Dr Ismahane Elouafi is the Executive Managing Director of CGIAR, effective December 1, 2023. She previously held the position of Chief Scientist at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. She has held several senior scientific and leadership positions and has been a member of several governance boards including IFPRI, CABI, and the Professional Development Institute in Canada.

Nityen Lal is Founding Partner at ICOS Capital, a European venture capital firm investing in next-generation sustainability, climate and digital technologies that deliver cost leadership, carbon reduction and industrial-scale impact. Since co-founding ICOS Capital in 2005, he has worked closely with founders building transformative companies across food systems, industrial decarbonization, (bio)materials and data-driven platforms. Nityen serves on the boards of multiple growth-stage technology companies, including Squirro, eAgronom and Rainmaker Holland, where he supports management teams on strategy, scaling, partnerships and capital formation. In parallel, he is a member of the Venture Capital Steering Committee of Invest Europe, contributing to policy dialogue and strategic direction for Europe’s VC ecosystem. With a background in computer science and business from universities in the US and Europe, Nityen began his career in an IT startup in California before transitioning into venture capital in Europe. He brings a rare combination of technical depth, commercial insight and long-term investment perspective, and is an active participant in the European climate-tech and innovation community.

Heather Courtney is the Founding General Partner of Alwyn Capital, an impact-driven venture capital fund investing in biotech companies that are reinventing how we feed, clothe and care for a growing global population. Alwyn Capital partners with innovators who are at the forefront of transforming the future of food, materials, and medicine by developing alternatives that reduce dependence on animal products. In addition to her role at Alwyn Capital, Heather is an advisor to the Center for Contemporary Sciences and previously for the Material Innovation Initiative. Her academic credentials include a BS in Biochemistry from the University of Florida and a BA from Parsons School of Design.