Alexandra Papademetriou is a visual artist, researcher and designer based in Gothenburg, Sweden. Her work explores how artistic practices can provide a testing ground for environmental and social change, cultivating a sense of interdependency with the more‑than‑human. She studied painting in Athens (BFA in Fine Art and New Media, Middlesex University/AKTO College) and completed an MFA in Fine Art at HDK‑Valand, Gothenburg (2020). In 2023 she completed the post‑master course "Of Public Interest" at the Royal Institute of Art in Stockholm.

Ave Tölpt, Music Estonia’s Director, has previously worked as the Managing Director of Jazz Estonia, being responsible for the daily management of the organisation, team building and both local and international representation. She has also worked in the cultural sector as the Head of the Exhibition Department in the National Library of Estonia, successfully leading various national and international cooperation projects for many years. Amongst other roles, she contributed to the field of music as a guest author and radio host at Estonian Public Broadcasting, Klassikaraadio as well in other media during her times as a journalism volunteer at Jazzkaar festival. She is the first Estonian Ambassador for Keychange, a global network and movement working towards gender equality in the music industry, the Member of the Council of Advisers at the Tallinn School of Music and Ballet (MUBA) and the Member of the Music Endowment committee of Cultural Endowment Estonia. Ave has been building her expertise around cultural leadership and international cooperation.

Based between London and Berlin, Aysha Hussain has worked in the cultural sector for over 20 years with a focus on the film and music industries. She holds a master's degree in contemporary literature and now serves as research manager for Keychange (EU), where she develops reporting systems for global pledge signatories in the music sector to track gender‑equity goals, intersectional considerations and pledge impact, and manages projects such as the International Perspectives series and the Keychange Leaders network.

Benji Compston is a London-based music professional whose career spans producing, composing, performing, and business leadership. A founding member of the award-winning band Happyness—recipient of the 2014 NME Award for Best Lyric—Benji has since built a portfolio across film, television, advertising, and brand campaigns. As Head of Business Development at global music and sound agency Syn, founded in Tokyo, he has collaborated on projects for major clients including Apple, Sony, CNN, BBC Film, Nikon, and Tencent. His work also includes co-writing The Story of How with Simon Le Bon for the feature film The Brighton Miracle. Benji’s scoring credits include Alex’s Dream, Extinction (starring Emma Thompson), Spirit of Place (starring Mark Rylance), and Way Down Bundy. He is currently collaborating with music supervisor Linda Cohen on the acclaimed UK political thriller series The Agency: Central Intelligence (Paramount TV).

Carlos A. Ribeiro is executive director of the Landscape Laboratory in Guimarães, an environmental research and education centre leading the city's path toward sustainability and European Green Capital 2026. A biologist with a PhD in biomedical sciences, he lectures at the Higher Institute of Health (ISAVE) and conducts research on governance and sustainability. Formerly a researcher at the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, he has coordinated national and international projects and authored publications linking science, policy and community transformation.

Charlie Miller is a Bristol-based filmmaker and the founder of The Mono Grande, a film production company specialising in live music and documentary. He is a long-time collaborator with In Place of War, where his documentary work has taken him to some of the world’s most marginalised and remote communities.

Coco Francavilla is an Italian composer, sound engineer and ocean advocate who has spent over two decades shaping the intersection of music and culture from her base in Ibiza. Founder of Wider Sounds, one of the island's leading studios and residencies, her cinematic and evocative work can be heard in trailers and scores such as Blade Runner 2049 and the award‑winning film S for Stanley. Through the NGO MusicForTheSea.org and the UNESCO‑endorsed project Posidonia Soundscapes she connects sound and ocean protection and speaks at events like TEDx, IMS, the UN Ocean Conference and the UN General Assembly's Science Summit.

Damir Ivic is a writer and music journalist who has been covering music culture since the late 1990s. A regular contributor to Rolling Stone Italy, Outpump and other media outlets, he runs the web magazine Soundwall focusing on club culture and provides brand consultancy. His work spans electronic music, hip hop and pop, and he has a keen understanding of music‑industry politics and policies.

Daryl Bamonte worked for Depeche Mode in multiple roles between 1980 and 1995, includingtouring keyboardist in 1994. He worked with The Cure from 1995 until 2005, which included Executive Producer on ‘The Cure’ album and the ‘Trilogy’ DVD, and formed Bamonte Artist Managementduring this time. In 2014 he became the Managing Director ofSchubert MusicUKand the head of the Atlantic Curve label. He becameactive as a speaker at international music conferencesand formed his new company, Archangelo Music, in 2022. This includes two labels, Archangelo Recordings and Bamala Newtown, as well as Archangelo Songs, which is sub-published worldwide by BMG. Additionally, Darylisan Ambassador for the Europe in Synchorganisation, a consultant for Schubert Music Europe and a co-founder of Connected Rights, a neighbouring rights managementcompany. He is also the keyboard player in Norwegian post-punk band Permafrostand a member of experimental electronic band Hence

Dr. Joost Vervoort is Associate Professor of Transformative Imagination at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, the Netherlands. Joost’s background is in complex systems, societal transformations and future scenarios – but in the last decade, he has focused on the role of the creative sectors in societal change. How do the possibilities for the future explored by video games, music and other creative practices impact action in the present? Joost is also the singer of black metal band Terzij de Horde which engages actively and in international contexts with the politics of the future.

Fouzia Draoua holds a PhD in psychology from Sorbonne University in Paris and is a licensed psychologist in Italy and France. After a career in clinical practice she integrated organisational consulting, training, coaching and mentoring into her work. Since 2020 she has been part of Universal Music Group Italy's HR team, leading people development.

Frank Kimenai is a researcher and senior consultant at KEA with expertise in cultural and creative industries (CCIs), sustainability and resilience. Trained as an ecologist with 25 years of experience, he is pursuing a PhD at Erasmus University Rotterdam on music‑ecosystem resilience. He advises the European Commission and other cultural organisations on innovation, international strategy and artistic career development and is a regular speaker, moderator and curator at events such as SXSW, ADE, ESNS and Reeperbahn.

Hannes Tschürtz is the founder of Ink Music in Vienna, a company that has been a successful label and publishing house for 20+ years and paved the way for many international artist careers since. On the way, Hannes helped creating different educational and training programmes for music professionals(-to-be) at home and abroad. He holds seats on the board of Austrias IFPI chapter and the Advisory Board of the Austrian Music Fund; also leads Communications for Europe in Synch. He always aims to take a look at the bigger picture of things and writes creative culture-related articles for magazines and papers. Besides, he is the co-owner of a ticketing start-up (NTRY Ticketing) and loves dogs.

Ian built his reputation as Head of Film and TV at Polygram Records, then at Warner/Chappell Music Publishing and Sony Music Records until 2021. He music supervised LOCK, STOCK AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS (resulting in a double platinum soundtrack) and SNATCH, beginning long-term collaborations with Guy Ritchie and Matthew Vaughn that continue today. At Warner Chappell, he helped create unprecedented licensing for Moby's "Play" album, which became the biggest-selling electronica album ever (12+ million copies). At Sony, he secured major John Lewis campaigns for Paloma Faith and Tom Odell, plus global synchs for artists including Mark Ronson, Rag N Bone Man, The Clash, Eurythmics, and Bruce Springsteen. As a freelance Music Supervisor since 2005, his film credits include CONTROL, ROCKNROLLA, NOWHERE BOY, KICK ASS 1 & 2, 127 HOURS, KINGSMAN 1 & 2, and ROCKETMAN. Recent projects include TETRIS, BOB MARLEY: ONE LOVE, MEG 2, and TV series PISTOL, THE GENTLEMAN, and 1899. He's collaborated with Massive Attack, Aespa, John Batiste, and Little Simz on original music. Ian served as executive producer on SEX & DRUGS AND ROCK & ROLL and produced acclaimed documentaries WHO KILLED THE KLF? (2022) and JAMES BLUNT: ONE BRIT WONDER (2023), with a third music documentary due in 2026.

Irene Tiberi has worked at Fondazione Musica per Roma since 2008, initially in production and later in promotion and marketing. From 2019 to 2021 she coordinated the Italian chapter of shesaid.so. In July 2021 she co‑founded Equaly, the first organization promoting gender equality in the Italian music sector. She has written for webzines on dance and music and has reported on social injustices while collaborating with ANSA in Cairo. Raised between the USA, Switzerland and Italy, she holds an MA in Theatre, Music and Dance and a master's degree in Gender Equality and Diversity Management from the Giacomo Brodolini Foundation.

Manca is an associate of the Slovenian Music Information Centre SIGIC, which is dedicated to the promotion of Slovenian music at the national and international level (Music Slovenia). Before joining SIGIC, she worked in Prague where she tried her hand at selling music in the film and advertising industries. Before that, she co-curated the programme of the Cankarjada music and theatre festival at Zakon club in Vrhnika and the festival Poletje v bazenu. She is currently working on the project »Digital train for slovenian music« and is a collaborator of the European project Europe in Sync.

Mandy Salem-Aubry is an independent music business professional with thirty years of international experience. Through her company, MSA Music Services, she helps rightsholders build effective publishing structures and advises music-tech startups on strategy, positioning, and investor relations. Her clients have included Slipknot, Jason Mraz, One Direction, Tori Amos, Soulfly, Nickelback, Moloko, and Downtown Music Publishing. Before founding MSA, she held senior roles at Roadrunner Records, Fintage House, and Songtrust. Mandy is Conference Programme Coordinator for Athens Music Week and a regular moderator at international conferences, known for clear, engaging sessions that connect music, technology, and business. She mentors with Keychange, Culttech Academy, Music Tech Europe Academy, and Help Musicians, and is a Mental Health First Aider, Associate Member of IMPF (Independent Music Publishers Forum), and former Executive Board Member of AFEM (Association for Electronic Music).

Markus Linde is a founding member of the Europe in Synch initiative and the head of their Academy, in which professionals from the music side and audio-visual disciplines are brought together, bridging knowledge-gaps, building trust and creating an improved synch-landscape. With a professional history in the record business, publishing and artist management, he has been running his thag’s agent imprint for over 20 years garnering a track record for music placements in national and international advertising campaigns. Markus Linde is an expert in music rights research and clearances, he contributes to films and TV productions and supervises major TV shows. Markus also is a speaker on international conferences and consulting contributor to workshops and seminars.

Massimo Guarini is an award-winning Game Creator, Director and Author. With over 25 years in the industry, he has collaborated with visionary talents like J.J. Abrams, Steven Wilson, Goichi Suda, Shinji Mikami, and Akira Yamaoka. Massimo has directed, created, and designed titles for Techland, Ubisoft, Electronic Arts, Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe, and 505 Games. His work earned a BAFTA nomination and won the Italian Video Game Awards’ Game Beyond Entertainment honor, alongside an Individual Recognition Award for his impact on the industry.

Niilas is an artist working with club music, sound art and performance. As an artist, he makes complete and unique conceptual albums, as well as distinct and strong live performances with live visuals. Blending arctic aesthetics and his indigenous sami heritage, Niilas brings something truly special to the electronic scene.

Nikolina has held various leadership positions in tech spaces for over 20 years. Prior to entering the world of IT and games, she had a successful career in marketing and diplomatic service. For the last 10 years, Nikolina has been working exclusively within the gaming industry, following her childhood dream of creating games that are accessible for all. She has worked in senior roles with some of the most beloved gaming franchises like Angry Birds, The Walking Dead and most recently, Heads Up. Until this date, she worked on over 20 games, mostly on mobile platforms. For the last six year, Nikolina has been a serial entrepreneur, running gaming studios and gaming consultancies. She is a passionate champion for diversity, equity and inclusion in tech and all digital spaces and has been publicly speaking on this topic at more than 15 gaming conferences. Nikolina is proactively working towards bringing more diverse groups of people in the gaming industry by working as a guest lecturer at several Finnish universities and running successful online courses. Today, when she’s not working with her gaming studio start-up Rainbow Unicorns and her consultancy Rebel Studio, she is busy writing her first book about the gaming industry and mentoring diverse founders through European Innovation Council schema. Superpower: Nikolina is a dog (and cats!) whisperer! Beware that any question about animals might end up in a 30 minutes monologue and at least one shared photo album.

With 30 years as a music professional, Nis has worked in all aspects of the music industry. From Multi-Platinum selling Songwriter, Recording and touring Artist (Parlophone) and Record Producer to Head of A&R at EMI Music, Member of EMI’s A&R committee, Executive Producer (DR/Danish National Broadcast) Creative Director & Head of Film and TV at Music Sales Group to Music Supervisor. Nis has synchronized music to more than 150 commercials, TV series and feature filmsand shared his experience and knowledge about the music industry as both a speaker, moderator and education advisor at A&R Worldwide/Musexpo L.A., Midem Cannes, Sync summit Paris, Spot Festival Denmark; Les Arcs European Film Festival, Sync summit Helsinki, MaMA Conference Paris, London Sync Session, Westway lab Portugal, as Artist Mentor at Music Estonia VOLÜÜM mentoring program, Berklee Global Career Summit in Valencia.

With over 20 years music industry experience in Canada, UK, and Portugal, Nuno Saraiva is the founder of SCL Agency and its group of companies. Saraiva is the Executive Director of the WHY Portugal export office and music exchange platform, founded in 2016. Saraiva is also co-founder of Portugal’s first PRO conference and showcase Festival Westway LAB, which started in 2014, and is also the founding President of the AMAEI, the Portuguese Independent Trade Association, founded in 2012. He is a Board Member of IMPALA, the European Music Companies Association in Brussels; and also Board Member of EMEE – European Music Exporters Exchange, in representation of WHY Portugal.

"Engaged in unlearning thought. He never memorized the names of his classmates, yet he still remembers the sound of their voices. In his pockets, he keeps horse-chestnut leaves and ladybugs still alive. He believes in unfailing embraces and in the infinite potential of the human soul.” JOYCUT is his most privileged outpost beyond elsewhere - a unit of musical exploration that has carried him into the experience of the entire world. Creativity dwells among the crumpled petals of wonder. There is no other place where it can be seen: nature is the violated stage of our disillusionment. It must be defended, told, and tenderly preserved.

Paula Simó Tomás holds a PhD in International Economics and Tourism from the University of Valencia. Her research explores the intersection of cultural and creative industries with tourism, focusing particularly on music as a driver of territorial development and urban branding. She has authored articles and book chapters on music cities, cultural tourism, and regional economic dynamics, and actively collaborates with international networks such as the Music Cities Network, where she serves as Co-Chair of the Board. Her work contributes to understanding how culture and tourism shape local economies and foster innovative development strategies.

Active as an entrepreneur since 1989, Pietro specializes in digital innovation, music rights management, and music licensing. He has founded more than 15 companies in the fields of music publishing, immersive sound design, digital media, and cross-media production, including Machiavelli Music, MusicInSync, Onetrackaday, Renaissance Sound Technologies, CAM, and the Music Rights Investment Fund. He has collaborated with international brands such as Armani, Fendi, Gucci, Fox, Disney, Sky, Juventus, Ferrero, Ermenegildo Zegna, (...) providing B2B music solutions and tailored licensing strategies for advertising, film, series, and branded content. He is the founder and president of AMP (the Italian Association of Music Providers), a board member of FEM, and one of the founders of IPMG. He regularly speaks at professional and academic events (University of Turin, WIPO, Midem, PMA), addressing the relationship between music, copyright, and emerging technological scenarios. Areas of expertise: Music licensing & sync strategy, Artificial Intelligence and music law, Music publishing, Creative collaboration with agencies, directors, brands…

With over a decade in music supervision and sync licensing, I’ve had the opportunity to work with leading brands, feature films, and TV productions, curating music that enhances storytelling. As the Brand & Innovation Partner at Karanyi Sounds, I focus on empowering music creators with innovative tools that simplify workflows and enhance creativity. Having supported over 60,000 customers, Karanyi Sounds plays a key role in the evolving music creator economy, helping both hobbyists and professionals unlock their potential. As the founder of Eastaste, I also provide customized music solutions, utilizing advanced tools like price prediction software and rights holder integration to streamline the licensing process efficiently. In addition, I’m a partner at Europe in Synch, connecting the audiovisual and music industries across Europe. I also co-lead Act in Synch, an initiative merging music, technology, and sustainability to drive innovation in sync licensing while championing sustainable practices in the industry. I’m regularly invited as a speaker and moderator at global music, film, and gaming conferences, sharing insights on the intersection of music, tech, and innovation. I’m always open to connecting with like-minded professionals who are passionate about music, technology, and innovation.

CEO, Founding Team and Board Member of WaterBear: a B Corp-certified impact media network using storytelling to drive systems change. WaterBear Network Holding comprises: WaterBear Studios, "Campfire" (WaterBear Learning), WaterBear Mobile App / Web + Channels (FAST, Social) & the Resilient Foundation.

Sampda Sharma, known artistically as Samsaya, is an Indian‑born Norwegian artist, singer‑songwriter, composer, actress and certified diversity leader. With more than 20 years of experience in the music industry, she runs her own record label 3 millimeter and has performed hundreds of concerts in Norway and toured in the US and Asia. Her songs have appeared in the documentary "Light Fly, Fly High" and in the Oscar‑nominated film "The Wrestler". Since 2017 she has worked for equality for creatives as vice chair of NOPA, board member of Tono and a member of the Norwegian Arts Council's fund.

Saria Tourbah is the Project Manager at EarthSonic, a global initiative by In Place of War. With over 10 years of experience across the arts, culture, and nonprofit sectors, she has worked with a wide range of artists and organisations to develop and manage events, partnerships, and international initiatives. She is passionate about centering creative approaches to the documentation of conflict and ecological and social injustices.

Seppl Kretz started out playing organ and synths in indie and psychedelic bands before moving into music supervision for media. As Creative Music Director, he’s worked with global brands like Heineken, Diesel, and Maserati, winning top industry honors including Cannes Lions, D&AD, and Eurobest. In 2022, he co-founded the sync agency: Magma, which has quickly grown into an award-winning team of 10, known for its creative approach to sync and music production.

Sophie Lamprou is the co‑founder of Impact Hub Athens (Impact Hub Greece), where she works to build a strong ecosystem for innovation, participation and regeneration across Greece's urban and rural areas. Previously involved with Impact Hub Madrid and inspired by community‑building and design thinking, she founded El Sistema Greece in 2016, a community music project offering free music education. She now focuses on designing programs and spaces that empower local ecosystems and support bioregional transitions toward regenerative and resilient models.

Uria Fiano is a strategy advisor specialized in impact investing and social innovation, with a focus on startups and scaleups operating at the intersection of technology, wellbeing, and social transformation. Throughout his career, he has developed a particular sensitivity for projects that use music and emotions as drivers of change and technological innovation.

Zahra Mani is a composer, musician and curator from the UK and Pakistan, resident in Austria. She represents Austrian composers at the European Composer and Songwriter Alliance (ECSA), where she serves as vice‑president and vice‑chair of the European Composers Forum. She is also involved with Austria's UNESCO working group and advisory board for diversity of cultural expressions, advocating for sustainable futures for art and culture, diversity and inclusion and fairness processes.