Mr. Jens von Axelson, Ph.D, Vinnova – Sweden’s Innovation Agency. Holds a position as the programme manager for Challenge-Driven Innovation. Thematic affiliation in the industrial technology area and SME development. Have a working history as engineer in industry, industrial researcher and since 2012 at Vinnova.
Ms. Olgeta Dhono is currently holding the position of IT Director at National Agency of Information Society in Albania, working with innovation, e-government and also a specific focus on IT projects in health and social protection sectors. With over 10 years of experience Ms. Dhono’s field of expertise include project management, strategic planning, design of audit plan and strategy, managing the implementation of online services through Governmental Portal, etc. During her early stages of working experience, a substantial part of her work consist on management, processing and analysing of statistical data, quality assurance of statistical data and she has been involved as well in different research projects funded by mayor EU programs. Her experience has provided Ms. Dhono with strong analytical skills and the ability to transform raw data into useful information. Ms. Dhono is graduated in Business Informatics at Tirana University and holds a master in Business Administration - MBA from University of Tirana.
Ms. Kasia Jakimowicz, Digital Innovation Ecosystem Expert, ITU Office for Europe. Kasia is an Innovation in Government Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation and a contributor to Data Smart City Solutions, as well a visiting mentor at MIT. Media Lab Global Ventures (Data and AI for the post-COVID world). She focuses on exploring how technology can solve global challenges with a focus on AI, Data and digital transformation. She is a strategic policy advisor and entrepreneur, guiding the design, development, and implementation of global policies and programs on technology and entrepreneurship in multinational and public service consulting companies, think-tanks, the UN and the European Commission (e.g. EU and associated countries, US, Mexico, Brazil, India and South Africa). Most recently, she was a Senior Program Advisor for the European Innovation Council, responsible for designing a blended finance accelerator program for 41 countries. As an Associate Director at the Lisbon Council think-tank, she supported the VP of the European Commission, Andrus Ansip, at the Working Group on Digital Entrepreneurship at the UN Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development. Prior to that, she worked in multinational corporations developing and launching brands (eg. PepsiCo, L’oreal,
Mars, Henkel). She also founded a successful social enterprise in education. She is a public speaker, judge in innovation challenges, and a co/author of numerous publications.
Dr Ivana Kostić is the Co-founder of the Health Tech Lab. It is a local, Serbian health-tech ecosystem. It gathers all stakeholders in order to enable a stable environment for the long-term growth, development and impact of Serbian health-tech innovations. By identifying health challenges, Health Tech Lab also creates innovative, technological solutions through multiple events and projects where the patient is always at the center.
The Health Tech Lab model, presented by Ivana, was announced the Ecosystem Best practice for 2020 by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) - specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for all matters related to information and communication technologies. The awarded model crosses the innovation-in-health gap between the developed and developing countries. Ivana was the National female role model for the 2019 declared by the Central European Startup Awards.
She earned her PhD degree in Bioengineering Systems from the MIT Portugal Program. The collaborative efforts were aimed at developing effective and minimally invasive therapy for ischemic organs.
Ms. AnaMaria Meshkurti is the programme officer in the ITU Office for Europe, in charge of digital inclusion, skills, gender, youth, accessibility and innovation matters. Previously she conceptualized and managed the ITU Smart Incubator programme for emerging tech start-ups in developing countries as well as was in charge of ITU-T's non-statutory events including workshops, seminars and forums. She also led trainings for the Bridging the Standardization Gap programme, supporting ITU delegates in the standardization process. She is a communications professional with a strong background in public relation, tech start-ups, innovation and events management. Prior to joining ITU she worked for the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), as well as in various UK based NGOs. She holds diplomas in Business Administration (MBA), Marketing and Communications (MA) as well as International Relations and Global Governance (Bs).
Mr. Jaroslaw K. Ponder, Head of the Office for Europe at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) (Geneva, Switzerland), representing ITU in Europe and directing actions, projects, initiatives and experts groups targeting 46 countries of the Europe Region. His portfolio includes set of Regional Initiatives for Europe, designed by the European Member States and focusing on the ICT Infrastructure, Digitization, Digital Inclusion, Accessibility, Innovation and Cybersecurity. Along the professional career, Mr. Ponder held official positions in the public sector and was a contributor to the legislative projects having the impact on the public policy. Since 2014 Mr. Ponder has been working for ITU holding diverse positions in the General Secretariat, Telecommunication Development Bureau, and Regional Presence, addressing complexity of information society development and digital transformation at national, regional, international level, including United Nations level. For several years he has managed ITU's work on the United Nations World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) process, leading towards the establishment of the annual WSIS Forum, WSIS Prizes, WSIS Stocktaking, others.
Ms. Valentina Stadnic is currently a consultant in the ITU Office for Europe. Previously, she was an ecosystem builder passionate about helping create synergistic impact, leading stakeholders in navigating IT competitiveness and unlocking opportunities for the IT sector in Moldova. Her strong commitment to the sector is reflected in a decade of experience working for organizations in a variety of fields, ranging from leading a virtual IT Park to holding senior government roles. Her efforts are always directed towards developing new approaches that accelerate transformation towards a digital economy, streamlining corporate innovation practices, boosting the industry’s growth, supporting job-creation partnerships and sustainable investments.
Ms. Ani (Annie) Vashakmadze is a professional with 12 years of experience in economics and commercial diplomacy. She has academic knowledge in business studies, trade policy, entrepreneurship and economics of the public sector. She has Professional experience in development projects and programming exercises, and research. Annie is the Associate Professor at Business and Technology University of Georgia –BTU, she is teaching Innovation based Entrepreneurship and helping with Technology Commercialization and Innovation Ecosystem Mapping efforts. Annie was certified as Entrepreneurs Coach by SIYB/ILO; She used to be a wise-chair at TOS ICP Bureau at UNECE (Team of Specialists on Innovation and Competitiveness) and Netherlands Trainee Fellow at World Trade Organization (WTO) working with Economic Research division and ITTC. Annie has analytical and teamwork approach, adaptability and flexibility, strong language skills. She works as a Head of Department for International Relations and Relations with Donors at Georgia’s Innovation and Technology Agency GITA, under the supervision of Ministry of economy and Sustainable development of Georgia. She is passionate about technology, especially computer vision and AI; Annie is fond of Physics and Digital Arts.
