Speaking engagements

Tech BBQ Sapporo

Sapporo – January 2023

Moderator: Hokkaido Futures: Growth, Investment & Opportunity

Tech BBQ

Copenhagen – September 2022

On stage interview: Why Speed Wins

Tech.EU Summit

Brussels – May 2022

Moderator: Sustainable Mobility and Transport

STARTUP Day, the largest startup festival in the Baltics

Tartu, Estonia – January 2020

Fireside Keynote with unicorn founder Sacha Michaud, of Glovo

Social Media Week London – October 2019

On stage interviews with social media marketing and brand managers from: Dove/Unilever, HSBC, Virgin Trains and Hyundai

Women Innovator’s Awards sponsored by European Commission on Science, Research & Innovation at Viva Tech, Paris – May 2019 

Master of Ceremonies

LEAP Summit, Zagreb – March 2019

Speaker: Secret Ingredients of a Successful Story

Columbia Business School/Chazen Institute for Global Immersion, New York – February 2019

Guest lecture: Perspectives on the opportunities, challenges, and development of Cuba’s most viable industries: Tourism, Healthcare & Pharma, and Agriculture

AllWeb Summit, Skopje – November 2018

Keynote: How to Find Your Story

Entrepreneurship Innovators’ Council, Berlin – September 2018

Workshop: Secrets of a Successful Story

Platform for Inclusive Finance: Finance for Refugees Conference, The Hague – September 2018

Screening of my documentary on refugee entrepreneurs and keynote about inclusive finance successes

Asian Leadership Conference, Seoul – May 2018

Panel moderator: Blockchain for Business

Hello Tomorrow Annual Summit, Paris – October 2017

Workshop: How to Find Your Story

Asian Leadership Conference, Seoul – May 2017

Panel moderator: Strengthening Deep-Tech Ecosystems and the Role of Different Stakeholders
Panel moderator: Is Mars the Next Frontier? (The future of humanity beyond Earth)

Spark.me Startup Summit Montenegro – May 2015

How to Find Your Story and Working With the Media

Speaking topics

Ecosystems: Having reported on established and emerging ecosystems around the world, I understand why some prosper and others struggle. My talks include the role of stakeholders, how local government can propel or stall growth and other vital elements of a strong ecosystem.

Emerging and developing markets: Through my reporting, I question perceptions and discovers whether and how they reflect reality. I look for indicators that determine a market’s potential. For example, Kenya’s ‘rising middle class’ only makes up 5% of the population, yet the popularity of Pizza Hut provides valuable insights about the mobility of Kenya’s working class.

Smart Cities: It takes more than LEED-certified buildings to make a SMART city. An example is how a once-sleepy city in Florida has managed to fetch billions in investment funds from Bill Gates to transform a dead downtown and fragmented suburbs into one that’s regularly featured in the press and “top” lists of places to live and start a business.

Women & Entrepreneurship: Though they face internal and external challenges, there are specific ways organisations can support women to overcome these obstacles. Women’s consumer spending power is set to overtake men, which is changing the dynamics for female founders. I share insights about how successful female entrepreneurs have broken through barriers.

Trends, societal shifts and geopolitical changes: It is through my in-depth interviews and observations in the field that I am able to identify shifts that lead to trends and opportunities. For example, a landmark lawsuit in Japan and an ageing population represent changing consumer demands and specific opportunities.

Media Strategy and Storytelling: I work with startups and other businesses to shape and define their story and identify opportunities to engage with the press.

Personalized medicine, health, nutrition and longevity: I have long been fascinated by the possibilities related to customising treatments, therapies and nutrition to the individual for greater impact and improved health and longevity.

Food-related startups: A devoted foodie, I actively follow developing food trends, such as non-dairy ice cream produced from avocados, plant-based edible packaging, or solutions for delivering alternative proteins.

Luxury, lifestyle and travel/hospitality trends: In addition to my work as a foreign correspondent, I am Editor-at-Large of The Hotel Culture, a site featuring reviews of luxury hotels. My work includes involvement in developing and managing the site’s editorial content, design, structure and mission


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