DIRECTOR ON COMMUNICATION AND EVENTS

Paul is the co-founder and president of Booster Labs, a DeepTech startup accelerator. After obtaining his PhD in the field of micro and nanotechnologies, Paul worked for 5 years as the technical manager of a team in a consulting firm that helps companies secure public funding for innovation and R&D. Paul then joined Opticsvalley – the photonics and DeepTech cluster of the Île-de-France region – in March 2015, where he became the head of the Business & Innovation team in 2017. His main responsibilities involved supporting DeepTech companies in the Île-de-France region throughout their development cycle, finding solutions to technical problems, fostering collaborations, technology transfer, and the emergence of innovative projects supported by public funds. Today, in addition to providing individual assistance to DeepTech startups, Paul is tasked with designing and implementing EU-funded projects to support European startup and innovation ecosystems and testing new approaches to contribute to the emergence and development of breakthrough solutions.

Consultant in sales and marketing strategy and development in Sub-Saharan Africa.I have nearly 15 years of experience in sales and marketing development for major accounts, mainly in France and the last 5 years internationally in Francophone Africa. As an open-source expert, I have helped many clients adopt free and agile solutions.

I have worked for prestigious consulting companies before spending 6 years at the open-source editor SUSE; I continue today to advocate the use of innovative solutions in Africa and to ensure the smooth digital transformation of my African customers. My career is also marked by the desire to transmit and accompany future generations of entrepreneurs of the French Tech, I was a teacher for Epitech for 3 years as part of the "Epitech Innovative Project", where I saw many startups hatch as a result of end-of-study projects that I accompanied on marketing and communication aspects

Kelly, a remarkably curious and driven individual, has been deeply engaged in the entrepreneurship field through volunteering at events like Viva Technology, Sigma Squared Summit, and START Summit, as well as being an active member of the Start in Saclay student association.

 Over time, her desire to understand the intricacies of project creation led her to participate in Techstars' Startup Weekend events in Annecy, Paris, and Angers, where she won two team prizes.

 Kelly's involvement with Creative Valley began after meeting Yann at the GEF 2023 event. Since then, she has been managing the relationship with HKTDC, fostering collaboration between France and Hong Kong. Her passion for the web3 ecosystem also led her to organize a panel discussion with La Place Fintech, further demonstrating her commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship.

ENTREPRENEUR IN RESIDENCE

I am passionate about creating connections and the idea of building bridges between different ecosystems, cultures, and talents. What drives me is bringing often unexpected value and transforming ideas into concrete projects. I enjoy facilitating meetings, creating opportunities, and helping individuals and communities reach their full potential.

Maxime Souveton is a creative director and brand strategy specialist operating at the intersection of tech, influence marketing, and innovation.

With a focus on creative industries and brands with a strong sensory dimension, he works with leading audio sector players to develop targeted, engaging activations that align seamlessly with their identity.

Blending artistic direction, influence, and strategy, he crafts powerful brand narratives designed to capture attention, engage communities, and resonate within the evolving landscape of modern communication.

Tunde Kallai is a researcher, project evaluator, and senior expert in the field of smart/intelligent cities, villages, and industries, connecting to open innovation ecosystems. She holds a Master's Diploma in Social Sciences as a high school teacher and cultural manager from the University of Lorand Eötvös, Budapest. She received a certificate from the University of Wolverhampton (UK) in 2015 as a European Advisor of Startups. She became an entrepreneur and company owner in 1992 in Hungary, then in Brussels (1999-2008), and from 2008 until 2020 (COVID) in Malta & Switzerland as well. Moreover, she has been an external project evaluator of the European Commission since 2003 (in FP6, FP7, H2020, and Horizon Europe, ENI CBC Med, PRIMA, etc.).

She has developed and deployed 20 living labs of different profiles, all certified by ENoLL since 2006 on 3 continents. Her current research & innovation activities and publications focus on the design and development of applications and services in ICT-enabled multi-topics, from the creative industry and cultural heritage to circular economy, etc., in several other sectors as well. 

She has been working intensively with Africa and Turkey as a mentor of academicians, early-stage researchers, and tech-intensive SMEs since 2004. Additionally, she is a project writer and project partner in ongoing EU-funded projects. She has participated in more than 80 research and innovation projects funded mainly by the EC and UKAid. Her publications are accessible on ResearchGate and Academia.edu. 

She works in French and English. Tunde joined Creative Cluster in Novembre 2023.

Giannis is a seasoned innovation and strategy professional with a strong background in venture development, impact investing, and EU project facilitation. As a founder and co-founder of multiple startups, he brings deep expertise in identifying early-stage opportunities and building scalable, cross-sectoral venture strategies.

He holds degrees in Business, Economics, and Communication (BA, BSc, MSc, MBA) and is currently pursuing a PhD, blending academic insight with hands-on industry experience. Giannis completed executive education in Venture Capital Finance at Imperial College Business School and later founded SSPVC, a venture studio methodology focused on purpose-driven innovation.

Previously a Creative Director and Digital Business Consultant, Giannis has worked with over 550 brands and institutions across Europe, the UK, and the US. He is also an experienced lecturer in business and social studies, and an UNESCO-awarded writer, with one of his novels nominated for TV adaptation.

At Creative Valley, Giannis contributes to venture scouting, startup evaluation, strategic matchmaking, and impact-oriented innovation across Southern and Central Europe.

Carl Härtlein is a venture capital advisor and cross-border investment strategist specialising in bridging Asian and European investment ecosystems. As Founder and Managing Partner of Saint Clair Advisory & Capital, he has pioneered the innovative "Capital Diplomacy" framework, facilitating strategic partnerships and fostering global capital mobility.

Carl's expertise centres on cross-border fund structuring and capital allocation strategies, facilitating partnerships between Asian and European VCs and LPs through groundbreaking global fund initiatives. His approach combines deep cultural intelligence with practical implementation support, enabling sustainable investment relationships across diverse regulatory and cultural environments.

Drawing from over 30 years of entrepreneurial experience as a former startup founder, Carl brings authentic understanding of the challenges facing growth-stage companies. His academic research on "Soft Due Diligence in the Venture Capital Investment Process" explores the human factors that drive investment success beyond traditional financial metrics, contributing to a more empathetic and effective approach to venture capital decision-making.

In his professional career, Carl serves as Partner at several VC funds, while actively mentoring entrepreneurs across four continents. He advocates for repositioning Europe as a stable bridge for Asian ecosystems, championing strategic European-Asian partnerships to address global challenges through cross-border innovation and capital deployment.

Romain Lavielle embodies the bridge between entrepreneurial audacity, academic rigor, and hands-on guidance. His mission? To train, mentor, and invest in turning ideas into impactful businesses.

With a dual background in engineering and management, Romain combines technical expertise, strategic vision, and a passion for teaching entrepreneurship. A graduate of HEC Paris and a computer science engineer, he has founded three companies with diverse models: a freelance agency for corporate clients, a coworking space chain (Digital Village), and a B2B SaaS startup. Today, he is fully dedicated to Impactus, an EdTech company that supports entrepreneurs on their journey to success, while continuing his role in training and coaching future entrepreneurs.

Academic Involvement

Romain is deeply engaged in entrepreneurial education. He serves as a program director (such as for the HEC Paris Entrepreneurship Certificate), mentors student entrepreneurs at institutions including HEC Paris, ECV, and the Ionis Group, and leads workshops on key startup topics such as go-to-market strategy and fundraising preparation.

Expertise and Key Roles

• Mentorship & Support: Over 300 projects mentored and 1,000+ pitch decks reviewed, particularly at the HEC Paris Incubator (150+ startups/year) and Ava Capital (100+ investments).

• Fundraising & Strategy: Assisted more than 50 entrepreneurs in preparing their fundraising efforts by structuring equity stories, business plans, and go-to-market strategies.

• Investment & Dealflow: As Head of Dealflow and Operating Partner at Ava Capital, he leads investment strategy and operational support for the portfolio, and sits on the board of several startups.

Philosophy and Values

Romain believes in personalized, actionable, and reality-based guidance for entrepreneurs. His approach blends:

• Academic rigor (HEC Paris) with real-world experience (company creation, investment)

• Focus on execution: pragmatic advice to turn ideas into sustainable businesses

• Knowledge transfer: a strong commitment to sharing his expertise with new generations of entrepreneurs, students, and professionals

Why Follow Him?

• Diverse Experience: From founding companies to investing, mentoring, and teaching

• Extensive Network: Active in key ecosystems such as HEC, Station F, and Ava Capital

• Pragmatic Vision: Real-world startup advice with a focus on results

Mohamed Ali Hammami is a specialist in immersive technologies, artificial intelligence, and innovation management. He currently serves as Education Technologist and Director of the Center of Excellence in Immersive Technologies at Weill Cornell Medicine – Qatar, within Education City (Qatar Foundation), where he leads the design and integration of Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed Reality solutions in medical education.

With extensive international experience across Europe and the Middle East, Mohamed has held several strategic roles, including Investment Director at Artificial Intelligence Global Company (Saudi Arabia), Head of the Virtual Reality Section at Qatar University, and EDGE AI & IoT Program Manager at PNY Technologies (France).

Entrepreneurially, he is the Co-founder and CTO of Robosim.AI, an AI-powered robotics simulation platform recently accepted into the Incub8 program at the Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP). The project aims to unify robot development and simulation through a generative, robot-agnostic interface that bridges AI and robotics seamlessly.

Mohamed is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Artificial Intelligence and Technology Management at the Università degli Studi Guglielmo Marconi (Guglielmo Marconi University, Italy), focusing on “Ethical AI Governance and Sustainability in Autonomous Metaverse Economies.” He also holds an MBA in International Business Managementfrom La Salle EMCI France and is a Certified Lean Coach for Startups from the Qatar Business Incubation Center.

A former Chapter President of the VR/AR Association in France and Qatar, Mohamed actively promotes the adoption of immersive technologies across the MENA region and contributes to international conferences and initiatives such as the Medical Education Technology Conference (METC).

His work sits at the crossroads of academic research, technological innovation, and entrepreneurship, with a mission to advance the ethical, sustainable, and inclusive adoption of emerging technologies.

YASMINA KAZITANI 

Yasmina Kazitani is a pioneering force in AI, blockchain, gaming, and digital innovation, breaking barriers as a women-in-tech leader, author, and global strategist. She is the first woman to co-preside over the Blockchain Game Alliance (BGA), aindustry-wide collaboration and innovation in Web3 gaming.

In 2024, Yasmina made history as the first woman to publish a book on Marketing, AI, and Blockchain, offering a hands-on perspective that bridges academia and industry realities. Her work challenges conventional marketing models and champions AI-driven, data-centric strategies for the future.

With extensive expertise in EdTech and strategic partnerships, Yasmina has led global collaborations with top-tier brands, helping them embrace new technologies, scalable business models, and digital transformation. She is passionate about fostering diversity, inclusion, and innovation in tech, ensuring that emerging markets-especially in Africa and the Middle East have a seat at the table.

As a speaker, mentor, and ecosystem builder, Yasmina continues to empower the next generation of entrepreneurs, game developers, and tech leaders. Her impact spans industries, but her mission remains clear: driving meaningful change through technology and collaboration.

Hilary Pang

Hilary Pang is an accomplished growth operator and cross-continental strategist who specializes in delivering market traction and scale for both early-stage ventures and high-growth institutional programs. With a laser focus on ROI and execution velocity, she brings eight years of experience building startup, VC, and accelerator ecosystems across APAC and Europe. At the National University of Singapore, she successfully architected and launched go-to-market strategy, building foundational partnership networks across France, the United Kingdom, and Norway that quickly translated strategic intent into measurable collaboration and placement traction.

Hilary serves as a vital link between founders and global opportunities. She does not just advise on strategy; she executes the mechanics of scaling. This includes owning the full operational cycle – from stakeholder mapping to defining OKRs to building robust lead pipelines and deploying resources for optimal impact. Her previous startup roles in EdTech provided proof of her ability to design, launch, and scale new product lines and commercial growth campaigns. 

In addition to her core GTM and operational expertise, Hilary is a proven generalist who drives holistic growth. She leverages a strong background in digital marketing and content creation to align messaging with conversion goals. Crucially, she is an expert in community-led growth, successfully planning and leading international events and founder sessions to maximize participation, brand awareness, and deal flow. 

Anuj Jain is a bridge builder across the innovation economy by connecting science, capital, and talent to turn breakthrough ideas into ventures that matter. 

 Over 25 years and working across 13 countries in Asia region, he led commercial teams at P&G, GSK, and BIC, learning how global brands scale and teams perform across cultures. Midway through his corporate career, he reinvented himself from a corporate leader to startup founder and a venture capitalist driven by one belief thatevery founder deserves an equal opportunity to access capital and networks. Successshould depend not on who you know, but on what you build.

 He co-founded Startup-O, the world’s first data-driven startup assessment platform, built as an expert-led cooperative connecting 2,500+ founders from 40+ countrieswith the venture fund that was established in Singapore. As a venture capitalist, hehelped shape early-stage ecosystems across Asia, catalyzing over 30 investments and mentoring hundreds of founders through accelerator programs, bootcamps, and angel investing. The platform-fund he created received the #1 Award for Developing the Asia Ecosystem (2019). 

 Today, he is focused on enabling science entrepreneurs from Singapore to build deep-tech ventures with global reach. He works at the intersection of venture strategy, ecosystem design, and capital markets helping founders, universities, and corporates design the systems that turn research into revenue and ideas into investable opportunities. 

 Through a network that spans the U.S., Europe, and Asia-Pacific, he connects and catalyze founders with the right opportunities, investors, go-to-market partners, advisors, and technologies which form the lifeblood of every thriving ecosystem. 

 His philosophy is simple: Innovation is a team sport, and it takes a whole village to raise a child. The right ecosystem, with aligned incentives, trusted networks, and bold imagination, turns science into scalable, world-changing ventures.