Speakers

Sustainability Manager | IKEA Portugal

With a degree in Chemical Engineering, worked in the areas of furniture and clothing in Portugal. Ana has been an IKEA coworker since October 2001, with experience in monitoring and developing suppliers in the areas of product quality and sustainability. Worked in different IKEA geographic areas - Portugal, Mediterranean Europe, Southeast Asia and Central Europe.

Since 2010, has been part of IKEA Portugal retail organization, which brings IKEA's vision to the homes of the Portuguese, inspiring and enabling a better everyday life. Contributed to the development of Bedroom and Children’s business. And since 2017 has been responsible for the sustainability area at IKEA Portugal. In this role, she is an ambassador for sustainability inside and outside IKEA, promoting trust among coworkers, suppliers and customers and demonstrating IKEA's commitment to people and the planet. This commitment is achieved by inspiring and facilitating a healthier and more sustainable life; drastically reducing carbon emissions – developing the business with the ambition to be energy and resource efficient; and creating positive change in society - improving the lives of people and communities, global and local, impacted by the business.

EIM DIRECTOR | JEANOLOGIA S.L

Begoña García is a textile engineer with over 25 years of industry experience. She has been with Jeanologia since 1997, where she has led key sustainability projects—including the development of EIM (Environmental Impact Measuring), a pioneering tool created by the company to measure the environmental impact of textile finishing processes. She currently heads the EIM division, driving the sector's sustainable transformation by using data as a catalyst for efficient, quantifiable improvement.

Chief Product Officer | Around Systems

Brigitta (Bri) Danka is a sustainability and circularity expert working at the intersection of textile design, technology and systems change. As Chief Product Officer at Around Systems, she leads the development of digital tools and technologies that help brands make more informed decisions about product design, recyclability and end-of-life pathways.

Bri brings more than a decade of experience across the fashion and textile value chain, spanning sustainability strategy, circular economy, supply chains and industry collaboration. Prior to Around Systems, she held sustainability roles within global fashion and textile organisations, working with brands, manufacturers and industry initiatives to translate sustainability ambitions into practical action.

Her current work focuses on connecting decisions made at the design stage with what happens to products at end of life, and building the intelligence needed to enable more effective circular systems.

Senior Corporate Campaigner | Canopy

Catherine Stewart has been with Canopy for over a decade and was instrumental in the launch of the CanopyStyle initiative. A member of Canopy’s producer and Hot Button team, she works towards the transformation of global MMCF supply chains and the conservation of the world’s critical forest ecosystems. Catherine’s background includes time as a small business owner in a resource-based community, as well as experience in media and advertising. She has been active in environmental work for nearly 40 years and was a lead negotiator in securing British Columbia’s Great Bear Rainforest Conservation Agreements, helping craft solutions that work not only for forests and species, but for communities, workers and business.

Invited Professor | Católica-Lisbon SBE Executive Education

Dina is an Invited Professor at Católica-Lisbon SBE Executive Education, where she designs and delivers executive programmes on ESG governance, sustainable finance, climate risk, and value creation, translating complex regulatory frameworks into board-level decision-making tools. She is also a PhD candidate at ISEG – Lisbon School of Economics & Management, researching ESG metrics and their impact on corporate performance. With over 20 years of international experience, she has held senior roles at KPMG, Deloitte, and TMF Group, advising multinational organizations and financial institutions on governance, risk, ESG, and compliance.

Chief Commercial Officer | DePoly

Eric Schwaninger is Chief Commercial Officer at DePoly, a Swiss deeptech company converting PET plastics and polyester textiles into virgin-quality circular monomers, PTA and MEG. He leads commercial strategy and global partnerships across the value chain, working with brands and manufacturers to translate recycling innovation into industrial adoption.

Eric brings over 20 years of international experience building businesses and multicultural teams, including a decade at Google and Salesforce leading digital transformation. At DePoly, he applies that experience to advancing commercially viable circular supply chains, connecting the potential of chemical recycling with the quality, performance and scalability requirements of the textile and plastics industries.

Founder & Managing Partner​ | Aether Capital Partners

James has over 25 years of asset management leadership experience, with a proven track record of developing new investment businesses globally across public and private markets.

As CEO and CIO of Vedra Partners, James also acted as a Managing Partner & Chair of the Investment Committee for an energy transition fund. Previous roles include CIO, Board Director and Advisor for firms such as HSBC, Natixis, Aberdeen Standard Investments and Gottex.

Climate Finance and Impact Adviser

Jayanth Kashyap is a climate-finance and impact-investment professional with 16 years of experience across venture capital, private debt, blended finance, philanthropic capital, and advisory work in Asia and Africa. He previously served as Investment Lead for the Good Fashion Fund at FOUNT, where he supported financing for cleaner, safer, and more resource-efficient textile and apparel manufacturing in Asia. 

Earlier in his career, he held impact-investment and advisory roles with Aequalitas Capital Partners, Ennovent, Social Finance, and Grameen Impact Investments India. Jayanth has led investments and advisory engagements across multiple asset classes, sectors, and emerging-market contexts. His experience includes designing investment strategies, assessing impact and financial risk, and supporting the implementation of climate and sustainability solutions. He holds an MBA from the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School and is a Gender-Lens Investing Fellow with 2X Global.

Senior Law and Policy Advisor, EU Chemicals | ClientEarth

Dr Julian Schenten is Senior Law and Policy Advisor with the Brussels office of the international environmental charity ClientEarth. 

He works on chemical policy, including REACH, “One Substance one Assessment” legislation, and the new Ecodesign Regulation. He also follows the European Commission's unfortunate deregulation work, notably via so-called Omnibuses.

Julian has a background in regulatory research and transformative science, where he worked closely with value chain actors, e.g. from the textile and leather sectors.

Director of the UAL Innovation Lab and Professor of Circular Design and Innovation

Professor Goldsworthy’s career spans over two decades at the intersection of design, materials science, and environmental stewardship. As Director of the UAL Innovation Lab and Professor of Circular Design and Innovation, she has pioneered methodologies to align textile production with circular economy principles. She focuses on designing materials with sustainability and recyclability ‘built in’ and engaging with science, technology, and industry partners at every stage. Her research focuses on reducing chemical and fibre waste through innovations such as laser-finishing technologies for recyclable synthetics, fibre-to-fibre recovery systems, and collaborative frameworks for lifecycle design. Her leadership in high-impact initiatives demonstrates a commitment to scalable, science-driven solutions for the textile industry.

Business Development Manager | Jiaren Chemical Recycling

Bio:
Louisa Esposito is Business Development Manager for Jiaren Chemical Recycling in Europe, working with brands and supply-chain partners on the practical implementation of textile-to-textile recycled polyester. Her focus is on connecting Jiaren's chemical recycling technology with existing textile supply chains and supporting brands from initial material development through to commercial adoption. She is also involved in Jiaren's European business development and the recently launched Jiaren Fiber Club in collaboration with Fashion for Good.

Founder & CEO | Closed Loop Fashion

Marina Chahboune is the Founder of Closed Loop Fashion (CLF) and a Steering Committee Member of the Global Circular Fashion Forum (GCFF). With nearly 20 years of international experience in circular textile systems, she works at the intersection of industry, policy, and implementation to transform supply chains toward sustainability. She has worked in more than 18 countries and with over 1000+ factories, focusing on decarbonising supply chains through waste reduction and resource recovery. Her work includes large-scale feedstock sourcing strategies for recyclers and the establishment of collaborative circular supply chains across Asia, North Africa, and Europe. Under her direction, CLF developed the Textile Waste Management Standard (TWMS by CLF), enabling measurable and scalable industry transformation in partnership with brands, SMEs, development corporations, and institutions.

Director Consumer Products & Textiles | Cradle to Cradle

Nienke Steen is a passionate and visionary sustainability leader with more than two decades of experience driving transformation in the global garment and textiles industry. As Global Director for Consumer Products and Textiles at the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute, she leads systemic change across sectors to accelerate the circular transition in consumer products and textiles, working closely with companies, stakeholders, and partners worldwide. To support this transition, Nienke drives the uptake of Cradle to Cradle Certified®, the global circular product standard and certification, through sector strategies, marketing and communications, speaking engagements, and technical guidance.

Managing Director, Global Fashion, Sporting Goods & Chemical Sector Lead  | Quantis

Philipp Meister is Managing Director and Global Lead for Fashion, Sporting Goods and Chemicals at Quantis. He joined Quantis in 2021 after 16 years in the sporting goods industry, in sustainability, innovation and product creation roles at multinational brands including adidas and Nike.

Today, he advises multinational fashion and sporting goods brands on their sustainability journeys - from product and materials strategies and decarbonization roadmaps to Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and ESG risk assessments. He also coordinates pre-competitive initiatives such as Fashion Leap for Climate.

On chemicals, he advises major oil, gas and petrochemical companies in their decarbonization journey, including product carbon footprinting, climate risk assessment, and go-to-market strategies for green chemistries.

He previously served on the board of the ZDHC Foundation, including as its Chair.

Head of Growth | Modern Synthesis

Sarah is the Head of Growth at Modern Synthesis, a London-based company bringing life to materials by transforming nanocellulose - a natural byproduct of fermentation - into a new class of responsible textiles and coatings. She holds an MBA from the University of Oxford, where she was a Said Scholar. Prior to joining Modern Synthesis she designed and built impactful new startups for FTSE 100 clients as corporate venture builder. She is also the creator of Material Change, a newsletter about material innovation. 

Recycled Engagement Manager | Textile Exchange

Sophie Ridler is the Recycled Engagement Manager at Textile Exchange, where she ensures that the perspectives of recycled stakeholders are represented across the organization’s tools, resources, and Textile Exchange’s standards. Her current work focuses on enabling an industry transition towards textile-to-textile recycled materials. 

Chief Executive Officer | Lamoral

Theo Verweerden is CEO and co-founder of Lamoral Coatings, a Dutch company developing durable, sustainable textile finishes and auxiliaries. He brings more than 30 years of executive experience across Morton, Rohm and Haas, DSM, and growth-stage businesses. With a background in chemical engineering and business administration, Theo combines technical expertise with international marketing and business leadership. Since co-founding Lamoral in 2016, he has focused on commercialising sustainable technologies that extend product life and reduce environmental impact, building international partnerships to support the company’s growth.

Brand Manager | OnceMore®

Tina Lemke is Brand Manager for OnceMore®, Södra’s solution for turning blended textile waste into raw material for new textile fibres. In her role, she works with communication and collaboration across the textile value chain, connecting brands, partners and industry perspectives around textile-to-textile recycling.

With a passion for clear and meaningful communication, Tina focuses on making complex topics easier to understand and bringing the possibilities of textile recycling closer to the people and businesses that can help move it forward. She believes that communication has an important role to play in connecting people, ideas and opportunities, and in creating a shared understanding of both the challenges and possibilities ahead.