Alexandre Alves has more than 20 years of professional experience as a specialist in Private Social Investment, Institutional Relations and Partnerships, and Collective Action Platforms. He currently serves as Senior Manager, Institutional Relations LATAM at Earthworm Foundation, a Switzerland-based foundation focused on sustainability in the sourcing of commodities such as cocoa, soy, and palm oil for European and North American multinational companies. He has worked with the private sector, universities, international organizations, and civil society organizations to develop and structure Grupo Mais Unidos and the Plataforma de Parceiros pela Amazônia, two organizations that catalyze impact investment opportunities in Amazon-based businesses. He was a professor at Lewis University (USA) and served as Dean of its business school, where he was responsible for implementing the university’s internationalization strategy. He also served with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) at the U.S. Embassy in Brasília, working on private-sector engagement and partnerships and contributing to strengthening U.S.-Brazil relations. He served as the Development Finance Corporation (DFC)’s focal point and support in Brazil, working directly on the closing of contracts and agreements totaling approximately $200 million with Brazilian private banks and investment funds. Alexandre holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Political Science from Bethany College (USA) and a master’s degree in International Business from Lewis University.

Luana Maia is a leader at the international organization NatureFinance, where she co-leads its operations in Brazil as an international interface. With over 15 years of professional experience integrating sustainability and governance themes into high-impact project management, Luana previously served as Strategic Planning Director at the Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development (CEBDS), where she guided companies in advancing food systems, biodiversity, and Amazon agendas. She was the first Executive Manager of the Brazilian Coalition on Climate, Forests and Agriculture, one of the largest multi-sector forums in Brazil, which brings together representatives from academia, business, finance, and civil society to promote a low-carbon economy. Luana has also worked with major national and international NGOs and think tanks. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from PUC-SP, a Master’s degree in Sustainability from USP, and currently serves as a board member at the Institute for Democracy and Sustainability (IDS).

Eduard Karaqi has a business background from the University of St. Gallen and two years of VC experience at an impact-focused deep-tech fund. He is leading business development at BCHAR, driving commercial partnerships, go-to-market strategy, and fundraising.

Benjamin Bollmann is CEO of Swissnex in Brazil since January 2025. He was previously CEO of Swissnex in Boston and New York, and Consul of Switzerland in Boston. He is the Chair of Swissnex’s CEO Committee, which coordinates strategic priorities across the global Swissnex network. Under his leadership, Swissnex has launched several long-term initiatives such as Project Quantum, Climate Collider, and more recently Planetary Embassy. Until 2020, Benjamin was Deputy CEO at Swissnex in San Francisco, where he led interdisciplinary programs ranging from science communication to humanitarian technologies and human rights in the digital age. Before joining Swissnex in 2015, he worked as a journalist and communications consultant at the interface of science and design in Switzerland. He is a graduate of ETH Zurich and has conducted research in neuroscience and artificial intelligence at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

As Program Manager for Nature and Bioeconomy at Swissnex in Brazil, Vinicius Laguardia works at the intersection of Brazil’s and Switzerland’s nature and bioeconomy ecosystems, developing initiatives that strengthen bilateral cooperation. He helps expand strategic partnerships between the two countries, bringing together science, innovation, industry, and academia in projects that generate concrete impact for biodiversity and the transition to a green economy. Before joining Swissnex, Vinicius built a track record in sustainability within the corporate sector, coordinating agendas related to biodiversity and climate strategy at large industrial organizations. His path combines his background as an engineer with his strategic work in sustainability, giving him a practical, multidisciplinary perspective on the challenges of the ecological transition.