San Francisco
Photo by Cole Keister

Swissnex Alumni Night 2025 – Mycelial Futures

Swissnex in San Francisco invites the Swiss Alumni Community in the Bay Area for an Alumni Night at Pier 17.

Join us

Explore the interconnectedness between Swiss and US innovation ecosystems.

How do ideas, technologies, and innovations spread across borders? Inspired by the mycelium network – nature’s hidden web of connection, adaptation, and transformation – this year’s Swissnex Alumni Night explores the deep interconnections between Swiss and US innovation ecosystems.

Through cross-disciplinary talks and discussions, we’ll uncover how innovation breakthroughs emerge, scale, and take root in different environments – just like mycelial networks foster growth by linking diverse organisms. Experts from science, entrepreneurship, and research will share insights on decentralized intelligence, adaptive growth strategies, and the unseen forces driving innovation across continents.

Join us for an evening of exploration, exchange, and inspiration – where ideas connect, just like the mycelial networks that sustain life itself.

*due to limited space, this is a closed event. You can request an invite via Luma.

Program

  • 6:00pm – Doors Open
  • 6:30pm – Opening Words and Alumni Chapters Presentations
  • 7:00pm – Panel Discussion and Audience Q&A
  • 7:45pm – Networking Reception
  • 8:30pm – Event Ends
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Event start time

  • San Francisco

    6:00PM

Speakers

  •

    ETH Zurich Alumni

    Yvonne Bösch

    Postdoctoral Researcher at Stanford University, Department of Biology

    Yvonne Bösch is an environmental microbiologist exploring the fascinating world of fungi and their role in ecosystem health and evolution. Her research spans both aquatic and terrestrial environments, seeking to understand the ecological connections that drive ecosystem function. After studying cell biology at ETH Zurich, she earned her PhD in biology at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in 2022, focusing on fungal denitrification. Yvonne’s work combines molecular and computational biology to examine microbial communities and their complex interaction with other organisms. As a researcher at Stanford, she focuses on the impact of drought and pathogens on the tree – ectomycorrhizal fungi interactions within forest ecosystems. This research aims to answer the question of how these complex interactions contribute to plant health and resilience in the face of environmental change.

  •

    EHL Alumni

    Laure Abourachid

    Assistant Director of Restaurant Operations at Hog Island Oyster Co

    Laure Abourachid is a Swiss-American graduate of École Hôtelière de Lausanne. Since the age of 15, she has dedicated her career to hospitality. After graduating, she moved to the United States and went on to work for some of America’s most renowned chefs and entrepreneurs, such as Joel Robuchon, Dominique Crenn, Danny Meyer, Eric Ziebold, and Ryan Ratino. Over 10 years of restaurant management, she has accumulated a wealth of experience building teams, managing small businesses, and fostering community.

    She eventually settled in the North Bay and focused her hospitality skills on an environment that would allow her to touch more souls. In 2023, she started working at Hog Island Oyster Company as the Assistant Director of Restaurant Operations. Hog Island’s long history of raising the best quality, sustainable shellfish and its tremendous impact in safekeeping the health of coastal ecosystems has taught Laure a lot about how keystone species are the key to our planet’s and communities’ health. Laure believes that much in the oyster’s ecosystem can relate to human society.

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    EPFL alumi

    Greg Thouvenin

    Director of Strategy and Business Development, BBOT (BridgeBio Oncology Therapeutics)

    Greg Thouvenin is a biotech operator and EPFL alum (BSc Life Sciences Engineering) based in San Francisco. After earning his PhD at UC San Diego engineering bacteria and microfluidics for environmental sensing, Greg bridged academia, management consulting, and biotech startups to bring new technologies to market. At Loyal, a startup developing drugs to extend dogs’ healthy lifespans, he supported operations and strategy through a $50M+ Series B. Currently, as Director of Strategy and Business Development at BBOT, he drives strategic initiatives to develop precision cancer therapies. When not deep in biotech, you’ll find Greg cycling, climbing mountains, or hunting for great cheese.

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