John Frankel

Founding Partner, ff Venture Capital

John Frankel is the founding partner of ff Venture Capital. He founded the firm in 2008 and has been a seed and early stage investor since late 1999.

Prior to founding ffVC, John worked at Goldman Sachs for 21 years in a variety of roles that involved technology development, reengineering and capital markets. At Goldman Sachs, he worked closely with some of the world’s leading hedge fund managers and developed a keen understanding of emerging technologies and portfolio risk/return management.

John started his business career in London with Arthur Andersen having earned a Master of Arts from New College, Oxford, where he studied Mathematics, Philosophy and Logic. He is a Fellow Chartered Accountant of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. John also sits on The NYU Tandon School of Engineering’s Board of Overseers.

Tom Farley

Incoming Chief Executive Officer, Bullish

Tom will serve as Bullish CEO, responsible for creating, planning and implementing the company’s strategic direction. Tom is currently Chairman and CEO of Far Peak Acquisition Corporation (NYSE: FPAC) and Chairman of Global Blue Group Holding AG (NYSE: GB). He brings many years of executive leadership in the finance industry, including serving as President of the NYSE Group. Tom will be appointed CEO after closing the proposed business combination with FPAC.

Helen Clement

Director of Alternatives, Wellington Management

As a director of Alternatives, Helen helps lead our alternatives effort in the Americas by engaging with clients, consultants, and prospects on a variety of alternative-related topics. In addition, she is responsible for developing and enhancing the firm’s working relationships with alternatives-focused investment consulting firms. She also serves as chair of the firm’s Sponsored Funds Oversight Committee and as a director on several Wellington fund boards.

Helen was previously the business manager for Wellington Management Funds Global (WMF Global), the group responsible for the development and operation of the firm's non-US mutual fund businesses. Prior to joining Wellington Management, she held roles at Fidelity Investments, iPhrase Technologies, and McKinsey & Company.

Helen received her MBA from Harvard Business School, and her BA in politics, philosophy, and economics, with First Class Honours, from Oxford University. She holds the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) and Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designations and is a member of the CAIA Association, the CFA Institute, and the CFA Society Boston.

Chantal Line Carpentier

Chief, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

Dr. Chantal Line Carpentier currently serves as Chief, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development New York Office of the Secretary-General, where she coordinates input into the Financing for Sustainable Development, Science, Technology and Innovation, and monitors progress on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) processes. She focuses on partnerships and innovative financing to support micro, small and medium enterprise, entrepreneurship and gender equality in transitioning to green, blue, purple, orange, resilient, inclusive and connected economic system.

Prior to joining the United Nations, she worked as Head, Environment, Economy and Trade Division of the North American Free Trade Agreement Commission for Environmental Cooperation (2000-2007), policy analyst for the Wallace Institute for Alternative Agriculture (1998-2000) and postdoctoral fellow for the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in the Brazilian Amazon (1996-1998).

Dr. Carpentier has consulted to UNDP, the World Bank, and the OECD and provided technical assistance to USDA, Environmental Defense Fund and the European Union and written and presented extensively on sustainable development including a book on Ethical Investment.

Dr. Carpentier obtained her PhD. in Agricultural and Environmental Economics from Virginia Tech University, as well as both her MSc. and BSc. in Agriculture Economics from McGill University.

Born in Quebec, Canada, she is fluent in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese. She competes in ultramarathon and ironmen.

Amer Bisat

Managing Director & Head of Emerging Markets Fixed Income, BlackRock

Amer Bisat, PhD., Managing Director, is Head of Emerging Markets Fixed Income and a member of the Fundamental-GFI Executive Committee. In this role, he oversees the team managing the firm's EM portfolios across hard currency, local and corporate debt instruments. Mr. Bisat's service with the firm dates back to 2013. Prior to BlackRock, he was a partner in two macro hedge funds (Traxis and Rubicon), and held portfolio management responsibilities at Morgan Stanley and UBS. Between 1991 and 1998, he was a senior economist at the International Monetary Fund where he helped negotiate high profile programs with Russia, Ukraine, and Egypt.

Mr. Bisat taught graduate level economics courses at Columbia University, co-authored a book on globalization, and academic and policy papers on growth and financial sector development. He is a trustee of a number of cultural and art institutions, sits on the Advisory Council of the Carnegie Middle East Center, and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Mr. Bisat earned a BA in economics from the American University of Beirut and a PhD. in economics and finance from Columbia University.

Dmitri Alperovitch

Co-Founder & Chairman, Silverado Policy Accelerator

Dmitri Alperovitch is the Co-Founder and Chairman of Silverado Policy Accelerator, a non-profit focused on advancing American prosperity and global leadership in the 21st century and beyond. He is a Co-Founder and former CTO of CrowdStrike Inc., a leading cybersecurity company. A renowned cybersecurity visionary, business executive, and thought leader on cybersecurity strategy, state tradecraft, and great power competition, Alperovitch has served as special advisor to the Department of Defense and currently serves on the Department of Homeland Security Advisory Council and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's Cyber Safety Review Board. His writing on cyber and foreign policy issues has appeared in major news outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Foreign Affairs, and he is a regular contributor to national broadcast news programs including PBS Newshour and NBC News. Alperovitch is also an active angel investor and board member of multiple high-growth technology companies. He has been named as one of Fortune Magazine's “40 Under 40” most influential young people in business and Politico Magazine has featured Alperovitch as one of “Politico 50” influential thinkers, doers and visionaries transforming American politics. In 2013, Alperovitch received the prestigious recognition of being selected as MIT Technology Review’s “Young Innovators under 35” (TR35) and Foreign Policy's Leading Global Thinkers, and he was named a "D.C. Tech Titan" by Washingtonian Magazine in 2022. In 2021, he launched the Alperovitch Institute for Cybersecurity Studies at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).

Mohamed Nasser Al Zaabi

Chief Executive Officer, Investopia

Mohamed Alzaabi is the Director of the Ministry’s Executive Office, Advisor to the Minister of Economy, and CEO of Investopia, leadership roles which he runs concurrently. As a Director of the Executive Office and advisor to His Excellency the Minister of Economy, he focuses on delivering essential inputs to the Ministry’s local and global initiatives, and oversees major strategic projects of national and Global significance.

He also held several senior roles within the Ministry of Economy including Director of several Departments of which were Investment, WTO & Trade Negotiation and Trade Promotion, roles that saw him deliver several strategic initiatives and programs.

In his capacity as CEO of Investopia, Mohammed focuses on the strategic aims of developing a de facto global platform for thought leadership and a market place for investment, working with a team of senior experts and advisers in driving global investments, generating growth, accelerating innovation, and contributing to the prosperity of future generations

Mohammed’s progressive career trajectory spans over 18 years during which he accumulated a wealth of both public and private sector expertise. He held several leadership roles in various disciplines, including ALDAR Properties and MASDAR. He served as Managing Director of PTAH Group in Abu Dhabi.

Sufyan Al Issa

Head of Mission, International Finance Corporation (IFC)

Sufyan AL-Issa is Head of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in the UAE, part of the World Bank Group. Prior to this position, he was the Regional Head of Operations for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and a principal investment officer and regional program leader at IFC, covering both investment and advisory services, with a focus on skills, education and entrepreneurship in MENA, and a track record of working on strategic initiatives and in conflict-affected states.

Al-Issa has more than 20 years of experience in the global financial sector, including dealing with economic policies and issues, and connecting finance with investment opportunities and fund mobilization. Prior to joining IFC, he was a Senior Advisor to the Dean of the Board and Executive Director for the Middle East at the World Bank Group, following positions at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and University of Oxford. Sufyan is a certified public accountant and holds a Ph.D. in economics from the University of London.

Tripp Hornick

Chief Operating Officer, Stage Access

Once hailed as a “whiz kid producer” by Variety’s legendary Army Archerd, Tripp continually strives to live up to the credit as an experienced “triple-threat”: an accomplished executive, line, and creative producer. He specializes in balancing creative vision with business needs, and has brought his talents to productions on both costs, including Teachers’ Lounge at the Abingdon Theater and The Melody Lingers On at the El Portal.

As Chief Operating Officer of Stage Access, Tripp is combining his production experience with his strong business background to expand the only company in North America that produces, distributes and licenses classical arts content across multiple platforms – theatrically, through a co-production relationship with IMAX, and through its own on-demand streaming service, STAGE ACCESS.

An avid volunteer, Tripp has served in senior leadership board positions for non-profit organizations focused on the arts and education, including president of The Mask and Wig Club in Philadelphia; the board of directors of Penn Alumni; and class president at the University of Pennsylvania, which awarded Tripp its 2017 Young Alumni Award of Merit.

As a theatrical producer, Tripp is managing member of Quince Street Productions, whose upcoming works include the highly anticipated revival of Me and My Girl and the play Public Charge.

As a motion-picture producer, his latest films, Renée Fleming’s Cities That Sing – Paris and Renée Fleming’s Cities That Sing – Venice, both premiere this fall in IMAX theaters worldwide.

Dr. Noubar Afeyan

Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Flagship Pioneering

Dr. Noubar Afeyan is founder and CEO of Flagship Pioneering, a company that creates bioplatform companies to transform human health and sustainability. An entrepreneur and biochemical engineer, Dr. Afeyan holds more than 100 patents and has co-founded more than 70 life science and technology startups during his 35-year career. He is co-founder and chairman of the board of Moderna, the pioneering messenger RNA company addressing the global COVID-19 pandemic through life-saving vaccines, and chairs the boards of several private and public companies.

Noubar entered biotechnology during its emergence as an academic field and industry, completing his doctoral work in biochemical engineering at MIT in 1987. He was a senior lecturer at MIT’s Sloan School of Management from 2000 to 2016, a lecturer at Harvard Business School until 2020, and he currently serves as a member of the MIT Corporation. He teaches and speaks around the world on topics ranging from entrepreneurship, innovation, and economic development to biological engineering, new medicines, and renewable energy. In 2022, Noubar was elected to the National Academy of Engineering.

Dr. Afeyan has received multiple awards for his passionate advocacy of the contributions of immigrants to economic and scientific progress. He is the co-founder of the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity and a number of other philanthropic projects focused on Armenia.

Mariusz Adamski

Partner, ff Venture Capital

Mariusz Adamski joined ffVC in 2019 as a Partner and established European office in Warsaw. Mariusz is responsible for fundraising for European funds and day to day operations in Warsaw. Currently Mariusz is managing European team of 8 investment professionals and is responsible for CEE investments from series seed to series B. In 2021 completed over 10 venture capital transactions in Poland, Estonia, France, Germany, and Ireland. Mariusz has over 10 years of experience in global capital markets and private equity / venture capital in different roles from a financial analyst to a portfolio manager. He worked in the past in Europe at mBank (Commerzbank) and in the US in New York City at Mitchell Madison Group and Pershing Square Capital Management. Mariusz graduated from Wake Forest University with a Bachelor of Science in Business.

Jenn Ablan

Editor-in-Chief & Chief Content Officer, Pensions & Investments

Jennifer Ablan is the editor-in-chief and chief content officer for Pensions & Investments. She manages the brand's platform expansion with a focus on digital engagement and measurement to grow the audience of professional investors and advisers. Before joining P&I, Ms. Ablan was U.S. assistant managing editor at the Financial Times. In that role, she supported editorial expansion in the U.S. She was previously U.S. investments editor at Reuters for a decade, overseeing asset management and "big money" coverage and leading the team. Earlier posts included working at Barron's and Dow Jones Newswires, all with a focus on money management and investing. A graduate of the University of Hawaii at Manoa in Honolulu, Ms. Ablan received the 2011 Rising Star award from the Women's Bond Club and has been named one of Business Insider's "125 most important finance people you have to follow" on Twitter.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

6th President of Ukraine

Volodymyr Zelenskyy was elected President of Ukraine on April 21, 2019

On 20 May, 2019 sworn in as the 6th President of Ukraine

January 25, 1978 - Born in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine

2000 - Graduated from Kyiv National Economic University, with a law degree

1997-2003 -  Actor, performer, script writer, producer of the stand-up comedy contest team «KVARTAL 95»

2003-2011 - Executive producer, “KVARTAL 95”, LLC

2011-2012 - Chief Executive, PJSC “Inter TV Station”

2013-2019 - Executive producer,  “KVARTAL 95”, LLC

Founded “The League of laughter” NGO. Produced 10 feature length movies, won more than 30 awards of the National Television Award of Ukraine "Teletriumph”. President Zelenskyy is a prize-winner of numerous international film festivals and media forums.

From the outset of the hostilities in Donbas Volodymyr Zelenskyy and “KVARTAL 95” rendered support to the Armed Forces with funds, equipment and arranged shows on the front line and in different military units.

Married to Mrs Olena Zelenska, with 2 children - daughter Oleksandra and son Kyrylo.

Emily Yang

pplpleasr

pplpleasr is a multidisciplinary artist with a focus on web 3.0, NFTs, crypto, DAOs, and philanthropy. Her work has inspired the formation of the prolific investment group PleasrDAO, helped define the aesthetic of the decentralized finance movement, graced the cover of Fortune Magazine, the cover of Vogue, as well as collaborations with Steve Aoki and Sotheby’s. She is in Forbes 30U30 this year and ranks in the top 5 of Fortune’s NFTy50, a list of the most influential figures in the NFT space and has donated more than $1.5 million to charity with her NFT sales.

Travis Williamson

Partner & Head of Hedge Fund Research, Albourne

Travis Williamson is a Partner at Albourne America and the Head of Hedge Fund Research. Prior to joining Albourne in 2013, Mr. Williamson was a Senior Markets & Policy Analyst at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York where he focused on furthering the Federal Reserve Systems analysis and interactions with buy-side market participants, with a focus on hedge funds. Before joining the Federal Reserve Bank of New York Mr. Williamson held roles at Morgan Stanley, Royal Bank of Canada, and DCF Capital. Mr. Williamson earned an MBA from the University of Connecticut, a degree in Economics from Lafayette College, and holds the CAIA designation.

Michael Thrasher

Senior Reporter, Pensions & Investments

Michael Thrasher is a Senior Reporter at Pensions & Investments and covers asset management. He was previously a reporter and editor at Institutional Investor's RIA Intel. Before that, he reported for wealthmanagement.com, where he covered some of the largest wealth managers, including groups within Morgan Stanley, UBS Group AG, Wells Fargo & Co., and Bank of America Corp.

Owen Thomas

Senior Editor, Protocol

Owen Thomas is a senior editor at Protocol overseeing venture capital and financial technology coverage. He was previously business editor at the San Francisco Chronicle and before that editor-in-chief at ReadWrite, a technology news site, and managing editor at Valleywag, Gawker Media's publication about Silicon Valley.

Raman Srivastava

Executive Vice President and Global Chief Investment Officer, Great West Lifeco

Raman Srivastava is Executive Vice-President and Global Chief Investment Officer for Great West Lifeco. Raman oversees investment teams in Canada, the U.S. and Europe. He joined Great West Lifeco in 2017 and leads a global team of investment professionals in setting strategic direction and delivering investment results across a diverse global investment platform, including the insurance General Accounts and third-party funds.

 Raman has 20 years’ experience in the investment industry, most recently as Deputy Chief Investment Officer and Manager Director of Global Fixed Income for Mellon Asset Management based in Boston. For over a decade prior to that, he was a portfolio manager at Putnam Investments.

Raman earned a Master of Science in Computational Finance from Carnegie Mellon University and a Bachelor of Mathematics degree from the University of Waterloo. Raman is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Charterholder.

Marina Severinovsky

Head of Sustainability, North America, Schroders

Marina Severinovsky is the Head of Sustainability, North America, and leads the sustainability and environmental, social and governance (ESG) integration for Schroders investments in North America. She collaborates with senior managers on market strategy, client communications, product development, sales, and investor management.

Marina was previously the Investment Director for North America for the Quantitative Equity Products (QEP) team from 2020 and was responsible for communicating QEP’s investment policy and strategy with clients, as well as business management in the Americas.

Prior to joining the QEP team, Marina was an Investment Strategist from 2016 to 2019, working in partnership with Hartford Funds to represent Schroders strategies to financial advisors and intermediaries across all client channels, primarily in the Central US region.

Marina was an Alternatives Specialist at Schroders from 2010 to 2016. Her product management activities covered multiple strategies, including Commodities, Absolute Return Emerging Market Debt and Insurance Linked Securities.

Marina joined Schroders in 2010 and is based in New York. Prior to joining Schroders, she worked in Investment Banking at Citi, and previously to that, in finance, economics and accounting consulting.

Fred Santarpia

President, Endeavor Streaming

Fred Santarpia is a digital media and business transformation expert. He currently serves as president of Endeavor Streaming, where he spearheads the company’s global expansion strategy. Before joining Endeavor Streaming, Fred was chief operating officer at Moda Operandi and, previously, chief digital officer at Condé Nast, where he founded and launched the digital arm of Condé Nast's entertainment division. Fred was also a founding member of the leadership team at VEVO and served as EVP & general manager. Prior to VEVO, Fred worked at Universal Music Group in a variety of senior leadership roles.

Fred is a graduate of Villanova University and holds an M.S. in finance from Boston University. He currently resides in New Jersey.