The concept

Gabriel de Lastours is responsible for developing the EBRD's power and renewables portfolio across the southern and eastern Mediterranean region (SEMED). This includes structuring debt and equity investments as well as leading policy dialogue with governments in the region. Gabriel has worked in the EBRD’s energy sector for 14 years, both on oil and gas and mining financing and power and renewable energy projects. Prior to joining the Bank, Gabriel worked with EY Transaction Advisory Services in Paris and Credit Agricole CIB in New York. He is a graduate from ESSEC Business School in Paris.

Ujunwa Ojemeni is an impact investing, energy and development expert with experience in the areas of opportunity maturation, financing, and policy focused on driving the achievement of SDG 7 in Africa by 2030 and an advocate for gender inclusivity/equal representation in the Energy sector.

At the Office of the Honourable Commissioner for Energy & Mineral Resources Lagos State, she drives policies, investments opportunities and implementation strategies to deliver reliable energy to the citizens of the State. She is also an Advisor with the Private Finance Advisory Network (PFAN) - the multilateral, public-private partnership initiated hosted by United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP) focused on bridging the investment gap between investors and entrepreneurs and project developers by facilitating investment into promising clean energy and climate change projects.

Ujunwa is the founder of the African Women in Energy Development Initiative (AWEDI Network) focused on promoting the growth of women in the sector through mentorship programs, career sponsorship (acceleration), networking opportunities, professional development and leadership training for women at all stages of their energy careers and for female students at the secondary and tertiary levels.

Rebecca Symington is Regional Head of Programmes at Energy 4 Impact overseeing programmes focusing on access to energy as a means to increase livelihoods for women and other entrepreneurs in rural areas and urban settlements in Sub Saharan Africa, as well as business advisory programmes for energy focused start-ups. Rebecca has also led electrification programmes in India using solar mini-grids to expand productive use of energy to improve the incomes and quality of life in rural settings. Rebecca also a background with UN agencies in-country and HQ positions and holds degrees in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School of Government as well as African and Asian studies from London School of Economics and Sussex University.

Katarina created Enrupt to build companies of the future based on zero carbon, decentralised and digital energy solutions. Enrupt is a ecommunity of energy innovators and industry professionals. Insights generated through Enrupt research and community activities help us stay up to date with new ideas from across the globe. Our online and offline events create a platform for an informed debate on the latest industry trends and future possibilities. Being a part of the community also gives you access to Enrupt’s resources and partners. Holding true to our promise of promoting gender equality, we feature women entrepreneurs and professionals in the energy sector that are making an impact on the sector.

Katarina has 18 years of professional experience in energy from government & consulting in Europe, Middle East & South-East Asia. Over the past 4 years, I managed 6+ Million USD of energy transition projects for clients in Europe, South East Asia and Middle East spanning across strategy, innovation, research and project implementation.

Katarina is currently Member of the Board for Insead Alumni Global Energy Club. Her past roles include Board Member and Vice President of the Alliance for Rural Electrification (Industry association, HQ in Belgium), Female Founders (Non-profit, HQ in Singapore) and Global Committee of Insead Alumni Women in Business.

Neha is featured in FinTech 50, 2019 and 2020, Asia's 50 Most Influential Women inRenewable Energy, 2020, and "Global Future Fintech Leader" Award at the FintechFestival Abu Dhabi 2020. Neha is a legal and finance professional with 12 years ofexperience in Asia and Europe. She holds a double-degree in Law and Commerce fromthe University of Delhi and attended King’s College, London on Chevening Fellowship.

A proud recipient of the British Chamber of Commerce 21st Annual Business Award forthe UK Impact in Singapore 2020, FemTech Partners has been highly involved inbringing the UK and Singapore FinTech ecosystems together under the effectiveleadership of the founder Ms. Neha Mehta.

Neha is listed in the inaugural Singapore 100 Women in Tech. She says – "As a strongadvocate of supporting women fintech entrepreneurs, being a part of inauguralSingapore's 100 Women in Tech List is especially meaningful for me. Inspiring otherwomen to enter the tech industry has always been at the heart of what I do, and I amhonoured to be able to do so through this initiative."

Neha is the UNDP SDG Finance Expert and a Team Lead for the £1.2 billion ProsperityFund (PF) for the SEA region. The fund is administered by the Foreign and Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) of the UK government. The Prosperityfund aims to support the inclusive economic growth needed to reduce poverty in SEA.The Fund’s activities contribute to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals(SDG). Neha’s main work includes working with financial regulators in Singapore,Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines, Myanmar, Thailand and Indonesia.

With over 20 years’ experience working for the likes of Microsoft and Google, Roberto Croci’s passion lies in innovation, startups and PEOPLE. Relationship driven, he has bridged the gap between corporates and startups across more than 20 countries, helping them develop real solutions that solve real world problems.

A leading innovator in developing ecosystems where startups thrive, Roberto’s expertise andcandid approach have kept him in demand with major tech companies throughout his career.In his current role as the Managing Director of Microsoft for Startups, Roberto is buildingMicrosoft’s new division from scratch, including spearheading its expansion and innovationstrategy, with the vision to foster a collaborative startup ecosystem to create a better, brighterfuture for people around the world. Connecting the dots between startups, government agenciesand private sector organizations, Roberto helps organizations adopt the innovation mindset andleverage the technology and nimbleness that startups provide. With an ability to cut throughthe noise, he works directly with startup founders and encourages them to “think differently”and to “be more curious.”

Roberto is passionate about mentoring young people, helping them develop an entrepreneurial mindset to search for solutions to problems they see in their community, country, or across theglobe. He regularly speaks at prominent universities, including Abu Dhabi University and ZayedUniversity, as well as within local school systems, such as the GEMS schools. His vision is toinspire 1 million students and entrepreneurs to build homegrown tech startups that evolve tobecome global Unicorns.