illuminem x HEC Paris Greentech University course: developing the next generation of sustainability leaders

Hala Fadel is a Managing Partner at Eurazeo, focusing on digital and tech investments and preparing portfolio companies for public market exits. She previously built Comgest’s private growth equity program and co-founded Leap Ventures. Hala began her career in Merges and Acquisitions at Merrill Lynch and serves on the MIT Board of Trustees. She holds a Master's in finance from HEC Paris and an MBA from MIT Sloan.

Alexis Normand is CEO and Co-Founder of Greenly. A graduate of HEC and Sciences-Po, Alexis began his career in public policy consulting before spending six years at Withings, where he led operations in Boston and established the company’s health department. After Withings was acquired by Nokia, he joined the startup Embleema through Techstars, refining his entrepreneurial skills. Returning to France, Alexis channeled his experience into addressing the climate crisis at a critical moment.

Elena Morettini is the Global Head of sustainable business of Globant, a native digital multinational company, and Co-Founder of BecauseEnergyMatters. She has previously held key managerial positions in renowned international companies such as Shell, Repsol YPF, Badley Ashton, and Fugro GeoConsulting. Elena founded the first Diversity and Inclusion Committee for Oil and Gas in the Latin America region.

Benjamin Schulz is the Founder of Altitude - Sustainable Aviation. He formerly co-founded Carbon Removal Partners, a Zurich-based VC with a pure focus on the growing Carbon Removal industry. Carbon Removal Partners invests into technologies to withdraw carbon from the atmosphere in a permanent manner, as well as into companies along the Carbon Removal value chain. He's also a board member at CRIA (Carbon Removal India Association).

Bastian Larsen is the Chief Executive Officer of BlackWood and sits on the firm's investment committee. He previously worked for BlackRock in London, Geneva, and New York, where he co-led global product strategy for the firm's $10bn M&A hedge fund. Bastian has a Master of Business Administration from the University of Oxford, a Bachelor of Science from Copenhagen Business School, and was selected as a Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe 2023 - Finance.

Thomas Derambure is the Chief Operating Officer of BlackWood. Previously, he was a senior strategy consultant at Stanwell and led the development of the top private security company in Senegal. He holds a Master of Science in Strategic Management from HEC Paris and a BBA from HEC Montreal.

Olivier Mougenot is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Wind Capital. He was previously a Partner at Citizen Capital and Managing Director at NUMA. He also has experience as an investment banking analyst and vice president, and was the founder of a company, which he successfully exited. His specialty lies in climate adaptation, venture capital, and technology.

Vincent Ruinet is an expert in tech funding and climate with over 15 years of experience in venture capital, private equity, and infrastructure financing, including roles at ENGIE and Future Positive Capital. As the founder of Vinculum, he helps entrepreneurs raise capital, structure M&As, and scale their businesses. He also shares his expertise as a mentor at Techstars and a guest lecturer at HEC.

Jochen Wermuth is the Founder of Wermuth Asset Managemen, with over 20 years of investment experience. He has overseen $1bn in investments, including his first solar power investment in 2000. Previously, Jochen was a Director at Deutsche Bank and an Economic Advisor for EU & World Bank projects. He holds a Master of Arts in Economics and a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from Brown University, and completed D.Phil. qualifying exams at Oxford University.

Elena Harumi Stark is the Head of Impact and ESG at AENU, an early-stage climate tech venture capital firm. Previously, she led impact and ESG initiatives at Tomorrow Bank, a German sustainable FinTech, where she contributed to achieving the Best for the World B-Corp Certification. Her work focuses on sustainable investing and ESG strategies to address climate challenges and promote social equality.

Helmy Abouleish is the CEO of SEKEM Initiative in Egypt. Through this organisation, Helmy promotes sustainable development in a holistic approach: ecological (biodynamic agriculture and its promotion, sustainable water management, renewable energies), economic, "Economy of Love" (sustainable production of phytopharmaceuticals, organic textiles and food), societal (sustainable community development) and cultural (individual potential unfolding in Schools and university, integrative health, holistic research).

Taavi Rõivas is an Estonian politician, former Prime Minister of Estonia from 2014 to 2016, and former leader of the Reform Party. Before his term as the Prime Minister, Rõivas was the Minister of Social Affairs from 2012 to 2014. During his tenure as Prime Minister, he was the youngest government leader in the European Union. He now serves as Chairman of Auve Tech.

Angelo Bonelli is the Spokesperson of Green Europe since July 2021 and a Member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, representing Imola since October 2022. He previously served in the Chamber from 2006 to 2008 for Lazio 1. Bonelli has held significant roles such as President of the Green Party and Regional Assessor for Environment in Lazio. He was a Regional Councillor in Lazio and a candidate for Mayor of Taranto in 2012. Bonelli has been active in Italian politics since 1990.

Francesco Corvaro is the Special Envoy for Climate Change of Italy. He is an associate professor in industrial technical physics at the Department of Industrial Engineering and Mathematical Sciences of the Polytechnic University of Marche.

Clara Cornu is Partner and Investment Manager of 360 Capital, where she focuses on investments and supports portfolio companies. Prior to joining 360 Capital, Clara worked in product development at L’Oreal and helped launch an internal startup studio at an FMCG company. She is also the Co-Founder of HEC for Women, a network dedicated to empowering women in business. Clara holds a Master in Management from HEC Paris and a Master X-HEC Entrepreneurs in Entrepreneurship from École Polytechnique.

Gianluca Dettori is the Chairman and General Partner of Primo Ventures, focusing on digital and space tech investments. He co-founded Vitaminic, took it public in 2000, and later became Vice President of Buongiorno. In 2007, he founded dpixel, an innovation advisory firm. He is also the Founding President of the Italian Tech Alliance and a Fellow of the Kauffman Society.

Belinda Saunders is the Head of Sustainability at BlaBlaCar, based in Paris, France. With a background in strategy and management consulting, she previously held roles at Boston Consulting Group. Belinda earned her Master of Business Administration from INSEAD, graduating in the Class of 2021.

Briseida Gjoza is the Co-Founder and CEO of ConsciESG, an ESG fintech startup. With experience in SDG-aligned projects for UNESCO and leadership roles in multinational companies, she founded ConsciESG in 2022 to transform ESG scoring. Under her leadership, the company has won the UNDP Boost Women Innovators Award, secured partnerships with Morningstar, Dow Jones, and Moody's, and received EU-backed funding.

Arnaud Houlés is the Co-Founder and General Partner of Nine Realms, a leading investment firm. Arnaud brings extensive experience from his previous roles at Rumah Group & Foundation, ReefKnot Investments, and Kuehne + Nagel. He co-founded Nine Realms to leverage his expertise in management, business development, and project management to drive growth and innovation in the investment space. Arnaud holds a Master's degree from TBS Education

Arthur Chabot is the Co-Founder of ClimeRock, a company focused on carbon dioxide removal to fight climate change. Arthur brings a strong background in materials science, AI, and digital technologies from previous roles at MP DATA, Amiwi, and ALTEN. With a passion for innovation, Arthur has transitioned his expertise towards addressing climate change, dedicating himself to developing solutions for a sustainable future.

Julien Tchernia is the Founder and former CEO of Ekwateur, a renewable energy company. He has held leadership roles, including Director of Lampiris France, and has been a Visiting Professor at MINES ParisTech. Julien has a strong background in energy, entrepreneurship, and strategy and he holds a Master of Engineering and a post-graduate degree in Energy from Mines Paris.

Rebecca Ravenni is an Investment Associate at RAISE Sherpas and Program Manager at Techstars Sustainability Paris. She supports early-stage climate and impact startups through France’s first philanthropic VC fund and helps scale sustainable innovation via the Techstars accelerator ecosystem.

Dexter Galvin is Climate Ambassador at EcoVadis, where he drives global supply chain decarbonisation. Previously working at CDP with 16 years of leadership experience, he served as Chief Commercial Officer, scaling corporate climate action worldwide.

Martina is the founder of Blackmarket, a refillable handwash brand pioneering zero-waste solutions without single-use plastics. With 10+ years in design and FMCG, she previously led business development at Aire Global and managed creative teams at Tag. A winner of LVMH’s DARE Innovation Programme, Martina brings together design thinking and business strategy to drive circular innovation.

Magnus Drewelies is an entrepreneur & expert in carbon markets and digital platform businesses. He is the founder & CEO of CEEZER, a company driving scientifically verified carbon impact through technology. Magnus previously served as Chief Strategy Officer at PARK NOW, a joint venture of BMW Group and Daimler, and as a project leader at BCG. He has been recognized for his work in scaling digital solutions and advancing the voluntary carbon market.

Pierre Abadie is Group Climate Director at Tikehau Capital and Co-head of the Group's private equity energy transition and decarbonisation practice. He has over 20 years of experience in the energy and energy transition sectors. Pierre previously worked at TotalEnergies for 16 years, most notably in the Gas and Renewables division, before joining Tikehau Capital and becoming Co-head of Tikehau Capital's Energy Transition private equity fund, which was launched in 2018.