Alessandro Schena holds a background in oenology and a specialization in Economics and Innovation. He currently serves as Open Innovation Manager at Loacker, where he leads open innovation initiatives and oversees key processes related to incremental and radical innovation. At Loacker, he manages innovation projects that aim to identify latent consumer needs and translate them into high-impact concepts, leveraging methodologies such as human-centered design and agile innovation workflows. His work sits at the intersection of internal innovation and external ecosystems, fostering collaboration across teams, partners, and disciplines to enable long-term transformation. Alongside his corporate role, Alessandro is also active as a food-tech startupper, an experience that enhances his entrepreneurial perspective and his ability to navigate between corporate strategy and the dynamics of innovation networks.

Experienced R&D Director with deep passion for the flavour industry and broad experiences across several multinational companies including Sensient, Kerry and now McCormick Flavour Division. Driven by a dynamic, inspired, entrepreneurial, disruptive, trusting, collaborative, purposeful, excellence-obsessed approach to spark the R&D engine for Business value creation and Company's growth.

Belén Moscoso del Prado is a leading voice in Open Innovation in Europe, with a strong technical background in designing strategic collaboration models between startups and corporates. As Corporate Venturing Manager at EIT Food—the world's largest agrifood innovation ecosystem—she helps multinational companies scout, validate, and collaborate with high-potential startups across borders to solve systemic challenges and bring breakthrough solutions to market.

She specializes in turning innovation needs into concrete collaboration opportunities—whether through startup accelerators, innovation challenges or co-financed pilots—always with a clear focus on real-world implementation and measurable results.

What drives Belén is a passion for making innovation tangible. She is motivated by seeing transformative technologies move beyond PowerPoint and into the market, where they can create real, scalable and sustainable impact—while also unlocking growth opportunities for businesses.

With over 20 years working in innovation from multiple perspectives, Belén began her career in the corporate world, later transitioned into the startup ecosystem, and today brings both cultures and languages together to enable effective and meaningful collaboration. Her mission is to build inclusive and interconnected innovation ecosystems where solving global challenges and creating business value go hand in hand.

Carly has spent more than 18 years working in large multinational FMCG brands, with a proven track record of brand strategy and innovation in global and local market roles. Carly has worked at Nomad Foods since 2012 and before that, she worked for global snacking company Mondelez. Before becoming Chief RDQ Officer, Carly’s previous roles at Nomad Foods included Marketing Director for Findus Italy, Group Fish Category Director and most recently, Portfolio Director.

Claudia Vasquez is the founder and director of Origenal Story, Origenal Story is an international consulting agency that helps businesses expand globally while staying true to their sustainability and environmental responsibility values.

Claudia is a visionary who has been diving into the latest consumer trends and marketing communications strategies in the food & ingredients sectors for more than twelve years.

Her intense 25+ years of corporate experience have inspired her to become an entrepreneur oriented to the food & ingredients sectors and to reconnect with her initial studies, journalism. She is a freelance journalist for food ingredients and sustainable development trade publications—in Belgium, Canada, Chile, France, Germany and Spain—and has created a robust network of international contacts.

She is a trainer specialising in Export Marketing for French and Spanish companies looking to expand internationally.

Born in Chile, raised in France & Spain; with a strong Anglo-Saxon & French work culture, Claudia lives in Barcelona. She is fluent in Spanish, French (bilingual), English and Portuguese.

Dan McGlynn is a Senior Account Executive at TraceGains, bringing over 20 years of senior commercial experience within the FMCG and foodservice sectors. Dan has been a driving force in helping some of the largest grocery retail, manufacturing, and agricultural companies in the region navigate the complex challenges of supply chain digitalisation, compliance, NPD and sustainability. In his role at TraceGains Dan is at the forefront of reshaping how data is shared across the supply chain. By leveraging the TraceGains Network, he is pioneering new methods to improve transparency, efficiency, and collaboration among stakeholders. Dan's work is transforming traditional supply chain models, making them more responsive to the needs of modern businesses and consumers alike. Known for his innovative approach to integrating technology with supply chain management. His insights are helping companies adapt to the evolving demands of the market, ensuring that they remain competitive and compliant in an increasingly complex regulatory environment.

Edwin Bark is Senior Vice President at Redefine Meat, leading the EMEA-region. Building on 25 years+ of experience in Consumer Goods Industry, both at big corporates like L’Oréal and Nestlé (former Managing Director of Nestlé’s European division for plant-based food/Garden Gourmet), as well as through Private Equity. During the past decade, Bark has engaged with several Food&Agri-tech companies in Israel and The Netherlands as an advisory board member and is startup mentor at StartLife | Wageningen University). Most recently he joined the Advisory Board of Kale Growth, a VC Fund as well. Bark has an international business mindset, speaks 6 languages and has lived and worked 10 years abroad - from different European countries, parts of Africa to the US. He is passionate about health & sustainability, “food is the new medicine” and enjoys several sports, good food and wines (especially Italian cuisine).. Motivated to make an impact on the food system and drive the protein transition Edwin is also a member of the Board of the True Animal Protein Price Coalition (TAPPC).

Fan is the plant powered Founder and CEO of Other Foods. Previously as a journalist and later joined various roles in creative industries, She is passionate about supporting girls' education and helping children through charitable activities. As a mushroom fanatic she loves to experiment in the kitchen. She also loves running and wandering around galleries.

Giuditta leads sensory and consumer research at Vinhood, she turns consumer data into actionable insight to support food innovation. She holds a PhD in Nutritional Sciences and has a strong scientific background in food science, she helps companies create products that truly connect with people needs, understanding consumer preferences and everyday choices that people make at the table.

Jaime is a recognised expert in strategy, foresight and innovation for the food and beverage industry. He has advised both leading multinationals and foodtech startups, and has been a keynote speaker at industry events in Spain, Switzerland, Denmark, Brazil and Mexico. Some of his clients at Lantern include McDonald's, Danish Crown, Nestlé, Grupo Osborne and Sigma-Campofrio.

Previous experience:

-CEO Iberia, Millward Brown Optimor, WPP's strategic consulting firm

-Head od Strategy, Interbrand Iberia -Strategic Marketing, Embratel Telecom in Sao Paulo

-Senior Analyst, Bank of America Latam Private Equity (Chicago)

-Investment Banking Analyst, A.G. Edwards (now Wells Fargo)

Education: Jaime holds a BA in Economics and Finance from Saint Louis University (MO) and an MBA from UCLA - Anderson School of Management. Jaime is fluent in Spanish and English and has knowledge of Portuguese and French.

José Luis Cabañero is a seasoned professional with a diverse background in innovation, new technologies, and the food industry. He is the co-founder and CEO of Eatable Adventures, a global Food Innovation Hub that connects entrepreneurial talent with investors and corporates. Cabañero has been active in the innovation and new technologies industry for almost 30 years, working with international companies. Prior to founding Eatable Adventures, he held various leadership roles in companies such as Cisco Systems, NETSCOUT, Broadcom Software, and ADVA.

He also served as a Partner and Chief Operating Officer at Infinitto Networks and held various positions at Oracle EMEA and Unisys.Under his leadership, Eatable Adventures has been involved in the consolidation of the Southern European AgrifoodTech market segment, running multiple impactful programs targeted to the development of emerging technology based startups addressing the multiple challenges of the food system. Programs like Spain Foodtech, Madrid Food Innovation Hub, FoodSeed, Mylkcubator, Eatex or Verona Agrifood Innovation Hub are creating a vibrant startup ecosystem in Southern Europe.

Cabañero's educational background includes a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Computer Sciences from Universidad de Extremadura and the General Management Business Program from Stanford University Graduate School of Business. In addition to his technology and business background, Cabañero has a strong interest in gastronomy. He has a Le Cordon Bleu issued professional qualification as Chef de Haute Cuisine with a specialisation in French Cuisine, a leading global network of culinary arts and hospitality management institutes.

Pepe Biaggio is the Co-founder of Pink Albatross Ice cream, the leader in non dairy ice cream in Spain. Prior to founding Pink Albatross he was a facilitator in the Google Digital Academy, consulted on digital transformation projects and before that he led an equipment finance company in Europe overseeing its operation in 7 countries managing both wholesale and retail finance.

His daughter was a big inspiration for him. She has several food allergies and drove him, together with his business partner Luke, to create a brand in the desserts category emphasizing on differentiation and strategic alignment with the clients to be able to reach and develop the key consumer trends

Double degree in Economics (specializing in Public Economics) and Business Administration (specializing in Finance) from the University of Zaragoza. Commercial technician and State economist since 2008. He has been Chief Economic and Commercial Advisor at the Economic and Commercial Office of Spain in Singapore and at the Economic and Commercial Office of Spain in Tel Aviv. At ICEX España Exportación e Inversiones, he has held the position of director of Infrastructure, Healthcare and ICT since September 2021, until his appointment as executive director of Growth and Competitiveness in September 2024.

Juan Novelli, Co-founder and CBO of The Food Chainers. Serial entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience in agrifood innovation, blockchain, and intangible assets. He leads growth strategy and partnerships at The Food Chainers, driving the future of agrifood through Web3.

Fiercely ambitious, Kelly is the driving force behind the F!S-Group. F!S-Group is a family of three businesses specialising in F&B consumer led innovation, human insight and growth acceleration. Food Innovation Solutions, Good Sense Research and Cambridge Market Research, come together to provide a suite of complimentary services in food and beverage innovation, strategic support and consumer research. ]

With a Food Science degree Kelly has spent the last 20 years working across foodservice and hospitality as well as retail and manufacturing, in both innovation and insight functions.

At Barilla Group, our team leads the charge in soft bakery innovation, where I've directed the development of new product lines and the extension of the Baiocchi franchise. Our collaborative efforts across European teams have resulted in a strategic 3-innovation masterplan, exemplifying our commitment to excellence and market responsiveness.

My tenure as Quality & Food Safety Director laid the foundation for my leadership in orchestrating Barilla's innovation pipeline. With deep R&D expertise and product development skills, we've enhanced the organization's quality standards, ensuring Barilla continues to be synonymous with culinary innovation and consumer trust in the FMCG landscape.

Chemical Engineer with a strong background in program management and entrepreneurship support. He is currently Program Manager at Eatable Adventures, where he supports the growth of agrifoodtech startups across Europe and Latin America. Previously, he implemented capacity-building programs in Southeast Asia in collaboration with international development agencies, working alongside local organizations to strengthen entrepreneurial ecosystems. He has also held operational and strategic roles in both startups and multinational companies across Argentina, Spain, and Italy.

Massimo Antoniello, EMEAR Food & Beverage expert and Executive Sales Director at Centric Software, is a Business and Transformation Leader with over 20 years of experience in Organization Development, Operations, Sales, and General Management. Specializing in Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and the Food & Beverage (F&B) industry, Massimo is known for his strong leadership and relentless passion for innovation. He excels in understanding business operations, building and leading high-performance teams, driving financial performance, enhancing customer engagement, and managing change at local, regional, and global levels.

Michela has over 25 years of experience in the food industry. Currently she is Deputy Managing Director of Front End Innovation at Loacker AG, where she leads long-term innovation programs focused on product, packaging, and marketing foresight. Previously she has held senior R&D roles at Unilever across Italy and Europe, leading cross-functional international team in product and technical innovation, contributing to the launch of numerous products across European and global markets for Findus, Knorr, Algida, Lipton. Her expertise spans from culinary innovation and pretotyping to open innovation and strategic consulting for global food brands. Passionate about translating consumer insights into breakthrough products, she combines scientific rigor with creative vision to shape the future of food.

Ofelia Medina is a Senior Presales Consultant with 10 years of hands-on experience implementing process-based PLM solutions for the food-and-beverage sector. Backed by a scientific background, she pairs technical depth with strategic insight, holding a Product Strategy certification from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and a PMP® from PMI.

Oliver Gilding is a leader in retail innovation, brand development, and licensing. As Head of Innovation & Licensing at Iceland Foods, he has been instrumental in the growth of the Exclusive Brands division, securing major partnerships with brands like Cathedral City, Ninja, and Myprotein.

Oliver drives impactful collaborations that resonate with consumers. Passionate about innovation and strategic growth, he continues to shape the future of branded partnerships in the retail and grocery industry.

A top notch Start Up Specialist, Growth Marketer, Innovator & Business Professional. An Enterprising leader with outstanding success in spearheading Strategic Marketing & Business Operations in Global Multinationals across FMGC, Media and Telecom. (Like CMO – Mahou India, GM – Market Activations – Carlsberg India, Business Head – Big FM Radio & BIG Magic TV and Global Innovation Manager – Mahou San Miguel)

Ramona Hazan, founder of Ramona’s Kitchen, grew up in a Mediterranean family where food was about celebration with colourful, aromatic dishes passed around during the hubbub of eating. Unable to find the same familiar, comforting foods in the UK she decided to bring the Levantine textures and flavours to the UK market herself. Ramona has a passion for food but her continual dedication and persistence to deliver a brand that stands out from the crowd and that people LOVE has resulted in listings in most major supermarkets in the UK.

What first started 20 years ago in Ramona’s small home kitchen (with an even smaller blender) has now grown to the business you see today in a much larger kitchen (with many, many blenders) specialising in Houmous & Falafel based on her family’s traditional recipes with a contemporary twist. Today, RAMONA’S Heavenly Houmous is the UK’s No 1 Houmous brand, winning many prestigious awards and driving new shoppers to the category.

Dr. Reetta Andolin is a Finnish food scientist. She has a 20 years career with food innovations, both in industry and academia. In Finland, she is partcularly known about her work with oats and plant protein products. She founded her first startup Gold&Green Foods 2015, and made an successful exit 18 months later. Currently, she works as Chief Innovation Officer at Raisio Oyj, and leads the R&D team which aims to initiate internal ventures and collaborate with startups. Andolin is dedicated to change of the food system and continues to drive innovative approaches in the industry.

Rodrigo González Lera is Head of Open Innovation at CNTA, with an international career of over 20 years articulating research, innovation and technology in the agri-food sector. He has led entrepreneurship initiatives in organic agriculture and driven the growth of innovative projects, collaborating with startups and corporations, both in the field of Venture Capital and technology. He is an Agricultural Engineer and Master in Leadership, Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Tye Blazey is the CEO and Co-Founder of Prodeen, an agentic AI platform transforming Product Lifecycle Management for the food and beverage industry.

Prior to founding Prodeen in 2025, Tye built extensive expertise in food technology and compliance solutions. Most recently, he served as Director of Business Development for SGS Digicomply, where he led North American operations and sales, growing the platform from inception to a market-leading position serving major CPG companies throughout the region.

Tye created Prodeen after a decade of seeing how disconnected systems cripple food innovation. The goal is to build a solution to dramatically accelerate time-to-market while enhancing compliance. Prodeen replaces manual handoffs between departments with intelligent workflows that finally unleash innovation potential.

Valentina Gallani is a nutritionist and food technologist currently working as Health and Nutrition Manager at ProVeg International. She specialises in the nutritional properties and product development of plant-based alternatives. Valentina holds a Bachelor’s degree in Food Science and Technology and a Master’s degree in Human Nutrition with a focus on plant-based diets. After working with private companies, start-ups, and individual patients, she joined ProVeg to continue reshaping the food system, to create nutritious, delicious foods that benefit both people and the planet.

Born in Pasto, an Andes-town in the south of Colombia on May 5, 1976, Willem Fijten has had quite the journey in his professional life. Currently, he's the Innovation Director and Commercial Board member at AVIKO, one of the biggest potato product manufacturers in the world. In this role, he is, together with a team of product developers, product managers and sensory specialists, shaping innovation strategies and overseeing the creation and launch of new products.

Before this, he spent time at NOMAD FOODS EUROPE as the European Senior Development Manager. Leading a team across Europe, Willem worked on an innovative plan that combined technical know-how, business sense, and consumer’s needs. Iglo, Birds Eye and La Cocinera are examples of the portfolio of Brands Willem was responsible for.

Then came his time at MARS FOOD GLOBAL, where he worked as a Product Innovation and R&D Global Culinary Expert. Here, he was in charge of development projects on a global scale, making sure new products were not only developed well but also fit into the overall product lineup. Ben’s Rice & sauces, Dolmio, Seeds of Change amongst other brands were part of his portfolio of responsibilities.

But let's rewind a bit. Willem started in the kitchen, working as an Executive Sous-Chef at the kitchen of The Sofitel The Hague (NL) and later managing the kitchen activities at different restaurants in Europe. This culinary background set the stage for his diverse career. Beyond the work as chef, Willem is an accomplished culinary professional, winning awards like the “Young Chef of the Year in 2003”, the "Zilveren Garde 2004” and the "Grand Prix Culinair 2010".

He graduated from Hotel-School back in 1999 and the School of Culinary arts in 2001. Down the personal development road, Willem’s extra-curricular trainings and interests are very much in the field of Leadership, Innovation and Strategy.

Zibi leads Science, Design and Innovation for world’s leading Ice-cream company and supports establishment of independent 8bln start-up. He has shaped Food and AG Techn ecosystems across China, India, Middle-East, North America, Kenya, Poland, Germany and the UK. Driven profitable growth from superior and sustainable products under Knorr, Pukka, Magnum, Hellman’s, Tazo and Pure Leaf across global career of 26 years. Experienced in acquiring and growing scale-ups and crafting a culture which accelerates talent and business growth (the “winning blend”). Married, with two daughters and a female dog Roxy. Vocational farmer, cook and impact mentor/investor.