Erik Rylander has more than 20 years of experience in the energy industry, now specializing in circular economy-driven business innovation. As Commercial Director of Stockholm Exergi’s Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) program, he has been the driving force behind one of Europe’s most ambitious BECCS (Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage) projects. Slated to begin operations in 2028, the facility will permanently remove 800,000 tons of biogenic CO₂ from the atmosphere each year—marking a major step forward in scalable, real-world climate solutions.

Philippe Roesle is the CEO of Swissnex in Boston and New York, and Consul of Switzerland in Boston since August 2025. He previously served as CEO of Swissnex in China and as Head of the Science, Technology and Education Office at the Swiss Embassy in Beijing. Philippe joined the Swissnex network in in London supporting startup internationalization, and has served in several roles since, including as Head of Swissnex at Expo 2017 Astana, and Acting Head of Bilateral Relations at the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation SERI. Philippe holds a Bachelors from University of Basel and a Masters and PhD from King’s College London.

Katharine Hayhoe is an atmospheric scientist whose research focuses on understanding what climate change means for people and the places where we live. She is the Chief Scientist for The Nature Conservancy and a Horn Distinguished Professor and Endowed Professor of Public Policy and Public Law in the Dept. of Political Science at Texas Tech University. She is the author of the book “Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World,” has given a TED talk with over 4 million views, and hosted the PBS digital series Global Weirding. Katharine has been named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People, Foreign Policy’s 100 Leading Thinkers, and the United Nations Champion of the Environment.