Executive Chairman Webit Foundation
Dr. Plamen Russev is the initiator and focal connector of one of the world’s largest impact networks and curator of the global Webit community, reaching out to over 800,000 digerati, policy makers, innovators and media. His success stories include creating the global Webit brand from scratch, supporting founders and brands in establishing and growing a successful marketing strategy, creating meaningful relations with potential partners, customers and media. Plamen supports causes which impact the achievement of the UN’ SDGs.
He is an investor, philanthropist and serial entrepreneur and proven success record in developing business ventures in multicultural and challenging business environments.
Plamen Russev is B.Sc in Marketing and Management, M.Sc in Electronic Education/Mathematics and Physics, and Ph.D in Healthcare Management.
Plamen Russev has been appointed Goodwill Ambassador for Digital Affairs of his home country – Republic of Bulgaria and a member of European Commission’ BOF.
Dr. Russev’ work and impact have been recognised and awarded by governments, associations and NGOs along with 2 honorary doctorates from Universities in Europe and South America. Plamen Russev is featured in hundreds of international and local media including The Economist, Bloomberg, CNBCe, Forbes, Venture Beat, CNN to name a few.
Dr. Russev is the Founder and Executive Chairman of Webit Foundation and host of Webit Virtual.
He is happily married to the most wonderful girl in the world and father of 2 boys.
Broadcast journalist and writer CNBC
Afua Adom is a Broadcast journalist and writer at CNBC. She moved to London from Glasgow at age 17 to study journalism at City University. Afua is has experience working with the BBC (Inside Out London, The Victoria Derbyshire Show, BBC Radio Scotland, BBC Radio London), ITV (Good Morning Britain), CNBC (Sustainable Energy), ARISE News, TalkRadio (DriveTime, Weekend Breakfast), Yanga! TV (Noni), The Voice Newspaper and The Beat London 103.6FM. She is also the founder of Women in African Media, an organisation that advocates for women of colour in the media industry. She continues to host events, as well as write news and features, hair, fashion, beauty, women's interest and do celebrity interviews. Afua lives and works in London. In her spare time she likes to make up dance routines with her daughter, have manicures and read crime novels.
Video Journalist Mashable
Nikolay Nikolov is a video journalist at Mashable. His work focuses on the ways technology transforms our daily lives and sense of self. His 2019 short documentary about the world's first drag troupe made up of artists with Down Syndrome, was selected by a number of film festivals. Nikolay holds a PhD in Anthropology from University College London.
Journalist at the New York Post; Podcast Host of Life on Planet Earth
John Aidan Byrne is an award-winning journalist at the New York Post , media consultant, co-editor on the Zicklin School of Business Financial Markets Series books, and a Broadway alumnus. He is host of the popular Life on Planet Earth Podcast. His work is published also in Wall Street Journal, National Catholic Register, Institutional Investor and other outlets.
Special Panelists
Host
Executive Chairman Webit Foundation
Dr. Plamen Russev is the initiator and focal connector of one of the world’s largest impact networks and curator of the global Webit community, reaching out to over 800,000 digerati, policy makers, innovators and media. His success stories include creating the global Webit brand from scratch, supporting founders and brands in establishing and growing a successful marketing strategy, creating meaningful relations with potential partners, customers and media. Plamen supports causes which impact the achievement of the UN’ SDGs.
He is an investor, philanthropist and serial entrepreneur and proven success record in developing business ventures in multicultural and challenging business environments.
Plamen Russev is B.Sc in Marketing and Management, M.Sc in Electronic Education/Mathematics and Physics, and Ph.D in Healthcare Management.
Plamen Russev has been appointed Goodwill Ambassador for Digital Affairs of his home country – Republic of Bulgaria and a member of European Commission’ BOF.
Dr. Russev’ work and impact have been recognised and awarded by governments, associations and NGOs along with 2 honorary doctorates from Universities in Europe and South America. Plamen Russev is featured in hundreds of international and local media including The Economist, Bloomberg, CNBCe, Forbes, Venture Beat, CNN to name a few.
Dr. Russev is the Founder and Executive Chairman of Webit Foundation and host of Webit Virtual.
He is happily married to the most wonderful girl in the world and father of 2 boys.
Managing Partner Digital Health VC
Eckhardt Weber is Managing Partner Geschäftsführer at the Digital Health VC heal capital. In 2017, he co-founded the digital health platform Heartbeat Labs, being responsible for the areas of Business Development, Investments, and Investor Relations. Additionally, he has been operationally involved in building and growing companies within the digital healthcare sector. Prior to building Heartbeat Labs, Eckhardt has been Managing Director at finleap, Europe’s leading fintech ecosystem, having started his career as a trained lawyer in the field of venture capital and M&A.
Investment advisor, Techstars Startup Community leader
Looking to create a societal impact and economical advancement via tech and innovation fostering. Founder of two VC-backed startups, Techstars Startup Weekend community leader & Head of Acceleration Programs at Sweden Foodtech. Organizer of the biggest startup events in Sweden. Working on bridging the gap between arts and technology and rethinking the food system. Proponent of the Radical Candor & that your success is my success. Love to see people grow and be a part their growth journey.
Investment Manager TA Ventures
Alex is Investment Manager at TA Ventures, responsible for deals sourcing and due diligence. Before joining TA Ventures, Alex obtained business development and operations experience at a tech start-up, marketing experience at big corporates, volunteered in a refugee camp in Greece, and worked at another VC.
Investment Principal SET Ventures
Craig Douglas is a Principal at SET Ventures, he joined the investment team in 2012.
SET Ventures is an Amsterdam based venture capital fund investing in European start-ups that impact the global energy system transition. SET Fund III provides early growth-stage capital to ventures that shape the energy system transition through smart software and services-based business models.
Craig is responsible for deal sourcing, executing investments and portfolio management including ESG and impact at SET Ventures. Craig’s specialist areas of expertise are in: new energy business models; smart networks; energy storage; IIoT; and energy marketplaces.
Craig has a technical background in Physics and Chemistry and previously worked as an energy consultant for UK based Element Energy Ltd.
SEEDiA is a manufacturer of innovative solar furniture that stores electricity from renewable energy sources. SEEDiA is making cities sustainable by reducing CO2-emissions and keeping citizens connected and charged up. Cities are growing and the need to use free electricity to charge your phone, scooter or bike in public spaces is growing. In SEEDiA we manufacture charging products like smart solar benches, trash cans, info-Kiosks or bus shelters which are working off-grid, are easy to instal and relocate.
KOMP-ACT develops innovative electric motion technology to electrify the industry from ground to sky for a carbon neutral future. KOMP-ACT produces highly efficient, lightweight and programmable electric motion technologies to help machinery suppliers increase their machine efficiency and productivity, while reducing their R&D efforts and operational costs.
iFarm is an indoor farming solution provider of plug&play automated vertical farms and data-driven software. Easy one-button managed farms from 50 till 5000 sq.m and a wide range of plants to grow are available for customers. Farms can be set in a store, restaurant, warehouse, as well as at home or in a country house. iFarm allows everyone on Earth to grow their own healthy food in a sustainable way and be independent of the supply chain.
