Katarzyna Szymielewicz
Founder of Panoptykon Foundation
Katarzyna Szymielewicz
A Polish social entrepreneur and the founder of Panoptykon Foundation,1 established in 2009. The Panoptykon Foundation operates at the intersection of privacy, data protection, and education. As a grassroots initiative, its objective is to raise awareness about the risks associated with emerging technologies. Panoptykon emphasizes that technological advancements are not always beneficial; instead, they can increase surveillance and raise significant safety concerns. The organization highlights how these technologies enable easier state tracking and surveillance, posing direct threats to individual freedom and privacy. Panoptykon envisions a society where people have the agency to choose and control surveillance mechanisms. One where practices and behavior patterns are redefined and consider the freedom and safety of everyone.
Neil McCabe
Founder of The GreenPlan
Neil McCabe
Neil McCabe is a Firefighter and Paramedic with the Dublin Fire Brigade. To date, Neil has set up 26 start-Ups and 9 Public Partnerships since 2009. Of these, Neil owns 6 social and sustainability focused enterprises, including The GreenPlan.
Under the banner of GreenÓir Ltd, Neil began operating The GreenPlan in 2008. Offering 8 separate products, The GreenPlan is a social enterprise that aims to tackle climate change through CSR and ESG certification. Based in Ireland, The Green Plan operates in more than 50 countries, making compliance more accessible, achievable and impactful.
Marta Jagusztyn
Founder of Lasy i Obywatele
Marta Jagusztyn
Formerly a researcher, evaluator and development practitioner, focused on assessing advocacy initiatives for local and international NGOs in China, Southeast Asia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Namibia, Marta is empowering citizens to assume responsibility and hold the Polish government accountable for the sustainable management of the country's forests. As the founder and CEO of the Fundacja Lasy i Obywatele (Forests and Citizens Foundation), she has created a platform for individuals passionate about forests who wish to engage in discussions and decision-making regarding forest management practices. Her commitment to nature conservation was strengthened when the risk of intensive clearcuts threatened the village where she grew up.
Anna-Lena von Hodenberg
Founder of HateAid
Anna-Lena von Hodenberg
Anna-Lena, a German professional journalist, activist, and social entrepreneur, became involved in social movements against racism, xenophobia, and other exclusionary and extremist ideologies at a young age. Building on this commitment, she co-founded and currently leads HateAid (2018), a non-profit organization that defends human rights in the digital space. The organization is dedicated to supporting victims of digital violence by funding their civil legal cases, while also empowering citizens to defend and reclaim democratic civic spaces online. In addition, Anna-Lena is a leading specialist in this field, known for her pioneering work to advance open and inclusive public discourse in the context of digital transformation. Her expertise has made her a sought-after advisor to senior policymakers, journalists and scholars.
Ugo Vallauri
Founder of The Restart Project
Ugo Vallauri
Influenced by his research into how rural communities across Sub-Saharan Africa use electronics and communication technologies, Ugo began encouraging people to repair their devices and to collect and share data from community-led repair initiatives worldwide, identifying recurrent barriers to repair. In 2013, he co-founded The Restart Project, a UK-based non-profit organisation that challenges the throwaway economy and supports repair movements from Brussels to Buenos Aires to Bangalore. Beyond raising awareness on the importance of repair, Ugo works closely with key policy-level actors, advocating for evidence-based repair strategies grounded in the data he collects.
Gregor Hackmack
Co-founder of innn.it
Gregor Hackmack
German social entrepreneur and a long-time advocate for democratic participation and transparency, Gregor is the co-founder of Parliament Watch (Abegeordnetenwatch), a civic tech platform that brings transparency and accountability into the heart of democratic systems. While he’s based in Hamburg, the work of Gregor and Parliament Watch has grown and is now active in multiple countries. The mission is simple, yet powerful: make democracy more transparent, responsive, and accessible. In addition to this, Gregor is the co-founder of Innn.it, a German platform for digital campaigns.
Helena Puig
Co-founder of Build Up
Helena Puig
Originally from Spain, Helena Puig is the co-founder and co-director of Build Up. Alongside three peers, she founded Build Up in 2014. Positioning themselves as a peace-building organisation, Build Up is active in countries like Syria, Yemen, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Myanmar. Leveraging digital technologies in conflict transformation work and deeply understanding the impact of technology on our societies, to implement interventions that transform conflict with more connection, collaboration, and inclusion.
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Klára Laurenčíková
Co-founder of Society for all
Klára Laurenčíková
Klára Laurenčíková is a special education expert from the Czech Republic who has served as the Government Commissioner for Human Rights and the National Coordinator for the Adaptation and Integration of Ukrainian Refugees. Recognizing the persistent issue of segregated classrooms and underperforming schools within the Czech educational system, Klára co-founded Society for All in 2011. This non-profit organization provides a variety of support services, including consultations, courses, seminars, and conferences across the Czech Republic; it keeps track of upcoming legislation related to education, social welfare and health; and lastly it serves as a representative and organizer for other non-profit organizations aligned with the mission of Society for All.
