overseeing external political and regulatory relations regarding the constantly growing regulatory exposure of the tech-sector.  Previously he served as Head of Public Affairs for United Internet in Berlin and Brussels. From 2007 until 2011 Guido served as Head of the Media Policy Department at BITKOM, Germany´s largest ICT association. He is member of the board of of “Selbstregulierung Informationswirtschaft e.V.” (SRIW).

Guido studied law at the University of Göttingen and the Trinity College Dublin and holds a PhD degree. He is specialized in telecom regulation, intellectual property, cybersecurity, e-commerce and data protection law and has published several scientific articles on these topics.

Dipika Dipika is a Senior Vice President at AlixPartners, with over 10 years of experience in operations and supply chain management. She collaborates closely with boards and management teams of industrial companies, specializing in the development of robust business plans and driving operational turnarounds. Dipika is committed to leveraging a data-driven approach to create value for her clients, helping them identify key opportunities and translate them into measurable results. In her previous roles, Dipika held various leadership positions at Mercedes-Benz Cars, where she led initiatives in production, process optimization, and the global implementation of digital transformation in production and supply chain management. Dipika holds an MBA from Mannheim Business School and a master’s degree in electrical engineering and information technology, from the University of Aachen (RWTH). She is fluent in Hindi, English, and German. 

Change – and her love for the city of Berlin – is the only constant in Maria’s life. She constantly questions the status quo, develops new ideas, and draws energy from challenges. Her career began in the corporate world but her curiosity led her to study Nonprofit Management and travel the world. Along the way, she realized that what she had always been searching for was working in a diverse and dynamic environment. Maria has worked with various accelerators and incubators, lectures on entrepreneurship, and embraces the lessons of failure and growth through her own startup experiences. What she loves most is bringing together diverse stakeholders to learn from one another and collaborate on building a sustainable future.

Torsten Oltmanns teaches as professor for economics and economic policy in Berlin and Innsbruck. After several years as a manager in politics, administration and industry and a carreer as consultant in international firms, he founded his own company, the "Center Sustainable Transformation". The center combines the analytical and creative skills of a think tank with the methods of a consultancy and supports companies and NGOs to succeed in their transformations. He is Chair of AmCham Germany's Regional Chapter Berlin-Brandenburg.

Xenia Scholl is a proud awardee of the AmCham Germany Female Founders Award 2019. She is Co-Founder and COO of Aitonomi AG, which operates in Germany with its subsidiary TeleRetail GmbH. Xenia Scholl focuses on transport automation technology developments for vehicles of different sizes and shapes: from large industrial vehicles to small retail robots. The proprietary Aitonomi Autopilot software enables fully autonomous operations of transport vehicles with payloads up to 55t. Xenia Scholl has more than 15 years professional IT experience and a strong passion for the development and implementation of technology innovations. Xenia Scholl successfully completed many national and international innovative projects for Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, LG Electronics, and Kansai Electric. She cooperates with international partners such as NEOM and TK Elevator.
 

Andreas Schwaiger started his professional career at Texas Instruments (TI) in 1997, working in a variety of roles across different functions before being appointed Managing Director of TI Germany and Vice President. He is a member of the AmCham Germany Executive Committee, is wholeheartedly engaged in initiatives like NextGen and a jury member of the Female Founders Award since its start. Andreas Schwaiger is excited to uphold TI’s commitment to STEM development from school through university to a career in Engineering, particularly focusing female development in these areas. As executive sponsor of TI’s CSR branch in EMEA, he is strongly engaged in the team’s efforts, supporting initiatives like Girl’s Day and Female Tech Leaders, and acts as mentor for the initiative #BayFID supporting female talents in digital professions. For him, TI’s commitment to drive innovation and support start-up initiatives matches perfectly to the engagement with the AmCham Female Founders award.