Speakers | SIE Congress

Keynote Speakers

Caitlin Kraft-Buchman

Caitlin Kraft-Buchman is a distinguished leader and co-founder of the <A+> Alliance for Inclusive Algorithms. The < A+ > Alliance, founded 2019, is a global coalition of technologists, activists and academics who champion. Inclusive AI and Affirmative Action for Algorithms so that we come closer to creating gender and racial equality in a world where machine learning does not wire an already biased system into our future. She is also the founder and CEO of “Women at the Table,” a growing global CSO for gender equality and democracy based in Geneva, Switzerland.##MORE## The organisation focuses on advancing feminist systems change by using the prism of technology, innovation, and AI and exercising leverage points in technology, the economy, sustainability, and democratic governance. Furthermore, Caitlin is co-founder of International Gender Champions, based also in Geneva with hubs in New York, Vienna, Nairobi, The Hague, and Paris.

Pia Heidenmark Cook

Board non-exec, senior advisor, author, keynote speaker. Former CSO at Ingka/IKEA.

Pia Heidenmark Cook enjoys a portfolio career, dividing her time between board, senior advisory and keynote speaking roles mainly across Europe and North America. She is serving as non-executive director on corporate boards across healthcare (Bupa), materials innovation (Origin Materials) and restaurants (MAX Burgers), and chairs the advisory board of the professional services company The DO Group. She is also Senior Advisor to the private equity company Eurazeo’s Planetary Boundaries Impact Fund,##MORE## and to Teneo (CEO Advisory Firm). Prior, Pia worked at IKEA/Ingka Group for 13 years. The last five years (2017-2021) as Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO). At IKEA she led the development and implementation of the IKEA People and Planet Positive strategy. During this time, IKEA ranked in the top three most sustainable brands and managed to decouple carbon dioxide emissions from its commercial growth across the value chain. Pia has worked with sustainability topics since 1996, across academia, consulting, and business. She has lived in France and Belgium, is married to a Canadian and lives in Southern Sweden.

Speakers

Dr Joanna Bagniewska

Wildlife Conservationist and Science Communicator

Joanna Bagniewska, a leading figure in zoology and wildlife conservation, will highlight the intersection of gender, science, and environmental sustainability. She will share insights on how women in science are essential to advancing sustainable practices, particularly in conservation.

Galia Chimiak

The Role of Civil Society in Advancing Economic and Social Sustainability

Galia Chimiak - Galia Chimiak, a civil society scholar, will explore how CSOs have championed human rights and gender equality, particularly in the face of rising opposition. She will discuss how organizations can secure long-term sustainability and counteract efforts that threaten gender-inclusive progress. Galia Chimiak is a Fulbright Senior Scholar with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for the 2024-25 academic year. She is an Associate Professor of##MORE## Sociology with the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, Polish Academy of Sciences. She is also a co-editor-in-chief of VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations. She will explain how CSOs can effectively promote economic and social intersectional sustainability, and what the challenges faced by women-led organizations CSOs promoting gender rights and women’s empowerment are. And how gender equality can be safeguarded against political and social pushback.

Katarzyna Cieślik

Katarzyna Cieślik works for the Department of Society and Technology Studies at the Faculty of Humanities and the Space Technology Centre at AGH University of Science and Technology, University of Krakow. She is scientifically and professionally engaged in new technologies, focusing on their impact on inequality. She is also a member of the AGH Gender Equality Plan Team, contributing to policies and initiatives that promote gender equality within the realm of technology.##MORE## Katarzyna Cieślik's input will be invaluable in addressing the intersection of technology and inequality. Her extensive expertise in the impact of new technologies on social disparities will provide a critical perspective on how to mitigate biases and promote equality through responsible tech development. Her role in the AGH Gender Equality Plan Team highlights her commitment to fostering inclusive environments, making her a significant contributor to the session's objectives of advancing gender equality through AI.

Amrita Gautam

Amrita Gautam is a Civil Engineer from Nepal, pursuing her doctoral research at Faculty of Spatial Development and Infrastructure Systems, Technical University of Cologne (TH Köln), Germany, with special focus in Hydro-Informatics: Water Supply Engineering and Management, having work experiences from various ‘United Nations (UN) Organizations and Research Projects’ in Nepal, Germany, Mozambique, Brazil, Canada & USA. She has travelled more than 30 countries in 5 different continents during last 12 years in various roles and responsibilities. As a Young Water##MORE## Professional, Amrita has been involved in World Youth Parliament for Water, International Water Association; Soroptimist International, and Women in STEM, Nepal. She was awarded with ‘Women with Vision 2018; received Soroptimist International of Europe (SIE) Scholarship Award in 2019 and got selected as 1st Cohort Ambassador of Rising Smart Water Professionals (RiSWP/SWAN) in 2021. Her ongoing doctoral research is about “Water Supply and Quality Monitoring via Emerging Technologies”, with case study area in Nepal, where she has founded a research initiative - drinkPani, which believes in ‘Shaping Digital Water Future’ and now also supporting Lekhnath Water Supply User Committee, Pokhara Metropolitan City (PMC), Nepal as International Consultant on ‘Water Security, Innovation and Partnerships.

Tania Gómez Herazo

Tania is an expert director and Cloud programme manager at Devoteam. With a global proven track record in strategy, delivery, and operations, she is a seasoned IT consultant with +20 years of experience driving digital transformation and fostering technological agility within international organizations. Tania inspires others to leverage technology for business growth and innovation. She aims to inspire others to reach their full potential within the industry. Tania is a proud member of Soroptimist International of Europe, an UN civil society delegate, and an Ambassador for Women in STEM. In 2024, Tania##MORE##was honoured with the Top 3- Inclusive Tech Champion 2024 #DataNews Award: She goes ICT and in 2025, has been recognized by the University of Cambridge -Judge Business School - as a dedicated leader in digital transformation and innovation.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tgomezh/

Prof. Katarzyna Grabowska

The Dean of the Faculty of Material Technologies and Textile Design at Łódź University of Technology.

Specializing in spinning, yarn structure, and electromagnetic field attenuation in textiles, she has authored numerous publications and patents. As the first woman from Central Europe to serve as President of the AUTEX Association, Katarzyna has significantly contributed to the field of textiles and has been involved in several research projects funded by domestic and EU grants. Lead of the Horizon Europe Project on AI and Sustainability in Textile Design.

Prof. Dr Estelle Herlyn

Head of the Competence Centre for Sustainable Development at FOM University of Applied Science, Member of the German Association of the Club of Rome

Estelle Herlyn brings deep expertise in global sustainability solutions, having worked with both the private sector and political entities. Her presentation will focus on a holistic perspective on the Agenda 2030 and on impact-orientated measures for which international cooperation is a pivotal element .

Emma Holten

Activism, feminism, criticism

Emma Holten (b. 1991) has delivered keynotes at the Conference on the status of Women at the UN, New York, The Next Web, Amsterdam, TEDxVienna (2015), Moving Forward with #Metoo, Reykjavik, and Point Festival, Sarajevo among many others. She has also developed diversity and justice strategies for companies such as Manyone, as well as consulted on feminist economics for Space10 and Re:Arc Institute. She is chair of the board at Digitalt Ansvar, and a board member at Blaagaard Teater.##MORE## She sat on the European Institute of Gender Equality Experts Forum as an expert in feminist economics, and is on Human Rights Watch’s advisory committee on Women’s Rights. In 2023 she was appointed as advisor to the government’s investigation of power in Denmark. In 2011, she received her Bachelor’s degree in Comparative Literature, and in 2017 her Master’s in Modern Culture, both from The University of Copenhagen, with exchanges at Barnard and Uppsala Universities. She lives in Copenhagen.

Joanna Kądziołka

President, Polish Zero Waste Association

Minimizing waste across agricultural supply chains; Zero Waste and circular economy practices; Community engagement for sustainable consumption

Marzena Maj

Marzena Maj, a trailblazer in the ventilation and fire safety industry, has amassed a remarkable 18 years of experience in HVAC and sales. In a groundbreaking move, she was appointed the first female vice-CEO in her niche in 2021. Her leadership is marked by a commitment to driving innovation and fostering truth in partnership and gender equality, setting her apart in her##MORE## field. Marzena's collaborative approach has led to groundbreaking projects such as the SafetyWay pressure differential system for high-rises and a sustainable airflow wireless regulator with perovskite cells. SMAY works in 34 countries, allowing her to transform ventilation globally. Her leadership make her an inspiring figure in the business world, resulting in a LinkedIn profile of 10,000+ followers, being invited as an expert to debates, and advising as a mentor in young people's development programs. She was awarded the Top Woman in Real Estate (Poland) and the International Woman of the Year (WIFS, UK). Beyond corporate success, she started numerous philanthropic initiatives, including a gala collection of over PLN 14,000,000 (in 2023) and the first Championships of the Polish Construction Industry in Road Cycling (in 2024) for the beneficiaries of fire victims and Maj's family Foundations, of which she is the president.

Giulia Massimetti

Italian-born and Brussels-based, Giulia works at the forefront of predictive and generative AI as a Machine Learning Engineer at Devoteam. Leveraging a strong academic foundation in computer science and mathematics, she tackles the challenges of AI adoption and productionalization on international projects. She holds a Master in Computer Science from ULB Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/giulia-massimetti/

Arikia Millikan

Arikia Millikan is an activist journalist and builds an enterprise to change the long-term operating model on journalism. She addresses the topic of intellectual property and fact-based journalism. Based on her long-term view she is shaping the future of journalism in a world threatened by fake news.Being a role model in the field of journalism and AI, she encloses the perspective of women on AI. With her latest book on consent-based AI agent training she replaces the order-driven training of AI agents by an inclusive human-machine collaboration.

Jesca Oredo

Retired Chief Agricultural Officer County Government of Kisumu; Charter President Soroptimist International Maseno Club; President SI Union of Kenya (2025-2026 biennium); CEO Nyochanda Ventures; Chairperson Marketing & Publicity Agricultural Society of Kenya Kisumu (East Africa) Show

Evelyne Para

Professionally, Evelyne is Electronics and Computer Engineer graduated from a leading French School. For over 35 years, she managed a Computer Center, then she was a consulting engineer and Director of Occupational Risks in the network of the National Health Insurance Fund for Salaried Workers in France. Evelyne was also a member of several national expert groups responsible for developing national prevention and training programs in order to negotiate regulatory texts on social and labor law with social partners. Since six years, Evelyne##MORE## is now retired. At the associative level, Evelyne is a member of the World Federation of Scientific Workers, a member of the French Coordination of the European Women's Lobby, and of the National Council of French Women. And also, for more than 33 years, Evelyne is a member of the NGO Soroptimist International (SI), NGO with more than 65,000 members represented in more than 120 countries. After having served as Vice-President of SI France in 2006-2008, Governor of SI Europe in 2013-2015, then National President of SI France in 2016-2018, Evelyne is now one of the SI Representative at UN since 2020. In particular, she participates in the work of representatives of Member States and NGOs at UNESCO, the UN Agency specialized for Education, Science and Culture.

Dolce Rosaida

Environmental Engineer - Water and Environment Specialist at the Land and Water Division of FAO - WASAG Support Team

Rosaida Dolce is an Environmental Engineer specialized in water. Since 2016, she has been part of the Land and Water Division at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), where she supports the management of the Global Framework on Water Scarcity in Agriculture (WASAG) and works on the Addressing Water Scarcity for Agriculture and the Environment (AWSAMe) project. She##MORE## serves as leader of the FAO Land and Water Youth Group and supports the divisional planning and project development, drawing on her background in Strategic Project Management from Harvard University. Prior to joining FAO, she gained experience in international collaboration at the International Relations Office of UNIBAS and worked in Geographic Information Systems at a Provincial Office in Italy.

Simon Ruszala

Simon Ruszala is the Group Learning Director at Devoteam, where he strategically designs and implements learning initiatives that cultivate talent and foster strong business relationships. He is dedicated to empowering teams with future-proof skills, driving innovation and growth across the organization. An experienced speaker, he recently moderated a UNGA workshop on AI's impact on Gender Equality. Linkedin profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-ruszala/

Sylwia Spurek

Dr. Sylwia Spurek – former Member of the European Parliament (2019–2024) and Deputy Ombudsperson (2015–2019). Attorney-at-law, human right defender and legislator. Expert in law and public policy in the field of equal treatment, combating violence against women and gender-based violence. Author of the first Polish draft of the Act on Counteracting Domestic Violence. In 2014-2015, she coordinated the governmental process of ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence.##MORE## In 2014 shadow rapporteur of the first EU directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence. Human rights advocate for LGBTQIA people. Vegan, climate and animal rights activist, particularly for so-called farm animals. Co-founder of two think tanks: Green REV Institute and European Fem Institute. Woodrow Wilson Centre Fellow in Washington, D.C (2024-2025).

Felisa Tibbitts

Felisa Tibbitts is dedicated to the role that education can play in advancing human rights. She is UNESCO Chair in Human Rights and Higher Education and Chair in Human Rights Education at the Human Rights Centre of Utrecht University (Netherlands), an endowed chair position funded by the Dutch Soroptimists. She is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Columbia University and Visiting Professor at Nelson Mandela University (South Africa). Her research and policy interests include human rights, global citizenship and sustainable development education; curriculum policy and reform; critical pedagogy; and human rights##MORE## and higher education transformation. In addition to her widespread scholarship, she has written practical resources on curriculum, program development and evaluation on behalf of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UNICEF, UNESCO, OSCE/ODIHR, the Council of Europe and non-governmental organizations such as Amnesty International and the Open Society Foundations. Most recently she was the lead author for UNESCO’s Greening Curriculum Guidance. Felisa was a Fulbright Fellow (Fall 2014, Fall 2024) and a Human Rights Fellow at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University (2011-2013). Felisa is the co-founder and director of Human Rights Education Associates (www.hrea.org).

Tristan Van Thielen

Tristan Van Thielen is the CTO of Devoteam's Google Cloud Business Unit in Belgium and leads their EMEA Machine Learning Tribe. A Google Cloud certified Professional ML Engineer and AI Champion, he holds an M.S. in Computer Science (AI) from KU Leuven. Tristan guides ML teams at various companies, defines standards, and possesses deep experience in MLOps, model development, Google Cloud data projects, data strategy, and responsible AI. An experienced speaker, he recently moderated a UNGA workshop on AI's impact on Gender Equality. Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tristanvanthielen/