Rethinking our futures

Pep is a high-level event host, keynote speaker, communication trainer, stand-up comedian and collaborative partner. Pep hosts high-profile events like The Nordic Business Forum where he made Barack Obama laugh and receives higher audience ratings than most speakers. His interviews with thought leaders like Simon Sinek, Brené Brown and Malcolm Gladwell get rave reviews. As co-founder and director of content for Boom Chicago for Business, Pep puts Boom's philosophy, “Humor Makes Business Better,” into effect hosting business events, where he uses comedy to make hard-to-communicate messages land and stick. His interactive keynotes, including, “Up Your Leadership Game with Humor” is in high demand. Pep was nominated for an Emmy for his writing on America’s long-running television show, Saturday Night Live.

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Hannah tells stories where communities meet technology and the climate crisis. She is founder and managing director at Sustainable Change Studio, a climate action consultancy. They use storytelling to empower and educate charities and startups to mobilise against the climate crisis. She holds a master’s in international development focusing on environment and climate change. When not working she likes to travel as much and as sustainably possible, normally with a book in hand.

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Born in 1962, Peter Schmidt's first occupation was cheesemaker. Later, he was a regional officer of the NGG food and catering trade union for 27 years, in charge of dairy industries and bakeries. Since 2014 he has been a member of the EESC's Group II (workers). From 2015 to 2018, he was the president of the EESC's permanent study group on sustainable food systems. From 2018 to 2020, he was the president of the EESC's sustainable development observatory. He is one of the founding members of the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform and continues to support the platform in his current capacity at the EESC, responsible for agriculture, rural development and environment.

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Mikko Dufva leads the foresight team at Sitra and is also a docent of futures studies at Aalto University. In his work he studies trends, weak signals, visions and assumptions about different potential futures. He seeks to make foresight and futures approachable and inspiring. Mikko has extensive experience in foresight and a doctorate in science (technology) on the creation of futures knowledge and systemic foresight.

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Jutta Urpilainen oversees the European Commission’s work on international cooperation and sustainable development. Before joining the Commission, she served as a member of the Finnish Parliament from 2003 to 2019. In 2008, she became the first woman leader of the Social Democratic Party of Finland. From 2011 to 2014, she served as Finland’s deputy prime minister and finance minister. During that time, she became closely involved in development issues, joining the Development Committee of the World Bank Group and IMF and chairing the Finnish National Commission on Sustainable Development. She served as the foreign minister’s special representative on mediation (2017-2019) and chaired the Finnish National Commission for UNESCO (2015-2018). Urpilainen was born in 1975. She is married and has two children.

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Atte has over 25 years’ experience of leading change and innovation in media, education and policy. Prior to Sitra, he was the director general of higher education and research policy at the Ministry of Education and Culture, Finland (2020-2023). Atte worked for 20 years as senior editor and CEO of three major Finnish news organisations. He initially completed a law degree at the University of Helsinki and trained on the bench. In 2023, he completed his dissertation and is now a Doctor of Science in economics and business administration.

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Aloysio Nunes Ferreira Filho was born in São José do Rio Preto on 5 April 1945. He is a lawyer and was a prosecutor for the State of São Paulo. He has served several legislative terms at the state level and in the national congress. He was vice-governor of São Paulo, secretary of state of São Paulo and of the city hall of the capital. He was secretary general of the presidency of the republic, minister of justice and minister of foreign affairs. He currently heads the strategic affairs division of the office of ApexBrazil in Brussels, Belgium.

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Nelson Pereira dos Reis leads the sustainable development department of FIESP and the Center of Industries of the State of São Paulo (CIESP). He is also the president of the Union of Chemical Products for Industrial Purposes and Petrochemicals of the State of São Paulo. In his journey as an executive working to conciliate the competitiveness of the industry with the improvement of environmental quality and social well-being, he presided over Copebrás and Anglo American's operations in Brazil and was executive president of the Brazilian Chemical Industry Association.

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Pep is a high-level event host, keynote speaker, communication trainer, stand-up comedian and collaborative partner. Pep hosts high-profile events like The Nordic Business Forum where he made Barack Obama laugh and receives higher audience ratings than most speakers. His interviews with thought leaders like Simon Sinek, Brené Brown and Malcolm Gladwell get rave reviews. As co-founder and director of content for Boom Chicago for Business, Pep puts Boom's philosophy, “Humor Makes Business Better,” into effect hosting business events, where he uses comedy to make hard-to-communicate messages land and stick. His interactive keynotes, including, “Up Your Leadership Game with Humor” is in high demand. Pep was nominated for an Emmy for his writing on America’s long-running television show, Saturday Night Live.

Read full bio