Meet the Speakers, Mentors & Judges of Our Ocean Bootcamp 2025

Luisa Schillinger brings a wealth of experience in green and circular economy development, supporting entrepreneurs and innovation ecosystems across Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. At Ovation.eco, she leads projects that foster sustainable business models through value-chain mapping, circular design strategies, and impact-driven entrepreneurship.

Luisa holds an Erasmus Mundus Master’s in Global Development Policy and a double Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Human Geography from the University of Passau, Germany. With over five years of hands-on experience — from rural entrepreneurship in Costa Rica to inclusion projects in Europe — Luisa is passionate about helping communities thrive through innovation and environmental stewardship.

Thierry Hendrickx is a seasoned expert in entrepreneurship, innovation, and digital transformation, with more than 30 years of experience helping businesses and startups achieve sustainable growth. As an independent consultant, he has been instrumental in building innovation ecosystems that bridge private enterprises, government agencies, and investors to accelerate the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) across East Africa.

Currently, Thierry collaborates with Enabel on the Wezesha Binti Project in Tanzania, where he supports incubation programs, strengthens business coaching capacity, and empowers women and youth entrepreneurs in the green and circular economy. His expertise in performance management, financing access, and sustainable business structuring makes him a vital contributor to the Bootcamp’s entrepreneurship and impact-innovation modules.

Emmanuel Anthony Philemon is an emerging leader and advocate for environmental sustainability, economic freedom, and youth empowerment. As the Founder of TASA, he works at the intersection of leadership, aquaculture, and community-based innovation.

Currently pursuing studies in Aquaculture, Emmanuel’s diverse academic and advocacy background spans governance, law, and environmental policy — earning multiple certificates in African liberty, legal principles, and the rule of law. In 2024, he joined the SADC-Groundwater Management Institute’s Young Professionals Program (YPP), contributing to regional groundwater initiatives.

Certified as a Diving Guide under The Reef-World Foundation’s Green Fins program, Emmanuel combines legal awareness, conservation, and marine practice to inspire the next generation of African ocean champions.

Barak Ekshtein is an impact entrepreneur and environmental innovator dedicated to tackling plastic pollution through community-based solutions. He is the Founder and Director of TONTOTON, a certified plastic-recovery program based in Cambodia that prevents ocean-bound plastic leakage while empowering vulnerable families and waste collectors.

With over two decades of experience leading ventures in retail, e-commerce, and international trade, Barak has built a career focused on creating scalable and measurable environmental impact. Before founding TONTOTON, he led a public-relations firm specializing in environmental communication and later founded a reusable-packaging company supplying multi-use solutions to global retailers.

Internationally recognized for his pioneering work, Barak has been named a Top Innovator by the World Economic Forum, honored as a UNESCO Green Citizen, and featured as a TEDx speaker advocating for community-led environmental action.

Adhitya Raghavan is the founder of Takt, a venture pioneering advanced data retrieval and analysis to address production waste in factories and manufacturing. By transforming fragmented data into actionable insights, Takt helps organizations optimize operations, improve efficiency, and reduce waste — enabling sustainable, profitable production.

Adhitya holds a degree from Princeton University and an MBA from Harvard Business School, where he graduated as a Baker Scholar (top 5%). He is also a Boustany Scholar, Regen Fellow, and Cheng Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, recognizing his leadership and commitment to social impact.

Before founding Takt, he worked at Bain & Company in Boston, advising global clients on strategy and performance improvement. Now based in San Francisco, Adhitya continues to merge data, strategy, and sustainability to drive innovation in manufacturing.

Mercy Ndunguru is the Team Lead and Head of Business Support at MTI Investment AB, bringing more than seven years of experience in the startup and innovation ecosystem. She specializes in business development, investment analysis, program design, and community engagement, helping early-stage ventures grow sustainably.

Before joining MTI Investment, Mercy led Sahara Accelerator, where she coordinated flagship programs such as Pesatech (UNCDF) and ecosystem initiatives like Founders Meetups and the Sahara Sparks Marketplace. A graduate of the Team Academy’s learning-by-doing model, Mercy continues to champion innovation, inclusion, and entrepreneurship across Africa — and her expertise will guide fellows toward building impactful, investment-ready solutions.

Forbi Perise is an inspiring young leader dedicated to protecting the health and sustainability of our oceans across Africa. With a background in Environmental Science and advanced studies in Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea, Forbi is a leading advocate against plastic pollution and deep-sea mining.

As one of the eight Global Plastic Action Partnership Champions under the World Economic Forum, Forbi amplifies the youth perspective on plastic waste reduction. His advocacy and leadership have earned him multiple global recognitions, including the Diana Award, UNEP-Tunza Hidden Eco Hero Award, and International ChangeMaker Award.

He has represented African youth voices at global platforms including the OceanXClimate Summit (COP27), Our Ocean Conference (Greece), and the UN World Ocean Day, inspiring countless young people to act boldly for ocean protection.

Laura Meyer serves as the Stakeholder Coordination Officer for the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development at the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO. She coordinates engagement with over 43 National Decade Committees and 12 Decade Collaborative Centers, fostering collaboration across science, policy, and society.

Holding a Law degree from the University of Hamburg and an LL.M. in Public International Law from Utrecht University, Laura specializes in the Law of the Sea and International Environmental Law. A passionate sailor fluent in five languages, Laura bridges science, diplomacy, and community engagement to advance global ocean sustainability.

Patricia is a Brazilian entrepreneur and the Founder of Acqua Mater, as well as the Global Lead of the Ocean Centres, a joint initiative of the UN Global Compact and Lloyd’s Register Foundation focusing on “putting safety at the heart of sustainability.”

A Steering Committee Member of Ocean Literacy With All (OLWA) under the UN Ocean Decade, Patricia is a mentor and advisor to global youth organizations, including Waterlution and Sustainable Ocean Alliance. She co-directed the documentary We Are Water and co-authored the book A Wave of Women for the Sea, continuing to champion ocean literacy and gender equity worldwide.

Professor Ioannis is a pioneering leader in renewable energy with over 45 years of experience. His career began with a Ph.D. in Solar Energy at Leeds University in 1978, exploring light conversion efficiency and hydrogen production.

Having served as CEO of Greece’s Public Power Corporation Renewables and as Vice-Chair of the European Wind Energy Association, he has led renewable energy policy from national to global levels. Now based in Kenya, he continues to advocate for net-zero transitions and climate resilience, emphasizing the urgency of ambitious action and innovation in clean energy.

Nikos Therapos is the Director of DOTANK Plus, an agency supporting organizations across the sustainability spectrum through strategy design, capacity building, and impact management.

With deep experience in organizational development, stakeholder engagement, and project design, Nikos has collaborated with startups, NGOs, and international organizations globally. His expertise in sustainability strategy and project innovation has made him a trusted advisor in advancing social and climate impact initiatives worldwide.

Mr. Christopher is a seasoned fisheries and aquaculture specialist with over 15 years of experience in coastal resource management and environmental governance. Currently serving at the Prime Minister’s Office under the ARNSA Project (funded by IFAD and NORAD), he provides technical expertise in seaweed farming, fisheries value chains, and climate adaptation.

With a Master’s in Natural Resource Assessment and Management (UDSM), he has led projects with FAO, WWF, JICA, and DFSA, guiding communities in sustainable fisheries and blue economy innovations across Tanzania.

Mr. Bahati is a lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam, specializing in environmental risk and aquatic sciences. Holding a Master’s in Environmental Risk (Roskilde University, Denmark) and a Bachelor’s in Aquatic Environmental Sciences (UDSM), he has over nine years of experience in sediment and water-quality research, microplastics, and marine pollution mitigation.

His work bridges research and community action — from organizing cleanup campaigns in Tanzania and Lake Malawi to pioneering studies on waste reduction and litter reuse. Mr. Bahati’s research and mentorship continue to inspire youth and academia in environmental innovation.