Deepa Gautam-Nigge, who started her career 25 years ago in a StartUp that was a University SpinOff, and is now Vice President Corporate Development & Investments at SAP and an experienced Advisory/Supervisory Board Professional for listed or family-owned companies and StartUps, as well as serving as chairperson of the board of RWTH Aachen University Foundation. Since October 2025, she has been a Member of the Expert Commission for “Competition and Artificial Intelligence” at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. Within SAP, she founded and is heading the SAP Venture Partnering Program to instantly engage StartUps and ScaleUps as a joint innovation platform.

She was recognized by FOCUS Magazine as one of the 100 Women of the Year in 2022. The economics section of the business magazine Business Insider named her one of the Top 25 Future Makers who are changing and shaping the German economy.

Deepa holds an MBA, focusing on Technology and Innovation Management from RWTH Aachen, and started her career 25 years ago in a VC-backed startup, which was a university spinoff that established one of the very first B2B platform business models in the German market.

The Nepalese Rhinelander lives with her family in Munich.

Research Scientist and University Lecturer specializing in neurobiology, clinical research, and global health. Author and independent opinion-maker committed to advancing science, public health, and informed perspectives.

Sanjeev Thapa is a 3× technical founder and CTO with 15 years of experience building technology that scales - products, teams, and companies. As founder of Cloudyfox, Inctic Labs, and Aximpro Labs GmbH, he has built and scaled multiple ventures across Germany, Europe, and the US.

Today, as CTO at QUCOXX, he is building an agentic, 24/7 pocket consultant for SMEs - an AI-powered platform that helps small and mid-sized businesses unlock growth and performance on demand. His career spans fintech, Web3, enterprise SaaS, and consulting, including a leadership role at NYALA, a regulated platform managing €100M+ in digital assets.

Beyond his own ventures, Sanjeev is actively engaged in the startup ecosystem across the UK and Germany, working with founders from pre-seed to Series A on technology strategy, scaling engineering teams, and fundraising readiness. Originally from Nepal and now based in the Greater Munich area, he is passionate about helping fellow Nepalese founders and professionals thrive in Germany.

Pawan (Dipl.-Ing. / MBA) Dhakal is the Co-owner and Managing Director of Troyer Hydro Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of Troyer AG, Italy. As a leader in the organization, he oversees operations and strategic growth in the small hydropower sector.

Troyer AG is part of the HTI Group, a well-established electromechanical manufacturing group with a legacy dating back to 1934. The company has achieved significant success in the small hydro segment, capturing over 70% market share in Switzerland in recent years.

With a strong technical and business background, Pawan brings a blend of engineering expertise and management insight to advancing sustainable energy solutions.

Pranita Karki is a Career Coach, Mentor, and Financial Advisor based in Frankfurt, Germany. She works with Deutsche Vermögensberatung, where she supports individuals in building sustainable careers and achieving long-term financial security.

Dr. Nab Raj Roshyara is a Java Domain Architect at DG Nexolution and an accomplished technology leader whose expertise spans enterprise software engineering, data science, and applied mathematics. Holding a PhD (Dr. rer. nat., magna cum laude) in Biostatistics from Leipzig University and an M.Sc. in Applied Mathematics from TU Chemnitz, he brings a rare combination of academic rigor and practical engineering excellence.

Over the course of his career, Dr. Roshyara has led initiatives in enterprise Java architecture, DevOps automation, cloud-native platforms, big data ecosystems, and full-stack system design. His ability to translate complex analytical concepts into scalable, business-critical technology solutions has made him a trusted architect and innovator across diverse domains.

In addition to his technology leadership, Dr. Roshyara is an entrepreneur and co-founder of Namaste Nepal in Wiesbaden, reflecting his passion for connecting people, cultures, and ideas.

Dinesh Pandey is a Chemical Engineer and engineering leader at Wacker Chemie AG, one of the world's leading chemical companies. He specializes in the planning, management, and execution of large-scale capital investment projects across international operations, bringing extensive experience in engineering excellence, project leadership, and cross-functional collaboration.

Throughout his career, Dinesh has worked at the intersection of technology, business, and people, leading complex projects in diverse global environments. His experience navigating different leadership cultures and building high-performing teams provides a unique perspective on effective leadership in an increasingly interconnected world.

Nabin Raj Gaihre is a technology entrepreneur and business leader working at the intersection of climate intelligence, sustainability, and digital innovation. As Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of VIDA, he leads the company’s commercial strategy and operations, helping investors, financial institutions, corporations, and governments assess climate, environmental, biodiversity, and social risks through advanced geospatial analytics and data-driven decision-making.

With a multidisciplinary background spanning software, infrastructure, deep technology, and business development, Nabin has built and scaled technology solutions that address complex global challenges. Prior to founding VIDA, he led commercial activities and product development at TFE Energy, where the foundations of VIDA’s platform were established. He also held innovation and leadership roles at NavVis, a Munich-based deep-tech company specializing in digital twins and spatial intelligence, and at Soliton Technologies, where he worked on advanced automation, semiconductor technologies, and industrial innovation.

Over the course of his career, Nabin has combined technical expertise with entrepreneurial execution, leading international teams, developing innovative products, and driving growth across diverse industries. His current work focuses on leveraging technology and data to support sustainable investment, resilient infrastructure development, and informed decision-making in both developed and emerging markets.

A frequent contributor to discussions on climate risk, sustainability, infrastructure, and technology, Nabin is passionate about using innovation to create measurable environmental and social impact.

Riwaj Sapkota is Head of Product at Bosch Digital, where he drives corporate innovation and large-scale digital transformation. He specializes in the Lean Startup method, open innovation models, and building cross-functional entrepreneurial teams, with hands-on experience navigating both Silicon Valley and European tech ecosystems.

With a background in engineering and business, Riwaj has built and scaled products across industries, including automotive, IoT, and enterprise software. He is passionate about empowering teams to innovate with purpose and impact, and his work at Bosch Digital reflects a commitment to driving meaningful change through technology. Previously at Giesecke+Devrient, he was selected for the Global Top Talent Program, recognizing him as a high-potential leader across the organization. He holds an EMBA from TU Munich and UCLA, and an M.Sc. in Communications, Systems, and Electronics Engineering from Jacobs University Bremen on a full merit scholarship, backed by a Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering from Kathmandu Engineering College. Early in his career, he was part of the university team that took 1st Prize at Nepal's National Robotics Championship.

Abhishek Manandhar is a robotics entrepreneur and technology innovator working at the intersection of space technology, computer vision, artificial intelligence, and autonomous systems.

His career began in Earth observation and remote sensing, where he developed advanced methods for analyzing satellite imagery and extracting actionable insights from data collected in orbit. Building on this foundation, he now focuses on bringing intelligence from space to the physical world by developing robotic systems that combine perception, learning, and control to perform complex tasks in industrial environments.

As Co-Founder of a stealth robotics startup, Abhishek is pioneering the next generation of autonomous machines designed to enhance productivity, adaptability, and precision in real-world operations. His work spans the full spectrum of intelligent systems, from machine vision and AI-driven decision-making to robotic manipulation and automation.

Driven by a passion for transforming cutting-edge research into practical applications, Abhishek explores how advances in robotics and AI can reshape the future of work and industry.