Kickstarting the Innovation Forum with a bang, this opening discussion will inspire everyone around the theme for the day: Aligning action to scale water solutions. Forget scripted, sat down manels (all male panels) draining the life out of audiences, half distracted and on their laptops. A provocative debate will address the elephants in the room:
<ul>
<li>Are new “innovations” genuinely innovative, and also needed?</li>
<li>Is water technology the right space for venture capitalist finance looking for returns quicker than the sector can offer?</li>
<li>What can utility innovation programs and labs do better to help start-ups move from the innovation to the operations teams?</li>
</ul>

Welcome to the Fishbowl: The Grand Debate

I am Ben, CEO of Isle, a global consultancy dedicated to accelerating innovation in water and climate change. With a PhD in biochemistry and a background in early-stage technology investment, I bring a blend of scientific expertise and practical experience to the water sector. 
My work focuses on connecting innovative technologies with real-world applications, helping water utilities enhance efficiency, adopt sustainable solutions, and address environmental challenges. Passionate about collaboration and knowledge sharing, I strive to bridge the gap between groundbreaking innovations and their impactful implementation. Let’s work together to drive progress and build a sustainable future.

CEO, Isle Utilities

As the Chief Project Manager and Head of Water at Clean - The Danish Water and Environmental Cluster - I bring a wealth of experience from working in diverse international locations such as Copenhagen, Brussels, Rotterdam, and Stockholm. With a robust portfolio of projects spanning the Nordics, Europe, North America, South America, Africa, and East Asia, I am dedicated to making a significant impact on the world.
Specialising in climate innovation, project development, stakeholder engagement, and innovation processes, I strive to drive societal change in response to climate change challenges. Holding a Master of Science in Engineering (MSc) in Sustainable Cities, has given me the foundation to addressing immediate climate-related challenges while fostering long-term sustainable solutions.

Head of Water, Clean - The Danish Water and Environmental Cluster

Wim Drossaert is currently CEO of Dunea a water utility in The Netherlands. Dunea supplies drinking water to 1.4 million people and every year welcomes over a million visitors to the National Park Hollandse Duinen. Previous he served as President of the Europe-Africa region of the engineering and consultancy company Montgomery Watson Harza (MWH) headquartered in Colorado, United States. He is passioned about the current and future demands of water, infrastructure and energy, engaging both clients, customers and staff for mutual success.

CEO, Dunea

Senior Consultant, CDM Smith

Founder & CEO, Membrion

Speaker Workshop 3, Municipality of Lisbon Portugal

Workshop 4, migration & Water

Water Envoy for the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Gaëtane SUZENET holds 25 years of experience in the water sector, encompassing competences in innovation, policies, financing, investment, start-up portfolio, and project management. Gaëtane SUZENET is currently President and Co-Founder of the European Water Tech Accelerator. She acted as Venture Advisor with Aster Capital, an international venture capital fund with $300M under management. Gaëtane was also a member of the Investment Advisory Committee of the "FPCI Emergence Innovation 1" seed fund within SOFIMAC Innovation. She worked in collaboration with international private equity funds and infrastructure funds when she was respectively Managing Director of one of the French Innovation Clusters and Director of European Affairs at WATER UK. Gaetane used to be an Independent Board Member of the French listed company AMOEBA (compartment C of the Euronext Paris Stock Exchange and CACâ Small Index). She is Knight of the National Order of Merit.

President and Co-Founder, the European Water Tech Accelerator

Co-Founder & CEO, Field Factors

Nerea Uri Carreño is the founder of N118 Consulting, where she helps companies in the water sector accelerate innovation adoption and achieve sustainability and optimization goals. She brings over a decade of experience from VCS Denmark, one of the world's most advanced water utilities, where she led the development, scaling, and implementation of new technologies and processes—from bench-scale testing to modeling and full-scale deployment. As an international advisor and an active member of IWA and WEF, Nerea has played a key role in organizing and facilitating professional activities, including workshops and major industry events. She previously served as Chair of YWP Denmark, fostering professional development and knowledge exchange among young waterNprofessionals. Most recently, in 2024, she chaired two IWA and WEF conferences, further solidifying her leadership in the field.

Founder, N118 Consulting

CEO, Aquagga, Inc.

Workshop 2,

Diederik Samsom is former party leader of the Dutch Labour Party(PVDA), entrepreneur and Chief of Cabinet of the European Commission's Commissioner for Climate Action. With his long experience and expertise in the fields of sustainability, innovation, energy, climate and with his in-depth knowledge of political relations, Diederik motivates companies, organizations and governments to actively contribute to a more sustainable world. On March 11, Diederik will discuss the interaction between water transition and energy transition at the Integrated Leaders Forum.

Former party leader of the PvdA, entrepreneur and head of private office of the Commissioner for Climate Action of the European Commission

Host Workshop 1, Vice-President IWA

Dutch Delta Commissioner

VP Economic Development & Innovation, The Water Council

Head of Product Management, Suez Digital Solutions

CEO & Co Founder, Oxyle

Director, PUB

Caroline is the Executive Director for Flood and Coastal Risk Management for the Environment Agency and is responsible for making England a better place by protecting and preparing homes and businesses from flooding and coastal change.

Speaker Workshop 3, Executive Director of Flood and Coastal Risk Management for the Environment Agency

Director-General, Department of Water and Sanitation, South Africa

Liza is a professional engineer who specializes in water technology investments at PureTerra Ventures. She brings over 7 years of industry experience working as a water engineer for Hazen and Sawyer, focused on innovative stormwater solutions for complex urban environments and large water quality challenges. Now in the water VC space, she has worked with three leading water-focused VCs globally, bringing a well-rounded background to investing in cutting-edge water technologies. Liza has a BS from Columbia University and an MBA from London Business School.

Head of Water Innovation, PureTerra Ventures

Senior Vice President, Group Manager, CDM Smith

Chief Product & Innovation Officer, Puraffinity

Head of Rabo Water, Rabobank

Host Workshop 2,

Workshop 3, Professor Drinking Water & Urban Water Technology, TU Delft

Workshop 2, Presidente en Centro de Innovacion en Tecnologia del Agua A.C.

I'm a passionate advocate for sustainability with a deep-rooted connection to the European startup ecosystem. As a former entrepreneur and early team member of a pioneering battery storage startup, I gained firsthand experience in building impactful solutions from the ground up. Transitioning into venture capital, I spent several years focusing on early-stage investments, championing startups that drive meaningful ecological impact through economical success.
In 2023, I have joined kopa ventures, where I am in charge of the Nature- & CarbonTech vertical, leveraging my expertise to support innovative ventures addressing environmental challenges. At kopa ventures we follow a human-centered investment approach, backing those who share our vision of a more sustainable economy and society.

Senior Investment Manager, Kopa Ventures

Technical Consultant who has specialised in Water Quality Technology for 30yrs

Founder, Enebio

Joyeeta Gupta is co-chair of the Earth Commission (2019-2021), set up by Future Earth and supported by the Global Challenges Foundation, together with Johan Rockström and Dahe Qin. She was co-chair of UNEP’s Global Environment Outlook-6 (2016-2019), published by Cambridge University Press, which was presented to governments participating in the United Nations Environment Assembly in 2019, and was covered in newspapers worldwide. It has just won the Association of American Publishers PROSE award for Environmental Science. She has also been named as co-chair of the Earth Commission (2019-2021), set up by Future Earth and supported by the Global Challenges Foundation, together with Johan Rockström and Dahe Qin.

Full professor on Environment and Development in the Global South, University of Amsterdam

Round Table 10, HZ University of Applied Science

Round Table 2, CEO World Waternet

My research focuses on removing organic micropollutants from drinking water and wastewater systems. In addition to my research, I coordinate and manage EU-funded projects (Water4All) for the organization.
Education: - PhD, Environmental Engineering, Imperial College London, The United Kingdom, 2020  - MSc & BSc, Environmental Engineering, Bandung Institute of Technology, Indonesia, 2014 Research interests: Emerging contaminants; adsorption; activated carbon; small-scale low-cost water treatment;
Selected list of publications: Larasati, A., Fowler, G.D., and Graham. Insights into chemical regeneration of activated carbon for water treatment. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering 9(5): 105555 (2021) 
 Bernadet, O., Larasati, A., van Veelen, P., Euvernik, G.J.E., Gagliano, M.C. Biological Oxygen-dosed Activated Carbon (BODAC) filters – A bioprocess for ultrapure water production removing organics, nutrients and micropollutants. Journal of Hazardous Materials 458: 131882 (2023)

Round Table 3, Wetsus

Round Table 13, Water Footprint Implementation

Round Table 11, Innovation Manager Leisurelands

Inspired by water as a global common economic good, Serpil Tascioglu, will discuss global issues regarding water and the role the ministry of Economic Affairs of the Netherlands currently fulfills and can fulfill for instance regarding water technology. Water requires a systemic approach: the topics of water availability, water safety and water quality often come together both nationally and internationally. The report The Economics of Water touches upon green and blue water in the hydrological cycle. This systemic approach offers opportunities but also presents challenges in terms of governance and finance. After all, there are several solutions available. It requires intergovernmental cooperation and cooperation between companies, governments and local entrepreneurs. Additionally, Serpil will also share her views on what is necessary in terms of leadership to stimulate the global water transition on a national and international level, with a focus on governance and finance.

Speaker Workshop 1, Ministry of EZ

Master of Ceremony, Aquatech Innovation Forum

CEO, The Water Retail Company

Jorge Richardson is an entrepreneur driving the future of hydration and media through HOPE Hydration, a company he founded to revolutionize how people access clean drinking water in urban environments. HOPE Hydration installs smart water stations funded entirely through advertising, combining sustainability, technology, and media innovation.
Before founding HOPE Hydration, Jorge led a team at his previous startup, to create a global map of all water stations. Notably, he partnered with Apple to integrate the technology on all 1.5 billion+ iPhones globally. Jorge also worked with Google’s Dublin HQ to replace internal office plastic bottles with refillable alternatives, a project that was showcased on the front page of the Google Merchandise Store.
At HOPE Hydration, Jorge has driven explosive growth, achieving a 40x+ revenue increase in just two years. This growth has been fueled by transformative partnerships, including working with Cannes Lions to eliminate all single-use plastic bottles from the festival and collaborating with The Times Square Alliance to install a HydroStation in the heart of Times Square, offering free, filtered water to millions of visitors.
Under Jorge’s leadership, HOPE Hydration has pioneered the world's first "Water-Based Ad Network," combining environmental impact with media innovation. HOPE Hydration has installations at premier events like Coachella and Formula 1, as well as in marquee stadiums, major international airports, and retail locations across the U.S. 
Jorge envisions HOPE as a collective of companies pushing human life and exploration forward, empowering adventure and sustainability worldwide.

Founder, CEO, HOPE Hydration

Communication & Asset Manager, Momentum Global Ventures

Partnership Accelerator Lead, Xylem Innovation Labs

Senior Research Analyst Jacob Steele is a licensed professional engineer and BlueTech’s in-house PFAS expert. He recently authored a deep dive on PFAS Destruction Technologies and an assessment of the costs of PFAS removal from drinking water for BlueTech’s subscription clients. Jacob tracks all aspects of the PFAS regulatory and technical landscape, keeping BlueTech’s PFAS Watch Service clients informed on how the latest developments inform. Through BlueTech’s advisory services division, Jacob also provides bespoke PFAS-related strategic and technical advisory services to established and emerging technology providers, industrial end-users, utilities, and investors.

PFAS Expert, Bluetech Research

Director Aquatech Global

DDG Department of Water and Sanitation, South Africa

Round Table 11, Studio Octopi & Swimmable Cities

Bryan Stubbs is a prominent leader in driving economic development through technology, particularly focused on the water innovation sector, currently serving as the President and Executive Director of the Cleveland Water Alliance (CWA) where he has successfully established one of North America’s leading water innovation hubs; his key achievement is demonstrating how improving water quality through innovative technology can simultaneously boost regional economic growth, with CWA recently securing over $13 million in investments for its advanced Water Accelerator Testbeds, leading to significant job creation in the water economy exceeding other industries in the greater Cleveland area. Stubbs is also the Managing Partner of the Freshwater Innovation Fund, a $25 million investment fund currently being established by the Cleveland Water Alliance (CWA). He holds a BA from the University of Kansas and an MBA from the University of Illinois at Chicago. A former entrepreneur, Stubbs enjoys spending his free time with his family and friends, cycling, and exploring new bourbons and whiskeys.

Executive Director & President, Cleveland Water Alliance

Round Table 3, WLN

Round Table 14, Accenture

Round Table 6, Royal HaskoningDHV, NWB Bank

Speaker Workshop 1, CEO, Vitens

Workshop 4,

CEO, NUUV

CEO & Co-Founder, Pronoe Earth

Austrian Nationality,
Studied Law and General Business Administration in Vienna , Austria
Started in Girozentrale Bank in Vienna with traineeship
COO of BWT, responsible for Project Engineering Division; Austria
CEO of Christ Water Technology Group, CH
SVP of Aquatech International, USA
CEO of Aquarion Group, CH and MD of H+E Group, Germany
Since 2020 MD of KMM Consulting GmbH

Managing Director, KMM Consulting GmbH

Water Lead, Microsoft

Host, Don't Waste Water Podcast

Moderator ILF, CEO Isle utilities

CEO, Nijhuis Saur industries

Round Table 12, Vitens

Round Table 14,  Natuur & Milieu, Programmaleider Verduurzaming Voedselproductie bij Natuur & Milieu

Round Table 4, Drinkable Rivers, Workshop 4

Round Table 9, representative from Water Europe

Round Table 8, Promovendus,  Environmental Technology, Wageningen University and Research

Speaker Workshop 1, CEO, Lis Water Portugal

Workshop 4, (Oud Generaal der Strijdkrachten, Chairman International Military Council on Climate and Security, Special Envoy on European Defence Cooperation)

Senior Partner at Roland Berger - Water leader

Karsten Lumbye has "only" been part of the water sector since 2017, where his work has centered on creating new business opportunities, designing innovative business models, and building joint venture companies. As Chief Innovation Officer at Aarhus Vand, one of Denmark's leading water utilities, he collaborates closely with colleagues to explore fresh approaches to the challenges and opportunities in the industry.
Karsten is passionate about finding ways to combine business innovation with sustainable practices. His contributions, developed in partnership with an exceptional team, have helped Aarhus Vand take significant steps forward in redefining what’s possible in the water sector.
At the Aquatech Innovation Forum, Karsten will share his experiences and perspectives on how collaboration and fresh thinking can open up new avenues for growth and sustainability in the global water landscape.

Chief Innovation Officer, Aarhus Vand

General Manager of Innovation and Ventures at MEKOROT water company. Responsible for managing the Group's CVC, including deal flow, portfolio management, DD and Strategy. Responsible for Mekorot's R&D efforts including international partnerships.  A lawyer and Economist with a MBA from INSEAD and a MA in Philosophy

General Manager of innovation and Ventures, Mekorot National Water Company

Co-Founder & CEO, CREW Carbon

Project Lead, Innovation Ecosystems

Founder, Water Foundry

Sonora Hill leads Imagine H2O’s global portfolio program, consisting of 217 water startups that have raised &gt;$1B in early-stage capital since 2009. She supports startup development, impact tracking and ecosystem management of investors, advisors and end-users to drive adoption of emerging solutions in the water sector.  Prior to Imagine H2O, Sonora designed capital improvement projects at the San Diego County Water Authority and supported commissioning of an advanced industrial wastewater facility at Antero Resources. Sonora holds a M.S. in Engineering and Technology Management and B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Colorado School of Mines.

Sr. Portfolio Innovation Manager, Imagine H2O

Moderator ILF, Sustainable Development Manager, Van Der Hoeven

President, WaterValue

Investment Manager – Invest International / Co-founder AFREAU

Round Table 14,  Senior Projectleider Water at Natuur & Milieu

Round Table 6, Royal HaskoningDHV

Round Table 5, Vice President of Engineering, Mekorot

Speaker Workshop 3, City of Rotterdam

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