judges

I spend my life finding and testing better ways of learning that help people develop new skills to radically improve their lives. That’s my main interest and purpose. At Minds Studio, I apply +15 years of experience leading Ed-tech projects to design and launch life-changing education products for companies working on upskilling projects.

My name is Cristie Zhao and I run a Beijing-based consulting agency. Prior to my own company, I have worked both in-house and agency with over 14 years of strategic consulting experience. I have helped companies across industries including technology, renewable energy, consumer goods, education and other sectors define and execute technology-driven strategies to drive profitability, launch new digital businesses, and enable large scale transformation. I am obsessed with making things happen. I am passionate, growth-driven, KPI-focused strategy expert able to attack complex tactical and communication challenges collaboratively, particularly in fast-rising tech firms in emerging markets. Globally minded, I have had extensive experience across 4 continents. I’ve spent most of my academic years in North America and I am fluent in English and Chinese, I could converse in French, Spanish and Portuguese.

Dinah has more than twenty five years experience enabling people and organisations all over the world to attain enhanced insights into enterprise and entrepreneurship. Dinah’s business ICE (International Consultants for Enterprise & Entrepreneurship) is a UK based consultancy that provides award-winning insights into enterprise and entrepreneurship worldwide.

Jessie is a Banking Sector specialist focused on Gender and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) development. She has developed a passion for taking financial intermediation to rural women and youth SMEs and is considered a turnaround strategist in product development, capacity building and gender role profiling. Her extensive experience has supported the growth of the Zambian financial sector through training bankers in SME Relationship Management and financial education and Business Development Services to SMEs.
Founder of Knutberry Trees Consultancy Ltd, Jessie is a certified trainer of the ILOs Start & Improve Your Business, Expand Your Business, and GIZ’s Agricultural Business Analysis & Investment Training for emerging farmers, Farmer Financial Cycle and Micro Business Simulation for Micro Farmers.

Maria Alejandra is a seasoned education and entrepreneurship advocate with a distinguished 16-year career in the field of education. Hailing from Colombia, her expertise lies in learning design, design thinking, and digital skill development. Throughout her extensive career, she has provided guidance to over 500 individuals in various areas, including entrepreneurship, management, and technology.

She holds a Master’s degree in Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship from the Technische Universität Berlin, underscoring her commitment to staying at the forefront of educational and entrepreneurial trends. With her wealth of experience and unwavering dedication to education, Maria Alejandra continues to be a driving force in the realms of entrepreneurship and learning design.

Olesia Ermakova is a CMO of SCOLAR, a youth initiative platform headquartered in Beijing, bringing together young leaders from the SCO region through joint projects in the fields of education, entrepreneurship, and culture. SCOLAR’s mission is to positively impact the lives of 1 billion youth by 2050.

Olesia studied at Peking University and Communication University of China. She has been involved in volunteering for the past 10 years and volunteered for the UN. Olesia’s inspiration is creating opportunities for the youth through her participation in the Chinese tech giant Tencent THINC Fellowship and the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community.

Olesia also works in international cooperation and promotes cutting-edge technologies and innovations in China, focusing on the new energy and sustainability. In 2020, she was invited as a guest speaker for the UN Conference on Biological Diversity COP 15 in Kunming.

Petros has facilitated and designed corporate training and team building sessions in Europe and China for organisations such as Volkswagen, United Nations, Pirelli, LinkedIn China, and Cyprus Chamber of Commerce, in topics such as Self & Shared Awareness, Intercultural Communication, Design Thinking, and WeChat for Business.

An avid advocate of youth empowerment and entrepreneurship, Petros coaches founders through incubator programs at German Accelerator, Huawei, and Startup Grind.

After working with tech startups and corporates in Beijing, London, and Nicosia, he founded BeHive, a skills training platform that helps young professionals become better communicators and culturally agile in today’s constantly changing workplace. Among their partners are universities such as UCL, CEIBS, and the University of Nottingham.

Petros hails from Cyprus, has served for two years in the Special Forces as Sergeant Major, lived for four years in China, and speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese.

Rhea is the Co-Founder of She Loves Tech, a global platform committed to closing the funding gap for women entrepreneurs, and building an ecosystem for technology, entrepreneurship and innovation that creates opportunities for women. Launched in 2015, She Loves Tech runs the world’s largest startup competition for women and technology, possessing the world’s largest pipeline and database of over 13,000 women led startups from 107 countries.

Dr. Steven White is Affiliate Associate Professor in the Department of Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Strategy of Tsinghua University’s School of Economics and Management (Beijing) and Adjunct Professor of Management at the Asian Institute of Technology (Bangkok). His research focuses on innovation, entrepreneurial strategy, and the emergence of new industries and ecosystems, and teaching on strategic analysis, design thinking and entrepreneurial management. Since 2015 has been recognized annually as one of the top 20 China-based management scholars based on his publications and citations. He is also an angel investor and provides strategic advice to new ventures. He received his Ph.D. from MIT’s Sloan School of Management, MA from the International University of Japan, and BS from Duke University.

Hi I’m Zahra, the Ecosystems & Experience Design Lead at Press Start Academy. I have a multicultural background spanning German, Danish & Pakistani roots. Prior to Hong Kong, I spent 5 years between Amsterdam & Antwerp working at a diverse range of companies from start-ups to large corporations such as Philip Morris International, where I developed expertise in marketing communications, Ecommerce & design thinking.