Jury

Geraldine de Bastion

Geraldine de Bastion is a politicial scientist and works as a consultant on the strategic implementation of digital technologies and new media for public institutions, NGOs and companies. She also works with activists on issues of freedom of the internet and the media. Geraldine de Bastion founded konnektiv GmbH, an agency for international cooperation and digital transformation, and Global Innovation Gathering, a global network for digital innovation. Furthermore, she curates the re:publica, Europe´s biggest conference on digital society.

Karlsen Jr. Haakon

Karlsen Jr. Haakon is the director of the FabLab Norway, the first FabLab in the world. He worked as a farmer and teacher. Karlsen Jr. Haakon recognized a demand for technical devices to measure hormones in the work with sheep insemination. Thus, in collaboration with the MIT he led the Electronic Shepherd Project, which resulted in the decision to launch the FabLab Norway. He was a central figure in shaping the FabLab movement in the recent years. (Sources: https://blogs.aalto.fi/makerculture/2013/10/02/mit-fablab-norway/, Photo by DyvikDesign)

Mr. Ziad S. Mikati

Mr. Ziad S. Mikati studied Economics and International Affairs. He works as a public policy analyst and youth development coordinator for H.E. the Prime Minister of Lebanon, Mr. Najib Mikati. Previously, Mr. Mikati worked as a social policy researcher for the United Nations Economic and Social Commission and, following this, joined the technical support division of the United Nations Population Fund. In 2009, Mr. Mikati launched “Acting4Change” Group, which is an international youth initiative dedicated for developing peace and cultural dialogue.

Professor Joshua Pearce

Professor Joshua Pearce received his Ph.D. in Materials Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University. He is currently cross-appointed in the Department of Materials Science & Engineering and in the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering at the Michigan Technological University where he runs the MichiganTech Open Sustainability Technology (MOST) Research Group. His research concentrates on the use of open source appropriate technology to find collaborative solutions to problems in sustainability and poverty reduction.

Mr. Saeed Saeed

Saeed Saeed is cofounder and CEO of National Talents Company. He leads a team of more than a hundred employees to inspire, design & facilitate youth interactive & creative learning experiences using science, technology, engineering and math. Their projects span a wide range of informal interactive learning spaces, from museums, science centers and fab labs to festival and exhibition participation. He has a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering and has recently graduated from Owner/President Management Program (OPM) at Harvard Business School.

Mr. Marcin Jakubowski

Marcin Jakubowski graduated from Princeton and earned his Ph.D. in fusion physics from the University of Wisconsin. He founded Open Source Ecology in 2003 in order to realize closed-loop manufacturing. He is now working on the Global Village Construction Set (GVCS) - an open source tool set of 50 industrial machines necessary to create a small civilization. His work has been recognized as a 2012 TED Senior Fellow, in Time Magazine's Best Inventions of 2012, as a 2013 Shuttleworth Foundation Fellow, and a White House Champion of Change in 2013.

Mr. Ahmad Al Saleh

Ahmad Alsaleh holds a master degree in computer Engineering from Kuwait University and bachelor in engineering from California State University. Currently, Ahmad is the CEO of CreativeBits company that does product development and co-founder of the Makers Academy, an educational center for makers to learn how to turn ideas into designs, and designs into products. His work is recognized internationally by winning the WASA award for best educational platform, first winner of AMAC 2014, CRAWLER service robotics competition.

Jessica Berlin

Jessica Berlin is an economic development expert and founder with a knack for turning ideas into reality. As Founder and Managing Director of CoStruct, she advises companies, governments, and nonprofits on market entry and innovation strategy for business, technology, and development ventures. She is Co-founder of the MakerNet Consortium, an initiative connecting makers to markets in developing countries, as well as of the agency BerLink and the NGO Die Brückenbauer. Her career has spanned over ten years in policy, development, and tech innovation in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the US. She holds an M.Sc. in Political Economy of Emerging Markets from King's College London, a B.A. in International Relations from Tufts University, and speaks five languages.